Understanding Socialism

The Socialist Party aims at achieving a parliamentary majority. The working class of this country will not attempt to reach socialism in any other way, unless events proves to them that this approach has been closed down. At the bottom of this strategy is the expectation by our fellow workers for a bloodless revolution. Surely therefore the first job of a socialist movement must be to capture the state machinery so to disarm the capitalist class to thwart any attempt  obstruct the introduction of socialism.  It is a socialist pre-condition that the emancipation of the working class must be the act of the working class although this is not necessarily is confined to voting for socialism. In tandem with political action will be industrial organisation.

 The Socialist Party has no need for Marxist theoreticians, great, clever scholars. We are not required to be the mentors of the working class – only of it. They alone will resolve the question of their own freedom. They alone are the revolutionary force. The task of our party, which is of the working class and in it, is to accelerate that movement.  We are disappointed by our inadequacies, our lack of impact that is so necessary today.

Our task is to remember the history and heritage which out of class relationships and struggle is ours. We have the duty to say: there is no easy road, there is no gradual road. Nor does the Socialist Party accept the view that crises necessarily brings revolution prefer to put it the other way: revolution prevents catastrophes. We do not share the view that, in some automatic way, out of chaos comes progress.

Bankrupt capitalism has out-lasted its time.  It has inflicted untold evil on the world and it must go. That is the job of our Party. It is your job too, all of you, wherever you are, to struggle for the emancipation of the working class.

The prolonged survival of capitalism, with all its dire consequences, is due to the influence of the reformist current in the labour movement, falsely calling itself “socialist.”  It is the bitter fruit of opportunist class collaboration. We of the Socialist Party have nothing to do with these brands of so-called “socialism” or “communism.” and explain that socialism will not fall from the skies. Neither will it be gained by any appeals to the good will and compassion of the capitalist exploiters. It is by the class struggle and the experience and education arising from it that the socialist society will be realised. There is no other way. And every attempt to find another way, by supporting the capitalists, by conciliating them, by collaborating with them, in peace or in war, has led not toward the socialist goal but to defeat and disaster for the workers.