Every now and again, we see flashes of resistance from people that captures the public’s imagination. Too often for long-in-the-tooth socialists it's easy to become cynical. We witness those protests but not see very much change happening. Unable to sustain the political momentum many outbreaks of grassroots activism will die down and media attention disappears.
Thanks to the presidential campaign of Bernie Sanders, economic socialism has captured the attention of both the public and the media. The word "socialism" no longer possesses that scary connotation it once had. But the word “socialism” also has various meanings and it is incumbent upon us to examine those meanings. Socialists argue that society is structured in such a way that there can be no escape from persistent inequalities unless the class relationship is confronted directly and capitalism is abolished. Capital determines how our societies are organised, and we will not and cannot escape this unless and until capital's power is destroyed. Socialism is understood to mean the social ownership of society's productive wealth and democratic planning of economic activity. It means through class struggle the abolition of the wage system. It dissolves the entire complex web of market relationships which produces brutal exploitation of both people and the natural world. Socialism intends an end the debilitating division of labour that guarantees most workers a lifetime of alienation and stultifying work. It demanded production for use and not for profit. It supposed, in other words, the abolition of capitalism. Others, to the contrary and this includes Bernie Sanders view socialism as reformist social democracy, with capitalism intact, although regulated by the oversight of a “progressive” government. The state will re-distribute wealth by taxation and social welfare benefits, providing more generous social services, health care, and education.
If we are serious about socialism, we must say, as often as possible, what it is. Through our organisations we must educate, explaining ourselves and our objectives, as well as offer the strategies and tactics to achieve our goals. The reality we face is that many on the left have very modest aims, believing that the most we can hope for are to be like the liberal social-democracies in Scandinavia despite the fact that these countries are still no nearer socialism after decades of palliative measures which are actually now being gradually dismantled. The most “radical” proposals from the left are an economy based on cooperatives where workers elect their managers while still competing ruthlessly against other worker–owned co-ops.
Socialists have to advocate the revolutionary change which will usher in a class-free society where we have common ownership of all the goods and services and we each have free access to all those. This is the socialist vision we must hold fast to. These are the socialist principles we must stand by.
It is incumbent upon us to combat the mischievous work of other bodies claiming to be socialist, which finds expression in the mental confusion of those who take the floor against us. For example, it is a common thing to hear it urged against us that a welfare state is socialism, and that many a reformist is a socialist. However, the red flag is still flying, the knowledge of our principles is spreading, and the future is full of promise. We shall be able to keep the uncompromising red flag flying. The Socialist Party presses sturdily along an undeviating path to the overthrow of capitalism and the realisation of the co-operative commonwealth. We plough a hard and lonely furrow to-day and the field of our endeavours is weed-encumbered and all but choked with stubble. Our work would be much easier if we had to sow socialist seed on virgin soil; but before we can do that we have to root up all the Labour and Left-wing weeds. But what a few can do to clear the ground and keep it clear that do we, and to-morrow we reap the harvest
"What is good for the hive, is good for the bee."
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