A revolution is coming

The Socialist Party seeks a better world founded on common ownership, a society to meet all mankind’s material needs. Distortions of “socialism” has seen common ownership changed into state slavery. Only when this system is replaced by socialism, by the common ownership and democratic control of the means of production and distribution can worker's problems really be solved. The capitalist class through its ownership of wealth holds economic power but apart from a few personal belongings, some small savings and perhaps a house, the vast majority of people own nothing but their labour power, their ability to work. The wealth is produced by those who work by hand and brain, far in excess of the wages they are paid. The surplus goes to the capitalist owners or shareholders as profit. This is capitalist exploitation, the basis of all forms of rent and interest. The capitalist system is inevitably marked by sharp social inequality. Capitalism attacks all the essential rights and liberties that have been won over many years of struggle by the working people. People are divorced from the process of decision-making. Trade unions are under attack. The capitalist class does not only hold political and economic power but increasingly control the mass media and the means of communication, everything that influences the minds and attitudes of the people. Time and again industries have been generously subsidised by the state. The rich grow richer while the living standards of the majority are under constant attack. Today millions of people are living at or below the poverty level. They include those in the families of the lowest paid workers, many of the unemployed and their families, many of the chronic sick, millions of old people and children.

The economic basis of socialism is common ownership of all important means of production and distribution. Politically, power is potentially in the hands of the working people. Socialism will enable the community as a whole to benefit from all increases in productivity, all advances in science and application of technological discoveries, and this without the present fears of redundancy, unemployment, rising prices and cuts in wages. By ending exploitation it allows people to make their own future, and by freeing creative energies ensures that the future will bring economic, social and cultural advances. It will bring a new quality of life for individuals, for society as a whole. That is why socialism is the aim of the Socialist Party. Its aim of establishing the rule of the working people in place of rule by the owners of property. The Socialist Party is agreed upon its object, that object being social and economic freedom and equality for all, through the common ownership and democratic control of all the material means of production and existence. Political action is to break down the domination of the master class and hasten the emancipation of the working class. The Socialist Party has been reproached because we spurn the Labour Party rather than subordinate our socialist goal to mere “Labourism” and reformism. The task of the Socialist Party is the realisation of socialism; and only incidentally to assist in the organisation of the working-class and the amelioration of its conditions in existing society. That is for trade unions is to make the best of existing conditions; to make the best terms for its members, and, secondarily, to help on the emancipation of the working-class. We in the Socialist are consequently charged with being hostile to trade unions because we refuse to subordinate the one function to the other. Far from being against trade unions, we offer our full solidarity to workers organising acting upon sound lines.

The first condition for the success of socialism is that its adherents should explain its aim and its essential characteristics clearly so that they can be understood by everyone. We must do away with many misunderstandings created by our adversaries. The main idea of socialism is simple. The Socialist Party believes that society is divided into two classes by the present form of property-holding, and that one of these classes, the wage-earning is robbed by the owning employing class. Workers possess nothing and can only live by their work, and since, in order to work, they need expensive equipment, a machinery which they have not got, and raw materials and capital, which they have not got, they are forced to put themselves in the hands of another class that owns the means of production, the land, the factories, the machines, the raw material, and accumulated capital in the form of money. And naturally, the capitalist, possessing class, taking advantage of its power, makes the working and non-owning class toil for them. Therefore, in our present society, the work of the workers is not their own exclusive property. Since, in our society founded on intensive production, economic activity is an essential function of every human being, since work forms an integral part of the personality, it may be said that the worker does not even own his own body absolutely. The worker alienates a part of his or her activity, that is, a part of his or her being, for the profit of another class. All the misery, all the injustice and disorder, results from the fact that one class monopolises the means of production and of life and imposes its laws on anotSocialism will realise the ideal “from each according to one’s ability, to each according to one’s need.” Classes will have disappeared, the state will “wither” away, and a new era of human freedom and prosperity will arise.

her class and on society as a whole.  

The purpose of the Socialist Party is to break down the supremacy of the capitalist class. All differences of class must be abolished by transferring the ownership of the means of production and of life, which is to-day a power of exploitation and oppression in the hands of a single class, from that class to the whole community. The abusive rule of the minority must be substituted by the universal co-operation of all citizens associated in the joint ownership of the means of labour and liberty. And that is why the essential aim of socialism, is to transform capitalist property into common property. Socialism is not some Utopian scheme. Capitalism has created the economic conditions for socialism. Today there is social production but no social ownership. Socialism will bring common ownership of social production. It is the next step in the further evolution of this society. Socialism will be a higher level of social development. Socialism will be won through the capture of political power by the working class and the revolutionary overthrow of capitalism. In socialism, the working people will take over the economic forces developed by capitalism and operate them in the interests of society. 

 Working people will control the great wealth they produce and they will be fundamentally able to determine their own futures. The end of exploitation of one person by another will be an unprecedented liberating and transforming force. Socialism does not mean government control. The state serves the interests of the ruling capitalist class. Government involvement in the economy is state capitalism. When the government intervenes does so to help, not hurt, capitalism. The Socialist Party vision of socialism is that the means of production – the factories, mines, mills, big workshops, offices, agricultural fields,  transportation system, media, communications, medical facilities, big retailers, etc., will be transformed into common property. Private ownership of the means of production will end. The economy will be geared not to the interest of profit, but to serving human needs. This will release the productive capacity of the economy from the limitations of profit maximisation. A great expansion of useful production and the wealth of society will become possible. Rational economic planning will replace the present chaotic system. Coordinated planning of production will benefit the people. Socialism will open the way for great changes in society. resources would be used to help the weak and vulnerable. The protection of the environment would be ensured. The elimination of private ownership of the means of production and will be cherished as the builders and masters of society. The means of production will be the property of society. Transforming the productive resources of society into common property will enable the working people to assume administration of the economy. Workers will be able to manage democratically their own workplaces through workers’ councils and/or elected administrators.

Socialism will realise the ideal “from each according to one’s ability, to each according to one’s need.” Classes will have disappeared, the state will “wither” away, and a new era of human freedom and prosperity will arise.