The Future Is Up To Us

ALL FOR ONE - ONE FOR ALL

The Socialist Party is not a reform party, but a revolutionary party. It does not propose to modify the competitive system, but abolish it. An examination of its history shows that it stands unequivocally for the common ownership and control of all the means of wealth production and distribution — in a word, socialism. We propose to put an end to exploitation entirely by abolishing the capitalist system and transferring the means of production from private hands to the control of society itself and having them operated in the interest of all. To carry this out the first step necessary is political organisation, and this step has been taken by the Socialist Party.

The party will stand squarely upon the principles of revolutionary socialism. There will be not so much as a hint of compromise or concession. It is a fundamental principle that socialism cannot be achieved as a result of a series of reforms within the framework of the capitalist State. REVOLUTION NOT REFORM. The capitalist system cannot be patched up or reformed. The Socialist Party is necessarily an international party all linked together in the indissoluble bonds of solidarity. It is as worldwide as the domain of capitalism. The reins of political power is its goal. It refuses to be flattered, bribed, or otherwise deflected from the course mapped out by Marx and Engels. The Socialist Party has no interest in any of the so-called issues over which capitalist politicians fight sham battles. We care nothing about the trade wars and imposing tariffs on commercial rivals. We stand first, last, and always for the common ownership of all the means of production and distribution, and will press forward unceasingly until our class secure them, thereby liberating humanity itself. People want to be their own masters, to determine their own fate.

Capitalism has nothing to offer but poverty, uncertainty, unemployment, destruction from either global warming or global war. The uncontrolled exploitation and waste of resources typifies capitalism, the cause of these calamities. Short-sighted search for profit destroys the world’s environment at an accelerating speed. Science and technology can be beneficial to society, but private property and the priorities of the ruling class elite create great problems. Our answer is that the working class must organise to overthrow those who threaten the existence of the people and of the world. Capitalism knows no national boundaries and the ecological threat encompasses all the world’s countries and peoples.

Only a planned socialist economy has strength to remedy a future climate catastrophe.

Socialism is the power of the working class. This class reclaims the people’s property from the capitalists. There will be an end to the right for some to exploit other people’s labour and to claim possession of what society has produced. A planned economy secures social and sensible use of the resources. Production will be planned on the basis of what serves society, not what yields the most profit. The producers themselves, the workers, will decide what to produce and how – not “the market”. Whether socialism triumphs depends on the consciousness of the working class. The Socialist Party will overcome prejudices, differences of opinion and tactical differences which stem from coming from different traditions, and we will build solid ideological unity through common action and common studies. Only in this way can we build a genuine unity, by working together and exchanging views with the aim of bring our unity to a continuously higher level. The task of the Socialist Party is to make the working class conscious of its mission.

It is, nevertheless, a great mistake to suppose that socialism involves the suppression of all individuality and the elimination of all differences of opinion. Most socialists are persons of strong will, who have been first impelled to socialism by a recognition of the impossibility of the development of full individuality except through socialism; and differences of opinion, especially on questions of tactics and policy, are bound to arise, and are essential in a party such as ours. Such differences of opinion, too, among people who are in earnest are bound to excite considerable personal feeling, as this or that point of view comes to be identified with a particular individual. Really, however, vital issue of principle is whether the party stands for revolution or mere reform. A class-free society is the immediate goal for the Socialist Party and when classes and the State have ceased to exist, people can attain full and unlimited freedom, in accord with the principle “From each according to ability, to each according to needs.”

The world socialist movement is to be a movement of revolt against the existing social order for the emancipation of the working class and the abolition of capitalism. It scorns all alliances with political organisations of our class enemies. It has not for its object such amelioration's and palliatives of capitalism to make the capitalist system tolerable, nor participate in any possible way in the functioning and administering the Government in a capitalist State. The object of a Socialist Party is socialism. To that end the education and organisation of our fellow workers and their persuasion to socialist principles is essential. We cannot have socialism without socialists. Therefore, the first duty of the Socialist Party is propaganda, in order to make socialists. In doing this a Socialist Party should also champion every movement of the working class towards improving its condition – even in present circumstances – or in defence of its interests; so that the Socialist Party constitute rallying point of the whole working-class movement.

No socialist will deny that it is a help to the workers' movement to win a Parliamentary seat for socialism; but it is an impediment rather than a help if the seat is won by a sacrifice of principle or by any sort of compromise which curtails the freedom of action of the socialist elected. When our men and women go to Parliament they go with a direct socialist mandate, and if they cannot go with that then they had better stay outside. It is of importance however, that a socialist should be elected and a seat won for socialism. From this standpoint, therefore, it is better for a socialist to fight and be beaten as a socialist than to fight and win under any other flag.