Arise ye workers!

Study socialism, and make yourselves proof against the propaganda spread by the master class daily. Are the problems which face the working class capable of solution within the capitalist system, or are they not? If they are, then socialism is not only a dream, but also a waste of time and energy. If they are not, then those who divert working-class energies to a futile attempt to save the present system are of necessity enemies of the workers and must be opposed by the Socialist Party. There is no need to await events to put this to the test. The workers are slaves to the capitalist class because the latter own the means of producing wealth. The workers will either replace capitalism by socialism, or they will retain capitalism. If they perpetuate capitalism, they will perpetuate their slavery to the capitalist class. The form may change; the slaves may become well-fed; they may be given access to the cultural crumbs from their master’s table; they may become contented, but they will still be slaves. Wage slavery is inherent in the capitalist organisation of society. When the workers understand and want socialism, they will have it; not before.

Many reformists really do imagine that they can take action in Parliament to further socialism; but they are no less dangerous than the anti-socialist because it is with sincerity that they advocate their delusion. Either from ignorance or with intent, are prepared to support the continued existence of the capitalist system. The reformist main argument is that an honest and efficient government, sympathetic to the aspirations of the workers, can remove poverty, end inequality, abolish war, and in general can solve the many problems of the day without changing society; without abolishing capitalism. An elementary study of the working of capitalist economics is sufficient to show that poverty, war and unemployment are natural products of the capitalist system of production.

Only the Socialist Party aims at power for socialism. It is our contention that other political parties have programmes which are designed to attract anti- or non-socialists. These are made up of a series of immediate proposals or demands which, judged from the socialist viewpoint, may have advantages for the workers, but will be useless in preparing and making the working-class socialist-minded. Hence our attitude to reforms is not merely that they are of no immediate or lasting benefit to the workers, but that for the party aiming at social revolution the task of making socialists is paramount. The advocacy of reforms fails to accomplish this, in fact hinders the furtherance of socialist education.

Socialist action on the political field must be action for the abolition of capitalism, whatever the intentions of the leaders, whilst the mass of the working-class electorate are not socialists, they can only act within the bounds of capitalism. The problems they set out to solve are inherent in the capitalist system. Thus at the very outset they are doomed to failure and will be discredited. Having spent their time popularising reform programmes and catching votes they have had no time or energies for spreading socialist knowledge. Socialism could only he achieved by a working-class understanding socialism.

The workers blame the existence of such problems as poverty, unemployment, etc., upon the men who hold the reins of Government. The Socialist Party is not concerned that these political parties and their leaders should be discredited by their failure, but a serious consequence is the disillusionment and apathy that falls on millions of workers as a result. It is insufficient for workers to aim merely at political control, but that they must obtain political control through their own independent organisation and for socialism. The myth of Russian socialism and the Third International has done much to put back the clock of working-class development.

Those who may have been among the many workers whose tireless energies and selfless devotion built up the Labour Party and other left-wing organisations should answer this question: If it were possible to start again, with the knowledge they possess to-day, would they still do what they have been doing for the past decades?

Surely, the miserable plight of the workers throughout the world, their suffering and anxiety, is a vindication of the attitude taken up by the Socialist Party; that an organisation having for its object the capturing of the machinery of government for socialism, must devote its energies and abilities to the making of socialists and organising them to this end. 

Dictatorships, poverty and other social evils can only arise in a world where the control behind the management of industry is the production of goods for sale and profit-making. Whilst this obtains peoples will stand in fear and hatred of each other and Governments be driven on to the building of armaments for their eventual use in war. These problems can only be removed by the world working class establishing a social system which has for its basis the production of wealth solely for the use of all, regardless of race or sex. This cannot be accomplished by a working class blindly following leaders who have preached to them policies of reforms, nor can violence be a method to make up for the unreadiness of the workers. Only by the mental development of the working class can the suffering and misery of capitalism be replaced by socialism.