Marxist and Internationalist

 

“With us it cannot be a mere matter of a change in the form of private property, but of destroying it as an institution; not in hushing up class antagonisms but in abolishing all classes; not in the improvement of present-day society but in the foundation of a new society.” Karl Marx (The Address of the Communist League.)

We make no secret about it. The Socialist Party is Marxist and its members are revolutionaries. Our goal is socialism. We will not go just a part of the way – or even half of the way – we are going all of the way and we are going to build the party to do it. Our sights are set on social revolution. Meantime, we will stand in solidarity with all workers in struggle. The working class is a revolutionary class and is capable of overthrowing the capitalist system and establishing socialism.

There is a capitalist system. There are workers and masters. Between them, a struggle is raging. So far there are no signs whatever of socialism. Socialism has not even been thought of anywhere when the workers were already waging their struggle.  Yes, the workers are fighting. But they are fighting separately against their masters; here they go out on strike, there they hold protests and demonstrations. Some talk about the political struggle, others about the economic struggle, and so forth. But that does not mean that the workers possess socialist consciousness; it does not mean that their aim is to overthrow the capitalist system and of the establishment of the socialist system.

Much of the media believe the working-class unrest is the result of troublemakers and it would be a good thing to bring to people to their senses with the stick. Others believe that it is the duty of the rich to throw use the carrot with various reforms. It is the socialists who hold that the capitalist system is by no means eternal, that it is just as transient as feudalism was, and that it must inevitably be superseded by the socialist system, which can be established only by means of a social revolution. What is the working-class resistance without socialism?—A  movement without a compass.

At elections where there have been no Socialist Party candidates our policy has been one of spoiling the ballot and abstention, It believes that alliances with other political parties are in every way harmful to the socialist cause. It prefers to build up an organisation of workers and genuine adherents in the necessity for socialism and to wait till it can win elections with candidates whose socialism is beyond dispute, rather than drop any essential principle for the sake of an apparent temporary gain.

Socialists are not internationalists for sentimental reasons, just because they think that the workers of one country must love the workers of another country. We are internationalists, as Marx explained because the whole essence and function of capitalism has drawn up the whole world into one single interdependent unit where every country is an inter-related economic unit. It is this which gives us the essence of the internationalism of the working class. Events that occur in one country affect the workers of other countries.

 The Socialist Party ever upholds the solidarity of all workers, regardless of race or nationality. It rejoices in their successes and shares with them their sorrows. It looks forward with confident hope to the worldwide organisation of workers and echoes the cry, whose realisation means the complete downfall of capitalism, and the final triumph of social democracy— WORKERS OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE!