Why we are different

 

Many parties of opportunism and social reform all themselves socialists. We have no monopoly of the word so if they  should describe themselves as socialist, we cannot prevent it. But in the end, we are confident that the cause will know its own. 

The Socialist Party desires above all things to advance the case for socialism, and by socialism we mean, the common ownership of all the agencies of wealth production on a co-operative basis, and this involves the complete end of the capitalist system. We claim a kinship, and express our  sympathy and solidarity with all helping on the overthrow of capitalism and who seek the building of the socialist co-operative commonwealth. Knowledge and experience have demonstrated that no reform under capitalism can be of any benefit to the working class as a whole, and that person, or be it party, that pretends to stand for socialism, which means the abolition of wage slavery, and yet advocates reform, cannot be our comrade.

Reformists say that ultimately they stands for  socialism, but in the meantime they play politics and makes every effort, like the capitalist reformers, to win the votes on superficial popular issues.

The Socialist  Party, quite differently, states boldly that the only issue for the working class is the abolition of the wage system and to rescue themselves from their commodity status in modern society. And this is to be done only by a revolutionary organisation of the workers on the political field, not for reform (let us leave that to the capitalist reformers), but for revolution. Reformists are pledged to a policy of class-collaboration – which means only a renunciation of the fight for socialism. The  Socialist Party calls on the workers to rely upon their own independent class power. Let us leave any “immediate demands” out of our platform and leave reformers to wrangle over reforms. Let us make our chief task to spread the propaganda of revolution.

The capitalist system of production, under the rule of which we live, is the production of commodities for profit instead of for use for the private gain of those who own and control the tools and means of production and distribution. Out of this system of production and sale for profit spring all monopolies (arising from and following competition) and out of it, naturally, grow an overwhelming percentage of social evils, and the entire problem of misery, want, and poverty that, as a deadly menace, now confronts civilisation.

Socialism is human association which teaches that the only way to attain the just distribution of wealth to those who produce it is through the common, collective or social ownership, control, and operation of the means of production and distribution, such as land, mines, factories and transport It asserts that this production should be for use and not for sale or profit, thus doing away with all private ownership of the means of subsistence. The cooperative commonwealth is its goal. Those who want to see socialism grow can work for socialism. Let all others get out of the way. Every worker, whether reformist or revolutionary, socialist, religious or atheist, can find a place in the same trade union, because all these political or ideological differences will not prevent them from fighting in common against the bosses.

Workers can be together in one and the same trade union, because the task of the trade union is only a struggle for wages and hours of work. But political party has entirely different aims. It has a platform not only against the individual bosses but for the transformation of the whole economic system. A political party is sound only when it has members who accept its entire political, economic, and social principles; furthermore, not only members who are unified on the objective, but also in the methods of carrying it out, in tactics.