This is socialism

On June 12th, 1904 expelled militants from the Social Democratic Federation formed the Socialist Party of Great Britain and the members immediately set about framing principles and rules to guide them. The party also arranged to publish a monthly journal, the Socialist Standard, which first appeared September 1904.

Though similar parties have since been formed in other parts of the world, all adhering to the same socialist object and principles, the growth of socialist knowledge among the masses has been slow in comparison with the growth of confusion as to what socialism is. This will be readily admitted by anyone who has followed recent world politics, or even local politics. Yet through the past sixty years the Socialist Party has remained stable in character and consistent in its attitude and principles It has also seen two world wars, the rise and fall of state capitalism in Russia, the undemocratic imposition by force of the trappings of capitalist industrialisation on the populations of feudal China, yet has maintained its original thesis: that the socialist revolution will not be brought about by its being imposed on the workers by a body of leaders, but will only come when a working-class majority understand and want socialism, and vote for it at the polling booth.

 Skilled, professional opportunists whose purpose is to secure the continued existence of capitalism plead for our votes. But there can be no hope for the working class as long as they put their trust in leaders and support the capitalist system. The issue which should concern workers is the abolition of capitalism and the establishment of socialism. Whilst capitalism continues the conditions of the working class must tend to grow worse. Therefore, we urge upon all members of the working class to take advantage of the knowledge distributed by the Socialist Party, become organised into its ranks, and help to bring nearer the day when socialism will become possible.

Capital is wealth used for the purpose of producing a profit. Profit is a portion of that wealth produced by the worker but robbed from him under the present system. Hence capital is wealth used for the purpose of robbery. Clearly, when the system of robbery is abolished, capital will disappear. Production will then be carried on for use; wealth will be used to promote the well-being of all. As socialism will mean the abolition of the idle class of present society—the capitalist class—who gather all the best of what is produced to themselves to lead lives of barbaric luxury, the first result of the establishment of socialism will be that a large quantity of wealth will become available for distribution among the producers that was never within their reach under capitalism. So far from it being necessary to reduce the populations under socialism, the elimination of the idle thieves will be one factor in making it possible to support far larger numbers than the present system is doing. What do you lack? Food, plentiful and pure; yet it is you who grow, carry and prepare the delicate meal for the rich man’s table. Clothing, adequate and beautiful: though by your toil your master’s person is protected and adorned. A dwelling fair and well provided: yet your hands raise palaces and fill them with comfort. Leisure you have not, though your service makes other lives one holiday. Nor travel, though you build planes and ships. Nor peace for your mind to roam and your limbs to rest. All these you lack, without knowing that you do. Your life wants breadth and depth and height, and you hardly dream that it might be different. Toil is your heritage, you think, and all else your master’s. The only thing wrong with the poor is their poverty. They are poor because they are robbed. They are robbed because the rich own the earth and the fulness thereof. The poor have to hire themselves to those who own the means of living. The price of their hiring is called a wage and is based upon the cost of keeping dusty death at bay. This is their sole share of the wealth they produce. They can alter this state of things whenever they like by taking possession of their means of livelihood.  until Socialism is attained, the workers will remain poor; poor because they are robbed. Capitalism is based upon the robbery of labour. “Labour” believes in its palliation; Socialism in its abolition.

Understanding the social alternative—a wage-free, money-free, class-free leader-free, state-free society where goods are produced for need, not profit—is as simple as ABC’ compared to the minefield of bureaucracy to be traversed when trying to obtain paltry dole money. Despite the promises of “jam today”, forever being made by those lapdogs of the capitalist class, the politicians, most of us are still struggling to obtain bread and dripping.

The time to make capitalism redundant is long past. It’s the working class which runs capitalism from top to bottom for the benefit of the minority. Think what we could do with the opportunities presented to us by a new society — socialism.