Independence for the Dung-Heap

 Sturgeon and the Scottish Nationalists recently made a call for an early second referendum on the question of sovereignty for Scotland. An independent Scotland is of little interest to the people of Scotland.

The Socialist Party calls itself world socialist. It supports the worldwide unity of working men and women.

 The word patriotism is almost always used in a lying fashion. As for the Socialist Party, the revolutionary socialists, we repudiate the national anthem and flag. We see only two countries in the world: that of the privileged and that of the dispossessed.

All countries, no matter what political label is attached to them – are composed of two groups, one a small minority, but the other embracing the immense majority of the people. 

The first group lack nothing. They are the big shareholders of the factories, the transport and communication industries, the retail store chains, the owners of great estates. Alongside them are the high officials of the state, ministers of government and senior civil servants, officers of the judiciary and the military.

And then we have the rest of us. The working men and women; petty officials, office and shop workers, who toil and sweat to enrich the wealthy.

Under the capitalist system, the owning and employing class remains sovereign and through their political power they subdue the working class. Nationalism in every nation masks the class antagonisms to the great profit of the ruling classes. Through it, they facilitate their domination and control. It serves as a bulwark of the privileged classes. The avowed aim of the armed forces, is to defend the country against a foreign threat; but once in uniform, when the barrack basic training has neutralised individual intelligence and initiative, removed the consciousness of one’s own interests, the soldier enforces the law in the service of the exploiters against fellow-workers.

 Our compatriots are not the capitalists. Our compatriots are the socialist revolutionaries of the whole world who wage the class war and engage in the same battles as ourselves for the establishment of a better society. We shall bring about the Revolution, in order to lay hold of the social wealth usurped today by the minority. We shall transform private property into communal property. We shall work towards a society where the factories, mines, all the great enterprises will be administered like co-operatives, a more rational and more equitable organization of production, in which there will be well-being for all. Socialism will be a society  far better than that of today. Our brothers and sisters is humanity.

The workers have no country. The differences which exist between the present countries are all superficial differences. The capitalist regime is the same in all countries; and as it cannot work without a minimum of political liberties, all countries which live under a capitalist system enjoy elementary liberties which cannot anywhere be denied any longer to the working people. Even in Iran and China, the autocratic regimes are being challenged.

No one any longer has a fatherland or motherland in the heterogeneous modern nations of today. The love for the land of one’s birth is foolish and absurd. We do not say that affection for the locality where a person was raised is not a natural sentiment very firmly implanted. Neither do we maintain that there are not fairly noticeable differences in culture, character and temperament of natives of various lands. The thing we oppose is the prejudice against the foreigner, discrimination against the outsider and newcomer. The Socialist Party aligns itself with the poor against rich, the exploited class against the ruling class, without taking into account the differences of nationality and language, or the frontiers created by accidents of history. The Socialist Party only fights to bring about a social organisation superior to all others, not only in its political form, but in the mode of production and distribution of wealth.  We will not fight to defend existing countries or to create new nation-states.

In Scotland we may admire the sight of the hills and glens, the lochs and burns, but hopefully it teaches us to appreciate the scenic beauty of other regions of our planet.  There are no country so superior to any other, that its peoples should sacrifice themselves for it.

If our anti-nationalist declarations causing us to lose support and votes, so be it. It grieves us little if we hurt the  feelings of people to whom patriotic loyalty is a religion. Our fellow-workers who give their lives for the present countries are dupes. The only war which is not a deception is the class war, the expropriation of the capitalist class to return to the producers the social wealth accumulated by human genius of generations past. The class war is worthy of all. 

Survival Is Our Goal

 

The Real Green Party

Capitalism is a system through which a small minority class exploits the majority to further enrich itself from the profits that come from exploitation. The problems arising from it are the destruction of the environment, endless wars, unemployment, hunger for hundreds of millions, State repression, racism, the housing crisis, lack of health care. There is no basic solution because the cause of these problems is the capitalist system itself. There is no solution as long as capitalism survives. When we deal with the problems rooted in capitalism we are not dealing with the evil intent of individuals. We are dealing with the evils of a social and economic system. Capitalism is propelled by its inherent inner laws. The capitalist class is both the product and the perpetuator of the system that rests on these laws. They will continue as long as capitalism continues. Capitalism thrives on the private control of society’s wealth and production. The rich have one basic goal in life: to make more and more profits. This is an irrational and unjust system. But life does not have to be this way. We can improve our lives and society by eliminating exploitation by the small minority of parasites. We can replace capitalism with a rational and humane system – socialism. Socialism is a social system where social wealth is genuinely controlled by society and for the benefit of society; where the common good, not profits, becomes the chief concern. Gone will be the days of competition. The political conviction of the Socialist Party is that our fellow-workers will prove capable of overthrowing capitalism and organising the foundations of a worldwide socialist society of peace, security and human solidarity.  Our own proud goal is a free socialist world. No one country can make its way out of the catastrophic crisis of capitalism by itself alone. 

Under the red banner the World Socialist Parties will emancipate themselves from capitalism and create the socialist society of peace, freedom and plenty for all mankind.

But what about human nature? Aren’t we hard-wired to be greedy and selfish? Aren’t we naturally lazy? Altruism, empathy and cooperation are also aspects of human nature, and for humanity to survive for so longer it has been these traits which have prevailed. Capitalism encourages competition and individualism because that is what makes capitalism thrive so those appear to be the only aspects of human nature. The Socialist Party often hear the comment that "Socialism is a good idea but it’s not practical." But today it’s becoming more apparent than ever that it is the present system — capitalism — that is impractical and unworkable. Small reforms and reformist parties will not change the condition of working people. Reformers seek only to make capitalism work more effectively. They see themselves as mediators in the class struggle. They collaborate with the capitalists.

Alongside the old horrors of poverty and war, we now possess a new one – climate change. These evils have a single cause in the capitalist system, an organisation of production in a system based on rival businesses, each motivated by the drive to compete for profit. We in the Socialist Party are up against the harsh fact of life that a majority of our fellow-workers require to be convinced that socialism does in fact represent a better system for the people and that it is not a pipe-dream. The withering away of the State is a realistic if very rough projection for the future state of human society. Working people need to throw the capitalist parties out of office. The entire apparatus of government, set up to defend the interests of the capitalists, must be replaced. Reorganised on a socialist basis, the world can be free of racism, sexism, poverty, economic insecurity and exploitation. When the vast resources available to us are used to serve the needs of all instead of the profits of the few, and when we are all part of a world socialist commonwealth, then the way will be opened for unparalleled growth in culture, freedom and the development of every individual. Such a society is worth striving for.

We in the Socialist Party stand for a socialist society: where ownership and control of the means of production are taken out of the hands of the tiny minority of capitalists, and placed in the hands of the majority. Workers are continually forced to fight to defend their interests. Through these struggles, they will come to see the need for socialism, to replace capitalism. Workers and oppressed people in all countries need to stand together against the worldwide system of oppression and exploitation that is capitalism. Our aim is to build a mass revolutionary party on a global scale, to replace capitalism with world socialism.

Make everything free

 

The SNP has pledged to expand free school meals to all primary school pupils in Scotland if the party retains power after the Holyrood elections in May, it would fund free breakfasts and lunches for all children in P1-P7.

The scheme would also run in the school holidays – not just term time.

The Scottish Conservatives announced a similar policy in September.

However the Scottish Greens said free school meals should be provided in high school as well as primary school.

SNP pledge free school meals for all primary pupils - BBC News

There is nothing wrong with free food for youngsters as an idea. In a rationally organized society, all food for everybody would be free. And not just food but all the necessities for a healthy life.

We in the Socialist Party ask you to reject taxation or direct charges as ways of providing free meals and free goods such as tampons and free NHS. Instead, we ask you to support free access to these vital needs as well as to all other needs, like food, housing, public transport, household appliances and furniture, gas, electricity etc.

Nothing will have a monetary cost with real socialism. In fact, money, having no function at all, will be redundant. People will still work, but the purpose will then be for meeting society’s requirements.

Can Civilisation Survive?

 Unity has always been the hobby-horse of many ion the Left. Some of these activists are well meaning but they do not understand the fundamental difference between Marx and Lenin. Socialist unity must be a unity of action obtainable only by a unity of purpose, the creation of a free socialist associations, thus abolishing the state. But the real source of the problem must be sought elsewhere. It lies in the very nature of the social system under which we are forced to live.

The main impulse of our social system is the quest for profit. The result is unplanned, anarchic production, which allows the indiscriminate plunder and pillage of the planet’s natural resources. The only permitted “remedies” are those proposals which will bring profits to the corporations. The only solution is the creation of a socialist society in which the quest for profits has been abolished and our science and technology are used for the benefits of the masses of the people. Science is capable of safeguarding the environment. Capitalism cannot.

The issue of creating a sustainable and liveable environment has given new urgent reason why capitalism has to be replaced and bring about a responsive and responsible social system, capable of resolving this global danger. The environment emergency, like so many other crises, has its roots in the inherent characteristics of capitalism. The drive for private profit which demands exploitation and insists on nationalism and racism, promoting war and violence. Capitalism shows reckless disregard for natural resources and the consequent pollution of the environment. The threat of totally destroying civilisation either by environmental destruction or nuclear war is ever present because of the predatory character of capitalism.  These threats can only disappear for good when capitalism, with its anti-human outlook, is discarded and a new social system established that is motivated and propelled only by the consideration of the people’s and the planet’s well-being. Time, unfortunately, is not on our side. At an alarming rate, animal and plant life are becoming extinct. These are the danger signals that this planet is in danger. The reality may only be revealed at the point of no return, when the tipping points have been breached.

 We are dealing with the problem of an outmoded economic system dominated by a class whose primary purpose is to maximise capital accumulation and profits regardless of human cost. Capitalism is not motivated by human needs or desires. Capitalism is a system that dooms our world. The only thing that concerns it is the maximum profits of today. The Socialist Party will not accept a status quo. It rejects the values and priorities based on exploitation and production for profit. We are confident that the realisation that humanity faces critical risks from global warming and co2 emissions will also bring with it a rising consciousness about other crises and dangers. 

 An essential part of that struggle is the need to expose the roots of the social system that bears these evils. We must indict the creator of misery and murder and not limit ourselves to the immediate horror. Countless scientific reports and innumerable books on climate are available. Many of them describe the effects, but most, if not all, sidestep and avoid explaining the central problem. Without defining the real cause there can be no basic solutions. Some Green activists point the accusing finger at technology and seek a life-style from the pre-industrial age. Others believe that if technology got us into this mess, then technology can get us out of it and propose all sort of innovative inventions and anti-pollution processes. The financial world concentrate their answers on government fiscal policies, carbon credits and tax codes. The corporations seek solutions but the answers cannot weaken their competitiveness against commercial rivals. Sound eco-policies cannot in any way be an obstacle to making more profits.  The corporations will not do anything to protect the environment if it affects their drive for maximum profits. And their right to exploit will be safeguarded by governments. The government and Big Business are entwined in carrying out the requirements of capitalism. They share the same drive for profits.

Socialism sets human society on a new path. The means of production, factories, mines and mills, the fields and forests become the collective property of the people. They operate and produce only to fulfill human needs. They are not motivated to produce for profit. If something does not serve the common good, it does not happen. Under capitalism there is a contradiction between expansion of the market and cleaning the environment. With socialism this contradiction is eliminated. Saving the environment becomes a social necessity. Under capitalism, the main pressure on the production processes is maximise returns in investment. Capitalism cannot function any other way. The environment is a casualty of these pressures, unavoidable collateral damage. With socialism this pressure ends. It is replaced by the motivation to do only that which is in the best interests of all in society. Capitalism results in hunger, misery, death and the destruction of the environment. Socialism fosters a system based on the elimination of exploitation, profits, racism and war.

The choice is obvious. Mankind cannot stop the destruction of the eco-systems under capitalism. Socialism is the only way that makes it possible. 

Imagine Online

 

The latest issue of the Socialist Party of Canada's journal is now online and can be read here.

Articles include the pandemic, the ‘debt bomb,’ indigenous peoples and the environment, hydro power, the history of radical publishing, alternative communities, Black Loyalists, religion — all interspersed with pictures and poetry.

Socialists Must Protect the Planet

 Since our existence the Socialist Party has fought consistently and steadfastly on the side of the working class against the capitalist class. On this point we have never hedged – we have never posed as “impartial” in this struggle between the oppressed and the oppressor. We do not expect you to accept our ideas on our say-so. We do not believe that just because something appears in print it must be accepted as gospel truth. That is a concept which the capitalist press tries to inculcate in our minds. We invite you  join us in the fight for socialism, the hope of humanity. We believe that capitalism threatens any hope for humanity.

We look at the global crises of capitalism with its mass poverty, its hunger, disease, wars and environmental destruction. Capitalism threatens the survival of civilisation on this planet. Nothing short of revolution and socialism can answer this threat. The challenge is ours to apply the lessons that we have learned from the body of Marxist knowledge to build a better socialist movement. We exist to organise for social revolution and the cooperative commonwealth. Capitalism is a system centred on capital accumulation and profit and is inherently a system of inequality, injustice, and war. Capitalism is a system of coercion. We want a social system where social wealth is not in the hands of a few billionaires, but owned and controlled by the people, where human needs replace profit. To combat exploitation, the working class needs to struggle for its own interests. Our enemy is capitalism. Under capitalism, a handful that own the factories, the mines, corporate farms, and the banks control the wealth that the majority produces. We are fighting this system. The capitalist class needs to maintain its grip on the levers of power. The state, the government, and the legal system were set up and developed to serve the interests of capitalism, to uphold the rights of property over the rights of people. Electoral politics are the arena of the working people’s class struggle

 

The absence of a viable socialist movement today is an indisputable and depressing fact. Some blame sectarianism. Dozens of alternative explanations abound. In the meantime, socialists remain ineffective. Obviously, history has not unfolded as Marx envisioned. What can motivate working people to struggle against injustice, exploitation and oppression? Some on the Left naively view each new economic downturn as evidence of an impending collapse. We do not  argue (as do some mechanistic Leftists) that an economic catastrophe will create the necessary “objective conditions” for a revolutionary upheaval. The capitalist system has proved to be extremely resilient to economic crises. An economic crisis is not sufficient to create auspicious conditions for socialists. It could so easily foster a reactionary nationalistic movement in the absence of socialist consciousness. There is no innate leftward direction to human nature.

Politics is perceived as the ritualistic act of voting yet the overwhelming majority of citizens are apathetic and do not want to get involved in politics. The notion of class itself is regularly challenged by the intellectuals. A frightening sort of class amnesia increasingly prevails. And the result is that the worst of bourgeois ideology – consumerism, individualism, xenophobia, racism, sexism, etc. permeates all facets of cultural life. Trump’s victory was not an aberration. He won in 2016 and retained his electoral base in 2020 because a majority of citizens embraced his populaist ideology - “friendly fascism,” authoritarianism at the expense of the poor and the vulnerable, couched in the slogans of anti-Big Government and draining the swamp, leaving the corporate aristocracy to reap the benefits of wanton deregulation and obscene-tax cuts. A toxic patriotism was a particularly pernicious component of the Trump years.

Understandably, the left felt increasingly alienated and disempowered in the face of this stark reality. Unable to chart a path out of their isolation, leftists expend much of their time and energy in various tried and true activities, marches and demonstrations. Unfortunately, this is further evidence of the defensive and impotent state of the Left rather than its vitality. Campaigns became little more than media events. Likewise, there were numerous conferences to discuss and debate the myriad of issues with irate resolutions proclaimed and angry manifestoes published. However, most people were unaware of these. And rather than bringing together the resistance, there was a proliferation of disunity and internecine feuding.  loose federations, coalitions, networks, etc.– were without any clear-cut solution to the problem. Clarity and purpose remained elusive.

In spite of all this the situation is not hopeless. There is no reason to throw in the towel. Granted, it is frustrating that there exists no general agreement and understanding about what needs to be done, nor any clear sense of how to go about doing it. The obvious things that need to happen should be uniting the disparate single issue organisations into a unified, multi-faceted political movement; combating racism, sexism, sectarianism; rebuilding the labour movement with all the components of a platform for social transformation. In addition, the creation of a “counter-hegemony” to the capitalist media, educational institutions, social and cultural organisations is necessary to fight for the hearts and minds of the people. 

 Socialists must look beyond the immediate situation and be willing to outline a vision of a future society. It is increasingly apparent that the issue is how goods are produce and distributed and who owns the means of production and how work is organised and administered. It is not only the fact that the planet cannot possibly sustain capitalism’s wasteful, toxic-ridden economic system on a global scale. Besides being ecologically infeasible, the unrelenting drive for increased growth is threatening to permanently subvert the struggle for human liberation itself.  “Freedom” is equated with the right to consume. And, in turn, people themselves have become commodities, reduced to little more than another expendable raw material. A technocratic faith in expanding production has become synonymous with “progress”, the mindless consumerism and the ever-expanding creation of “needs.”

A model of socialism must be envisioned which transcends the capitalism of growth/productionist itself, one that establishes a new ecological relationship between human needs and the environment. In other words, a socialism that is not only democratic, non-exploitative, egalitarian, and internationalist but one that thoroughly replaces capitalism in toto, if humankind is to avoid the path of barbarism or collective self-annihilation.

THE SPGB SAYS NO