"You can kill a
revolutionary but you can't kill revolution...you can jail a liberator but you
can't jail liberation." - Fred
Hampton (1948-69), Black Panther
Why is the socialist movement so small and so clearly
wanting in numbers and influence? This is a crucial question. One answer, of
course was that for many people for a long time, the old Soviet Union model regarded
nationalised property and the 5–Year State Plans, under the control of the
“vanguard” Party, as socialism,(or at least stepping stones) to socialism. The
words ‘socialism’ and ‘socialist’ are odious to many people chiefly on account
of principles and practices of political parties prominent in the history in
certain countries with whom we have no sympathy at all with. Why then do we
continue to use these terms, which must confuse us with them in popular
opinion? Would it not be good policy to drop these terms, and to substitute
others less obnoxious to popular prejudice? Nothing would be finally gained by
such a policy. "Speak the truth and shame the Devil" is a good maxim.
The truth is, we really are socialists; we support the socialist idea and we
strive for the day socialism is accepted by mankind. We remain convinced its
day is coming; and it is not an aim that for honest men and women to be ashamed
of. As to justice from the critics and opposition, no revolutionary ever
received it. Reformers only betray their
cause in the end when they resort to a timid, evasive policy. No matter how
determined and principled, the few socialists are, they are drowned out by the
power and pervasiveness of the dominant ruling class and their control of
information by a manipulated media and biased education system. Socialist
websites on the internet may have opened
a window to reaching mass audiences but (even if one is successful in locating
them) cannot substitute for the indispensable work of organisational outreach,
of people making direct contact with others, of physical face-to-face debate
and discussion, and of well-orchestrated, highly visible mass action.
Socialism in its essence is a society in which all people
work cooperatively as equals for the common good of all. In recent times people
who hold this principle have been describing this principle as democratic
socialism, to distinguish the principle from authoritarian and undemocratic
states which have wrongly described themselves as socialist in character. This
label is used to distinguish democratic socialists from people who improperly
call themselves socialist and do not support the values of both equality and
democracy. Certain societies have sometimes disguised themselves by using the
term socialism. "National socialism" advocates a one-party
dictatorial society. "Communism" has frequently been used by
political parties advocating and implementing a one-party society with very
limited democratic practices. However, a truly communal society would be very
democratic.
Capitalism describes a state of society which accepts and
encourages private ownership of the means of production. Capitalism exalts the
selfish individual. In capitalism regulation of self-interest is discouraged as
a hindrance to the operation of the market. At the moment, production in every
enterprise is conducted by individual capitalists on their own initiative. What
-- and in which way -- is to be produced, where, when and how the produced
goods are to be sold is determined by the industrialist. The workers do not see
to all this, they are just living machines who have to carry out their work. In
a socialist economy this must be completely different! The private employer
will disappear. Then no longer production is aimed towards the enrichment of
one individual, but of delivering to the public at large the means of
satisfying all its needs. Socialism is that social system under which the
necessaries of production are owned, controlled and administered by the people,
for the people, and under which, accordingly, the cause of political and
economic despotism having been abolished, class rule is at an end. That is
socialism; nothing short of that.
In socialism no person can exploit any other person. Natural
resources will not be wasted. Changes in society should be made by freely and
openly. Thus, socialism ought to be achieved democratically through the ballot
box. Socialism is the radical idea that people should live and work
cooperatively in a democratic society. A socialist society will provide for
each individual's basic needs for food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and
health. Above all, it will have to take the control of industry and of all
branches of production out of the hands of mutually competing individuals, and
instead institute a system in which all these branches of production are
operated by society as a whole -- that is, for the common account, according to
a common plan, and with the participation of all members of society. It will,
in other words, abolish competition and replace it with association. In a
socialist society, the employer with his stick and carrot ceases to exist. The
workers are free and equal human beings, who work for their own well-being and
benefit.
We are living in times of unprecedented possibility and also
in a period that threatens humanity’s very existence, dominated by a ruling
class hell-bent on the unfettered extraction of natural resources. In response,
all around the world, people are in search of genuine solutions. The nature of
this historical moment makes fundamental change possible, though not
inevitable. We aim to rekindle a radical and grounded world socialist movement capable
of confronting the challenges and opportunities of today, based on popular
participation in politics seeking to establish democratically-planned
production for use that is in balance with the planet’s sustainable
regenerative capacity. While we are informed by the lessons and struggles of
those who have come before us, we live in unique conditions, and our struggles
must be rooted in a sober assessment of our specific time, place, and
conditions. The Socialist Party does not seek to replace or control the work of
existing campaigns. We believe that social movements should be independent and
authentic. We reject the vanguardism and the associated ‘entryist’ practices of
operating within organizations, trying to control them; creating front groups;
or being opportunist and leeching off social activism. Our contribution which we
believe is both possible and necessary is maintaining the focus upon our goal –
socialism and encouraging strategies to achieve that aim. The Socialist Party
hopes to build a new type of workers’ movement with a transformative and
liberatory vision that connects all the grassroots struggles to win freedom for
all people and safe-guard the planet.
"We got to face
some facts. That the masses are poor, that the masses belong to what you call
the lower class, and when I talk about the masses, I'm talking about the white
masses, I'm talking about the black masses, and the brown masses, and the
yellow masses, too. We've got to face the fact that some people say you fight
fire best with fire, but we say you put fire out best with water. We say you
don't fight racism with racism. We're gonna fight racism with solidarity. We
say you don't fight capitalism with no black capitalism; you fight capitalism
with socialism.”- Fred Hampton
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