A Party of Vision

It is either socialism or capitalism — complete freedom or total slavery.  

1. The abolition of the private or state ownership of the means of production.
2. Elimination of competition and production for exchange value and its replacement by democratic production for use.
3. Workers’ and people’s management of the economy and society.
4. The abolition of wage labour. 
5. The elimination of classes. 
6. The disappearance of the state. 
7.  From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs.

Capitalism is a system of commodity production (that is, the production of goods for sale and not for direct use by the producer) which is distinguished by the fact that labour power itself becomes a commodity. The major means of production and exchange which make up the capital of society are owned privately by a small minority, the capitalist class (the bourgeoisie), while the great majority of the population consists of proletarians. capitalism is a system of exploitation of the working class (the proletariat) by the capitalist class.

Marx defined capitalism as a mode of production based on generalised commodity production. All products and elements in the labour process are commodities. Goods and services are produced for exchange on the market, rather than for their use by the population. The result is that capitalist production is production for surplus value (commodities in relation to exchange value represent more value than that advanced for their production in the form of commodities and money).

Generalised commodity production and surplus values can only exist when regulated by a market economy and competition between capitalist enterprises. As Marx put it:

“By definition competition is the internal nature of capital. Its essential characteristic is to appear as the reciprocal action of all capital: it is an internal tendency appearing as imposed from outside. Capitalism does not and cannot exist except divided into innumerable capitals: for this it is conditioned by the action and reaction of one upon the others.” (Marx – Grundrisse)

The fact that modern monopoly capitalism necessitates state intervention, planning (and even nationalisation) to survive and function efficiently is not in itself enough to change the system. For such planning is done precisely to ensure the survival of capitalism within a competitive market structure.

What socialism is all about in the last analysis is the conquest of human freedom for the greatest possible number to decide their own fate in all key sectors of life. This is, in the first place, true for all wage earners, who are under the economic compulsion to sell their labour power. Socialism will be accepted only if it is considered radically emancipatory on a world scale without exception. That is to fight against any condition in which human beings are despised, alienated, exploited, oppressed or denied basic human dignity. There is no better way to be a good human being in this world than to dedicate your life to this great cause. That’s why the future is with socialism. Understand that you cannot be happier than if you dedicate your life to the defence of the exploited, the oppressed, the downtrodden, the despised.

Arouse, ye slaves! Declare war on the capitalist system. We are educating, we are agitating, we are organising, that is to say we are preparing for when socialists will be the majority, declaring for the common ownership of the means of production and distribution and when for a’ that and a’ that, man to man the world o’er, shall brothers be for a’ that.