Planetary collapse or workers’ revolution

In a revolution, the power and wealth of society change hands. They are transferred from one class to another. In our time, there are two fundamental classes in society, the working class and the capitalist class. The minority class owns the wealth, profits from it, keeps down the standard of living of the majority class which has no wealth. The workers are cajoled and propagandised to protect all this wealth that is owned by the ruling class. The theory of the socialist revolution is that if the enormous wealth of society, controlled by the few, were controlled by the majority of the people, poverty could be eliminated, an end could be made to the mass murder of war, and mankind could live in peace and plenty. To achieve its goal, this revolution would be necessarily on a world scale. Real socialists today should rally to the Socialist Party, the bearers of the traditions of Marx. The principles of the Socialist Party serves the “have-not” class, the exploited. It stands for the abolition of the profit system, workers’ self-management of industry, and the end of wars growing out of the profit system. It seeks peace and plenty for all.

It is clear to every socialist that socialism will not come into existence unless the majority of the people are willing to struggle for socialism and that means that they have some idea of what it is. If the people who vote for a socialist do not do so because he is a socialist but because they do not know that he is a Socialist, of what earthly use can that be for achieving the socialist goal? Socialism depends on the consciousness of the working class and not upon their lack of knowledge. The idea that we should first be elected and then teach socialism to the people is so utterly absurd that it should not even be discussed. It can be stated with the greatest of assurance that a candidate for the Socialist Party will not refrain from teaching socialism during the campaign. From the point of view of achieving socialism 100 votes, obtained conducting a campaign where socialist ideas and the Socialist Party are stressed, are worth ten times more than thousands of votes polled in a campaign where the necessity for the struggle for socialism was not stressed and where the Socialist Party’s principles were hidden in the background. Under present circumstances, we stand in elections to teach socialism.

 It is nonsense to say that the Socialist Party is a political party only to the extent that it succeeds in winning votes. The Socialist party is and must be a political Party throughout the year and not only during election campaigns. An election campaign is of value to the extent that it teaches and mobilises the masses for winning socialism. During an election, the workers are more likely to listen to a discussion on economics and politics than at any other time and we can be effective showing fellow-workers the necessity to struggle for the abolition of the capitalist system. No socialist can afford to forget for one moment the fundamental Marxist principle that we can achieve socialism either through the conscious action of the working class or we do not get it at all. The socialist revolution is the only “practical” politics and the sole constructive path forward from the present decay, starvation and ruin. All the economic statistics and data show the gulf between the capitalist class and the working-class grows ever greater. Capitalism maintains its profits on the basis of lowering and worsening the standards of the workers. The parasitic burdens of capitalism grow ever greater.

The planetary destruction we face has come about from the development of the capitalist system. Irreparable global damage is being done. Resource allocation is being misguided and inappropriate on a massive scale. The capitalist system must take the blame. It is a system that needs to be transformed to the provision of both the material and psychological needs of all humanity. The sustainability of all the earth’s resources to meet these needs must take on the highest priority. Many in the world are beginning to recognise the centrality of our social interdependence. Planetary collapse or the workers’ revolution — this is no longer a debating issue of the future, it is a life and death issue, a fight for life.