Capitalism is theft

It is a symptom of the pressure which the gradual awakening of the workers is putting on the master class that the latter is adopting a policy of systematic anti-socialist propaganda. The capitalists have been content to leave the doping of their wage-slaves to the intellectuals, the media hacks and the academics, all of whom worked by the general distortion of the socialist vision.

The average working person obviously does not understand two vital factors of the system of society prevailing to-day. The two all-important realities he is unaware of are:

(1) The slave-condition of the working class the world over, and

(2) the way the wages system robs them of the greater part of the wealth they produce.

The working class constitute the vast majority of the community. They must toil to provide themselves and their dependents with the means necessary to sustain life. The only alternatives are existing on charity, stealing, or starving.

They are propertyless—they own no land nor any means by which wealth can be made by the application of their socially-useful labour-power. The only thing they do own is their labour-power—the ability, strength, and faculties to work. That labour-power has a value, for it has the magic quality of producing wealth when usefully exercised.

The capitalist class, owning all the natural sources of wealth and the means and instruments for its production, are thus intensely powerful through that ownership, and through their appropriation of the wealth as it is daily produced by those who toil for them.

The capitalists are an idle class. The workers' labour-power they make use of for themselves, and appropriate the fruits of labour for one purpose only—their own enrichment. Thus the sole function of the workers under the present system is to produce profitfor the capitalist class. From the time when they "go out to work" till the time when they can no longer toil they must continue to function as mere producers of capitalist wealth. They may change masters; they may suffer want and misery through enforced unemployment and consequent poverty; but they will always have to sell their labour-power (whenever and wherever they can) to a capitalist in order to exist at all. It is impossible, in practically every case, to get away from that dire necessity. It is impossible to avoid their dependence on being employed by some member of the capitalist class. The latter own the very means of life; they control the conditions of getting a livelihood; the whole economic and political power exerted by them secures their position and maintains their privileged status. As a class they completely control the lives of the indispensable working class the world over. Thus working-class will and desires are completely subjected to capitalist-class will, interest and dominance. What else is this but the slavery of the workers?

You have to-day, on one hand, aristocratic and plutocratic dominance and privilege, combined with idleness and exploitation, class-rule and social inequality. On the other hand you have a huge class of toilers who are propertyless and exploited wage slaves who produce the wealth of the world and yet are robbed of the greater part of it in order that their masters may realise a profit out of it.

Now, secondly, it is observable that workers does not see how they,are robbed by capitalist exploitation through the wages system.

"Robbed! How robbed?" they will ask when told of the fact ''We get our wages. Isn’t the employer is entitled to make his bit out of it! How are we robbed ? "

There are many kinds of robbery. Brigandry, piracy, and burglary. There is no parallel that can be cited one thinks to prove the contention. Well, let us consider wealth-production from its very basis.

A worker tries for a job at a firm. He is willing to sell his labour-power—his skill and strength—to be used in the production of wealth by applying it to nature-given material. The employer agrees to purchase that labour-power for a given period under specified conditions, and for a stipulated sum — termed "wages."

Ascertained facts prove that, on the average, the worker is paid no more for his or her services than is barely sufficient to reproduce his or her labour power daily.

This labour power has cost certain necessaries to produce in the first instance. It has been developed ; it must be sustained in a given degree of efficiency. But, in spite of this, the human machine will and does wear out just as the one of iron and steel does, and when no longer useful it will have to be replaced.

So not only is an amount of necessaries required to maintain him or her, but an added amount is imperative to bring up children to serve in his or her stead as wage-workers, and who, in their turn, will perpetuate the supply of labour power.

Labour power is really a commodity—bought and sold in the labour market like margarine, and with as little sentiment.

The value of every commodity is determined by the average quantity of labour required under the general conditions prevailing at any given time to produce it. Thus the value, in the form of wages, that is paid to the worker for ones labour-power, represents the value of the necessaries needed for its reproduction, and therefore is determined by the amount of labour required for that purpose.

Being engaged to work for a stipulated wage the worker has also to labour for an agreed number of hours per day or per week, and under certain other restrictions. He or she thus sells his or her labour-power for the whole of that time. In fact, the employer has bought it all for that period.

All the wealth the worker produces in that time is appropriated by the employer, and every means is used to extract the utmost value from the worker in the period during which he has sold his labour-power.

When the capitalist buys the worker's labour-power he buys it for one special purpose—to get out of the toiler a greater total value than is represented by the worker's wages. If the worker did not produce this surplus value, the capitalist would make nothing by employing him, and would therefore have no inducement to do so.

This value produced by the worker in excess of that contained in his wages, this surplus value as we call it, is value for which the capitalist pays nothing whatever.

The worker thinks he has been paid for his or her labour. He or she has not: We have only been repaid the value of our labour-power. We have been paid what our labour-power cost to produce ; but the value which that labour-power produces —a far greater quantity—belongs to the capitalist. This increase, this surplus value, which the exploiter pays nothing for, represents the robbery of the worker.

Thus the robbery of the worker is veiled by the wages system. The paid and the unpaid portions of the labour are indistinguishable, and the worker appears to have been paid for the whole.

This process of exchange between capitalists and labourers, resulting in a systematic robbery of the working class, simply continues to keep the workers a wage-slave class in a chronic state of poverty, and tends just as surely to enrich the idle capitalists, who exploit them.

We have seen from the first portion of the article that the working class are enslaved under capitalism; we see that labour alone of human factors produces social wealth, but that the greater part of the fruits of the workers' labour is stolen from them.

The only hope of the toilers, the only remedy for all the disastrous results of the slavery of their class, lies in Socialism. While the pernicious capitalist system continues their poverty and misery also will continue.

When the workers understand the real operations and effects of the wages system, and their own class slavery, they will see that no reforms can effect their emancipation.

When they understand Marxian economics and Socialism they will realise that only by their own class-conscious efforts will they free themselves and establish a new and sane social system.

Educated in these things, and organised on the industrial and political fields, they will seize political power and wield it and its forces for the paramount purpose—the establishment of the Socialist Commonwealth. Fellow Workers, arise from the depths of your dumb despair. Arise and avenge yourselves for the untold suffering which for so long has been your lot. Rid yourselves of the horrors and nightmares of capitalism. The world and all its fruits stand ready for you to take—are you worthy to enjoy them? If you are you will be with us, helping to organise your class in the Socialist Party, in order that the present social system may give place to the Socialist Co-operative Commonwealth.

In socialism there will be no conflict between profits and the environment and no conflict between the needs of people and profit because there won’t be production for profit. Let's forget about reforms and work towards taking what is ours because only then will environmental destruction and all the rest of capitalism’s disasters stop occurring. Forget about applying palliatives to the symptoms, let’s unite to cure the disease of capitalism.

Do not think that you cannot help, that your weight will not count, that your efforts do not matter. If you agree that our principles and policy are correct, join us.

The end of Blasphemy

The Scottish government has published a bill that would decriminalise blasphemy

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/apr/24/blasphemy-to-be-decriminalised-in-scottish-hate-bill

Wage Slaves All

There is fundamentally only one way in which capitalism can be administered—the capitalist way. While social reforms can alleviate particular evils arising from capitalism for a time, it is unquestionably better that the responsibility for running the capitalist system should be left to the avowed supporters of capitalism. The workers should struggle to raise or defend their standard of living, but not attempt the impossible task of administering capitalism, or put their trust in the parties which do this. One harmful notion widely believed at present is that now for the first time the government and public opinion are aware of poverty and undernourishment, and therefore something will be done. In every country it has now become a truth demonstrable to every unprejudiced mind, and only denied by those whose interest it is to hedge other people in a fool's paradise, that no improvement of machinery, no application of science to production, no contrivances of communication, no new colonies, no emigration, no opening of markets, no free trade, nor all of these things put together, will do away with the miseries of the industrious masses; but that on the present false base, every fresh development of the productive powers of labour must tend to deepen social contrasts and point social antagonisms.

The Socialist Party stands on its recognition of the class-struggle and urges the working class to take enlightened political action to get rid of present-day society and bring about common ownership of the means of wealth production. We subscribe to the principle known as Historical Materialism which briefly holds, as Engels put it, that the way in which mankind organises to produce and reproduce the means of living is fundamental in determining the political and religious ideas. This view sees men and women as the motive force in their own social activity and as the instruments for changing society. Socialism arouses the workers' will to struggle, it appeals to their understanding; it demands their knowledge and confidence. We refute religion, because the working class cannot move forward to a better society while their minds are in the chains of religion.

The need of our times is a working class which refuses any longer to trust to capitalist promises, and determines to take action for its own emancipation. Basing itself firmly upon the Marxian analysis of capitalist society, with all its implications, social and political, the Socialist Party formulated its Declaration of Principles. For the first time in the history of the working class, a Party was formed which staked everything on the UNDERSTANDING of its class. We have often been at pains to teach the fairly obvious truth, that the private ownership of the means of production under capitalism divides the community into two antagonistic classes, but unfortunately there are still quite a number of people afflicted with the snobbish obsession that they belong to some superior body of beings graded somewhere above the working class, but not, of course, actually capitalists; it is probable, indeed, that they still call themselves the “middle class.”

We are accustomed to having pettifogging reforms, or irksome regulations of state operated enterprises, condemned as socialism by people who are ignorant of what the term implies. On the other hand, we have individuals equally ignorant, who commend these things as examples of socialist achievement. Exchange would not exist in socialism, because wealth would be owned in common and distribution only would be necessary. 

Let us take a brief survey of the economic conditions of human existence.

In the first place we know that the world is inhabited by several billions of people, with a variety of tastes, habits, and so on. Further, out of this number there is an overwhelming proportion who have something in common. It is that they are compelled to work in order to live.

The capitalist system of wealth production has stretched out its tentacles over the whole world, so that almost everywhere we find these teeming, struggling millions, who not only have to work, but are compelled to work for someone else.

Unless the units of this vast army of workers can find work—someone to employ them—they are cut off from the means of life and must starve, as thousands are doing to-day.

So this vast mass of the world's workers, like the dogs in the picture, have this common character—they are dependent upon someone else. They are dependent upon someone who will employ them, in order to get the common necessaries of life.

These "someones," these employers, who are they ? Clearly they occupy an entirely different position from that of the workers. They are the ruling class, the possessing class, the idle class. They have no useful function in society, but live a life of luxury and ease upon the fruits of the labours of the working class—they are parasites on the body politic.

These are the two classes into which society is divided. Let us now examine a particular section of the working class, that section who usually refer to themselves as "brain workers," but are often referred to as the "white collar workers."

This particular section is made up of types who are dignified and respectable, because they come into close daily contact with their employers. It is their specific function to assist the capitalist class in the direction of keeping their accounts, in order to show exactly how the exploitation of their fellow workers is progressing. The docile humility and faithfulness which distinguishes this particular type of slave seems now to be developing into something like impudence.

One can easily appreciate that it would seriously disturb the atmosphere of dignity in which employers of brain workers have always endeavoured to cloak their slaves, to permit them to organise themselves like common worker—or like common masters for that matter, for they all do it—for the protection and furtherance of their economic interests. 

Economic forces are no respecters of persons. They grind slowly but surely, compelling even the most stiff-necked to forgo their dignity and examine their conditions of daily life. Therefore it only proves the correctness of the Marxian method when the super-respectable find it necessary to organise for the defence of their economic interests

After all the pains which the ruling class have taken to impress a certain section of the working class with the respectability of their collar and ties and the dignity of their calling, and to isolate them from the "lower orders," they have to recognise that their policy of divide and rule is nearly played out.

To salary slaves the lesson should be clear. They must understand that whether they have to work in suits or overalls they belong to the working class. When they grip this fact they will know the worth of the high-sounding phrases about respectability, gentility, dignity, and the rest of the flattering notions with which their masters keep them in subjection.

The working class are compelled to grovel on the floor of the industrial kennel, and if some of their number assume dignity they are but taking on a pose which ill fits the degrading nature of their existence. Their remuneration, whether it is called wages or salary, is determined by what it costs to keep and reproduce their kind. Like carrots, their energies are bought and sold, and the wage or salary is the price. It may sound undignified, but, nevertheless, it is an economic fact which has to be firmly gripped.

Finally, organisation on trade union lines, no matter how well disciplined the rank and file may be, and necessary as it may be to-day, in order to resist the pressure of the employing class, will not emancipate the workers from the wages system. To achieve this end they must organise into a political party conscious of their class interest, and equipped with the necessary knowledge.

That political party already exists—in the Socialist Party of Great Britain. Study its Object and Declaration of Principles, and then—ACT!

Scottish miner’s poem

Listen to their lies, listen! Listen to their tear-filled speeches of suffering and democracy – and scream In your anger and your pain – scream at those who speak of suffering and know nothing but the cause, For their only pain is their conscience – but no, for they have none Scream in your hunger, as they burn the food of life, For if it does not fill their pockets with gold it will not be allowed to satisfy the gnawing pain of starvation – burning in your belly And scream in pain as they pierce your body with the sword of oppression. – But wipe away your tears of blood – for their chains will never hold us or their guns destroy us, As we raise our red flag – of suffering and anger, let us never see our children suffer through our fear, But through our victory living as all should, from poverty and misery – suffering and pain Forever freedom. Joe Owens, NUM Polkemmet Colliery

Overthrow capitalism and replace it with something nicer

There are essentially only ways for organising social production in the modern world. One of these is, capitalist. The champions of capitalist economy have the present on their side. The other, socialist, is still only a potential.

Planning is not equivalent to ‘perfect’ allocation of resources, nor ‘scientific’ allocation, nor even ‘more humane’ allocation. The premise and the promise of abundance is what the idea of socialism is founded upon. This concept plays a crucial role in the Socialist Party’s vision of socialism. 

Abundance removes conflict over resource allocation, since, by definition, there is enough for everyone, and so there are no mutually exclusive choices. There is then no reason for various individuals and groups to compete, to take possession for their own use of what is freely available to all. It is not necessary to regulate use through rationing by price. All private enterprise is out to produce as much as it can, to grab as much of the market as it can, for it is in sales that it realises its profits. So long as society is bound to commodity production, it is only through the market that its needs can be satisfied. Capitalist society necessarily presupposes exchange. Present-day society does not even concern itself with the needs of society. Profit is the motive of capitalist production. What passes for a planned capitalist economy is in reality only the economic dictatorship of the stronger against the weaker, where the poor become poorer and the rich richer. Capitalism has no socially beneficial way of resolving its basic contradictions because it may not overstep the profit interests of the capitalists.

Workers are able to manage production. Social control of industry is essential. Once common ownership and democratic control of industry are established it will be possible to proceed to the introduction of a planned economy. The transformation of work is the task of the socialist revolution by ending the exploitation and the pursuit of profits that make work the way it is at present. Under capitalism advances in technology are used to displace workers. We see the combination of millions of workers on overtime and millions on the dole. With socialist planning, the total work required will be shared equally and every technological advance will reduce the working hours that are needed. It will free working people to take an active part in the running and administration of society. Automation will be used to eliminate the most unpleasant and menial jobs.

Socialism stands for all that is best in life, for replacing fear by hope, narrowness and meanness by generosity and compassion, poverty by plenty, exploitation by co-operation and jingoism by comradeship. Socialism will be absolutely nothing like the former Soviet Union, or present day China and Cuba. Our alternative is not a police state. But nor would it be like the welfare states of Scandinavia. The central thing we want is freedom from fear. Losing your job may happen to you only a few times in your life, but the fear of it is with you every day. In another world we would make sure that those fears were gone, that everyone lives in security. It wouldn’t be a perfect world. There would still be some problems. Men and women would still have broken hearts. But it would be a far, far better world. No one can say that it is certain to come about. But we will win victories we cannot yet imagine. Socialism is rule by the working people. They will decide how socialism is to work. Because the working  people will control the great wealth they produce, they will be fundamentally able to determine their own futures. The end of exploitation of one person by another will be an unprecedented liberating and transforming force.  

Socialism is not some Utopian scheme. Capitalism has created the economic conditions for socialism. Socialism will not mean government control. The state serves the interests of the ruling capitalist class. Government involvement in the economy is state capitalism. When the government intervenes in the present economy, it does so to help, not harm, capitalism.

The means of production – the factories, mines, mills, offices, farms and  fields,  transportation system, communications, medical facilities, retailers, etc., will be transformed into common property. Private ownership of the  means of production will end. The economy will be geared not to the interest of profit, but to serving human needs. This will release the productive capacity of the economy from the limitations of profit maximisation. A great expansion of useful production and the wealth of society will become possible. Rational economic planning will replace the present anarchistic system. Coordination and planning of production will aim to benefit the people. Socialism’s main task will be to satisfy social needs. Socialism will open the way for great changes in society. 

Transforming the productive resources of society into common property will enable the working people to assume administration of the economy, managed democratically through workers’ councils and elected administrators to serve their own interests as well as society’s.

Socialists: Volunteers for humanity

We must use elections to place before the workers the demands of the Socialist Party in sharp contrast to those of the capitalist parties. We must make the most of the greater readiness of our fellow-workers to read political literature, attend political meetings and take part in political discussions to familiarise working people with the World Socialist Movement. We must use elections to teach workers the political nature of the class struggle, the connection between their employer and the state, the connection between their own class status and the capitalist economic system. The  masses vote for the capitalist candidates, because they are not yet ready for socialism. The working class as a class is still capitalist-minded. It must yet take its first steps as an independent political force.

The two main capitalist parties are as like as tweedledum and tweedledee in their support of the powerful financial and industrial interests of Wall Street. The workers who now want to vote for the Democratic ticket voted are to be duped again. Fundamental education on principle questions of socialism, the class struggle, etc. is missing, with the exception here and there of a socialist candidate who spoke for “socialism” in the socialist manner. The majority vote overwhelmingly for the capitalist system. But there are some who, thinking a little more clearly vote for socialism. It is far more important to present clearly in election campaigns that there is no lasting way out for the working class but the Social Revolution. The object of the Socialist Party at all times, is to educate and to organise. We put forward only the demand for the realisation of the Social Revolution. Our party is the party of class war, class against class, working class against capitalist class. We oppose the ideology of reform and placing poultices on the profit system.

We need no national barriers, the interests of the workers can best be promoted by international fraternity. We need no money we aim at producing wealth for all We need no wages; so long as workers are paid for their labour power others, who are non-workers, will receive the results of their labour. The means of production commonly owned and wealth brought into being for the enjoyment and well-being of mankind. That is our goal and eventually we shall make it. You may be under the illusion that peace and prosperity can be obtained in some other way. There is no other way. Socialism or capitalism that is the choice. Socialism rests on a straightforward, elementary fact that that there is in the world sufficient of everything for everyone’s requirements, and where it is not immediately available (as, for instance, cotton does not grow in England), it exists somewhere, or can be produced end transported. In other words, we have the raw materials, the crops, the factories, the transport, the labour, and the machinery (or the means of making new, extra machinery): all we need is a sane, simple method of setting all these to work, move, and be used by means of a co-operative interdependent plan.

In socialism, there won't be any need for a thing to “pay” anymore. If everything everyone requires is provided, that is all there is need to worry about. The worker— worker “by hand or brain”—need only contribute the amount of (physical or mental) effort required of him (or her) and all will be automatically entitled to whatever they require in the way of food, clothing, shelter, travel, etc., etc. We must look at the necessary activity of mankind as one process, not as we are encouraged to do under capitalism, as a host of different actions, most of them for different ends.The whole process can be summed up in the time-honoured phrase, “production solely for use instead of profit.” All needs, will be automatically met by the overwhelmingly plentiful production under a planned socialist economy. But it is a fact that the deliberate miseducation of the masses which is a fundamental part of the capitalist art of government has succeeded in presenting this as a major, practically insoluble.

The World Socialist Movement has stood like a rock for socialism; every other party has wobbled and gone after the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. When you find out that there is wrong in human society, check us out.

Lest We Forget

 

Obituary from the April 1996 issue of the Socialist Standard

Ian McDougall, a member of Glasgow Branch for 45 years, passed away in December.

He was a regular at the branch's propaganda activities until ill-health which affected his for most of his life made this impossible. Even so, Ian took up writing letters to the press and generally did what he could to spread the socialist message. Nor was illness allowed to quench his thirst for knowledge and he was a voracious reader up to the end.

Ian was a gentle person, and the only antagonism he ever permitted himself was towards capitalism. We extend our deep condolences to his partner Nan and her family.