Clarifying the Socialist Concept

 

The Socialist Party desires a new social system. That is to say,  a world-wide social order egalitarian  in character, where the means of living are the common possession of all, and freedom of access to all that society can produce, and where full participation in all that society does is the norm: Of necessity it will be a society where free co-operation and organisation has been taken to its logical conclusion, and where coercion has died a natural death. For obviously in a world where one can help oneself freely to the needs of life there can be no economic domination of one  over another  and all organisation must be of the free kind.

As socialism will be a world-wide affair; it can only be brought about by socialists throughout the world organising on a world-wide scale. In other words, a socialist is not only someone who desires socialism, but also a person who understands capitalism in a general sense, and sees the need for working in an organised fashion to get rid of it, to replace the system with a socialist one. What is even more to the point, is that a socialist is one who not only works in an organised fashion to bring about socialism, but who expects to work in an organised fashion within socialist society.

Too often members of the Socialist Party have heard it said, “ I am all for a world where I can help myself freely to whatever is produced, as I would be able to lie around all day.”

Apart from the fact that no human being is naturally lazy, if a majority of people wanted socialism and were in the above category it could not be established. Socialism is a society where all people's needs will be satisfied; this can only take place if there is a majority of people throughout the world who understand that they must co-operate together to produce enough to satisfy all people’s needs. In other words FREE ACCESS. This state of affairs could not be brought about by a bunch of people who only want to laze around.

To recapitulate, socialism can only be brought about throughout the world by a majority of people who understand the system under which they live. Understand what it is they are going to put in its place; desire it and are prepared to co-operate in an organised fashion to establish such a system, and work within it, once it is established.

The Socialist Party has consistently pointed out that nationalisation is no more than capitalism run by the State or its nominees. It has nothing to do with socialism. The worker is propertyless; therefore he or she is forced to sell their ability to work to the “owners of capital": and if the owners of capital cannot make a profit out of that work, they will not employ them. Instead, it is the dole. And this is the case whether he works in an industry run by private or by State capitalism. And yet the left-wing political parties demand further doses of nationalisation! Will they never learn?

The aim of the Socialist Party is to see socialism established everywhere but our campaigning for socialism is hampered by the belief, held by some people, that socialism existed in Russia. There is no truth in this whatsoever. There was never socialism (or communism) in Russia. What Russia had was a regime of dictatorship, administering what can best be described as a largely State Capitalist social system. The State apparatus was controlled by the Communist Party of Russia, the only political party that is allowed to exist in that country. Farcical so-called elections are held, but, as the workers of Russia were not allowed to form political parties of their own choice, only members of the Communist Party and those approved by them were permitted to stand at election and be elected.