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Saturday, August 17, 2019

Socialism, One World-One People.

The Scottish nationalists are once again marching through the streets, this time it is in Aberdeen. And once again the Socialist Party is obliged to make our views on the independence campaign very clear.

You say what you are going to say, say it, and then end by saying what you have just said. Repetition, repetition, repetition.

One World. One People” is the slogan of the Socialist Party. It is meant to convey that we stand for a world solution and that we rejected nationalism and racism.

Workers have no country.

Nationalism has always been one of the biggest poisons for the working class. It has served to divide workers into different nation states not only literally but ideologically. Today it is probably fair to say that a majority of workers—to one extent or another—align themselves with their domestic ruling class. After all, the ideology of nationalism ultimately means that workers and capitalists living in a particular geographical area must have a common interest. As with most myths there is an element of truth in this. 

Normally, a common language is shared and on a superficial level at least, a common "culture" can be defined, e.g. "the British way of life". However, if one probes slightly deeper such an analysis fails to stand up. Socialists argue that world society can be broken into two great classes of capitalists and workers. Despite many workers finding it difficult to communicate with and understand each other because of language or cultural barriers this does not alter the fact that they are all part of one globalised exploited mass with more in common with each other than with their indigenous bosses. The interests of the working class are diametrically opposed to the interests of all sections of the capitalist class including capitalists seeking their own nation states and independence. Workers have no country to fight for, we have a common interest in ending national boundaries and establishing world socialism. 

We argue against nationalists who co-opt the term ‘self-determination’ because it can only mean working people democratic controlling society and production. Self-determination concerns participatory democratic decision-making. 

The Socialist Party strives for a world without borders and without capital – a vision of a worldwide federation of free associations of peoples, class-free and state-free, of communities where production is based on need and more conducive to our environments.

The Socialist Party's case is not just against capitalism, but goes beyond capitalism to a post-capitalist society. It is not about another world that are possible, but is necessary. 

The Socialist Party argues that it would be pointless dismantling the British state only to replicate it as a sovereign Scottish state. An independent Scotland would not bring any fundamental change to the lives of most Scots, who would still be powerless, both economically and socially. Capitalism isn’t being threatened by the left-nationalists, rather they hope for greater state intervention, a larger welfare state, aspiring to the Scandinavian-type model and they present an image of a booming ‘Celtic Tiger’ economy to attract global corporate investment. Big Business will continue to rule Scotland.

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