For the thinking worker, the only way forward is to build the world movement for socialism. We live today in a world dominated by capital. Capitalism as a ruling system is far from being eternal. In Britain and Europe capitalist economic relations (those between the class of capitalist employers and the class of wage workers) grew up within feudalism and became dominant with the English Revolution of 1640 and the French Revolution of 1789. Capitalism is a system of commodity production (that is, the production of goods for sale and not for direct use by the producer) which is distinguished by the fact that labour power itself becomes a commodity. The major means of production and exchange which make up the capital of society are owned privately by a small minority, the capitalist class (the bourgeoisie), while the great majority of the population consists of proletarians or semi-proletarians. Because of their economic position, this majority can only exist by permanently or periodically selling their labour power to the capitalists and thus creating through their work the incomes of the upper classes. Thus, fundamentally, capitalism is a system of exploitation of the working class (the proletariat) by the capitalist class. The development of exchange throughout history has led in the modern world to close ties being established between all the nations on earth. The emergence of capitalism as a social system greatly accelerated this process. It also brought forth two powerful, antagonistic classes, the decisive classes of the system: capitalists and workers. Its worldwide character meant that the struggle of the proletariat for its emancipation from class exploitation and oppression also became, and has remained, worldwide. Technological progress brings about a greater productivity of labour and increased social wealth, it cannot get rid of the evils of capitalism or solve the problems of the working class. Rather, it intensifies them. Only socialism, which results from the class struggle of workers against capitalists, can solve them. By replacing private ownership of the means of production by common ownership, by transforming the anarchy of production which is a feature of capitalism into planned production, organised for the well-being of all of society, the socialist revolution will end the division of society into classes and emancipate all of humanity from all forms of exploitation of one section of society by another.
Today, there is much ado over the leadership of the Labour Party by Jeremy Corbyn. None of the current arguments around the question of party democracy or policy is projected in terms of the social relationships within socialism but, rather, advance arguments about a more efficient management of capitalism. There is almost a total absence of any class analysis or any criticism of the state as an instrument of class rule. Nowhere do the left or right of the Labour Party indicate how the fundamental problems and contradictions within the capitalist mode of production can be resolved; nowhere do they discuss the dispossession of the capitalist class. Perhaps it is of significance is the definition of the enemies of the working class used by the left of the Labour party (and the Trotskyist hanger-ons) generally consists of the City, the IMF/World Bank and the multinationals”, all of which are part of finance capital. Industrial capital is not only largely excluded, but is, indeed, seen as the lifeblood of the nation. The nature of industry, production for profit, and the relations within production are not criticised. The problem is characterised as one of decline within manufacturing industry, not capitalism. The Left are “socialists” without any socialism. If the Labour Party holds out no solution, what are the alternatives?
When the Socialist Party say that we are revolutionary we are not talking about a small group running up the red flag at the barricades. We are talking about a change that will involve the vast majority of fellow-workers consciously acting to change the entire society and all the relationships in it, from the way people relate to each other, to the way people relate to their job. We're out to change the whole system. What is necessary in order to bring all the separate struggles together into one common fight to overthrow capitalism. Socialists need to be realistic about their prospects and recognise our failings. Nevertheless, we have to view the bigger picture. The capitalist system brings workers together, men and women, black and white, young and old, in large workplaces in order to exploit us, capitalism ultimately gives us the collective strength to overthrow it. Everything rests upon the future struggles of the working class. The future of socialism depends on the creation of a powerful mass socialist party. We in the Socialist Party believe that we have made a start at building such a party. We have no illusions of grandeur but our mere presence within the working class movement give socialist ideas a chance. We understand the daunting scale of the task compared to by our present size, influence, and resources. We don’t regard ourselves as the vanguard. We know that only the working class can transform society. We don’t seek to put ourselves at the head and in place of that class. We seek only to make workers conscious of their interests and of their power and to direct that power at the capitalist system.
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