In defence of the people and the planet

There has never been a more pressing time to rethink politics. We don’t need calls for moral uplift or personal responsibility. We need calls for economic democracy and equality. We don’t need calls for fixing the terminally broken system; instead, we need to build socialism. Such a politics must be rooted in collective struggles. We need a radical imagination infused with the spirit of class-war for an independent politics that regards a radical democracy as part of a never-ending struggle. The future of the human species - if there is to be a future - must be a socialist one. If we really care about whether there will be a human future - each one of us who claims to care has to be prepared to radically challenge the capitalist order. An economic system that magnifies human greed and encourages short-term thinking, while pretending there are no physical limits on human consumption, must be opposed. 

Capitalism is not the system through which we will craft a sustainable future. We must make it clear that ecological sustainability is impossible within capitalism. We have to reject stories about technological miracles. The powers that be are betting on a technological fix to the problems that won't threaten the existing power structure with its unequal distribution of power and centralised decision-making -- a way to keep living as we're living. Even if this was remotely possible, a technological breakthrough would not address the dehumanising way the system subordinates human needs to the needs of the capitalist profit system.

If socialists are to fight against capitalism, we all need to connect issues, bring together diverse social movements and produce long-term organisations that can provide a view of the future that does not simply mimic the present. Even people with a critique of the current system and a yearning for change don't yet know what a new world will look like or how we can create one. In recent years, many individuals and organisations involved in these separate campaigns have begun to embrace a holistic approach that moves beyond single issues. This requires to take real change seriously and be highly critical of any reformist politics yet our socialist message must resonate with people. Our critique of capitalism enables people to ask questions to raise consciousness. Change begins with a public discussion that presents a more accurate picture of our human interaction and recognises the proper purpose of the economy, and highlight the essential social and environmental foundations of true prosperity and well-being. It also means we have to develop political organisations that join together struggles across national borders. If we put aside the fantasies about capitalism found in economics textbooks, we recognise that capitalism is a wealth-concentrating capital accumulating system that allows a small number of people to dominate not only economic but also control the political decision-making process - which makes a mockery of our any alleged commitment to principles rooted in solidarity and democracy. We need to point out that it is not individual greed that created this economic system. None of us voted to put in place an economy that requires endless growth that works against both personal and planetary well-being.

If people are ever to enjoy a free, democratic, and equitable society, they’d have to build it themselves from the bottom up. Leaders move from the driver’s seat to the backseat and let the working class take the wheel. We should be cautious about the temptation to seek a blueprint. After all, a blueprint sounds so static and pre-engineered. But we do need a process of envisioning a new economy otherwise, we won’t know where we are heading. The guide starts with common requirements including cooperation, democracy, and ecological well-being. Such proposals won’t specify the exact details play, just the rough sketch. The goal of socialists has always been to restore community. Marx defined socialism as a free association of producers and as a situation in which the free development of each is a condition for the free development of all. Humanity’s lesson is that individual happiness and fulfillment are best achieved through cooperation, caring, and sharing with one another. The social sciences conclude that we humans evolved to live in cooperative community with one another and nature. Our success as a species has been an extraordinary capacity for creative organisation and resilience.

In order for capitalism to be overthrown, millions and millions of people must be dissatisfied and must want something else, a pressing desire to live a certain way and not to live another way. If this pressing desire were a desire to live free, to be autonomous, to live in democratically controlled communities, to participate in the self-regulating activities of a mature people, then capitalism could be destroyed. Otherwise, we are doomed to perpetual slavery and possibly even to extinction. Despite the countless grassroots projects already under way, the global capitalist juggernaut is too powerful to stop unless more and more of us are becoming aware of how disastrous it is for people and the planet. The social consequences and environmental costs are becoming more apparent. People are beginning to understand that something is fundamentally wrong and that minor tinkering with the current system is not the answer. A critical mass is ready for fundamental change: what they need is a clear explanation of the root cause of the crises we face and solutions that are meaningful. Our answer is a simple one - people should be able to live decent lives without hurting other people and without harming the planet. This means we have to have democratic control and have sufficient material resources to meet our needs.