A Message to Extinction Rebellion

WAGE SLAVERY

The Socialist Party contends that it is capitalism and capitalism alone which creates or exacerbates all of the major problems in the world today. Poverty, unemployment, homelessness, war, and, to a large extent, disease, but, foremost, let's not forget the current crisis of climate change and the accompanying destruction of natural resources. These are all fundamental to capitalism and cannot be solved on any long-term basis while this system continues.

Those who support the continuation of present-day society would disagree with the Socialist Party analysis and claim that capitalism can be changed to, if not solve most social problems by means of legislation, at least alleviate their worst effects.

A reform is not a fundamental change; it is an attempt to alter the way in which capitalism is run. The fundamentals of capitalism are minority ownership of the means of production, the production of wealth for sale on the market, a money economy, a wages system, and the realisation of profit from the difference between the wages the producers are paid and the sale of what they have produced. The forms of government and the methods employed to actually run the system are not fundamental. The fundamentals of capitalism must remain the same. There must always be a drive for profit and a drive to expand markets which come before any other consideration. Capitalism cannot escape the iron laws of its own economics. Even given the desire to do so from those in power they must follow the laws of the market—or go under, to be succeeded by those capitalists who have a more realistic appreciation of the necessities. The system hangs together as a whole; no one part of it can be taken away.

For reforms to "succeed”, capitalism would need to work smoothly and rationally. But capitalism is a totally chaotic and uncoordinated system which cannot function in such a way because it only follows one law—the drive for profit. This blows apart the best-laid schemes of government or reformers, especially in regards to the regulatory measures proposed to mitigate global warming.

It is quite impossible to achieve a long-term plan for any carbon-zero objective because capitalism is always in some crisis and demands immediate responses to pressures. World events occur with such rapidity that for any country just to try to maintain stability is about as much as they can do. They are so busy swimming against the tide of change that they are using all their strength just to keep their heads above water. They are so busy reacting there is no time to act. So, even if a long-term plan could ever work—and there is no evidence to show that it would and overwhelming evidence to show—that it could not—capitalism is such a dynamic system that it will not stand still long enough to allow such a plan to happen.

All countries face desperate dilemmas in their relationships with other countries. Many strategies have been placed into operation to reduce carbon emission and all have failed. Even if it were possible to iron out the conflicts of interest, the co-operation of all the major countries would have to be secured. This is impossible because every capitalist country is always following a policy to suit its own interests. Since a major objective is to export more than is imported at any given time, it is obvious that not all can succeed. Add to this the commercial interests of the multinational corporations and the difficulties encountered in handling lesser developed capitalist countries and it can be seen why reforms of international capitalist relations cannot succeed in harmonising capitalism with nature on a world basis.

Why do the environmental activists advocate reforms and put them forward when the evidence is that these well-meaning schemes will not work?

It is a mistake to accept that the capitalists understand their own system. They have never studied it in the way that socialists have. Capitalist economists make their reputations, and get their bread and butter, from supplying "solutions" to capitalist problems. What kind of future would he or she have by pointing out that there is really no way of ensuring a stable economy and that the system always staggers on from crisis to crisis?

Capitalists are struggling to survive in business and maintain their competitive edge. To do this they must make sufficient profit to re-invest in capital equipment and keep it up-to-date. This has to be their priority. Anything else comes afterwards. It is not the “wicked” capitalist who brings this about; it is not a moral decision, it is an economic necessity.

Reforms are basically of two kinds; those that are meant to make the capitalist system run a little more smoothly for the capitalist class and those that are meant to bring about improvements in the conditions of people and the planet. Neither kind can work because only a fundamental change of social system can make any difference. Reforms are not meant to change the fundamental set-up of capitalism; they are expressly the opposite of that. The most that can be achieved is to ease the conditions of a section of the working class for a time. But as fast as a reform is applied fresh problems are thrown up on account of the changing pressures of capitalism. So our question to those engaged in the environmental movement, remains, is it worth the effort? Why chase after elusive reforms when it is a futile effort and a waste of energy. What is really required is that effort should be put into something that is lasting — working for socialism. The Socialist Party cautions those who want little more than bandage over capitalism's worse weeping sores that reforming the system will not halt climate change