Capitalists acquire their wealth , not from their own toil, but from the labour of working people. The workers produce wealth far in excess of the wages they are paid, whether these wages are high or low. The surplus they produce above their wages is not paid for, but is taken as profit by the capitalists. This is exploitation, the source of all capitalist wealth. The capitalists use their profits not merely to live in luxury, but to pile up new capital. The socialist movement has therefore always aimed to take the means of production and distribution out of the hands of individuals, and to transfer them to the ownership of the people as a whole, so that they can be used for the common good. The social ownership of resources—socialism—is the foundation on which the people can build a new life. Social ownership means an end to the chaos and wasteful competition of production for profit. Planned production and distribution ensures the development of new productive resources to provide what people really want. Socialism does not mean the levelling down of living standards. Nor does it bring bureaucracy and tyranny. On the contrary, socialism draws more and more people into planning and making their own future, and frees their creative energies for great economic, social and cultural advances. A socialist society means above all a better future. Socialism can only be built with power in the hands of working people.
Socialism must be established by the workers before they can enjoy the fruits of their labour. The madness of excessive competition built up on the commodity character of labour-power and production for profit, can only cease when production is carried on for use. Capitalist anarchy grows with the growth of Capitalism. The system fails utterly to give a full life to the class that produces all wealth. Capitalism is over-ripe. Men and women are needed to awaken the workers to a realisation of their slavery, to expose confusionists, and impart a knowledge of socialism to those who suffer under the system, that they may organise and work for their emancipation.
Amelioration of working and living conditions can be achieved by the action of the workers themselves on the industrial field using the strike weapon. Workers can strike without the right to strike, they can achieve higher wages and better working conditions whether it is legally recognized or not. Workers have no rights before capital other than those they obtain and keep through their own action in the class struggle. If the workers using the strike weapon in a properly organized way are unable to wrest from their capitalist employers higher wages and better working conditions, then they are unable to obtain these by means of reformist political action. Reforms will always be enacted when the political parties representing the various sectional interests have made out their case, and the capitalist is convinced that his interests, whether long-term or short-term, will be served. By legalising trade unions the government will be able to monitor their activities and to obtain their co-operation.
On the industrial field the working class can force the capitalist employer against his will to disgorge a larger share of the wealth extracted from the worker than he would otherwise part with. Therein lies the antagonism of interests which manifests itself as a class struggle between possessors and producers. Higher standards of living and better working conditions must be sought on the industrial field, and not through reformist political action. However, this economic antagonism of interests, which expresses itself in the class struggle, can only be ended by political action for the establishment of socialism. This is the real issue which must confront workers, not the futile and useless policies of hordes of reformers bent on keeping capitalism going.
The problem is an economic and political system that has by design created a world of wage-slaves and rich masters. A new mass political formation of people prepared to oppose capitalism, remains our only hope, but much depends upon how we creatively re-imagine making our case.
Our party is a party of the socialist revolution and revolution is the only solution of the social problems and all our work must lead to this goal. If we keep this always in mind and measure all our daily work by this standard we will keep on the right road. The Socialist Party’s Declaration of Principles to which we are committed put upon us responsibilities and duties which cannot be shifted or evaded. We have to stand up and fight for the true interests of the working class as a whole, at every turn of the road.
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