Build a Better World

 

Despite the many threats, despite the growing poverty and misery that workers are subjected to, a world of abundance for all stands within our grasp. The potential to create such a society exists, but that potential can be realised only if workers act to gain control of their own lives by organising socialism.

 In these critical times, the Socialist Party calls upon all who are increasingly aware that a basic change in our society is needed, to join us to put an end to the existing class-divided society and place the land and the instruments of social production into the hands of the people as a collective body in a cooperative socialist society. 

The propertyless are today the overwhelming majority where the wages of these have declined until they can purchase only the bare means of subsistence. No degree of toil can any longer, under the prevailing system bring just rewards to the wealth-producing workers of brain and brawn. Socialism means but one thing, and that is the abolition of capital in private hands, and the turning over of the industries to the direct control of society as a whole. Anything else is not socialism. Socialism is not the establishment of the $15 minimum wage, not the abolition of the gig economy, not the enforcement of health and safety laws.  None of these, nor all of them together, is socialism. They might all be done by the government tomorrow, and still we would not have socialism. They are merely reforms of the present system, mere patches on the worn-out rags of servitude. Socialism is the common ownership of production and distribution.

While not opposing any reforms or improvements which may be secured under capitalism, the Socialist  Party steadfastly sets its face against taking time away from its main battle, for revolution, in order to carry on the struggle for reform. It refuses to be manoeuvred into abandoning its main demand in order to fritter away its energies chasing immediate demands. It turns a blind eye to the tempting bait to lead them astray into side issues and blind alleys. The one demand of the Socialist  Party is Socialism, unadulterated and undiluted and its demand is the unconditional surrender by the capitalist class of the state machine and the wheels of industry.

In our campaigning, we state our principles clearly, and speak the truth fearlessly, seeking neither to flatter nor to offend, but only to convince those who should be with us and win them to our cause through an intelligent understanding of its mission. It must be clear to every thinking class-conscious worker that the present terrific struggle for world power is waged by the capitalist class to secure a greater share in the exploitation of labour. It is a matter of paramount importance that we, as socialists, apprehend the basic conditions underlying the strife and that we prepare to meet the consequences to the world’s workers that will issue from it. In the confusion arising from false issues of the capitalist class, put forward to mislead the workers, we must ever be on our guard against the apologists for the bosses posing as friends of labour. When we are told that we need industrial relations arbitration and anti-strike laws, we know that such laws not only fail but are a denial of the working class's right to develop all its powers to gain emancipation. When we are told that we must be patriots, which interpreted means readiness to serve in wars to kill our fellow workers and defend the property interests of the owning class. We know that the working people are a propertyless class with no country to defend and no fatherland or motherland to fight for. We strongly denounce all brands of national chauvinism and patriotism as opposed to the interests of the working class. Instead of nationalism, we must do all in our power to promote the true internationalism of labour.

The Socialist  Party insists that it is the most humanitarian movement on earth. More so than philanthropic NGOs, reform campaigners, and charity societies. It, and it alone, carries within its programme the truest hopes and possibilities of humanity. The Socialist Party is unique in being based on the material programme which will make the realization of those aspirations an accomplished fact. Socialism alone will supply permanent improvement in the condition of mankind. Change with the times — or perish.? It is high time for socialists to abolish obsolete tactics, abandon the will-o’-the-wisps of reform,