Why Vote for your Masters?

The Socialist Party is out for the common ownership and democratic control of the means of life, by, and in the interest of, the whole people. This is to be brought about by the education of the workers in socialist ideas and that workers will organise with us to capture the political machinery, and so be in a position to control the armed forces, and thus be able to dictate terms to the capitalist class. When we explain this, our critics tell us we are  dreamers, that such a proposal is too far-fetched, or too far off. They tell us that a more “reasonable” way, and one getting “better” results, is to lay aside such an goal and instead go for “something now,” and so gradually build up up towards socialism. It is quite futile to waste time on such reforms and the parties which sponsor them. Organising for straight revolutionary socialism alone is worth while for the working class, and to this end we ask you to join us.



The ownership and control of the means of production would rest in the hands of innumerable groups of workers, each of which would be a social minority in competition with others, and each making decisions in accordance with its individual economic interests. Propositions regarding the improvement of local working conditions, or of broader social improvements would be considered in the same limited way as they are today — “Is it economic?”



The Socialist Party holds the view that with the natural resources, the labour-power and knowledge available to mankind in the world, human beings are capable of democratically organising production without anyone being exploited. In a socialist world there will surely be no “jobs” as such, no employment as exists under capitalism, when one occupation may capture and slowly strangle the individuality and personality of a worker and his family. In socialism time now spent “working” will be spent to the benefit of us all, doing things constructive to the maintenance and improvement of society as the majority sees it.



Capitalist budgets spends lavishly on  the means of destruction because it is a social system which must operate through competition and conflict; co-operation and harmony are foreign to its nature. The basis of this society—the class ownership of the means of production and distribution — ensures that wealth is produced as commodities, as objects and services intended for sale on the market as opposed to the satisfaction of human needs. Cheap production is important to the capitalist class because it can make their goods more competitive in the markets; thus they must always be concerned to find and exploit the most abundant fields of raw materials. Access to hungry markets is also vital to their interests for it is there that they can most easily sell their products, with a better chance of getting the highest price. These are aspects of that continuing competitive struggle which is responsible for the world's armed forces and the weapons with which they fight, which are now capable of reducing millions of us to ashes.



If governments existed to protect human welfare, their priorities would be very different; they would devote a lot less resources to coercion and destruction and a lot more to humane constructiveness.



There is no solution to this terrifying situation as long as the basis of capitalism is unchanged. But to change this basis would be to abolish the system and when we have done that there is only one society which can replace it. Socialism will be founded on the world-wide, communal ownership of the means of life. Its wealth will not be produced for sale, for the profit of a minority, but for the consumption and the benefit of the entire people of the world. Competition will be replaced by co-operation. There will be a full participation in all society's activities. especially its productive work, and free access by all to its wealth. On that basis there can be no cause for conflict: common ownership and free access will bring a world of human harmony. And all of this will be organised and operated at the democratically formed will of the people. 

Socialism is the only way to abolish the problems which at present plague the world and which hamper human progress. It is the only political objective worth the workers' attention. Beside the certainty of the security and abundance of socialism, the false promises of capitalist leaders are as rancid crumbs. When it comes to climate change and the international summits, politicians cannot negotiate away the realities of capitalism. The world awaits its appropriation by the working class.