The future will be ours

 

Opponents of socialism frequently say as an objection that there are different kinds of socialists and different kinds of socialism. In using that statement however, let them take notice that socialism rests on one fundamental principle, the collective ownership and democratic administration of the social tools of production and distribution of wealth. State ownership for instance, is therefore not considered as collectively owned nor democratically administered. Socialists recognise that others are striving for the same goal, their methods, powers, opportunities may and do differ They sometimes wax eloquent in denouncing the evils of the capitalist system. But what do they propose? They propose to “improve” the capitalist State so as to make it an instrument for doing away with private ownership of wealth. In other words, they preach the nonsense of converting the exploiters, by the power of prayer. Since this “theory” appears in the garb of socialism and since there are a number of workers who lend it their ear, it is necessary to debunk. 

We in the Socialist Party are realists, and we do not wish to be carried away by fancy ideas, especially when these fanciful theories are beneficial to the capitalist system as they tend to keep workers from fighting the capitalist State. It is not a dispute of words. It is a clash in politics. Do not blame us when we say that the gradualist reformist leaders are betraying the working class. We merely call a spade a spade. We are realists. They have blood on their hands, blood of the workers. They spread illusions among the workers to the effect that by using the capitalist state, they can abolish the evils of capitalist oppression and by using the capitalist international institutions like the United Nations or the World Court, they can abolish wars. The capitalist system stands in the way of the workers’ progress towards a new, free life. Can it be abolished by gradual transformation? Those who say it can are the staunchest supporters of the capitalist robbers and the most active promoters of “humanitarian” wars. Their theory is not harmless, indeed. It is a poisonous theory. It is a smoke screen behind which cruel capitalist exploitation is hiding.

The socialist project is one for a new and better society lose validity. Capitalism has not proved to be capable to resolve the major problems of humanity. Capitalism and its essential features remains a system of exploitation, oppression and aggression, marked by injustice, inequalities and social scourges. Capitalism is a system in which exist exploiter and exploited classes, classes that dominate and classes that are dominated, classes that rule for themselves and others that are ruled, classes that are a population minority that concentrate wealth and profits excessively of it and classes that are the overwhelming majority of the population that live in poverty and misery. In capitalism the most developed, richer and stronger countries exploit, dominate, subdue and oppress in the most varied ways the less developed, poorer and weaker countries, creating, worldwide hunger affects and kills millions of human beings. Only someone who gains from such a system can consider capitalism as a system that corresponds to the needs, the interests and real desires of the people. Only the beneficiaries of its evils can justify its existence.

The Socialist Party is opposed to the capitalist system. The Socialist Party says there is a need for a revolution. We say democracy has prepared for the workers all the means necessary to achieve socialism. Let the workers use universal suffrage to send socialist delegates into the legislative assemblies. Let the socialists form a majority in these assemblies and when this is done, the road is open to abolishing the capitalist system. To make socialism possible the working people must take hold of the State machinery of capitalism and dismantle it. The socialist revolution will put an end to capitalist exploitation and all the forms of oppression that inevitably accompany it. It is, however, true that the task of building a new society – the socialist society – is being more difficult, complex and lengthy than we, in the Socialist Party, originally expected. Subjective factors such as the hold of religion, racism and nationalism were underestimated but to be a socialist is to trust the people and their  potential of understanding, determination and struggle. It is to be confident that the future for humanity will be better than the present. Socialist optimism is to know that someday the future will be ours.