There is only one alternative to barbarism: socialism

People in America today are dissatisfied with both the Tories and Labour, the Republican and Democratic parties. The bulk of them are aroused over the way these parties turn deep-seated grievances into mere subjects of campaign oratory that are forgotten the day after the election. Undoubtedly the hope is still strong among them of getting some reform in the old parties, especially from Trump, yet a large section would like to see a completely new alignment on the political scene. But this can be done only by offering them a meaningful alternative to the perennial “lesser evil” choice.

There is no shortage of critics of the socialist movement. Those political commentators who scoff at socialist sentiments and aspirations and say that such a concept is now outdated, that the working-class movement has been defeated should ask themselves the question: does the capitalist system which they are promoting, and which they say the people are accepting, solve any of the problems of the working people in any part of the world? The working class is still the decisive force in every country. Why would the ruling class devote so many policies and resources to ensuring that we are docile? Critics of socialism should question why we have to put up one recession which only leads to the next and ask is there no way that the economy can be organised that to eliminate recurrent recessions? There are a lot of questions anti-socialists refrain from asking for fear of the answer. Is there not some way in which the people can be guaranteed their well-being, and guaranteed decent standard of life for themselves, their families and the future generations. Then there is the question of the environment and the damage to the environment, looking into what it is which causes the damage to the environment. Is there not some way that life can be organised so that it does not cause these problems? Then very important, of course, the whole question of peace in the world. What is the root causes of those bloody brutal conflicts? In our view, these are the vital questions which have to be addressed. The Socialist Party has definite views on all these things. Unlike our critics, we looked deeper into these questions and found some answers. We are socialists and we propagate our full views. But, principally, it is the working class which has to take up these questions. Without the working class itself taking up these issues they will never be solved. The Socialist Party can only encourage as wide as possible discussion among the people on these questions and ask them to reflect upon our case for socialism.

The principle function of the Socialist Party is to educate fellow-workers to realize that their industrial power must back up a political or general class fight. It is only by using their political power that the capitalists make their exploitation of the working class legal and the oppression of their system constitutional. And it is only by using their political power that the working class can make their own exploitation illegal and their own oppression unconstitutional. It is only by the use of their political power that the working class can abolish capitalist class rule and privilege, and establish a society based on the common ownership of all the land and the tools of production. We plainly stated that we cannot expect revolutionary unless people themselves get the understanding and the spirit of socialist organization. The working class through the ballot box can abolish the capitalist system of ownership with its accompanying class exploitation and oppression, and establish in its place socialism — an industrial democracy — wherein all the land and the tools of production shall be the collective property of the whole people, to be operated by the whole people for the production of commodities for use and not for profit. The Socialist Party ask the working class to organize with us to end the domination of private ownership — with its poverty-breeding system of unplanned production — and substitute in its place the socialist co-operative commonwealth in which every worker shall have the free exercise and full benefit of his or her faculties, multiplied by all the modern factors of civilisation. Now, comrades is the time to dedicate yourselves to the revolutionary socialist principles and to the struggle for socialist freedom. Unite in the battle against capitalism.