Where we stand

Capitalism, by its method of production, has brought isolated workers together and constituted them as a class in society. Capitalism has made the workers a class in themselves. That is, the workers are a distinct class in society, whether they recognise this fact or not. Historical development calls upon this class to reorganise society completely and establish socialism. To do this, the workers must become a class for themselves. They must acquire a clear understanding of their real position under capitalism, of the nature of capitalist society as a whole, and of their mission in history. They must act consciously for their class interests. They must become conscious of the fact that these class interests lead to a socialist society. When this takes place, the workers are a class for themselves, a class with socialist consciousness.

How are the workers to acquire this consciousness – a clear understanding of capitalist society, their position in it, and the need to replace this society with socialism?

Workers try to get better wages and working conditions from their employers and soon learn the need for a union to defend themselves from attacks by the employer. They learn also the need for political action in order to influence the government in their interests. Workers are forced by capitalism to engage in the class struggle.

The thinking of the workers, which guides their fight, is based upon the ideas of the capitalist class, acquired directly from the capitalist press, schools and the like.What the workers still lack is a fundamental and thorough understanding of their real position in society and of their historic mission to establish socialism. This lack of a socialist consciousness reduces the effectiveness of their struggle and prevents them from accomplishing their mission in society.

To imbue the workers with this rounded-out class consciousness, or socialist consciousness that is the specific function of the Socialist Party. It is composed of those workers who already understand the nature of capitalism and the task of the working class. Their aim is to develop the same understanding among all the workers so that they no longer fight blindly. They and their party, therefore, have no interests separate from the interests of the working class as a whole. They merely represent its more conscious section.  It makes clear to the workers the full meaning of their fight. It shows how even the local struggles, against one capitalist, are really class struggles against capitalism; how the local struggles must be extended if the workers are to win a lasting victory. It points out the political meaning of the economic struggle. It shows how the workers must organise as a class to take political power, and use it to inaugurate socialism. It combats the open and the insidious ideas of capitalism so that the working class as a whole may be better equipped to fight its enemy. It aims to improve the position of the working class, to strengthen it, to clarify it and supply it with the most effective weapons in the struggle, to lead it in every battle in order that it may most speedily and successfully win the final battle for socialism. Against the ideas of capitalism and reformism in the working class, the Socialist Party works for the goal of socialism. The Socialist Party needs to win the working class to the principles of socialism, to socialist methods of struggle against capitalist exploitations and oppression. Socialism will never come by itself. It must be fought for. Without an organised, conscious, disciplined, active global socialist movement, the triumph of socialism is impossible.

The Socialist Party represents a long and rich tradition. It is proud of the fact that its principles and program are founded on the teachings of the greatest thinkers and writers of the working class, Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and William Morris, even anarchists such as Peter Kropotkin.

What is a social revolution? It is the replacement of one ruling class by another. History is filled with such revolutions and in almost every case they made possible the progress of society. The socialist revolution is simply the overthrow of capitalist despotism and the establishment of democratic workers’ rule. The Socialist Party says that socialism can be established by the workers gaining a majority of the votes for their candidates to public office. Once they have been elected in sufficient number they will possess the political power to establish socialism relatively painlessly. Those who advocate armed struggle and insurrection are not genuine socialists and foster illusions that are fatal to the working class. The workers cannot possibly rule by means of a governmental machine. It will have to be replaced from top to bottom by an entirely different form of administration. The Socialist Party favours active participation in election campaigns. It does not deceive people into believing that socialist freedom can be achieved by nothing more than a casting a ballot. But it seeks to use every election campaign to acquaint workers with political action and to elect the greatest number of workers’ representatives who can use their office to work for labour’s interests and to tell the truth to wider masses of people. Once the State machine is captured the capitalist class can be appropriated of their property and ownership.

Socialism cannot be achieved, and the workers cannot effectively promote their interests, without class consciousness. Class consciousness means an understanding working class, a self-confident and self-reliant working class.  Socialism means peace and freedom for the entire world. The Socialist Party, therefore, gives no support to any wars and opposes them at all times. It is the party of peace, not war; of the brotherhood of the peoples, not the slaughter of the peoples. However, we are not and cannot be pacifists, except in so far as pacifism means the advocacy of peace. The class-free socialist society cannot be established within the framework of one country alone.  Socialism is world socialism, or it is not socialism at all. Just as socialist economy could not exist side by side with a capitalist economy in one country, so a socialist nation could not exist side by side with capitalist nations in one world. one or the other would have to win in the end.

The Socialist Party is the staunchest and most consistent champions of democracy. They are the opponents of capitalist democracy only because it is a class democracy, because, at its best, it is only a political democracy which cloaks the economic dictatorship of capital. Genuine democracy is possible only on the basis of economic democracy. But it does not follow that we are indifferent to democracy under capitalism. Nothing of the sort is true. The struggle for socialism can best be conducted under conditions that are most favorable to the working class. The most favourable conditions are those in which the working class has the widest possible democratic rights. Hence, it is to the interests of socialism and of the working class to fight for the unrestricted right to organise, the right to free speech, free press and free assembly, the right to strike and the right to vote, the right of representative government, and against every attempt to curb or abolish these rights.