Socialist Freedom

 

The Socialist Party seeks to usher in freedom — freedom from the grind of poverty; freedom from government; freedom from big business; freedom from the slave-driving of workers by profiteers. Capitalism, the private ownership of the means of production, is responsible for the insecurity of subsistence, the poverty, misery, and degradation of the ever-growing majority of our people. Ignorance, with all concomitant evils, is perpetuated by this system, which makes human labour something to be bought in the open market, and places no real value on human life. People are wasted by this system, which makes “profit” the only object in business. Science and technology are diverted from their humane purposes and made instruments for the enslavement of men, women and children. We, therefore, call upon all to unite under the banner of socialism, so that we may conquer capitalism by making use of our political liberty so that we may put an end to the present barbarous struggle, by the abolition of capitalism and turn all the means of production, transportation, and distribution, into the common property and bring about the cooperative commonwealth for the present unplanned production, class war, and social disorder — a commonwealth which, although it will not make everyone equal physically or mentally, will give to every worker the free exercise and the full benefit of free access to the fruits of their collective labour.

The productive capacity of our world is not fully utilised. Its use is governed by the dictates of private economic power and by considerations of, private profit. Similarly, the scramble for profit has wasted and despoiled our rich resources of soil, water, forest and minerals. This lack of social planning results in a waste of our human as well as our natural resources. Our human resources are wasted through social and economic conditions which stunt human growth, through unemployment and through our failure to provide an adequate education. Our industry can and should be so operated as to enable our people to use fully their talents and skills. Such an economy will yield the maximum opportunities for individual development and the maximum of goods and services for the satisfaction of human needs.

Unprecedented scientific and technological advances have brought us to the threshold of a second industrial revolution. Opportunities for enriching the standard of life are greater than ever. However, unless the careful study is given to the many problems which will arise and unless there is intelligent planning to meet them, the evils of the past will be multiplied in the future. The technological changes will produce even greater concentrations of wealth and power and will cause widespread distress through unemployment and the displacement of populations. The challenge facing us today is whether future development will continue to perpetuate the inequalities of the past or whether it will be based on principles of social equity.

A society motivated by the drive for private gain and special privilege accompanied by widespread suffering and injustice is not social progress.  Socialism will be a society in which everyone will have a sense of worth and belonging. We believe that the Socialist Party must educate and agitate exclusively for the overthrow of capitalism and the establishment of industrial democracy. The Socialist Party declares that its purpose is a social revolution. A social revolution means nothing more or less than the adoption of a system of production, distribution, and consumption which is based on common ownership in place of the present inconsistent and tic system of private ownership based on the brutal power of capital, which has passed its historical period. These inconsistencies in the economic system have been followed by the awful suffering and misery through which the world has lived.

We cannot define the method by which social change will occur. The methods of revolution are dependent largely upon the blindness or the clear-sightedness of its opponents in their attitude towards this necessary progress in history. But even now, during this stage, the Socialist Party does not confuse revolution and violence with one another. Violence and bloodshed do not make any movement revolutionary, and essentially they have nothing in common. We are aware of the fact that events are of a revolutionary nature more on the basis of their results than on their forms. Being a party that stands for the brotherhood of humanity, and directs its activities toward the attainment of general happiness and well being, the Socialist Party hopes that its victory will be accomplished by the systematic and peaceful organisation. But in its attempt to capture political power the working class cannot reject any weapon and the form of its revolution will finally depend upon prevailing conditions, and especially upon the opposition directed against it.