The need is socialism

What is needed for socialism is first and foremost for conscious workers to realise that labourism and socialism have nothing whatsoever in common. The Labour Party in action has been making for state capitalism, not socialism. The path to socialism is not through nationalisation or workers’ councils or cooperatives but through a fundamental change in class relations, the superseding of the capitalism. It abandoned the class struggle, and became a reform movement occupied with legislation, not with the emancipation of the working class itself. Instead of rousing the consciousness of the workers, it has been silencing that consciousness. The demand for government ownership of industry and the extension of the functions of the state is not socialism. What nationalisation means is the State has been made responsible for the organisation of production. The workers remain just the same – sweating in the factories and in the fields and piling up the profits for their employers. The workers will have got new masters instead of the old ones. Perhaps, humane masters instead of the rapacious masters of today. Appointed by a government or at best chosen by workers themselves. But, once chosen, they must be obeyed. The workers are not masters over their workshops, they are not masters of the means of production. Above them stand the ministry’s bureaucrats and managers. Powerless against the power of the capitalists, impotent against the strength of the State. Nationalisation (or municipalisation) means new chains. Capitalism, indeed, cannot be annihilated by a change in the commanding personnel; but only by the abolition of commanding. The real freedom of the workers consists in their direct mastery over the means of production. The essence of the future free world community is they direct their work themselves, socially and collectively.

Compromise and concession has been struck by the labourite left with socialist fundamentals and principles in order to secure the support of non-revolutionary voters. To avoid misunderstanding, it is necessary to define the fundamental terms. Socialism is the system where means of production are owned by society as a whole, not private persons, not the State. Socialism is where each individual contributes to society according to ability and receives a share of the social product according to needs. This implies a high degree of modern co-operative production before there can be more than a redistribution of poverty; but co-operative production is not by itself sufficient, for all factory production is possible only by the highest degree of social co-operation, Similarly, most societies recognise the needs of children, the ill, and the elderly; but that does not suffice to make those societies socialist. A socialist revolution is possible only when the productive capacity (surviving after the revolution) suffices for the needs of the whole population on the level that its citizens recognise as equitable. No socialist revolution today in a backward country has any chance of effectiveness, or even of survival

 The Socialist Party is not a reform party, but a revolutionary party. It does not propose to modify the competitive profit system, but abolish it. The Socialist Party stands squarely upon the principles of revolutionary world socialism. There will be not so much as a hint at compromise. It takes no backward step. The Socialist Party is necessarily a world party. It is as wide as the domain of capitalism. It is everywhere and always the same. The Socialist Party has no interest in any of the so-called issues over which capitalist politicians fight sham battles. It cares nothing about banking regulation, protectionist or free markets. It stands first, last, and always for the common ownership of all the means of production and distribution, and will press forward unceasingly until they secure them, thereby liberating humanity and resolving the ills of capitalism. Let there be no ambiguity about the use of socialisation. We mean by it the ownership and control by the community. Fundamental social problems involving antagonistic class interests cannot be settled fully and finally by mutual accommodation but must find their solution in a change in society’s structure.

Capitalism can continue only by beating down the workers. The Socialist Party believes in the organisation of the working class for the overthrow of capitalist society as the only cure for the crimes of capitalism. We are the party of the socialist revolution in the United Kingdom. We maintain that capitalist governments do not represent the interests of the but acts on behalf of the few rich. We propose that the organised workers replace the capitalist regime with their own administration which shall administer on behalf of the majority instead of the exploiting minority of the plutocrats.