The Socialist Party is not a party of reform but of revolution. Let it be clearly understood that by revolution the Socialist Party does not mean violence and insurrection. The Socialist Party offers a possible peaceful solution to the class war by the capture of the political powers by the working class as opposed to the capitalist class. Humanity must choose between the continuation of the capitalist system which leads to destruction and a revolution founded on the basis of solidarity and reciprocity. Socialism stands for the end of the war and poverty. In capitalist society, the world is divided into states with opposed interests. The world is split up, separated by frontiers and impassable fences and walls. Nowhere is there security. There is talk of peace while there is preparation for war. The need for disarmament is announced while the powers arm to the teeth. Capitalist society has made of science an instrument of destruction for inventing weapons of war. A world revolution will replace the struggle between nations and will make of the earth one country single and indivisible. Socialists advocate everywhere solidarity and their slogan is “Workers of the world, Unite!” True freedom does not exist where property is not common property or where a man or woman is the slave of another, where the capitalist state has control of our lives and our wealth. Liberty in our society is an empty word, a word without meaning, a lie. The wage system will have to give way to socialism which will bring to an end the exploitation of man by man and slavery in all its forms. Capitalist society condemns to poverty, enforced idleness, and starvation those whom it cannot employ for the purpose of enriching the capitalist class.
The Socialist Party opponents tell us that we are not practical, that we are dreamers, Utopians, visionaries. Our critics confront us with human nature and those academics or public figures say “You want to change society to ensure happiness to all and give everyone equality of rights. You forget, human nature! Mankind is by nature selfish and bad. You will never be able to change peoples' innate characters. Your ideals and intentions are good. But only angels can tread the ground you seek to build” And to this the Socialist Party replies. “This same human nature argument was advanced against those who wished to abolish slavery by thinkers such as Plato and Aristotle” Slavery has been abolished. Anybody who today would advocate the establishment of slavery in its old form would be looked upon as an enemy of the humankind. And would be told that there is something in human nature which cannot tolerate the existence of slavery.
Socialism is not only desirable and possible, it is also an historical necessity. Socialism is now even more feasible because the forces of production, thanks to new technology, have reached an unheard level of development with robotics and automation. They only need to be put in action for the benefit of everyone in order that all members of society may be assured of complete well-being. Modern science has created all the conditions of luxury. Socialism with each new day becomes more possible and more urgent as a consciousness of cooperation rises among the producers. Our world could become a social heaven yet because of this absurd system in which we live, we find ourselves enduring a social hell. Mankind, instead of co-operating in the building of a shared sustainable home for all, finds itself occupied by an internecine strife in a war of each against all. The result is a useless waste of individuals' strength and the planet's resources. Socialism by ending the cause of these rivalries and conflicts– the private ownership of the means of production – forms a new society based on the principles of human solidarity and reciprocity and economic soundness. It will put an end to all waste and all unproductive work. It will abolish antagonism of interests and reduce authority to a minimum, making it function not in the interests of a class but in the interests of society as a whole. Socialism consists of a rationalisation of production, of all our activities and our very lives themselves. And that, not in the interests of some, but for the benefit of all.
The victory of socialism is desirable because only socialism can put an end to the exploitation of man by man and of women by men. Because only socialism can put an end to the struggle for the re-division of the world, for national possessions, which takes place between the different continents, nations and peoples. Only socialism can put an end to war and poverty and the innumerable injustices which are an everyday feature of our lives.
The capitalist class will not surrender its power through goodwill towards the workers. In order to change the ownership of property, it is necessary to take political power away from the wealthy employing class. This political power which is presently in the hands of the capitalist as a means of self-defence will become in the hands of the workers a weapon for the emancipation of the working-class. Workers, on capturing political power, will ensure the existence of social property, of property common to all. Each class which owns the means of production seeks to obtain political power, control of the State and the armed forces in order to safeguard its exclusive property and maintain its monopoly of ownership. Economic power brings political power. The landlord who exploits directly the ignorant peasant scattered throughout the countryside and unaccustomed to organisation, prefers the power of an absolute monarchy. The owners of machinery – living in a more developed society dependent on science and in which large masses of workers are concentrated in cities – have recourse for the purpose of maintaining its rule to the parliamentary monarchy or a republic. But be it parliamentary monarchy or a republic it is always political power at the service of private property. It is always the armed force at the service of the privileged class. He who possesses property possesses power. The working class is a propertyless class. And is on this account without any real political power. But this situation cannot last indefinitely. The working class will come to realise that it is the plaything and victim of a system which exists only through its efforts and which heartlessly exploits it.
There should be collective ownership of what is collectively produced. The working class in possession of the means of production, whether, produced by its own efforts or through the bounty of nature, will cease to be the wage-slave of the capitalist class. Technology will cease to be a rival to the worker and will instead become an aid and an ally. Socialism is based on the recognition of the interests which are common to all and is a concept which does not sacrifice the individual for the sake of society nor society for the sake of the individual. The objective of socialism is a free individual in a free society, the well-being of each assured by the well-being of all in a well-organised society.
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