Socialism - A Solidarity Society

 

The World Socialist Movement must be independent and uncompromising. It must also stand firmly by democracy, by the methods of socialist education and political organisation, and the method of gaining control of the machinery of government and the armed forces through the vote and only with the backing of a majority of convinced socialists. We do not take sides in ruling class quarrels. Capitalism is based on class ownership, class antagonism. What, then, is the remedy? It is so plain and reasonable that the slowness of the workers to accept it is a matter for recurring amazement. Abolish the capitalist ownership and control of the means of production and distribution. Rid society of this institution which has now become a fetter for the mass of the population. Let society itself, through its own democratic control, utilise the land to produce food for the needs of the whole community, and the factories and railways, etc., likewise. Let us have our means of life turned into means of producing the requirements of humanity, not the profits of a class. Let us turn our two hostile communities into one real community, freed forever of the rivalry of interests between those who own and those who do not own, a rivalry which restricts the production of useful and beautiful things, condemns vast masses to sordid poverty, excites class hatred and international war, and poisons human relationships in a war of the jungle instead of a co-operative endeavour to enrich life. Socialist propaganda by a socialist organisation is still the only road to socialism. Though disillusioned with conventional mainstream political parties, the workers find new illusions to keep them from the path to socialism.

 So long as the capitalist class control the means of life, every economy and every improvement in the education, health, and technical ability of the workers, male and female, only results in their becoming more productive slaves. The fruits of their increased productivity go to the masters and not to themselves. This is the central fact ignored or obscured by these so-called leaders of labour. Whether the workers follow the Left-wingers’  “to nationalisation” plus reforms, or the more militant to “cooperatives” plus reforms, they are doomed to disappointment. The only road to emancipation is the conversion of the means of life into the property of the whole people. To this end, we call upon the workers to organise consciously, and politically for the capture of the machinery of government.

 Socialism, undiluted and unadulterated, is what the Socialist Party wants. As to why we want it, only look around you. Billions in need food, health-care, housing, etc., and the means exist ready to hand whereby they can produce them but we are as far away as ever from economic security. 

 The Social Revolution offers the only way out. Muster, then, under our banner, with a view to its speedy accomplishment.  The only solution to their troubles is the abolition of the cause—the private ownership of the means of life. Until they decide to carry this abolition through, their position as a whole is bound to grow worse by the operation of the factors given above. To abolish their slavery; to establish the common ownership and control of the means of wealth production and distribution, the workers must first seize the governing machinery of society. This is the political machinery, with its centre in Parliament. At any general election, the workers can do this, because they have the vast majority of the votes. But behind the vote is needed knowledge. Only when the majority of the workers understand they are slaves will they be in the position to end their subjection. Until then they will remain slaves.

 The Socialist Party message is that they are two phases of one thing—the system of capitalism. Capitalist progress means high productivity, profits, economy of labour to the capitalist, but ill-health and nervous tension, robbery of, and unemployment, to the worker. Every strike of any size causes inconvenience and sometimes suffering. But to follow the above argument to its logical conclusion means that the workers must accept anything the masters choose to impose, even though it may mean greater suffering than would be entailed by a strike!

 On the economic field the workers’ powers are limited, and in the ultimate, can always be beaten by the possessors of political power. But, as Marx has pointed out, these everyday struggles, with all their limitations, are a product of the system, and cannot be avoided unless the workers are ready to sink below subsistence level.

 When a sufficient number are enlightened then we shall see the workers organise into the Socialist Party, putting forward their delegates and voting them into Parliament. With this control, they will be able to enter into possession of the means of life and end the misery and hardship of the present system and replace by the system that will secure comfort and happiness to all— namely, SOCIALISM.