To Advance Towards Socialism

The position of the Socialist Party is one of hostility to the existing political order. That order is based upon private property in the means of production, and its function is to maintain and defend that property in the interests of the dominant class. Hence the existing political order is in antagonism to socialism. The aim of the Socialist Party is to obtain for the whole community complete ownership and control of the means of transport, the means of manufacture, the mines, and the land. We seek to put an end for ever to the wage-system, to sweep away all distinctions of class, and to establish world socialism. As to the means for the attainment of our end, we in the Socialist Party look for our success to the increasing and energetic promotion of our views among the whole people, and next to the capture and transformation of the state machinery so to give the people the power of controlling the whole political and social forces. Socialism as we understand it is the system of society in which production is for social use; that is, the production of all the means of existence — including all the necessaries and comforts of life — carried on by the organised community for its own use collectively and individually. This is not how society at the present time organised. Production to-day is carried out in the interest and for the profit of the class which owns the factories and the land and the transport. Socialism would substitute common ownership for class ownership, and this would also involve the abolition of classes altogether. 

Socialism does not mean mere government ownership or management. The State of to-day, nationally or locally, is only the agent of the possessing class. The democratic society contemplated by the Socialist Party is a very different thing from the class State of to-day. When society is organised for the control of its own business, and has acquired the possession of its the means of production production will be carried on for the use of all and not for the profit of a few. What we mean by socialism is the establishment of a collective administration — in place of the present class State — which purpose will be the common ownership and control of the whole of the world’s mining and manufacturing. The entire means of production thus being common property, there would no longer be a propertied class to make a profit. Private property which now divides society into two classes will disappear and classes themselves will be swept away.

Socialism embraces all the relations of human life. The establishment of socialism means a complete change in society in all its aspects. Socialism is neither altruistic nor egotistic, neither selfish nor unselfish. Socialism is not brotherly love, in the Christian sense found e.g., in the Sermon on the Mount, although it may, superficially, seem to bear some resemblance to it. Socialism is not spiritual but materialistic, and presupposes a condition of things in which the good of all will mean the good of each; that the individual cannot serve oneself without serving society, and cannot injure society without injuring oneself. Socialism calls for enlightened self-interest. With socialism it can serve itself only by serving the common interest, and as such it will completely change the character of its citizens.

 To-day working people oppose socialism because, in the first place, their whole education and point of view, inherited and acquired, prevent them seeing that they would be happier with socialism. Further, the bulk of the working class are absolutely blinded by their class position to the fact that they would be happier in socialism. The great majority are not class-conscious. Our fellow-workers do not see the direction in which their real interests lie, or that these interests are in antagonism to those of the ruling class; still less do they understand that they exist under a society founded on classes altogether.

Socialism is internationalist. It recognises no distinction between the various nations. “My country, right or wrong,” the expression of patriotism, is the very antithesis of socialism. Socialism is utterly opposed to nationalism and racism. The Red Flag of Social-Democracy, which does not acknowledge national distinctions or the division of humanity into  races. 

Socialism is revolutionary, politically and economically.  It aims at the complete overthrow of existing economic and political conditions. We organise and  prepare for what might be described as a revolutionary moment. We endeavour to show, the economic changes which are taking place, which are bringing about a revolutionary transformation in human society. While working for the complete overthrow of the capitalist system, the Socialists understands that our fellow workers have as their duty, as far as possible, to mitigate the evil effects of existing conditions to restrict the exploitation and limit impoverishment of working people. It is incumbent upon them to enter into the active political life of the day in order to press forward such measures for the general protection of themselves, their families and their communities. The Socialist Party accepts such reform measures not only palliate the worst evils of capitalism, but also to better fit them for the struggle for their emancipation. However, the Socialist Party itself does not engage in advocating reforms as experience invariably found that those who start out as socialists with the idea of  tinkering with the present system land themselves ultimately in some weak reform movement of an infinitely milder character. The Socialist Party is not hostile every movement for class and race equality, and for the improvement of the present condition of the working class. All which tend in the direction of socialism are viewed sympathetically by the Socialist Party. All which, no matter how reasonable or attractive they appear on the surface, are essentially antagonistic to socialism, the Socialist Party is bound to oppose as misleading and dangerous. Trade unions, for example, are supported by the Socialist Party, in that they are manifestations of the class struggle, and represent an organised effort of the working class to prevent or restrict their exploitation by the capitalist class. 

Co-operation is in its essence socialist. That is to say, that all co-operation implies co-operative effort and social union. But the general practice of co-operative movement is little more than co-operating with capitalism. Under existing conditions no business enterprise can succeed except on competitive lines, and so the co-operative enterprise of to-day can compete, with capitalist concerns, on capitalist conditions. They must successfully compete or go under. Thus, while conferring some slight advantage on their members, co-operative societies have little connection with the present working-class movement.

Socialism once having been attained, will never more be lost. When the fruits of the means of production and distribution become common property, free to all, and abundant for all, they will cease to have that importance they now possess. The sordid struggle for mere material things will disappear. With minds freed from the dreary need to survive now imposed by the perpetual struggle for daily bread, mankind will bend its thoughts on nobler things and greater aspirations will open up which are at present, inconceivable.