A future world

What is blocking the way to economic and social progress? Socialists reply: The system of profit-making, the ownership and control of industry by a few capitalists for their own gain and not for the benefit of the people. Standing in the way of social progress and socialism is the ruling class composed of the owners, the share-holders and CEOs of the huge multinational banks and corporations that control the economic life with power that extends far beyond the boundaries of any one country and  controls the destinies of millions around the globe. These capitalists are very wealthy and live off the exploited labor of others.  In opposition to this minority is the vast majority of the rest of the population. The working class is systematically and exploited by capitalism, and is therefore a revolutionary class. he working class is composed of all wage earners – mental and manual, urban and rural – whether in basic industry, manufacturing, service, farm, sales, domestic, clerical, public, or other jobs. The working class is composed of skilled and unskilled, employed and unemployed. Some workers may make more money than others, but they are still members of the working class because they do not exploit the labour of others and must sell their labour power to survive. The vast majority of people belong to the working class. The working class produces the wealth appropriated by the capitalists and its basic interest lies in the abolition of the private ownership of the means of production. It is this fact leading the working class to the socialist revolution. Yet at this moment in time only a small number of workers see the need for fundamental change and want to bring this about. The majority of workers at present do not understand the need for basic change or socialism. They have difficult lives, but they do not see how their problems can be resolved. These workers want an improvement in their lives and often struggle against their employers, but they do not understand yet the need for revolutionary change. Many are generally content with their situation or feel that, even though things could improve, capitalism is the best system. Every time working people placed hope in what promised great changes would be bring about, they have been sadly disappointed.

As the conditions of life deteriorate more and more workers will become politically conscious and understand the need for socialism, becoming increasingly  open to the ideas of socialism. Through experience and education, workers are learning that their interest lies in the overthrow of capitalist private property and the establishment of socialist ownership. But such a revolution will require the unity of the workers of all lands. The working class is world-wide, composed of workers of many different nationalities. Their common identity is that they are all exploited by the capitalist class. Socialists must oppose nationalism and forge unity with their fellow workers of all nationalities for the struggle against our common enemy, in the common effort for full democracy and socialism.

The state suppresses and controls opposition to capitalism while maintaining social order to provide a stable environment for capitalists to conduct their businesses.  It does this through the massive state apparatus and bureaucracy , including the courts, police, army, and jails. It helps direct and supervise the capitalist economy. The working class would like to attain socialism without violence and will use every available means to attain its goal of socialism. It will utilize all legal possibilities and legislative approaches to improve the conditions of life and the struggle for socialism.

The solution for the ills of present-day society is the social ownership of the industries and national wealth and production for the common good, instead of profits for the few. Capitalism is the basic cause of war in modern times.  Capitalism controls the entire globe and war results from the struggles of the  leading capitalist countries to re-divide the world, to wrest from each other spheres of influence and market share, cheaper labour and supplies of raw material.

Socialism can be achieved only by the will of the people, when the conditions have become ripe for the historical changeover from capitalism to socialism. Socialism will thus triumph as the result of the will and actions of the people, and cannot be imposed from outside. The way forward for democracy is through the establishment of socialism, which will open up a new  future for all the people. The solution is to end the private ownership of the means of production and replace it with social ownership and production planned to meet the people’s needs, that is, socialism. Socialism puts an end to wars and the danger of wars because under socialism there are no capitalists who are interested in war profits and the conquest of new markets. Socialist planning abolishes anarchy of the market and thereby puts an end to depressions and unemployment. Social ownership ends exploitation of man by man because it is through private ownership of the factories and workshops, mills and mines that the wealthy minority exploit the great mass of the people. Social ownership frees the energies of the people and productive forces for economic, social and cultural advances.

 Socialism does not destroy democracy but, on the contrary, enormously extends democratic liberties. The only “liberty” which Socialism ends is the liberty of the privileged class to own industry and amass wealth at the expense of the great majority. Socialism ends all exploitation and oppression of the producers by a privileged parasitical class. By ending the political, economic and financial domination by the plutocratic  elite, socialism, for the first time, creates the conditions for the free expression of the people’s will. Nor does Socialism “worship the State” and aim at domination of the individual by an all-powerful State. As socialism becomes firmly founded, the State “withers away” and the full direction is in the hands of a co-operative society producing for the benefit of all.

How is Socialism to be achieved? What are the forces making for Socialism? How can we best go forward? Socialism can only be achieved through working class struggle. Only the organised power of the people can achieve this aim. Our aim is to achieve Socialism by peaceful means. The trade union movement, embracing a united working class, will play a key-role. Working-class unity, socialists in the socialist parties, in the unions, will strengthen the working class. The machinery of State will be transformed. Parliaments will be filled by true delegates of the workers movement, who will be subject to recall at any time by a majority of their electors and the whole of the people will be drawn into active participation in the administration of every sphere of daily life. The Socialist Party sees the future society as one of world-wide co-operation for the common good of all peoples. It means a peaceful, free world instead of one torn by rivalries, prejudices and war. The Socialist Party will work to win, the labour movement to this object.