A New Society is Needed

We are living in fearful times under an inherently frightening social system. Workers are frightened. Under capitalism there is no escape from fear. Want and insecurity are both endemic to capitalism. The fundamental fact of society to-day was that there was a deep cleavage. On one side there was the working class—the class that lived by the sale of their services—and on the other the class that lived on profit derived from the ownership of capital. The economic circumstances of the two resulted in the worker class being a slave class. In that sense the worker class were the slaves of the capitalist class. How were they kept enslaved? By the possession of political power; ultimately upon the control of the fighting forces for the purpose of keeping the other class enslaved. The working class could get control by obtaining control of the political machine. It came down, then, in the first instance, to the control of Parliament, which was the centre of power in all modern States. That was the lesson which the working class had got first to learn—to send their own representatives to Parliament.

 Nationalisation would leave industry under the control of the capitalist class through Parliament and leave the workers still slaves. Not nationalisation but socialisation—ownership by society—was the thing needed. Socialism there would be no selling. They would have no need to sell what was their own. Organise production for use instead of for profit, and there would be no need to sell. The problem of production had been solved. The possibilities of production were so immense that they had increased beyond present consumption. It was being pointed out by more than one writer and observer that you could increase efficiency and yet create unemployment. The problem was rather the problem of distribution and consumption. The immense powers of production existing today would, if socially owned, provide plenty for all. When socialism is established those powers will have reached a much higher degree of proficiency, and the best method of distribution will be to allow each as much as he or she desires of the social products. Each would contribute to the social production according to his capacity, and it would be a waste of time and energy to measure out what each should have. Today, for illustration, many municipalities supply water to their citizens on a ‘rate’ and find it more economical to let them take what they require for domestic purposes than to charge accordingly to quantity used.

Capitalism provides no hope for the working class. But that does not mean that there is no hope. William Morris declared that:
  “Fear and Hope those are the names of the two great passions which rule the race of man. and with which revolutionists have to deal; to give hope to the many oppressed and fear to the few oppressors, that is our business…” (How We Live And How We Might Live)

Socialism is about the politics of indignation. Socialism is not about the ceaseless pursuit of more commodities on a treadmill of keeping-up-with-Joneses. It is not about levelling down the rich so that the living standards of the poor might rise. It is about a fundamental change in social relationships.

We have learned the correctness of our analysis of capitalist society:
That the capture of political power is essential before any fundamental change in the social system can be made.

That leadership is a necessary principle for capitalist society whereas the socialist revolution requires the conscious understanding and participation of the majority of the working class.

That a socialist party cannot advocate reforms of capitalism, must not encourage support from non-socialists. and must be independent of all other parties.

That socialism can only be a world-wide system, and therefore must be a worldwide movement; to this end the growth of companion organisations in the USA, Canada, India, New Zealand, as well as individual members scattered around the world, demonstrates the developing geographical spread of socialist ideas.

That there is no need for a transition period between capitalism and socialism.
That all wars must be opposed, without distinction between alleged wars of defence, offence, or opposition to tyranny.

That nationalism will not exist in socialist society.

That taxation is a burden on the capitalist class and not on the working class, whose take-home pay must approximate at least to the minimum of wages in order to reproduce the commodity labour-power.

That all Socialist Parties in different areas of the capitalist world must be open, democratic parties, with no leaders, no closed or secret meetings, with all members of equal footing, operating by majority decision, and thus demonstrating the society they seek to establish.

That capitalism will not collapse of its own accord, but crisis will follow crisis until the working class of the world unites to abolish it.