Arise

All over the world things are confused and mixed-up. Our world is one that can change in weeks and days and even hours instead of when it took years. People find themselves unsure and uncertain and, yes, frightened. Many politicians take advantage and stoke these fears, inciting division by creating scape-goats to blame, igniting hatreds between people rather than building solidarity.

The end must determine the means. Socialism will be established only when a majority of workers understand and want it. Fundamental social change will have to come about through a majority revolution, expressed through some kind of verifiable electoral means. Only the elimination of the capitalist system provides the basis to bring about equality. the Socialist Party has tried in many ways to point out that the root of social problems throughout the world is the system of capitalism, and that to solve these problems and empower the people we need to break the economic power of the capitalist class and establish socialism, a social system where the social wealth is genuinely controlled by society and for the benefit of society, where the common good, not profits, becomes the chief concern. The empowerment of the working class requires that the level of political awareness increases. Only the working class itself can achieve its emancipation. The person who is not yet awakened, who has not yet realized all his or her class interests, is a blind tool, the willing instrument of his or her own degradation. People learn through their own experiences, but the experience alone do not provide the movement with the vision or the understanding of how to make revolution. This requires a socialist understanding of why society is the way it is and what it will take to change it. We should not underestimate the power of ideas. A vision of socialism, an understanding of the workings of capitalism, and commitment by the working class has been part and parcel of the spirit of struggle needed to better this world. As revolutionary socialists the Socialist Party cannot surrender our contributions to understanding how fundamental change is to come about. Our views are not Marxist dogma but are based on our own experience as an organisation founded in 1904. We strive for a more just world, because we are human beings.

The power of the ruling class exist by virtue of their control of the state machine. It is putting the cart before the horse to claim as some do that the political power of the capitalist class derives from its economic ownership of the means of living. On the contrary, capitalism and the rule of the capitalists exist because the overwhelming majority of the population support this state of affairs. At present the voters send people to Parliament and the London Assembly (the Scottish and Welsh ones too) with a clear mandate to continue the capitalist system, which means to absorb themselves with measures which have little bearing on workers' lives. All the political parties contesting elections, whatever name they use to describe themselves or whatever claims are made for them in respect to their position on the Right/Left spectrum of capitalism, put forward policies firmly rooted in the economics of capitalism. Capitalism is the cause of our suffering. “Capitalism sucks”, as we tell our fellow-workers. Capitalism cannot be reformed in a deep way. Surface reforms are lost in each inevitable downward economic cycle. Capitalism must grow to survive. Because we live in a finite world, unlimited growth is impossible.

The Socialist Party is eager to recruit members. We do not expect every new member to have read the complete works of Marx or deliver lectures on subjects of theoretical complexity. All that we require is basic socialist knowledge: What is capitalism? What is socialism? What do we mean by socialist revolution? How can it be brought about? In short, we will only accept socialists into the Socialist Party. The Socialist Party takes a different approach from that of all the other political parties, indeed it could be said that, if the common strategies of all our opponents represents the definitive elements of a political party, the Socialist Party is not so much a political party but an organisation intent on abolishing politics. We want people to seek power – for themselves. The building of socialism should not be the work of just one organisation but the task of the entire working class. But even though there is a need for unity of purpose and action, socialism must still be the goal. We want to show how people can use this organisation to create resources for their own struggles. In working for revolutionary change, we want to promote the methods of democracy we have found to be successful. We want people to join our organisation in order to empower themselves. We want the Socialist Party to become an open organising and educational center in revolutionary social organisation so that people have the ability to take control of their own lives. We use every means at our disposal; publicity campaigns, pamphlets, the social media, even advertising, to promote people joining us.

At the moment the Socialist Party is incapable of contesting all electoral constituencies. Where we do not put up candidates we urge those who agree with our principles to write 'Socialism' across their ballot papers. This is an indication that at least some workers wish to use their votes to support ideas which none of the candidates is offering.

Arise, ye slaves! Declare war, not on the capitalist, but on the capitalist system.