Capitalism is the Curse of Humanity

The Socialist Party seeks to organise the workers of this country into one great party of labour. The object of a Socialist Party is socialism. To that end the education and organisation of our fellow-workers and their persuasion to socialist principles is essential. We cannot have socialism without socialists. Therefore, the first duty of a socialist party is propaganda, in order to make socialists. In doing this a socialist party should also champion every movement of the working class towards improving its condition or in defence of its interests. It is of importance however, that a socialist should be elected and a seat won for socialism. From this standpoint, therefore, it is better for a socialist to fight and be beaten as a socialist than to fight and win under any other party. Are the Socialist Party’s principles unsound? If so, we have been on the wrong track all the time. If the fundamental principles of the Socialist Party are sound, then why try to build another movement on a false foundation?

We as a party declines to plunged ourselves into the mire of vacillating policies, of opportunism and reforms; compromising the revolutionary position we have occupied as a socialist party, for a vote-catching policy, based on reforms, aimed exclusively at electing candidates to office, no matter who the candidates were or their stand on the class struggle. Instead of seizing the dangling the bait of reforms ours is a case of the class struggle to usher in of the cooperative commonwealth.

The Socialist Party believes that the dependence of the working class upon the owners of capitalist property, and the desire of these capitalists to keep the people subjugated, is the cause of all our modern social and political ills – of nearly all crime, mental degradation, religious strife, and political tyranny and organise itself industrially and politically with the end in view of gaining control and mastery of the entire resources of the country. Such is our aim: such is socialism. Our method is: Political organisation at the ballot box to secure the election of representatives of socialist principles to all the elective public bodies , and thus to transfer the political power of the State into the hands of those who will use it to further the principle of common ownership. We therefore appeal to all workers to throw in their lot with the Socialist Party and assist it to pursue, unfalteringly and undeviatingly, its object – common ownership of the means of producing and distributing all wealth.

The socialist struggle is not confined to one people or one land but covers the whole of civilisation. Humanity cannot by any possibility remain in its existing chaotic economic condition and the consequences of the capitalist system. The Socialist Party seeks the revolutionary change in the basis of human society. The clear object of the Socialist Party is to hasten the change to transfer from private ownership to common ownership, all the agencies of wealth production and distribution, to control these agencies on a co-operative basis in the interests of all alike, and to aim constantly to secure for all well-being. The object of the Socialist Party is to secure economic freedom for the whole community, where all men and all women shall have equal opportunities of sharing in wealth production and consumption untrammelled by any restriction.

 Mankind’s powers over science and technology are constantly increasing, the only possible future will be for us all sharing in these advantages on a co-operative basis, ending the existing anomalies of immense wealth for a few and hardships for the many. With modern methods of production, effectively applied, an abundance of commodities can be provided to satisfy the needs of all.  Working people must organise and run the industry in the interests of the people co-operatively. The future of the world is to be co-operative and not competitive. Commercial rivalry will end and economic collaboration will take its place.

The Socialist Party advocates peace that transcends the peace preached by churches. Socialists always declare in favour of the solidarity of the interests of the workers of every country. Warfare means continuing exploitation and enslavement.  Armed conflicts today are not between the workers of one nation and the workers of another nation, but a conflict between the capitalists and the workers of all nations, and appeals to national pride, to religious prejudice, to race hatred. The clarion call of the World Socialist Movement is workers of all countries, unite. You have the whole world to win and nothing but your chains to lose. We declare a class war to get rid of classes.