Our Socialist Purpose

 We are fundamentally and thoroughly going opponents of capitalism and we seek to replace it completely by a socialist society.  We do not seek to “reform” it – wage slavery is not to be reformed but replaced fundamentally by socialism. As democratic socialists, we reject completely as incompatible with our principles and our aims any and all regimes, even if they proclaim themselves as “socialist” or “people’s democracies,” that are in actuality totalitarian. We reject all political movements, parties and doctrines that support such regimes, that are their defenders or apologists. We aim at building a democratic socialist movement, for the aim of socialism is nothing but the fullest attainment of democracy.

 The World Socialist Movement differs from all others in that it is the only consistent and thoroughgoing champion of democracy in all spheres of economic, political and social life. In that most urgent of political struggles of our day, the struggle against the war danger and for world peace. We stand for the traditional socialist conception that the winning of the battle for democracy is the inauguration of a class-free society. A “socialism” that denies or suppresses democracy is a contradiction in terms. We reject any dictatorship over the working class, as the road to socialism. We reject the imposition of “socialism” on the working class “for its own good,” against its will or without its freely-arrived-at democratic decision. The path towards a socialist society lies only through the ever-greater expansion of democracy. To these propositions the World Socialist Movement is unequivocally committed. The WORLD SOCIALIST MOVEMENT must be democratic first and foremost in its internal affairs, so that its membership may be able to arrive freely and fairly at decisions on policy and activity, where the views of the majority prevail at all times with scrupulous assurances that the rights and conscience of minorities are in no way violated. 

The object of a Socialist Party is socialism. To that end the education, organisation and conversion to socialist principles is essential. We cannot have socialism without socialists. Therefore, the primary task of the Socialist Party is to campaign  to make socialists. In doing this a Socialist Party should also champion every movement of the working class towards improving its condition – even in present circumstances – or in defence of its interests; so that the Socialist Party may come to be constituted as the head and centre and rallying point of the whole working-class movement. No-one in the  Socialist Party will deny that it is a help to the movement to win a Parliamentary seat for socialism; but it is an obstacle and an hindrance rather than a help if the seat is won by a sacrifice of principle or by any sort of compromise. When our men and women go to Parliament they want to go with a direct Socialist mandate, and if they cannot go with that they had better stay outside.  It is of no importance to us that this, that, or the other individual personality should be elected to the House of Commons. It is imperative however, that a socialist should be elected and a seat won for socialism. From this standpoint, therefore, it is better for a socialist to fight and be beaten as a socialist than to fight and win under any other flag. If in the future the Socialist Party succeeds in becoming a small minority in Parliament our most important work will not be done in Parliament but in the country at large. A Parliamentary socialist group  in the House of Commons will be not involve itself in  direct influence on legislation, but focus its effect in the constituencies. Its value will be rather agitational than legislative. We might vote for a change of policy, for the adoption of a more aggressive line of action, but, being in the minority, we should be out-voted every time.

The World Socialist Movement is to be a movement of revolt against the existing social order, scorning all alliances and working along the lines of political organisation, and with all available means, for the emancipation of the working class and the abolition of capitalism. It will not have for its object such ameliorations and palliations of capitalism as will make the capitalist system tolerable, and to work for that object by participating in every possible way in the function of organising and administering the government in a capitalist State.