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Many different political groups and thinkers have given the
word socialism many different and often conflicting definitions. The term is
loosely defined. Perhaps the worst one being Hitler's national socialism which
no advocate of socialism would associate with. Still, sadly, today, socialism
is often associated with state ownership or government regulation. When members
of the Socialist Party speak the phrase ‘Abolition of Money’, people look at us
as though we are mad. Someone who has no money cannot live. This is the way the
world is at present. Even in today’s corrupt society, no-one could say that
this is right and proper. The Socialist Party describe socialism in terms of
free access to all the social wealth of society. The term ‘resource based
economy’ was coined by Jacque Fresco in The Venus Project as the name for what
kind of economic system he envisions in the future.
There are some criteria of a socialist society that the
Socialist Party apply to its meaning and those include that it uses no money
and possesses no market system, that all goods are freely accessible to
everyone, and that work is voluntary. Socialism does include the idea of a
society controlled by everyone, instead of elites. Such a society would
ultimately be lacking a state, political leaders and classes. Even Karl Marx
realised that the idea and system of the state is wrong, and opposed it.
Thus we would therefore claim that a "real"
socialist system has never been established before. Socialism carries ideals,
and a theoretical strategy, but factual plans backed by hard proofs are not
laid out in blueprints of the future. Everything would be different. This
brings us to socialist principles of common ownership and systems without money.
Money will become unimportant through the availability of advanced technologies
to provide all the means to obtain a good life. To put it simply, money is a
commodity and commodities exist because property exists. I make something
(property) and you make something I need, but you don't need what I make, so a
universal equivalent has to emerge to facilitate this movement of value from
one person to another. "Ah ha!" someone might say "this is
overcome by labour vouchers". Wrong. Substituting a piece of time-chit for
a dollar isn't going to change the nature of the money-form. It can exist as
wheel barrows for all that it matters. This is really where the majority of
so-called "socialists" fall down, they don't know what property is
and they don't know what capitalism is. Money in a post-capital society would
not exist because property would not exist, which is the fundamental
constituent of capitalism, even if this is state-owned property. No one is
selling their labour-power commodity for a wage (money) to buy more commodities
produced by people, institutions, corporations, etc that are separate from
them.
Billions of us go to bed hungry every night and despite
considerable advances in science and technology. We've been accepting widespread
poverty, famine, disease and war as part of life. If the economy doesn't serve
our needs, then why do we serve the economy? Why do we continue to give our
consent to the rule of the few? Why do we vote for our own continued
enslavement? Why do we do these things when we know that there is an
alternative? The economic system we choose does have a large influence on how
we treat each other and the way we think about life in general. It defines much
of who we are.
Imagine a world where all property other than personal
possessions is held in common, for the benefit of all. Consequently, there is
also no money. If you are hungry, you eat. If you want to work, you work. When
you are sick or old or too young, society takes care of you. The vast majority
of us would like to live in a global community where neighbours help each other
and none get left behind. Imagine if we eliminate the very concept of money
from our society. This does not mean going back to bartering. It doesn't mean
violence to overcome the wage slave system. It only requires that we realise
that that together, the people, which includes everyone, have the power to run
our own economy. Implementation of a
cooperative commonwealth would establish the basis for a more egalitarian
relationship with the values of sharing and caring among the members of society.
Socialism envisions an attainable democratic society in
which workers have direct control of their work and environment. It is based on
the production of goods and services that meet the needs and wants of the
society as a whole - it is not one that merely enriches an elite. Therefore,
creative individuals would be free to do what they do best. The engineers could
design their idea of the best car, the chef could create and convince people to
eat his or her newest dish, the clothing designer could put his or her newest
creation on the runway for consumers to see and choose. In a socialist society,
the individual's creativity, desires, and talents are at the heart of a socialist
economy. Socialism essentially levels the playing field by clearing the
economic and educational hurdles that prevent individuals from fulfilling their
dreams and their potential. In short, Socialism seeks to ensure that everyone
reaches their full potential. Human society existed for many millennia before
the advent of money, and it would eventually be rendered redundant in a socialist
economy. It is a myth that socialists seek to do away with all personal
property. Socialists have no intention of taking away your house, your car, your
material possessions, etc. What socialists do desire, however, is common ownership
of the means of production, the factories and work-shops, communication, and
transportation.
Why don’t people who want to improve the human condition and
the ways of the world stop their petty squabbles and put their efforts into
achieving socialism? If they did this, it would be the quickest way for them to
achieve their objectives. We can speak up for our planet as one community with
intertwined interests that can only be satisfied through mutual respect and
cooperation. We can replace capitalism with a system based on social ownership,
equal human entitlement and workplace democracy. We can exist in harmony with
our environment if we get rid of capitalism and promote respect for nature and
understanding the interdependence of all forms of life. We can work together in
organizations that exist in local communities, but which also connect with
like-minded regional, worldwide groups to accomplish the changes we need. Through
our words and actions we can demonstrate that the realistic alternative to
capitalism is an expansion of democracy. In order to build the peaceful,
ecologically sane world we desire, our tactics are non-violent
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