The Socialist Party's Principles

 

If democracy means control of society by the majority of the people, then democracy does not exist. Under the domination of the small ruling class, political freedoms are being eroded; the power of corporations and government bureaucracy grows; militarisation, economic exploitation and environmental harm intensify daily.  Economic freedom and democracy will be integral parts of the revolution, the one that will build socialism. To accomplish this will require the most organised and conscious revolutionary movement in history. It means organizing all working people around the world into a single unified socialist movement. We must organise politically to contest the politicians committed to continuing capitalism, to educate for the need for socialist change and to openly and painstakingly gather our forces in as peaceful a manner as possible, using all our efforts to build a new society suited to the conditions of our time.

Under capitalism today the means of wealth production are privately owned. With socialism tomorrow they will be collectively owned. Under capitalism government’s main purpose is the protection of private property. Industry is at present controlled by a few industrial barons whose purpose is to take from the workers as much wealth as possible. In socialism, the political State will have ceased to exist. Socialism is industrial democracy. Industrial democracy is Socialism. The government is the government of the property-holding classes. Its purpose is to keep the workers, who have no property, in subjection. Its most important laws are laws of oppression. Socialism will need no armies, police and prisons. The courts and judges today are almost wholly concerned with two kinds of work. One is to try cases at law that grow out of private property relations. When two property holders quarrel about a piece of property they go to court in order to have the fight settled as cheaply as possible. Another function of the courts is to sit in judgement upon and determine the punishment of such of the poor as may have been "guilty" of disrespect for private property. Of course, everybody now knows that rich offenders purchase this "justice," while poor offenders get it presented to them. Do the starving poor take food? They are sent to jail. Such is the nature and purpose of the political government today.  In socialism, there will be no lawless rich to keep their place by repressing the poor. There will be no enslaved poor to be suppressed. There will be no great private fortunes to fight about in the courts. In their class war upon the working people, one of the most effective weapons of the capitalists has been the force wielded by their political government. Everywhere the workers have been fooled into supporting the government. Even reform politicians use the powers of government in the interests of the master class. They vote for such politicians as call themselves "the friends of labour." But they soon find out again that "the friends of labour" out of office, become the enemies of labour when in office. In every country under the sun, the workers are forced to organize a party of their own.

Government ownership is not socialism. State ownership can never lead to socialism. It is not a step toward socialism. It has nothing socialistic about it because all political government is the rule from the top.

The Socialist Party stands not merely for POLITICAL supremacy.  Its purpose is not to secure higher old-age pensions and free meals for school children. Its mission is to help overthrow capitalism and establish socialism. The great purpose of the Socialist Party is to capture the powers of government and thus prevent them from being used by the capitalists against the workers as socialism is constructed. The Socialist Party is not a political party in the same sense as other parties. The success of socialism would abolish practically every ministry existing under the present form of government. Local councils, legislatures and parliament would not be composed principally of office-seekers whose highest ambition seems to be to enact laws with loopholes in them for the rich. But the administrative organs of the workers would be composed of men and women and their work would be to improve the conditions of labour, to minimise the expenditure of labour-power, and to increase production. Everybody now realises that it is ridiculous for sane people to work all day and every day. "The less work the better," is the motto that the workers must set themselves. The Socialist Party is the bearer of sound knowledge, using its great and growing organisation to teach socialism. When the working class is strong enough at the ballot box, it will make an end to capitalism. When a worker understands socialism, he or she does not ask who will do the hard work, will socialism divide up, will socialism destroy incentives, and similar, foolish questions. Socialism is explained as a political scheme.

 Let all the wealth now being wasted in wars and in competitive commerce - let all this waste stop. Let the latest technology be everywhere used. Let the genius of the workers be liberated for the many inventions and the development of better processes. If all this were to be done, it is readily seen that a small portion of the day, or a few days per month, or a few months steady work per year, will yield social wealth in abundance. It would be foolish for us to say how much a worker should work because we do not know how much wealth he or she will desire for oneself and family. It is not for us to determine that. But it is most reasonable to suppose that with socialism an individual working eight hours a day for four months in the year will produce food, clothing and shelter in abundance. Those who will not work will not be permitted to starve. At present, even all healthy people wish to work, yet none desire life-long slavery for the profit of others.

 People will be educated in freedom. They will work in freedom. They will live in freedom. Most of the diseases which now afflict humanity will be unknown because their causes will have been removed. Where there is plenty for all, none will be driven to swindle, to steal or to take profits. Education will be within the reach of everyone. Science and the arts will flourish. Socialism will free not only the slave but the slave-driver and the slave-owner. Socialism today makes war upon the enemies of the working class. When it is victorious, even the enemies of the working class will embrace it. Peace and brotherhood will come with freedom. Then we shall have economic democracy and a cooperative commonwealth.

Socialism is no pipe dream

 Under capitalism, ownership of the means of production is effectively restricted to a tiny segment of the population—the capitalist class. The vast majority of the population—the working class—have no means by which to make a living save by selling their labour-power to a capitalist (or the state). Labour-power is bought and sold on a labour market; it is in fact a commodity.  On the job, workers are told what to produce and are driven to produce as much as possible. Unless pressured by a strike, the capitalists will do little or nothing to improve working conditions, not even those relating to workers’ health and safety. Even if some capitalists were to take a more charitable attitude, none of this would change because of the competitive pressure of the market. If a corporate board or a particular capitalist enterprise was to become benevolent and voluntarily increase workers’ wages and improve working conditions, this would necessarily entail reductions in profits. The company in question would be unable to compete successfully. It would lose its share of the market for its product, as other companies could and would sell for less. The price of such benevolence would be eventual bankruptcy. Under capitalism, nice guys do finish last. The fact is that private possession of the means of production inevitably results in exploitation.

Capitalists only employ workers when they can be reasonably assured that the value of the workers’ product at every stage of production will exceed the value of the workers’ wages, creating what Marxists call “surplus value.” In other words, all capitalist production is premised upon exploitation, upon paying workers far less in wages than the value of what they produce. Consequently, to argue that exploitation is “contrary” to capitalist ownership is ludicrous.

The Socialist Party advocate a cooperative commonwealth of labour, free of exploitation and oppression. Socialism is no pipe dream. It does not seek to end exploitation and oppression by appealing to the oppressor class to be more benevolent, but by organising to overthrow that class. It does not base its vision on idealistic premises but on concrete facts. It boldly proclaims that capitalist/state ownership of the industries and exploitation of the working class is the root of workers’ misery; that the means to provide material abundance for all, at a fraction of the work time presently required, objectively exists but cannot be realised due to this capitalist/state ownership. For the workers of the world, the choice is clear: The Socialist Party offers the potential to end human suffering.

The Socialist Party reasserts that the global class struggle is a fact, that the working and ruling classes of the world have nothing in common, and that every attempt to prevent the working classes of the world from uniting in their own interests requires the unqualified condemnation of all those who profess to speak in the interests of labour, regardless of their assertions and pretences to the contrary. For that reason, the Socialist Party reaffirms its commitment to the principle that unrestricted emigration and mobility of workers from one country to another is a human right, and that every attempt to limit, control or manipulate the working classes of the world in the free exercise of that right is meant to serve the interests of the ruling classes of the world and also requires the unqualified condemnation of all those who profess to speak in the interests of labour.

Capitalism with its private ownership of the economy and exploitation of wage labour is responsible for economic hardship and insecurity for all workers; that it compels workers for economic reasons to leave their home countries and seek employment elsewhere; that immigration laws, whether promoted by so-called liberals or conservatives, only serve to benefit the capitalist class. The Socialist Party extends a fraternal hand of welcome to all immigrant workers and invites them to join in our efforts to abolish capitalism and establish the free and democratic socialist society of free and emancipated working people throughout the world.

In answer to the many inquiries we receive about the differences between the Socialist Party and other political organisations describing themselves as socialist, we offer the following:

These organisations have two common denominators, both of which differentiate them from ourselves in the Socialist Party.

The first denominator is their common acceptance of the validity and desirability of reforms. Thus, although all of them maintain that some kind of “socialism” is their objective, the realization of socialism is not considered possible for an indefinite period in the future. For the present, they say, the thing to do is to work for social reform, i.e., measures that will allegedly alleviate the suffering of the workers.  Some attempt to disguise their reform platform as “partial steps” or “transitional measures.” They’re still reforms. The Socialist Party makes clear that it is the duty of a bona fide party of socialism always to hold the issue of the abolition of wage slavery up before the workers as our priority, and to expose reforms as delusions where they have not concealed measures of reaction.

The second common denominator of the parties claiming to be “socialist” is that their concept of socialism is one in which industry is nationalised and directed by the State. We in the Socialist Party agree with Marx when he said that “the existence of the state is inseparable from the existence of slavery.” Whenever the state assumes ownership or control of a business, all that really happens is that the workers, who remain wage slaves, exchange one master, the private capitalists, for another, the government bureaucrat. This definitely is not socialism. In contrast to the “radical” reformist parties, the Socialist Party calls for the abolition of the political state. Only when the means of production are owned socially and administered democratically by the workers will we have genuine socialism.

 For the reasons stated, the Socialist Party has nothing in common with the Left. However, the best way to compare the differences is to study carefully the history, the literature, the policies and the objectives of those with the socialist label.

Socialism is the future system

Wars have nothing to do with freedom, or liberty, or morality, or justice. It has everything to do with coldly calculated material interests, with world markets, with sources of valuable natural resources, with lines of communication and trade, with areas of profitable investment; in short, with all the economic and material compulsions inherent in capitalism.

We must establish a society in which the means of life will be socially owned and democratically controlled; in which production will be carried on for the benefit and use of all.  This is the only way we can end the ruling-class rivalries that lead to war.  The Socialist Party appeals to workers to take a stand against the capitalist system that repeatedly causes senseless acts of war. It is not in the interests of workers to support the military ventures of their exploiters. On the contrary, it is in the interests of workers to oppose the ruling class’ military machinations throughout the world. In doing so, workers would support the struggles of their fellow workers.

Capitalism is a predatory social system. The capitalist class and its political parties couldn't care less if the government of any other country is democratic or anti-democratic. Its governments will "wheel and deal" with any foreign tyrant if its purposes are served. That may seem inconsistent or hypocritical to some, but it was not. Supporting or opposing foreign governments has nothing to do with political principles or ideologies and everything to do with the material and profit interests of a nations capitalist ruling class. Capitalism needs foreign markets; it needs foreign sources of raw materials for its industries; it needs large supplies of cheap labour; and it needs strategic control over those markets for the trade routes, supplies and sources of raw materials. Getting and securing them is the fundamental "principle" at work. How they are gotten and secured is a secondary consideration. 

We believe that the working class must, at last, come to recognise that the competitive capitalist system of private ownership of the land and plants of production, means of transportation, mines, etc., is, in fact, the basic cause of the present state of world’s conflicts and chaos, and of wars, declared and undeclared. To avoid future wars, therefore, the capitalist cause must be abolished. Society must be reorganised on socialist lines, replacing private (and state) ownership and competition with common ownership and cooperation. We must make the factories, mines, transport and all the other means of social production the collective property of society so that we can produce things to satisfy human needs instead of for the profit of the few. Only then can the competitive, war-breeding struggle for international markets, spheres of influence and sources of raw materials be ended. Only then will the peoples of the world have an economic foundation for lasting cooperation, harmony and peace. Socialism—genuine socialism—is literally the hope of humanity. The capitalist industrial-military complex has been preparing the wars of the future. It’s up to us, as potential victims, to stop it by building not just a renewed peace movement, but a deeper one for fundamental change to a new society. 

The Socialist Party supports the campaign against the capitalist system that needs armies and armaments. While workers have austerity cutbacks on social services imposed upon them, politicians eagerly approve increases in the budget of the military. The ruling class will continue its escalation of militarism as long as there are profit interests, which benefit from it. Accordingly, active opposition to the profit-motivated capitalist system, which underlies militarism, is needed.  The Socialist Party stresses the fact that militarism is rooted in the capitalist class’ private ownership and control of the economy. The Socialist Party seeks to organise working people politically and economically to replace the economic chaos and militarism of capitalism with a worker-controlled economy that will serve our collective needs. A socialist transformation of society would create an economic order under which the means of production would be socially owned and democratically controlled by workers through their organisations. Socialism places power in the collective hands of the working class.  With the elimination of the profit motive, the principle of social use would guide production. The need would no longer exist for military spending artificially to stimulate the economy, or to maintain a large military machine to enforce access to foreign markets. Under capitalism, even relatively small cutbacks in military spending could lead to increased unemployment and the creation of economically depressed areas. Under a social system based on production for use, the elimination of unnecessary production would simply reduce the workweek of the entire labour force because the entire industrial process would reflect the needs of the whole population.

 

 Take the time to look carefully at the issues and at the socialist alternative to a world of continuing mindless slaughter, oppression and exploitation. The tremendous waste of labour-power and natural resources on the production of weapons reflects the imperatives of the capitalist economic system. Capitalism pursues its economic objectives with sheer military might. Militarism is not a mistaken policy that can be reversed merely by voting into office a different set of capitalist politicians. It is the established policy of the parties of capital that exercise control over governments.

 

 Socialism, unlike state ownership systems, would place power in the collective hands of the working class, not in those of government bureaucrats.

With the elimination of the profit motive, the principle of social use would guide production. The need would no longer exist for military spending artificially to stimulate the economy, or to maintain a large military machine to enforce access to foreign markets. Under capitalism, even relatively small cutbacks in military spending could lead to increased unemployment and the creation of economically depressed areas. Under a social system based on production for use, the elimination of unnecessary production would simply reduce the workweek of the entire labour force because the entire industrial process would reflect the needs of the whole population.

To resist the drive toward militarism and to abolish its capitalist cause, workers must organise economically and politically. This organisation must lead to the development of a new workers’ movement that can mobilise the full measure of the political and economic power of the working class. It must set in motion a political party of the working class to challenge capitalist power in the political arena. The success of such a revolutionary socialist movement would eradicate forever the dangers of war.

In the name of all that is decent and humane, the Socialist Party calls upon the working class to demand a complete and immediate stop to wars. Working people need to consummate a peaceful transition from capitalism to socialism. It calls upon the working class to organize a political party of its own to express its will to abolish capitalism, and to organise itself in the workplaces of the country to enforce that decision by taking, holding and operating the economy in the name of society. Only then can the working-class majority take control of its own destiny to ensure permanent economic prosperity, to uproot the cause of international conflicts, and to lay the foundation for international cooperation and lasting peace. Militarism is part and parcel of a capitalist system based on profit-motivated production, the private ownership of the economy by a tiny capitalist minority, and the exploitation of working people. It is the means by which the capitalist minority enforces it's political and economic will both at home and abroad. Accordingly, an effective antidote to militarism can only be fashioned by a working-class movement that organises workers economically and politically to effect a basic transformation of society. This is the policy of the Socialist Party to free us once and for all from the unspeakable horrors of war. Working people always pay the price with their pain and blood. Our sons, fathers, wives and daughters are plunged into a seething ferment that fosters ruthless and barbarous conduct toward distant and impoverished people in the interests of capitalism. In the cause of capitalist wars, our young are trained not only as killers but torturers as well. If the working class does not act to end capitalism, capitalism will destroy us, both physically and morally.

 The Socialist Party holds that the working class must, at last, come to recognize that the competitive capitalist system of private ownership of the land and plants of production, means of transportation, mines, etc., is, in fact, the basic cause of the present state of world anarchy, and of wars, declared and undeclared. To avoid future wars, therefore, the capitalist cause must be abolished. Society must be reorganized on socialist lines, replacing private (and state) ownership and competition with social ownership and cooperation. We must make all the means of social production into the collective property of society so that we can produce things to satisfy human needs instead of for the profit of the few. Only then can the competitive, war-breeding struggle for international markets, spheres of influence and sources of raw materials be ended. Only then will the nations of the world have an economic foundation for lasting cooperation, harmony and peace. Socialism—genuine socialism—is literally the hope of humanity. The way to prevent war is to build a class-free, socialist society, which would end the compulsive ruling-class interests that fosters militarism generally.

The Socialist Party, an organisation that has devoted 117years to the study of the social question, offers a process to accomplish this change to socialism peacefully. In the name of sanity, we urge you to help us bring to birth a society in which all of humanity can live in peace and freedom. Our objective is a global cooperative commonwealth. 

For common ownership and economic democracy

 

What the capitalist state appears to give in the way of reform is more often a sleight of hand calculated to play on the sentiments of workers and deflect their attention from the absolute need to abolish capitalism and establish socialism. These are important lessons for workers, who must learn to reject all reforms and reformers if they are ever to affect their own emancipation from the worsening conditions of life under capitalism. Only by building their own movement with the goal of abolishing capitalism and its system of production for private profit—and working to successfully replace that system with a socialist one based on production for human needs—can they hope to build the society of abundance and leisure they deserve and need to live as human beings should. To really get to the heart of our economic problems, we have to change the whole economic system that repeatedly forces us to fight for a decent living. This is the immediate goal of the Socialist Party. We are men and women seeking to establish a truly democratic economy, one in which:

• Factories, transport and farms are socially owned by all of us instead of privately owned by a few.
• All the workplaces are run cooperatively and democratically by the workers themselves.
• Production is carried on to meet social needs instead of for profit.

Capitalist production takes place only if profits can be made. Through their overwhelming majority, the workers will assert their right to own and operate collectively the means of social production to abolish the political state of class rule.

 Capitalism has turned technological marvels into so many means of destroying jobs, increasing exploitation. Capitalists have no choice in the matter. They must seek out every method of reducing the costs involved in producing commodities. The introduction of new technology into production reduces the amount of labour needed and lowers the cost of production, thereby increasing profits. Increasing profits and holding wages down is what counts, for capitalists. For millions of workers, however, new technology in the workplace leads only to harder work—except for the millions more tossed onto the streets and into joblessness. That, however, is not what concerns the enterprising capitalist. of human labour and amassing profits. That should not surprise us much. That is how capitalism works, and how it has always worked. The benefits for businesses is that automated machinery does not require a wage, it never calls in sick and it does not need health insurance or a pension. A robot would certainly never organise with its mechanical brethren for better working conditions. Why is it that these great advances in technology, which could be made to benefit the working class, is instead ruining lives and creating a massive problem that seems to have no remedy? The answer is simple: capitalism utilizes this technology to increase profits. Today, the capitalist class that owns and controls this technology has only one view in mind: to cut costs and swell the bottom line. They could not care less what detrimental effect the profit motive has on society so long as profits are rolling in. 

It is obvious that current trends are leading the working class further into poverty and destitution. Workers, however, can avert this by recognising that they constitute a class with mutual interests of survival and well-being and whose interests are in conflict with those of the capitalist class. Accordingly, they must unite to abolish the social relationships that bind them to a life of misery and economic servitude. They must unite to establish a socialist society where the means of social production are collectively owned and operated for the social good, thus allowing advances in technology to be used to reduce the burden on those that do the work and not to kick people out on the street with no means to support themselves. In a socialist society, mechanization and technological advances will simply mean less arduous toil and a shorter workday—and the benefits will accrue to all of society, not just a wealthy few.

The working class has the power, but changing society takes some knowledge and training. The Socialist  Party calls upon the working class to take the first steps toward this goal by organising their strength economically and politically. On the economic field, workers must build new economic organisations to include all workers, employed or unemployed, young and old, blue-collar or white-collar, with the goal of collectively taking and operating the industries and services for the benefit of all. Workers must organise to challenge the capitalist form of government and institute common ownership and economic democracy.

For your musical entertainment