We Will Change The World

The Socialist Party is for general emancipation, i.e. for a class-free society. But such emancipation presupposes the abolition of private property, of commodity production and of the market economy, as well as of competition and the private enrichment. The realisation of these goals is only possible when the socialist struggle for them is merged with the real struggle of a class that is materially interested in it, intellectually prepared for it, and socially inclined to it. This means a class that is potentially capable of ‘bringing all wheels to a standstill’ if it so wishes; a class that, organised into the associated producers, is capable of taking over the organisation of production. The overthrow of capitalism, the transition to a class-free society, the replacement of domination by a free association of producers can emerge from the self-organization and inevitable, elementary class struggle of working people.

The educational and organisational activity, the stimulating of class consciousness and class organization shall be the task of the Socialist Party to build a society without private property, production of goods, money, enrichment, competition and nation-state. The practical task of abolishing the bondage of humanity thus becomes the practical politics of the Socialist Party. Its case is the total renunciation of manoeuvring, of tactics, of temporary compromises and retreat is unrealistic and impossible even if it means facing our opponents with the hands tied. Endless scheming, unlimited willingness to compromise, unprincipled manoeuvres, and total exclusion of self-activity, initiative, and action of one’s own class leads to nothing and brings us no closer to the goal.  Realpolitik and Machiavellianism can never be the strategy of the Socialist Party because the emancipatory goal is not a small-minded but a radical one: to overturn all conditions in which man is a degraded, enslaved being. Particular methods cannot bring about our goal because they contradict it too much. Even temporary, partial successes have long-term effects that are devastating. The unique nature of the socialist revolution  is that it can only be realised by a conscious majority. To this end it must conquer political power. The goal can only be achieved through the self-organisation and self-activity of working people.

Capitalists cannot exist without workers, but workers can exist without capitalists. As it is workers who actually do the producing, they are quite capable of undertaking this activity in their own interests. This cannot be accomplished unless workers are aware of their objective interests and are organised to achieve this goal.  The socialist movement without a working class is impossible. But a working class which does not have the necessary knowledge to effect its transformation will not spontaneously evolve into a revolutionary force. For this to occur, workers in large enough numbers must develop sufficient knowledge concerning the nature of capitalist society, the nature of the state and the necessity of revolution to “change the world”.

In a democratically planned and ecologically rational society, many of the lifestyle changes that individualist environmentalism points to as necessary would occur, but as part of a social process of liberation, not as a forced sacrifice or moralistic principle. Work would be structured in ways that allow people to feel a closer connection with the production of food and resources. Overall, a socialist society would give us the freedom to live fulfilling lives less centered around consumption. The level of individual consumption will naturally decrease, without anyone forcing workers to lower their standard of living. Certainly there would be changes in what people consume in a sustainable society — an ecologically sound agricultural system would probably supply less meat and less out-of-season produce — but this would occur because of a change in production in context of revolutionary liberation leading to a better life (overall, such an agricultural system would supply healthier, cheaper and better-tasting food), so it would not be experienced as a sacrifice. All this being said, environmentalists must face the reality that much of the world does need higher levels of consumption — more stuff.

Billions of people in the world need, in order to live fulfilling lives, secure food and water, better transportation and communications infrastructure, and medical services. Under a democratic, planned program of development, these resources could be produced in different, more efficient and ecologically sound ways, paid for by reparations from imperialist capital for its centuries of exploitation, and in concert with reducing the ecological footprint of the developed countries. If people have no secure means of subsistence to live, they will survive as best they can using what means are available to them, which tend to be highly ecologically destructive.  Poverty is a major part of the reason there is so much deforestation. Renewable energy provision for the entire planet — and the eradication of poverty — would have to be part of any move to living sustainably with the Earth. The only way to both develop human potential around the world and regenerate a healthy biosphere is through a development of the productive forces of society. A democratically planned and ecologically rational society will be able to overcome the ways in which capitalism is holding us back from producing more efficiently and sustainably. In an economy designed to meet human needs, there would be many opportunities to eliminate waste: for example, by eliminating product packaging, by eliminating planned obsolescence so that electronic equipment and machines (e.g. laptops and mobile phones) will last longer, by reducing imports and exports and producing locally where most efficient, and by eliminating many industries — advertising, health insurance, financial services, the military — that will be largely useless in a socialist society.

Further, the technological basis of society could be transformed. We could adopt a power system based around solar, wind, geothermal and tidal energy. We could redesign urban areas based around walking, bicycling and public transit. And we could transform our agricultural methods, drawing from organic agriculture and permaculture techniques.

All these transformations in production and social allocation of resources are possible with technologies that exist now, but capitalism’s drive for private profit holds us back from implementing them. An ecologically rational society is incompatible with capitalism. Ecology need not be treated as a separate concern that must be brought into other movements. Because all aspects of society are involved in the relation to nature, all struggles have an ecological dimension; and because a sustainable society and a socialist society are inseparable as the aspiration ecological demands belong in all struggles.

The spirit of socialism is best summarised in the verse from the Internationale:

“No saviour from on high delivers

No faith have we in prince or peer
Our own right hand the chains must shiver
Chains of hatred, greed and fear.”

For the Human Family

1. The abolition of the private ownership of the means of production.

2. Elimination of competition and production for exchange value and its replacement by democratic planning and production for use.

3. Workers’ and people’s management of the economy and society.

4. The abolition of wage labour.

5. The elimination of classes.

6. The disappearance of the state.

7. Full socialist development of the productive forces in the context of world socialism

8. From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs.

Class society is not specific to capitalism, nor does the abolition of private property necessarily imply the abolition of class society. Too often the left has fallen into the trap of associating the abolition of private ownership and its replacement by a nationalised economy as the key process in establishing socialism. 

So long as the capitalists remain in possession of the reins of government all the powers of the state will be used to protect and defend their property rights in the means of wealth production, and their control of the product of labour. The capitalist system gives to the capitalist an ever-swelling stream of profits, and to the worker an ever-increasing measure of misery and degradation. The interest of the working class lies in the direction of setting itself free from capitalist exploitation by the abolition of the wage system. To accomplish this necessitates the transformation of capitalist property in the means of wealth production into collective or working class property. The irrepressible conflict of interests between the capitalist and the worker is rapidly culminating in a struggle for possession of the powers of government—the capitalist to hold, the worker to secure it by political action. 

“Get to work! Work faster! Work harder! Work longer for the same pay!” This is the song of all the bosses. This is the class struggle.

Therefore, we call upon all wage-earners to organize under the banner of the Socialist Party, with the object of conquering the public powers for the purpose of setting up and enforcing the economic program of the working class, as follows:

1. The transformation, as rapidly as possible, of capitalist property in the means of wealth production (natural resources, factories, mills, railways, etc.) into the collective property of the working class.

2. Thorough and democratic organization and management of industry by the workers.

3.  The establishment, as speedily as possible, of production for use in lieu of production for profit.

The Socialist Party shall always and everywhere, until the present system is utterly abolished, make the answer to this question its guiding rule of conduct: Will this legislation advance the interests of the working class and aid the workers in their class struggle against capitalism? If it will, the Socialist party is for it; if it will not, the Socialist Party is absolutely opposed to it. The Socialist Party pledges itself to conduct all the public affairs placed in its hands in such manner as to promote the interests of the working class alone.

The Socialist Party stands upon the clearest and most uncompromising platform in the world. We shall exert ourselves in the effort to reconstruct human society on the basis of socialism. Ours is a party for the oppressed everywhere. We address ourselves to all workers. We cannot wait patiently for capitalism to collapse. Rally to the call for complete emancipation.

Build a Better World

Socialism has been attacked and incriminated at all times. Socialists are reproached with every kind of wickedness; of the tendency to do away with property, marriage, family, to pollute everything that is sacred. Invent lies in every way you can; throw mud and something will stick. Foremost is the malicious claim that the socialists intend to divide all property. Everybody who owns anything must give up what he owns; this whole mass has to be divided equally among all the people, and each person may use his part just as he likes. After a while, when some have used up their allotted part and a new disproportion of property has arisen, a new division will be made; and so on. Especially the money and the land are to be divvied up. Just reflect how the railways should be shared? Who should have the rails, or a locomotive, or a carriage? And since everybody would have a right to demand an equal share, all these things would have to be dismantled.

Socialism is a necessity to save mankind. Under slavery the worker is the property of his master just the same as cattle. Under serfdom the worker had to serve the Lord of the Manor with his time and kind. Under capitalism the workers are technically free. No legal pressure compels them to sell their labour power. we can take a job where we like and when we like. It is the commodity market which subject us to the changing conditions of the labour market. However, the disappearance of all legal protection corresponds to this legal liberty. If, for causes usually independent of their will, the owners of the means of production cannot employ the available workers, these workers are doomed to starvation.

Whoever declares oneself an enemy of socialism declares to be an enemy of common interest, an enemy of society and humanity. Socialism teaches the way in which at a future time people will try to establish justice and a more equal condition of life for the whole community; while the owners of small property are being robbed of the little they own. Socialism, far from intending to abolish any property to-day or to-morrow, only predicts that there will be a time, not suddenly provoked, but brought on by historical development, when the working people will insist upon their right to the product of their own work, against the privilege which property enjoys with regard to the work of others.

Imagine a world in which we had no fear of changing climates, rising temperatures and sea levels, mass species extinctions, or the obscene inequality we see today.

Imagine a world in which everyone had enough, but no one wanting too much. Where the same opportunities are there for everyone. Imagine a world in which we had no wars over resources. 

Does this sound like a Utopian dream? Maybe it does, but it is no more impossible than expecting the world we live in now to provide for all the people. We owe our children that we leave them a better, more decent world for they to leave their children.

The working class, nourished by its misery, vitalized by its aspirations, is raising the revolutionary standard of international socialism, and in due course of time the hour will again strike for change and the socialist movement.

Capitalism uses a new and much more efficient method than the lash of the cat-o’-nine-tails to make the workers toil. That is hunger. We are told that we are free and the bosses are free. He is free to offer us terms of any kind – we are free to starve unless we accept these terms. As we work, we create profits, such huge profits that even in their wildest extravagances the bosses cannot spend them. So there proves to be no more market for that commodity we are hired to produce; no more profits can be gotten so the free boss lays off the free worker to freely starve in the midst of a land of full warehouses which the worker filled. Capitalism, greedily demanding more and more profits, puts faster machines into the shops which produce goods and profits at a faster and faster rate. More workers are thrown on the streets. Only by overthrowing the system of capitalism will misery be done away with. The society of socialism alone can eliminate the terror of poverty. Capitalism will be replaced by plenty for all. To help bring this about all workers should join the Socialist Party and help fight for the overthrow of capitalism and the establishment of socialism.