Beyond a dream

Imagine ALL humans living in peace and in harmony with nature in a world of plenty.

As long as capitalism has existed there has been a movement in opposition to it known generally as socialism. Socialism is based on the maxim “from each according to their ability, to each according to their needs” – in other words, a society in which people cooperate voluntarily (without coercion in the form of wage or monetary systems) to produce what is necessary to live and enjoy life, and in turn all would be free to take what they need from what is available. Production would be carried out to provide for human needs, not to make a profit, as is done under capitalism. The first task at hand for us is the education of all working people, the raising of political consciousness; we must all become teachers and teach our brothers and sisters until we develop a class conscious critical mass, i.e., a majority. To accomplish this goal we must utilize all forms of media and spread our ideas – that is the essential first step. Also agreed upon is that systems of organization must be in place before the revolution – industrial unions and worker’s councils, community and solidarity networks.

Socialism is money-less economy, an economic system for the world. Socialist economic system would consist of an organization of production to directly satisfy economic demands and human needs, so that goods and services would be produced directly for use instead of for private profit driven by the accumulation of capital. Accounting would be based on physical quantities, a common physical magnitude,( or some others suggest a direct measure of labour-time) in place of financial calculation. In this system there will no kind of money. All products and services will be available for free. That means you will work free to give your services and you will get everything free, whatever you want. One of the goals of socialists is an economy in which all goods are available to all regardless of family, wealth or occupation. The goal of such an economy is an entirely money-less society in which goods are free for all. Socialists wish to replace the State with a society self-managed by the people, and replace capitalism. Socialism is a money-less system in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the workers and the people of the community, rather than by capitalists. The creation of a socialist society would mean that production would be carried out for human need, instead of for capitalist profit; and that every person would have access to that which is necessary for a happy life. In today’s world production is carried out to make money, not to provide for all the people with needs — this is why millions of people starve when there is plenty of food. The end of capitalism would mean the end of poverty, hunger and of economic strife between nations – the root cause of war.

In socialism all people will be cared for and provided with what is necessary to live a good life; all will be free to pursue happiness and their life’s fulfillment in any way in which they choose. A socialist society would have the immediate goal of doing away with all forms of hierarchy: and classes. Socialist society would eliminate nationalist concepts like borders and nation-states, instead being made up of inter-connected communities. Socialists not only advocate democratic self-management of society, rather than state control, but also place a emphasis on the freedom of the individual. As a general rule socialists feel that one should be free to do as they wish as long as they are not harming anyone else. Additionally, association with any community would be completely voluntary and one would be free to dissociate oneself if they chose to do so. As Peter Kropotkin wrote: “Anarchist communism maintains that most valuable of all conquests, individual liberty – it does not ask the individual who has rejected god the universal tyrant, god the king, and god the parliament, to give himself a god more terrible than any of the preceding – god the community – or to abdicate upon its altar this independence…No society is free so long as the individual is not so.” Socialists, however, believe that some sort of administrative body is necessary to direct production and distribution so as to enable the workers to achieve the full material benefits and leisure that modern scientific advances allow us.

In a socialist society work would not be compulsory and no one would be required to work away much of their day as they are forced to do under capitalism. Workers are required to toil for 8 or more hours a day under capitalism because capitalists need them to do so in order to generate surplus value, i.e., to make a profit for the capitalists. This also entails employing the fewest number of workers possible to maximize profits for the capitalist owners. In capitalism many workers produce nothing of value or provide no service of real value, instead they are managing buying and selling and other relations that are only necessary under capitalism. That means under socialism the workforce would enlarge drastically as this unproductive work is eliminated. Socialism could handle unpleasant or dangerous work in a number of ways: it could be incentivized in order to compensate workers; it could be shared between many individuals, so that degrading work is minimized; it could be automated – done by machines; or it could be done away with completely. Automation and the inclusion of more workers in the workplace would greatly shorten the workday. Capitalism, and not socialism, encourages laziness, by forcing us to perform work that is often only "necessary" to capitalist interests. Work under capitalism is very often irrelevant to our personal interests and talents, and is done merely because we have to do so to survive. We have many socially useless jobs that serve no other useful function to society at large or purpose. Considering the nature of work under capitalism, is it any wonder at all that so many people choose to avoid work under such conditions, and that people often hate their jobs even if they are lucky enough to find a job.

In socialism, however, rewarding work would be available and people would work in jobs that they possess a talent for. The unpleasant jobs would be shared by all. For example, there would be no professional garbage workers forced to do the drudgery all of the time. Everyone would have to occasionally get their "hands dirty", though much of such work could be completely mechanized. Furthermore, the purpose of work would not be personal enrichment, but the betterment of the society we live in, and to produce and distribute all of the things that we need and want. Everyone would have to work, no one would be allowed to "earn" simply by "owning" as in capitalism, but the amount of work we each had to contribute would be a fraction of what it is today, since everyone would be employed all of the time. As a result, work and leisure under socialism would be indistinguishable, unlike under capitalism, where we very often hate our jobs and look forward only to our time off.

Many will argue that socialism won't succeed because of "human nature?" because human beings are naturally selfish and amoral. This is perhaps the most common attack made against the viability of socialism. This is also one of capitalism's most effective social myths in making people believe that socialism is simply “pie in the sky”.

Actually, psychology, sociology and anthropology believe that human “nature” isn't inherantly bad. People are naturally pro-social, not anti-social. Our violent, aberrant and anti-social behavior stems from our living in a socio-economic system that encourages malevolent selfishness, competition, and makes the majority of us live in constant want and anxiety.  Human behavior is known to be adaptable, and the environment we live in greatly influences our thoughts and actions. Human beings do not possess natural "instincts" in the same sense as other animals do. Rather, we possess the ability to reason, to adapt, or consciously modify our behavior according to need or according to what our immediate environment demands of us. When the social framework for greed, violence and competitiveness is removed, our correspondingly aberrant behavior will likewise vanish. It should be pointed out that human beings lived in peaceful cooperation for hundreds of thousands of years in humanity's first economic system, often called primitive communism.

Now thanks to modern technology of production, we will have an opportunity for relative abundance. With modern technology now able to produce an abundance for everyone, and not just a fortunate few, thus making it possible for everybody to contribute to the advancement of society, the ruling class has now become obsolete, and has now become a completely idle class that does nothing whatsoever to benefit society but simply lines its own pockets with the vast majority of the wealth produced by the working (i.e., slave) class. Hence, it's these specific economic conditions, and not some nebulous notion of human nature, that created class-divided societies. When socialism is brought about, human nature (i.e., behaviour) will adapt itself to these changes, and anti-social attitudes such as greed, violence and criminal inclinations will be all but excised from the public mindset.

Genuine socialism has NEVER been tried in any country. In fact, socialism is a system that will be worldwide, and isn't intended to function in just one country. Furthermore, socialists firmly believe that socialism will be brought about by working class organization, and by no other means. It will never be brought about by politicians, whose purpose is to control the working class on behalf of their capitalist masters, not to liberate the working class from oppression, or to meet the needs of the working class. Anyone who states that genuine socialism has been achieved in any country is either seriously misinformed or an outright liar, usually the former.

Socialism can only be established through a world-wide revolution led by a majority of the working class. Socialists categorically reject the position known as reformism, that is, the position that capitalism can be reformed into a humane system or that socialism can be established through gradual reforms. We view reforms as offering only temporary and partial solutions to capitalism’s endemic problems. While certain reforms which benefit the working class may be a worthy short-term goal, they are never a solution. Therefore our ultimate goal will always be the establishment of libertarian socialism, as soon as possible. We also reject Leninism or vanguardism – the view that a professional revolutionary elite must establish a self-serving hierarchy and lead the revolution. Only the organized working class fighting together in solidarity, without leaders or rulers, can win freedom for all people.

Is it really possible to consider the democratic control of something as complex as society? The answer to this question of course is 'Yes it is' - by the democratic principle of delegated authority which a self-managed society would use without having to go to meetings all the time just to keep things going. 

A Fortune In Stamps

Capitalism is a crazy system that can condemn working men and women and their families to starvation for the want of a few pounds while this madness occurs. 'A few stamps which lay together in a cigar box in a dusty attic for a century are set to fetch £250,000 when next auctioned.' (Sunday Express, 8 February) Scraps of paper worth more than human existence. Crazy! RD

London Homeless

London may have some of the most expensive housing imaginable but that doesn't stop scores of people sheltering in doorways every night.'But as temperatures dropped below zero over the past week, conditions on the street became  life-threating for the UK's homeless population, and emergency measures, known as homeless people sheltering Severe Weather Emergency Potocol (SWEP), were triggered across London. This is to ensure that no one dies on the street due to the severe weather.' (Independent, 8 February) Many of the homeless are shivering outside beautiful houses that lie empty. Madness! RD

We can have what we need

The Socialist Party holds no hope that those who endeavour to try and manage capitalism will ever get in touch with their supposed sincere better selves to build a world free of exploitation and injustice. Capitalism cannot be reformed or changed into something beneficial. It has to be destroyed to permit human progress. In many ways, the Socialist Party is the messenger who bring the bad news that nobody wants to hear. We try not to deal in fantasy but in facts. People don’t read anymore, don’t learn anymore. History and the knowledge of our past is disappearing. People talk about living for the moment as if it is a virtue. History is something boring that you had to endure in school and then you go on to college you drop to study business management. The Socialist Party purpose is straightforward, and we do not hide it. We want to re-establish the genuine meaning of socialism. It is politics which determines how words are used and abused. Over the last hundred years or so, the word, socialism,  has been drained of all utopian content and no longer serves, as it once did, a catalyst and inspiration. The struggle for justice, for true freedom, and above all, for the survival of humanity, is becoming increasingly urgent. Language and terminology has been totally perverted or at least thoroughly confused. Authoritarian governments are called ‘democracies’ while terms like ‘socialism’ are constantly smeared.

If socialism means the social ownership of the means of production and the fruits of production, so too does communism. The terms 'socialism’ and 'communism' are used interchangeably on this blog. For the market to exist, some sectional interest (an individual, a joint-stock company, a nationalised concern, a workers' cooperative and so on) has to be in control of part of the social product, which it then disposes of by entering into exchange relations with others. Exchange cannot take place when society, and none other, controls the means of production and the social product. Far from socialism being compatible with exchange and the market, the generalised production of goods for exchange on the market is the hallmark of an entirely different type of society - capitalism. The word 'socialism' has taken on the spurious meaning of state enterprises employing wage-earners in order to produce goods for sale on the market. The mere absence of the market is not the sole defining feature of socialism. On the contrary, socialism is not merely a marketless society; it is also a stateless society, a classless society, a moneyless society and a wageless society. Socialism would necessarily be on a world scale. In the society envisaged by non-market socialists, the people of the world would own the global means of production in common and would operate them communally for the benefit of humankind as a whole. Socialism in one country, or even one part of the world, is impossible. Since capitalism today is a global society which encompasses all parts of the world, the socialist alternative to capitalism must be equally global in its scope. Socialism is a global solution to the global problems which have accompanied the rise of world capitalism.

The aim of socialist planning by what Marx calls “the society of associated producers”, is not just to socialize the process of exchange and distribution of goods but to develop the productive forces to the degree that the necessary labor-time for all workers can be reduced to a minimum. This leaves maximum time for and all those good things in life which is the birthright of humanity. There is no known process of the market that can achieve this aim, for the logic of the market is blind to the process of production, and concerns itself exclusively with private accumulation and consumption. As long as we are subject to the coercive pressure of competition and accumulation, each other’s eternal counterparts, we cannot fully realize our talents and potential as individuals. Socialists do not seek to socialise capital, but not abolish it. We do not wish socialised exploitation, but its abolition.

The socialist vision is one of people working together, cooperatively, to build methods of production, service provision, and create well-being while integrating ecological care, justice, and long-term planning to the best of diverse communities’ abilities. The key for the socialist  movement is to mobilise now. If people join together and take action, we will win. This is a battle between people power and capitalist power. It is essential for every issue we care about that we do win. It is a class war the people have to win, and that’s the plain truth of the matter. 

A Strange Sort Of Communism

According to the Hurun Global Rich List 2015 the world now has a record 2,089 billionaires - and for the first time, India has more of them than Britain or Russia. 'The  list charts every dollar billionaire currently living in the world. It shows an additional 222 billionaires were created last year, almost a third of whom were in China. The US still holds the crown for most mega-wealthy residents, at 537. But  China is not far behind with 430, having acquired 72 new billionaires in   2014.' (Daily Telegraph, 5 February) Somewhat comically the Chinese government still claims to be communist. RD

Socialism Will Be A Far Better World

At one time, economists and politicians were intoxicated by illusions of an ever expanding capitalism, which guaranteed full employment and a continuous rises in real wages yet still permitted growing profits and increasing dividends. The world possessed the knowledge and the technical means existed to conquer hunger and disease and to satisfy the basic social and cultural needs of our whole planet. Yet science has been subordinated to the narrow imperatives of short-term profit expectation. Humanity does not need less science or less technology. It needs more science that is in harmony with an awareness of long-term social interests, technology that is subject to conscious decision-making based on the knowledge of men and women, the collective understanding and control of the associated producers. But now, social inequalities have erupted and ecological catastrophes threatens to engulf us all. The convulsions of capitalism grow ever more chaotic. There is no viable cure and ever more reformers are resigned to failure. We are bombarded with the idea that there is no alternative, that capitalism is the natural order of things. We are told that as much as capitalism has problems, any attempts to get rid of it will make things far worse.

There are people hankering for an alternative to this system. Who want to do something meaningful for humanity with their lives. Humanity can move beyond exploitation and social division. It can move to a classless society and a world of freely associating human beings—socialism. The apologists for the status quo tell us anything that fundamentally challenges capitalism is a pipe dream and an unworkable utopia. We are told to try and make a revolution and building an economy and society that promote and serve the common good violates human nature, economic logic, and the very flow of history, that capitalism is the end point of social evolution. Capitalism is not the end of society’s development. It is actually the chief impediment to realizing the potential for a different world. Lies and slanders about socialism are repeated endlessly and become accepted as self-evident truths. We live in a world in which hundreds of thousands die each and every day of war, hunger and disease. We live on a planet whose eco-systems are threatened by the blind workings of an economic system. The question socialists pose is this one: Do we have to live this way? Socialists answer we can really radically change things for the greater good of all. If you want to understand and decide whether socialism is an idea whose time has come, first you need to know what it is: its aims and its foundations. Socialism is not a big welfare state that looks after people. It is not the old capitalist economy simply taken over by a state. Socialism is about the great majority of society, consciously transforming the economic structures, social relations, and ideas that perpetuate social and class division. It is about unleashing the creativity and initiative of those who had been on the bottom of society.

Picture a world where people consciously learn about and transform the world, where people are no longer imprisoned by the chains of tradition and ignorance, where people not only cooperatively work to produce the necessities of life, but engage in art, culture and science, where a scientific outlook inspire, where there is a diversity of opinion and far-ranging discussion over the direction and development of society but no longer stamped by social antagonism, where people interact with each other based on mutual respect, concern, and love for humanity. A world that cares about and takes care of the environment. That is socialism, a worldwide society in which all class distinctions have disappeared; all exploitation abolished; all oppressive social institutions and relations of social inequality, like racism or sexism has vanished. Socialism is a world of abundance, where people together hold all of society's resources in common. It is yet to be achieved but it is possible.

Socialism is not some sort of wishful dream or utopia but a feasible and practical choice for people to make. The productive forces of society—not just machinery, equipment, and technology but also people and their knowledge—have developed to a level that can allow humanity to overcome scarcity, to provide for people's basic material needs, and beyond that to have a large surplus left over to devote to the all-around and future development of society. These productive forces of society are highly socialized. They require millions working together to produce the things—whether we are talking about clothing or computers—that are used by people throughout society. And these productive forces are highly interconnected on a global level: raw materials and machine tools produced in one part of the world enter into the production process in other parts of the world. But these socialized productive forces are privately controlled. A capitalist class of owners appropriates the results of production as private, capitalist property. This is the fundamental problem in the world. And this is what socialism solves. Socialism brings about a radically different way of organizing production and society as a whole. The socialist revolution establishes a new economy based on social ownership of the means of production and social planning; on people cooperating to solve problems and to meet social need; and with a whole new set of economic and social priorities. A socialist revolution creates a new kind of economy. The means of production are no longer the private property of a minority of society. They are placed under society's collective control. Social production is no longer carried out without planning or social purpose but is now shaped according to consciously adopted aims and coordinated as a whole, to meet the fundamental needs and interests of the people. With socialism, people are unleashed to run and transform society. The people on the bottom of capitalist society have been locked out of the realm of producing ideas. Capitalism is a  society where a few engage in the realm of thinking, while the great majority of humanity is exploited and prevented from pursuing intellectual activity. Socialist society transforms this situation. It will enable people to take up all kinds of questions and participate in society in an all-around way.

We now have an added urgency that previous generations of socialists were never faced with – the likelihood of planetary disruption and upheaval from global warming. We can change that and another breathtakingly different world is possible but the socialist movement has to accomplish more and go further than ever before. We have to do a lot better than what we have been doing. 

Ukraine Crisis

As the conflict increases US Secretary of State John Kerry, who was is in Kiev, said the US wanted a diplomatic solution, but would not close its eyes to Russian aggression. 'Moscow is accused of arming pro-Russian rebels - a claim it denies. Russia also rejects claims by Ukraine and the West that its regular troops are fighting alongside the rebels against Ukrainian troops in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Clashes - which have intensified in recent weeks after a rebel offensive - have left nearly 5,400 people dead since April, the UN says.' (BBC News, 6 February) Accusations and counter-accusations, but we still have 5,400 dead. RD

This Is A Democracy?

The USA like to boast about they have a wonderful democracy but in practice it is very rich people looking after the very rich people. 'The median net worth of a member of Congress was $1,029,505 in 2013 "a 2.5 percent increase from 2012" compared with an average American household's median net worth of $56,355. Once again, the majority of members of Congress are millionaires - 271 of the 533 members currently in office, or 50.8 percent.' (OpenSecrets.org, 12 January)   RD

Make this world ours

The definition of socialism is fairly wide and open for interpretation. Part of the problem is a distorted conception of socialism, which remains the popular view of what we believe. The most common definition of socialism is a form of government that owns, regulates, and administrates the production, distribution and exchange of goods and services. Another common definition of socialism is a form of government that attempts to reduce social, economic, medical, and political inequalities among its people. Neither are what the Socialist Party means by socialism. What then do we mean by socialism? Socialism means a global system of social organisation based on common ownership, democratic control by all, production for use, and free access. With the natural and technical resources of the world held in common and controlled democratically, the sole object of production would be to meet human needs. This would entail an end to buying, selling and the use of money.

Socialists believe that humanity is basically good but is shaped by the society it lives in. A socialist society is run by the people for their own benefit so it will in our interests to make sure it works. We want to be all that we can be and we want this not only for ourselves but also for our families and friends and neighbours. We want to be able to develop all of our potential. Socialism is something we ought to want to have.  And if we ought to want to have it, then we ought to try to find some way of making it work for us once we get it. We can imagine a world in which hunger and poverty cease to exist.

Defining socialism also requires defining what it was not. It does not mean the tyrannical rule of a bureaucratic class which once existed in in the Soviet Union (or China or Cuba). Nor does it equate with nationalization or a centralized command economy. Socialist are unequivocal. It is the people of the world who should exercise control by means of a more advanced democracy in all aspects of life: political, social, and economic. Political democracy, for socialists, is the necessary framework and precondition for other rights and liberties. All the people of the world should be involved in the process of transforming our societies and promoting new hope for humankind. Real socialism is, by definition, democratic. It is economic as well as political democracy.

Under capitalism, working people are forced to work, we literally have no choice but to, otherwise we’d go without the means to survive. We are compelled by the logic of capitalism to sell our labour and, as such, capitalists command, not the people who produce the wealth in society. Huge amounts of products are created under capitalism but it is in the hands of a tiny minority, which is why are in a state of poverty. We have the side of capitalists and the side of workers. For the capitalists, all that matters for them is the growth of their capital. Capitalism requires people who must sell their ability to work (labour power) in order to get the money to buy the things they need. The class division and profit motive of capitalism is at the root of most of the world's problems today. This includes everything from starvation and war, to alienation and crime. Every aspect of our lives is subordinated to the worst excesses of the drive to make profit. In capitalist society, our real needs only ever come a poor second to money.

Capitalism will not change its inhuman drive for profits at the expense of our existence as a species. The rights of the capitalists to make a profit are in direct conflict with our basic rights. In this sense, the capitalist system has become a threat to humanity. Since environmental destruction is a global concern, it requires all of humanity to act collectively, in our overall interests for our survival as a species, to correct the problem and to remove the obstacle of capitalism. It requires a society where humanity has social, economic, and political control over the entire environment. Such a society, a socialist society, is needed to ensure that all decisions affecting the environment are under the democratic control of humankind so that the production of goods will be done for the needs and survival of humanity instead of the production and the destruction of humanity and other species for profit. Only socialism can save mankind from barbarism. With common ownership of the means of production, and common control and protection of all property and wealth, science and society will be in harmony with the ecosystem and humanity’s future. It is true that some people are gravitate toward a radical critique of society during times of heightened insecurity and inequality, but economic crisis alone, however, is not the sole cause of revolutionary change.  The idea of economic breakdown followed by "the revolution" should be retired. It should be replaced by an understanding of a more protracted and complicated process of class consciousness.

Socialism is, as correctly said, must be the product of an engaged, united, and politically aware majority and it doesn't follow automatically that such a majority will simply emerge out of everyday struggles. Nor can it be brought about by the will of a determined and radical enlightened minority. There is no way to win social democracy without a broad labour movement with clear-cut aspirations of what it wishes to achieve for itself. “Revolutionary” formulas, simplistic-sounding slogans are of little help. Practical engagement in everyday struggles is an absolute necessary. But at the same time, that is not enough, and never will be. Socialism distinguish itself at the level of ideas as well as practice. It has to fight an ideological battle too. People do not live by bread alone; they also need ideas, understanding and inspiration – socialist theory.

The Socialist Party does not offer brilliant insights to become guides to action. That responsibility falls upon the working class as a whole to determine. For the sake of humanity, the future is socialism.

       …Together,

       We can take everything:

       Factories, arsenals, houses, ships,

       Railroads, forests, fields, orchards…

       And turn 'em over to the people who work.

       Rule 'em and run 'em for us people who work.

           "Good Morning, Revolution"

               by Langston Hughes

Both the Streets and the Seats

The future demands a new rise in class consciousness. We can’t just wait for capitalism to destroy the world and then build socialism anew on the ruins. Instead we are going to destroy the basis upon which capitalism is built, a system that viciously sucks of the economic power from everybody in society except the rich.  It is not that nobody is listening. Some people are listening.  But most definitely political leaders are not listening and it is they who make the decisions that influence all our lives. They know what's going on, they know why it's happening, they know how serious things are going to get and still after so many years, yet they are still doing practically nothing to stop it. The reasons are much as they have always been. Eighty or so capitalists own half the world’s wealth but more importantly they also own all of the elected officials. People repeatedly say they want change but always the politicians offer more of the same. It is not some sort of complicated and perplexing question why our political representatives do not act in our interests and for the general well-being of all…it is not in the puppet-masters’ interests to act for the benefit of the majority.

Socialists believe people are capable of amazing things and this political disconnection that many feel today will be reversed. We simply hope it happens in our lifetime. Socialists don’t look forward to our children and grandchildren complaining it was our generation’s inaction that were culpable for the increased environmental destruction and the accompanying suffering and misery of billions. Socialists want to say we were the generation that fought back and won and were the generation that learned how to live in harmony with one another and our planet. We are always hopeful there will be enough committed people that we can change the path of humanity.

If you could change anything, what would you change? What you wouldn’t want to do, we are sure, is to keep everything the same as it is. What the Socialist Party keeps saying is that we shouldn’t spend the rest of our days trying to dampen down and dousing all the social problems that have ignited around the world one by one. No piecemeal solution will succeed. Instead, we need to rethink everything as workers who create everything and have real power (even if we don’t hold any right now). Social democracy takes “We the People” seriously, understanding that democracy is something that can always be improved, not somewhere we’ve already arrived. Calling what we have a democracy is not strictly accurate.  Many do not need to be told that for they possess their own feelings of disillusionment and alienation. We feel it; we know it. We witness the decline in personal engagement in our work life and community structures, all the things we built ourselves. We are at an all-time low in terms of community involvement.

When faced with the social problems of inequality rising rates of preventable diseases, widening income gap, stagnating economy, global climate change and its  threat to ecological systems which demand a response, a plan and action, instead of traveling further down the more participatory and democratic road, we are retreating, withdrawing into our atomized selves. All of this points to the need to revolutionize how we make decisions and how we can regain the trust of our co-workers and neighbours. Real democracy might sound impractical but experiences from people all over the world shows that far more is possible than we might imagine.

 Using democracy, citizens administer their communities both locally and further afield, discuss potential solutions for various issues and manage resources. In democracy, ideas are provided via listening and reflecting in conversations with others. It is not based on an expectation that all citizens will reach agreement on all important issues; rather it creates opportunities for people to learn, expand and sharpen their preferences, while building knowledge of and empathy toward their fellows. It is learning to sometimes figure out "what you can tolerate" in order to avoid endless disputes over trying to get everything that everyone "wants." Social democracy is an alternative that allows us to decide and act on the most complex issues of the day, calling upon people power. We must all take an active role in our democracy. We must do democracy. That goes far beyond simply casting your vote. We must all actively champion the common good. Democracy in socialism will seek to organise the system so that communities can participate in the decision-making, can see the ecological risks and benefits to choices and can respond collectively and accordingly. The future is all ours if we want it to be.

Detroit Decline

I mentioned passing by Detroit last month. According to the Toronto Star ( December 13), there are opportunities for young entrepreneurs there as real estate is dirt cheap and that's an upside of the city (?). From a population of 1.5 million in 1970, there remains just 684,799 while the job market has shrunk fifty per cent. 70,000 properties foreclosed between 2009 and 2013 and there are currently 78,000 abandoned structures The 316 homicides in 2013 made Detroit the highest murder rate in the country. Almost 40% live in poverty. The city filed for bankruptcy in 2013 being $18 billion in debt. Even by capitalist standards, the decline of a once great and rich city is astonishing. John Ayers.

Anti-Semitism Increase

Capitalism is a system full of conflicts and hatreds as shown by Anti-Semitic incidents reaching a record level in the UK last year, according to the Community Security Trust. A report by the trust, which provides security for Britain's Jewish community and monitors anti-Semitism, said the number of incidents had more than doubled to 1,168 in 2014. 'Anti-Semitic reactions to the conflict in Israel and Gaza" were the biggest factor behind the rise, the trust said. It recorded 314 incidents in July - the highest ever recorded in a single month. .....The report said the increase was most marked in London - where the number of incidents rose by 137% to 583 - and in Greater Manchester, where the number rose by 79% to 309. It said there were 81 violent anti-Semitic assaults across the UK in 2014.' (BBC News, 5 February) RD

Political Influence

A recent enquiry has been thrown on the Conservative Party's close links with the hedge fund industry, as research showed that around half of the wealthiest fund managers in Britain have given money to the Tory party. 'The research into hedge fund managers' political donations, which was compiled by the Labour Party based on public disclosures, found that of the 59 wealthiest asset managers included on the most recent Sunday Times Rich List rankings 27 had made a combined £19m in donations to the Conservatives, with £10m flowing into Tory coffers since the 2010 general election alone.' (Independent, 4 February) So much for the notion that we have a democracy, when the very rich influence politics so powerfully. RD

Under Capitalism It's Always Temporary

A few years ago Atlantic City was a boom town with twelve casinos doing a roaring business. Four have them have been shut down this year with a fifth, "The Trump Mahal" (named after Mr. Midas touch), ready to follow. 8,000 casino workers are unemployed and those who have retained their jobs have had their hours cut as the incoming cash from the gamblers has fallen fifty per cent since 2006. The problem is competition and over supply. Overall, more than forty casinos in Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, and Maryland have opened in less than a decade. This simply emphasizes that when things are going well under capitalism, it's always temporary. Security is only in the vocabulary of socialism/communism. John Ayers.

Homeless Figures Rising

'Rising numbers of people are at risk of homelessness in England, but official data does not show this, a study says. Research by charities Crisis and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation suggested "informal" methods used by councils to tackle the problem had masked a 9% rise in cases in 2013-14 - to 280,000 cases.' (BBC News, 4 February) Capitalism cannot even provide an essential like a place to live for many workers. RD

A Dog's Life

A US 60-year-old woman has willed a million-dollar  fortune consisting of jewellery, a trust fund and vacation home to her pet dog. Rose Ann Bolasny from New York decided to leave her valuables to her Maltese terrier named Bella Mia. "We decided that we had given her such a lavish life that we wanted to make sure she'd still have what she was accustomed to when I was gone," Bolasny was quoted as saying by the New York Post.' (New York Post, 20 January) This is happening whilst thousands of families are trying to survive on a couple of dollars  a day. RD  

Burned Alive

Militants of the Islamic State terror group in Syria and Iraq have burned alive captured Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh while he was locked helpless in a cage. This chilling footage shows the captured airman being set alight as the militants , plunged new depths of depravity. 'The expertly-edited footage, filmed from several camera angles, shows the pilot wearing an orange jumpsuit and seemingly doused in fuel, as a trail of petrol leading up to the iron bars of the cage is seen being set ablaze. Flames are seen quickly spreading across the dirt to the cage where they completely engulf the helpless pilot in images that are far too disturbing to publish.' (Daily Mail, 3 February) In the name of religious zeal there is no limits to the horrors of capitalism. RD

The Capitalist Divisions

From the September 1981 issue of the Socialist Standard

To relieve the awful boredom of the day of the Great Yawn, Wednesday 29 July, members of Glasgow branch of the SPGB arranged an outdoor meeting at our regular venue, Royal Exchange Square, under the title, "The Royal Wedding—Who Cares?—We Don't!"

While the majority of the audience were sane people seeking escape from the dose of undiluted royal nuptials poured out by press, radio and TV, unfortunately there was also present a sick but sizeable minority of "loyalists". The members of this latter group, although obviously present as an organised gang, were either too shy or ashamed to say which organisation they belonged to or, to judge by their behaviour, which institution they had escaped from. However, their insistence on accompanying our speaker's opening remarks with a tuneless rendition of God Save the Queen, their ignorant assertion that we were catholics, associates of the IRA and "baby-murderers", all provided fairly obvious clues to their provenance; there is surely only one organisation whose members assume that all its opponents are catholics. This undemocratic mob of protestant hooligans, literally howling with rage, spent the next half hour demonstrating their declared intention to break up the meeting.

The most articulate statement expressed was, "What this country really needs is a strong right-wing government that will clear out all the papes and darkies and leave it for the protestants". This of course from one of their intellectual heavyweights who unfortunately must have skipped Sunday- school on the day they were told about the missionaries; otherwise he would have known that just like sone "whiteys", some "darkies" are a bit unclear in unclear in the head and have the misfortune to be protestants too.

During all the chorus of abuse and physical threats the SPGB speaker presented the socialist case firmly but reasonably. His patience was exhausted, however, when the ravers in the audience came down again with another serious attack of the god savers' blues and, in the interest of both good order and musical good taste, he brought the meeting to a close.

This may seem to have been simply another victory for ignorance over reason, but we derive some cheer from the knowledge that the majority of the forty or so people in the audience, having read our poster, wished to know more about our views and had deliberately chosen to attend the meeting rather than waste time at home or in the pub watching the nonsense of the wedding. Most of them remained till the end despite the undemocratic behaviour of the loyalists, whose noise in fact attracted people who might otherwise have passed us by. So, if victory at all, it was not a very famous one, even tinier than that historical non-event that the Orangemen celebrate so noisily when the British summer overheats their brains.

There is a tragedy in the above episode; not the fact that our meeting was briefer than intended, but that ordinary working men, in every other way just like ourselves, sharing our poverty and hardships, should be so blinded by irrational prejudices that they fail to see that it is capitalism, not the pape/protestant/darky/whitey next door, which is the source of their problems and that the only sane solution is socialism, not shooting, assaulting or deporting fellow workers.

There are of course many established institutions in capitalism—the press, radio, TV, schools, universities, churches—part of whose resources are dedicated to reinforcing those prejudices that divide workers. It may seem then that the SPGB is a puny weapon with which to oppose such powerful and manipulative instruments; but what we have going for us is a force much more potent than either our own little organisation or the head-fixing apparatus of the establishment. That is the power of ideas generated by capitalism itself. For no matter how its PR men and women try to dress it up, the system is beyond the control even of the owning class in whose interest it operates and it is in the long run impossible to conceal the anti-social nature of capitalism from the working class, at whose expense and by whose acquiescence alone its continuance is possible.

Campbell McEwen

It’s Time to Escalate

There is always confusion over what socialism is. For decades, we have been told lies. We have been told that it existed in the former Soviet Union and that it was a bureaucratic dictatorship or that it means a welfare and control over the economy in Sweden or Britain. It's in the interests of the ruling class to promote these falsehoods so that the working class never understands or supports, a viable alternative to capitalism, a system based on the exploitation of labour. All this so that the capitalist class can maintain their despotic wealth and privilege, continue fighting their bloody wars with the support of the general public and continue to dominate the world economy with their ideas and interests. The cost to the vast majority of the world, is poverty, unemployment, a culture dominated by despondency, avarice and selfishness, crime and violence, constant attacks on our basic civil rights with repressive laws, environmental devastation and the continued threat of a nuclear war. All this so a few individuals can live in luxury, while the rest of us do not. The purpose of the Socialist Party is to promote real socialism, explain its purpose and the promise it holds for our future, and to expose capitalism for what it truly is. We not only try to make genuine socialists but endeavor to get people believing that there is indeed hope for the future, and that a viable socialist society, and a benevolent alternative to capitalism and class rule, is indeed possible.

The workers who make up the Socialist Party envision the end of the current exchange economy. We advocate a system of free access where the rights to consume the products of our collective labour will not be based on how many hours we work, but on the self-defined needs of the individual. Free access can basically be defined as no money as a medium of exchange nor any form of barter is necessary for obtaining goods and using services. If we need a certain item record the request and take it from the nearest distribution centre. Any type of barter in an advanced industrialised society is believed to be ludicrous by people who are aware of the material possibilities in an era of abundance which we live under today. In fact, it will be probable under a free access system that people will keep consumption in check by agreeing to share items in which we now purchase for every family, such as methods of transportation and home maintenance. Lawn mowers, for example, can be shared by several families on one block, and future means of superior public transportation or car-pools will lessen the demand for personal automobiles. Also, without the need for market hungry advertising, needs will not be created, and the demand for outlandish and unnecessary devices sold in abundance under capitalism will be seen as a waste of production under socialism.

Common sense will prevent over consumption, due to the fact that we have a natural interest and aptitude in our work and artificial rationing will be seen as unnecessary. Of course, if we don't collectively agree not to over consume, or if we collectively choose not to work, socialism in general and free access in particular will not work. However, since everybody in a socialist society will be working at jobs in which they have an aptitude for and personal interest in, and since work will encompass only a fraction of the time for each worker that it does under capitalism (with far more leisure time available to workers than under capitalism), the need for some medium to enforce work will be unnecessary. As new technology continues to advance, and as production becomes more and more efficient, it will become increasingly easier to produce what we need and want in greater abundance, making artificial limits on production for the purpose of limiting consumption and enforcing work to appear more and more absurd in the eye of the worker. People will not be concerned with how much his or her neighbour will be taking as long as he or she is content. Contrary to what capitalism attempts to teach us, to work is natural for people. It is only under capitalism that work becomes something which we are forced to do too often, or because we are forced to take a job that we hate, that makes people lazy and unwilling to work. Once doctors are allowed to practice medicine, gardeners are allowed to create beautiful floral gardens, chefs are allowed to cook, artists are allowed to draw, writers are allowed to write and engineers are allowed to design and advance technology, and work will be made interesting to everyone and controlled by the workers themselves, then people will gladly be willing to do the work society requires of them, with a lot less stress and a lot more cooperation between everyone, and we will probably not even see a well-defined difference between work and leisure that we see under capitalism today. We have had the technological capability for socialism for well over a century, and our socialist descendants will view the 20th century as the "wasted century."

Socialism will be completely voluntary, and should have no need to be enforced as under capitalism. Goods must be free to all in addition to the required services, and since people will be able to work jobs in which they have a personal aptitude, work will be a pleasure under socialism, and not the unmitigated burden that people try to avoid under capitalism. Hence, virtually all individuals will be happy to do their share of the useful work required in society, and much leisure in which to enjoy it will be available (there is a saying that goes "those who love their job never work a day in their life", a saying very applicable to what our life will be like under socialism concerning our jobs). However, it may be possible that a form of labour vouchers ( an account of contribution to society) may be temporarily used to allow workers to acquire particular scarce goods during the brief transition period that will occur when the workers are completing the transformation from a capitalist to socialist economy, as Marx once speculated, nevertheless, once this brief transition period is ended (which should be no more than a few years at most) we would then switch over to free access, although the Socialist Party remains convinced such a situation will not arise even on a temporarily but we don’t exclude the remote possibility.

We would live in a truly free society, with no political state to control our actions, and none would be needed in a system without the material conditions that breed crime and violence, thus making it "necessary" to pass laws to control our behavior. We would be free from want, with no poverty or unemployment. As a result, crime would virtually vanish altogether, and we will have a society that functions with far less friction than any previous system in existence. We would be free from the violent and disturbed individuals that are bred by a capitalist society, which fosters ruthless competition among people, both within and across nations. Because the profit motive would no longer exist, sufficient health care, food, education and recreation would be given to all directly in exchange for their work. No longer would anyone be forced into debt, and no small class of individuals would control the economy and use it for their own personal enrichment. Socialism will be a worldwide system. Elected delegates will be recallable at any time if a majority of society deems it necessary, and will have no power to rule or to control society or the economy at large. No "leaders" or politicians will exist, which is considered by socialists to be undemocratic. It will be an industrial democracy rather than a simple political democracy that we have today, the latter being a system that thinly conceals an economic dictatorship. Since we will not be divided into separate nations, each with their own ruling class vying for control over the world's resources, the cause of modern wars will be eliminated. Diversity will be tolerated as never before, as no one will have the power to gain dominance for a particular group of individuals. No one will have economic control over anyone else, everyone will be free to choose a job that they are suited for and have the talent to perform well, and the media, as it's called today, will be completely free and in control of the public. This is the society of the future, and we have the technology to achieve it now. All we need is to organise to establish it, and this future is ours for the taking. Socialism can and must be established before capitalism brings our world into a second Dark Age.

Many have understandably dismissed socialism out of hand never knowing what it really is after all the lies crafted by the politicians so that we will never question the power that they and the capitalists hold over us. We must become class conscious. We must recognise ourselves as members of the working class, regardless of our occupations, income or employment status. Anyone who must work for a living is a member of the working class. Anyone who owns enough property to live off of the labor of others, yet never needs to work themselves, is a member of the capitalist class. It's that simple. We must form our own political party which will be organized solely on the basis of fighting for socialism. Not for reforms, not for "nationalisation" of the industries, but for socialism only. The socialist political party will present us with the revolutionary ballot when the political party will capture the state with the express purpose of dismantling it. The socialist political party will then vote itself out of existence that will herald a Golden Age for all humanity. It is within our grasp as soon as we organise to establish it.

Ukraine Crisis

Pro-Russian separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenk In a sign of the escalating violence in Ukraine has said that the rebels will aim to boost their forces to 100,000 men.  The United Nations says this conflict has already left at least 5,100 people dead. 'The US administration is considering whether to send arms to help the Ukraine government against pro-Russian rebels in the east, US media report. They suggest officials are exploring the possibility of sending defensive weapons and other lethal aid.' (BBC News, 3 February) It looks like more trouble ahead. RD      

A Growth Industriy

According to the New York Times of December 14, global slavery has become a growth industry, generating $150 billion in illicit profits (are not all profits are illicit!). Slaves are mostly seen in the construction industry in the Persian Gulf, girls from Nepal trafficked into prostitution, shrimp fisherman on Thai ships, children in India working in brick kilns and garment workers in Bangladesh (not counting the billions of wage slaves, of course). The UN estimates that twenty-one million are trapped in forced labour, more than fourteen million in India, the land of the rising middle class. John Ayers.

The Brotherhood of Man.

“If capitalism is to endure, whatever may become of men when they die, they will come into hell when they are born." – William Morris

There is no future on the basis of capitalism in the world today. Unless we overthrow capitalism, collapse and starvation await us. As the numerous crises grow and takes new forms, as policy after policy is desperately tried by capitalism and thrown aside in failure, the struggles of the workers and capitalism deepen and gather on a thousand issues while wider and wider sections of the population are awakening to the rallying trumpet call of socialist revolution. Capitalism or socialism this is no longer an academic debating issue of the future, it is a life and death issue; a fight for human-life that draws ever close. Environmental destruction and waste are not an accidental outcome of capitalism but an intrinsic element of the system, just as class division, poverty and war. It is built into the structure of the capitalist system. On their current path homo sapiens will soon lose their ability to consciously and creatively determine the course of their destiny. Capitalism is driven by the logic of its economics to the ruination of the world. The future is in our hands. Planetary forces have been unleashed far beyond our control and

How often have we heard “socialism is not practical politics” or that “socialism is a wild idea not a commonsense solution.” People by are counseled by wiser minds to stick with “pragmatic progress” and “gradual advance”. The contrary is the truth. Working people by the method of social revolution, and by the method of social revolution alone, rapidly overcome the difficulties of the present economic and environmental crises, can swiftly construct and extend production and win prosperity for all. The socialist revolution is the only path forward because only the workers can break the bonds of capitalism; can cut through the tangle of anarchic private property rights, conflicting interests and dis-organisation that fetter the growth of; can end the crushing burdens of parasitism that are strangling industry; can organise production socially on planned and environmentally sound lines; can reconcile the conflict of productive power and consumption; can replace the empire of world corporations with the rational organisation of a world socialist economy. Only the socialist revolution can affect the causes of the climate change, arrest the course of global warming, and bring in a new era of a sustainable technology in harmony with the planet’s ecosystems. Capitalism has no policy within the conditions of market anarchy. There is no harmonious solution possible, but only the blind drive for ever more profit. Capitalism can only seek to prolong its life by throwing the burdens of the crisis on to the workers. There are voices crying out to know how the world can produce so much food that people starve, and produce abundance that people go without. It is a question capitalism cannot answer. Capitalism creates and demands scarcity in order to facilitate competition and profit-making

There are people fearful of the word, “socialism”. What is important is not the word, but those ideas which offer a real alternative. Socialism calls for cooperation and production for use. Socialist production for use, unlike production for profit, would allow for a calculation of the true costs of creating useful things and bringing them to the people. The goal of economic activity is to provide the necessities of life, including food, shelter, health care, education, child care, cultural opportunities, and social services. Far from being a society based upon state-controlled centralized command economy, socialism would be a society without a state. Planning takes place at the community, regional, and world levels. Workers take direction of the means of production by "associations of free and equal producers." Far from being a bureaucratically controlled system, socialism would bring democracy -- the rule of the people -- to the most vital part of our lives, the economy. In every plant, every office and every workplace in socialist society, the workers themselves will meet in democratic assembly to determine their own workplace policies and elect committees to administer and supervise production. To administer production at higher levels, the workers will also elect representatives to councils of their respective industry, but also to other bodies representing all the industries and services which will ascertain what goods and services are wanted and will determine the resources needed to supply them. Socialism means economic democracy. Instead of production for sale and the profit of a few, socialism means production to satisfy the human needs and wants of all. The more we collectively produce, the more we shall collectively enjoy. All of us will be useful producers, working but a fraction of the time we are forced to work today. But we shall not only be useful producers, we shall all share equitably in the wealth we produce, and our compensation will literally dwarf anything we can imagine today without harming our relationship with nature. We shall produce everything we need and want in abundance under conditions best suited to our welfare and those for the planet’s well-being.

In short, socialist society will be a society of secure human beings, living in peace, in harmony and human brotherhood. This all may sound too good to be true. Yet the world has the productive capacity to provide a high standard of living for all, to provide security and comfort for all, to create safe workplaces and clean green industries. The Socialist Party is the sole one that furnishes the foundation for the loftiest aspiration of the loftiest minds of all ages -- the Brotherhood of Man.

For a' that, an' a' that,

It's coming yet for a' that,

That Man to Man, the world o'er,

Shall brithers be for a' that

The only thing keeping us from reaching these goals is that the workers don't own and control that productive capacity; it is owned and controlled by a few who use it solely to profit themselves. To build a socialist society of peace, plenty and freedom, is the only real alternative workers have.

The Lapse In Global Heath

We all know that viruses mutate to create superbugs (one proof of evolution), and the fact that patients occasionally die from their effect in our hospitals. In India, the problem is magnified many times. Last year, more than 58,000 people died from their effects. Now these superbugs developed there are spreading around the world and without a really well coordinated effort, something hard to do with our world divided into two hundred competing entities, we could see many more deaths. The spread of Ebola has given us a glimpse into this lapse in global health. John Ayers.

Kobani Massacxre

'The Kurdish forces' unexpected victory in this north Syrian town marked a huge strategic and propaganda loss for Isis, which once seemed unstoppable in their rampage across the region.' (Observer, 1 February) There is no sense of triumph for these troops as Kobani is completely destroyed. Thousands massacred, all that remains is a bombed-out shell. In the yawning craters left by US air strikes buildings have vanished during months of heavy shelling. One side street is blocked by the bodies of Isis fighters, rotting where they fell - a pile of bones marked only by a foul smell'. This is the inevitable  product of capitalism's rivalries. RD

A Man Of Honour

'It's reported that Prince Charles wants to overhaul the honour system when he takes the throne because he believes honours are handed to "the wrong people for the wrong reasons." (Sunday Times, 1 February) He certainly should know a lot about the subject as he is the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew and Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland. He's a Knight of the Garter, a Knight of the Thistle, a Knight Grand Cross of  the Order of the Bath and a member of the Order of Merit. RD

Unlocking Ideas Worth Fighting For

Some have ventured to argue that the growth of socialism has been hampered by the lack of imagination.  The arguments for better wages and conditions haven’t changed all that much from the 19th century. What is actually missing in today’s wage campaigns is a broader vision of the value of leisure. Where today is the grassroots demand for the right to be lazy as advocated by Karl Marx’s son-in-law, Paul Lafargue? In these days of an ability to provide the material needs of all, where are the great opportunities for people to realize their own potential rather than be consumers of mass culture. For socialists, all workers should have time to think about matters unrelated to meeting their basic needs and to more fully enjoy their lives outside of work. It was Marx, himself, who declared:

 “In communist society, where nobody has one exclusive sphere of activity but each can become accomplished in any branch he wishes, society regulates the general production and thus makes it possible for me to do one thing today and another tomorrow, to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, criticise after dinner, just as I have a mind, without ever becoming hunter, fisherman, herdsman or critic.”

This vision of a more civic-minded, pleasurable, and humane existence for all working people is one that the socialist movement must once again revitalize and reinvigorate. This is not an issue we can ignore too much longer. Perhaps there has never before been a time when we need the vision of a true socialist movement more than today as the world teeters on environmental extinction for humanity. The threat of anthropogenic environmental catastrophe has posed the question of how eco-friendly technologies might be widely produced and propagated. The Socialist Party believed that this can only occur within socialist relations of production.

Too many have seen socialism as goods fairly equitably divided and work equitably divided. The level of appeal has been a mixture of economic goods and material gains in a milieu of reformist social democratic-liberal sentiment. This has been good but not good enough. Too few see it as the opportunity to play football, frolic on the beach, dance the night away, simply relax on one’s back beneath the shade of a trees, breathing in the scent of flowers or enjoy the intoxication joys of a novel and of music. Socialists envisioned socialism as the means of achieving higher levels of being. The issue of new technology and automation is bursting with positive possibilities. The goal of socialism is abundance but not for the purpose of creating a spectator culture of consumers, but by providing the greatest number of goods for the greatest number of people it,  to recover old pleasures of living and to discover new ones. When the very material basis of our society change and improve, consequently, so will our free-time and leisure. Education and learning will be made fun for students of all ages and levels, otherwise it will be considered irrelevant to their lives, breeding excessive laziness and a general scorn for education. Learning will become a pleasure that students look forward to, and not a burden that must be endured. It is likely that parents and teachers will often be one and the same, rather than two separate divisions of people for students to deal with for freed from the dictate of working hours parents can take a much more active interest in their children's educational upbringing. Parents will grow to be valued sources of guidance and support. Education will be a lifelong commitment to learning new information and techniques. Regular returns to higher education will be continual and take on a new meaning, just like work will take on a new meaning. Students of all ages will emerge independent thinkers, not docile wage slaves. Learning new things and benefitting society with this knowledge will be the driving force of life, and not simply "making a living."

There is no final blueprint for socialism. But only under socialism will fully democratic debate over the use of society’s wealth be possible and the satisfaction of people’s basic needs assured. The idea of socialism is no longer a pure, innocent ideal it once was. Its appeal has been tarnished by the authoritarian, statist regimes that have ruled in its name. To-day in the name of socialism, socialists work towards a society characterized by equality, solidarity, and participation, not be orchestrated from above by a Big Brother state, but will occur from below in the workplaces and  neighborhoods of civil society through cooperative, voluntary relationships that people will develop to render life meaningful. There will be different roles conforming to the varied talents citizens bring to different pursuits, “from each according to ability.”

Socialism cannot guarantee human happiness but promises the possibility of human fulfillment where misery and suffering is not imposed upon our lives over which we have no control.

They Have To Move

After thirteen years in their low-income townhouse in Regents Park, Toronto, a woman and her children have been forced to move by The Toronto Community Housing Corporation who sold the property to developers who intend to build condominium apartments. The youngest daughter wrote on the wall, " I love this house" and the children have known no other house. Like many of the 7,500 TCHC Tenants who live in the development, they have had to move to a place the agency found for them in a lottery system. There is nothing new in this, it's been going on for centuries – money will win out in the end because profit is the crux of the system, not security. John Ayers.

War Illusions

A great deal of nonsense is spoken about war. During the 1914-18 war they spoke about "a war to end all wars." Some hope. The second world war was supposed to be a war to end fascism or at least  extreme right-wing politics. Today though in Greece, France and elsewhere in Europe we have the re-birth of such political ideas. France recently displayed such tendencies. "If the elections were held now. Ms Le Pen would lead the field with about 30 per cent  of the vote in the first round of the two-stage  presidential election, according to the Ifop and CSA polls for Marianne magazine and RTL radio." (Times, 31 January RD

Home Sweet Home?

Capitalism is a society based on competition and rivalry so it is no surprise to learn that even a simple thing like a home to live in is looked upon as a near impossibility for many workers. 'At the beginning of January 2015, the United Nations said that in the middle of last year, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees registered 46.3 million people who had been forced to abandon their homes. The figure showed a 3.4-million increase since the end of 2013.' (Tass, 15 January)   RD

Dawn of the Reds

                                         

There has been an upsurge in movies and TV series that depict the decay of society and the end of civilisation. Today’s capitalist society reflects the scenarios portrayed; war; crumbling infrastructure; hunger; social strife; lack of resources; and disease, all characteristics of today. It is no wonder that there is such a fascination with dystopian apocalyptic futures. Art does not exist in a vacuum but in some way resemble the real world. Goya captured the horror and terror of war on canvas from the experience of the Napoleonic Wars. The music of punk reverberated and resonated with the alienation of consumer society. The Hunger Games tells the story of repression and rebellion. Zombies show a mirror of our own mindless, aimless, flesh-rotting disintegration.

It is unfortunate that many people regard history as dry and dusty disconnection of dates and supposed famous personages. In fact, the study of history sheds an indispensable light on the present and lights the beacons for the future. Once we begin to understand history it no longer appears as a more or less irrelevant collection of useless trivia. Instead, the experiences of past struggles of the working class come alive, offering lessons for our own struggle to change the world today, and providing a path to our destiny.  The fight for socialism is the fight of the future against the foreboding dark shadows of capitalism with its wage slavery and exploitation. History is a history of class struggle as one famous political commentator once said.

The class struggle is surprisingly simple to explain. It is the struggle over the wealth created by the producing classes. Will it go towards enriching the minority that controls society? Or will it go towards improving the quality of life of the people who actually produced the wealth? It is the struggle for a society that democratically determines what is to be done with the wealth that we all collectively produce. The ruling capitalist class controls the state and owns the means of production of society—the land and natural resources, the workshops and factories. The actual producers of wealth are those who own nothing but their ability to work which they sell to employers for a wage as a means of survival. That is the simplified essence of the class struggle, a conflict of interests between the working class and the capitalist class. Wage-workers are the overwhelming majority of society and they create the wealth of the world. Yet, members of the working class themselves are rarely taught the truth about their own history, for the very obvious reason. If workers were to understand their true power and their class’s repeated attempts to change society, they might be tempted to engage in open class struggle again and again—and this represents a mortal threat to the continuation of the capitalist system. The methods of organisation and struggle of the working masses may have changed but the class struggle is always taking place, sometimes just simmering beneath the ground, other times bursting forth.  Society is torn apart by tremendous class contradictions, and sooner or later, the militant revolutionary traditions of the past will return at an even higher level. The present isolated eddies of the class struggle are swirling more and more but will merge into a great current sweeping away capitalism. The bitter experience of life under capitalism is the greatest teacher, and the workers and youth are learning quickly. There need not be actual immiseration to lead to a revival of revolutionary struggle but the constant insecurity caused by the continual instability of the economic system which will produce a profound effect on consciousness.

Despite the many attacks on the workers, the decline in the unions, and the present insignificance of any socialist party, the potential power of the working class to bring society to a grinding halt—and therefore to change society—remains and is as great as ever. Capitalism creates the gravediggers for its own system. The material conditions for the socialist transformation of society are still as ripe as ever. In spite of what we are told by the media the labour movement’s most heroic days still lie ahead. History tells us that!