A Working Peoples Manifesto

Owing to the cosmopolitan nature of capitalism, the economic and social status of the workers is fundamentally the same the world over. They have the same problems to face in every country, like interests to satisfy, and a common foe to fight.

The internationalism of the World Socialist Movement is in direct antagonism to that national sentiment which is fostered by the ruling class under the name of "patriotism." Despite world finance, the growth of global trade, and the fact that the capitalist class is solid worldwide when faced with the opposition of the workers, the politics of the capitalist class have always been predominantly "national" in character. This has been so because, during the evolution of the capitalists, their class power became consolidated into numerous national governments which could not expand in power territorially for the purpose of enabling the acquisition of further economic advantages and resources without sooner or later coming into conflict. With the rise of imperialism this "national antagonism" became exceedingly acute and, as we have seen, "patriotism" received a still greater moral significance by reason of its being the prime mental agent in the satisfaction of the imperialist needs of the capitalist class.

The capitalists of every land want the greatest possible output, the most economical production, and the most trade. They know that the world market is limited, that within a certain period, say one year, the world's population can only absorb a limited amount of wealth, and that goods or wealth produced beyond this amount will be left on the owners' hands. The same applies to those goods whose owners, for some reason, fail to place them on the market at the prices ruling there. Hence the need for the most economical production, in other words, for the maximum of labour-power in exchange for a minimum wage. "Consistent with health" is capitalist irony, because the workers' health is never studied except for the purpose of increasing their productive power.

 The workers of each country must submit to 'the most economical production" in order to assure to their masters "the most trade." Thus they enter into a new form of warfare against the workers of other countries in the interests of their masters. And when the capitalists of one nation succeed in obtaining the most trade, and their workers demand higher wages, because the masters can afford to pay them, these same masters reward them with the sack, and entice the workers of other lands to fill their jobs. Where, then, do the workers of the world come in, whether they win for their masters markets or wars?

The capitalist group of every nation will point to their own prosperity as evidence that employment is good, when they deem it necessary to gloss over the unemployed army—that instrument of coercion against their workers. They boast that there is no sentiment in business, and an unemployed army is necessary to their business. In the past they have—except in a few rare instances, chiefly occupational—always been blessed with a solid margin; the future is full of promise for them, and we can rely on them to make the most of their opportunities in order to coerce the workers into the economic war.

But, like everything parasitic, the capitalist is insatiable. The concerns in which his capital is invested must either beat their competitors in the race for cheaper production or go under. And concerns do go under almost daily, their share of the market being taken up by their competitors, while the workers they have employed swell the unemployed army until they can be profitably employed by other capitalists.

But the class-conscious worker sees that "nationalism" is a snare in the path towards emancipation. Not only does it serve to cloud the class issue within the nation, but it also hinders the workers of the world from recognising and acting up to their unity of interest. To the Socialist Party, therefore, national pride, like racial aloofness, is a contemptible and pernicious prejudice which it is highly immoral for any class conscious worker to uphold or give way to.

What significance has the “homeland” for the wage-slave whose only guarantee of livelihood rests on the ability to sell his or her labour-power? None! Save that it receives from political superstitions inculcated and carefully nurtured by agents of the dominant class. "Workers of all lands unite!" will inevitably be the watchword of the latter-day revolutionary. With the emancipation of the workers achieved through economic socialisation human society will enter upon a new phase of its existence. With the forces of production democratically used by and for society, economic exploitation will become impossible and class distinctions a thing of the past. Free from drudgery and emancipated from the miseries or even possibility of material poverty, having access to every avenue of knowledge and art, the men and women of the future will also witness the reconciliation between egoism and altruism, because through economic democracy the merging of the interests of the individual in that of the whole community will have been for the first time rendered completely possible. Thus the "brotherhood of man," often dreamt about but never achieved, will become a living reality. Grounded upon the world-wide inter-dependence of economic processes, such a ''world'' society will leave as little room for national and racial antagonisms as for those of class.

Deprived and Vulnerable

People living in Scotland's most deprived areas are twice as likely to die of Covid-19 as those in the least deprived areas, figures have shown.

The National Records of Scotland (NRS) said the death rate was 2.1 times higher in the poorest areas.

Capitalism - Too Much and Never Enough

The Socialist Party is often accused of being dogmatic, and to this charge we invariably reply that the truth cannot be dogmatic.

The human community is completely interconnected and interdependent. No-one can self-isolate. Without solidarity, especially with those most vulnerable among us, we all lose. We are paying the price for turning a blind eye to obvious injustices in the world. The problem is that how we produce and distribute wealth is not sustainable. Building a socialist society is essential to saving the planet from climate breakdown and ecological destruction. The fabric of society and the well-being of people hinge on our ability to create the cooperative commonwealth.

Economics to-day is all about accumulation. Production for the sake of further production. Everything is subordinated to this great end. New technology and machinery are invented, new methods devised and introduced so that wealth may be produced in still greater abundance. Brains, muscles and lives  are all thrown into the melting-pot in the feverish rush to produce and accumulate. All discoveries of the laws of nature become levers to increase wealth production. Instead of lightening the load of the worker, machinery has intensified the burden. The rich grow richer and the poor poorer. The greater the wealth the greater and more widespread the poverty. The poor are the wealth-producers— the working class. The rich are the wealth owners and idlers—the capitalist class. The workers are poor because the capitalists own the wealth produced.

The system advocated by the Socialist Party is production for the sake of consumption; production organised to satisfy the requirements of all the members of society. Instead of aiming at "an immense accumulation of commodities," the Socialist Party aims at an immense accumulation of comfort and happiness distributed over the whole of society.

In the existing state of things there is social production but individual appropriation. The Socialist Party would abolish this contradiction and substitute social appropriation of the social products. So long as the vast capacities of modern production are under the control of one class, and are used for the aggrandisement of that class alone, we will have the strange spectacle of poverty in the midst of plenty—a society of wealthy idlers and poverty-stricken workers.

Capitalism has shown us that wealth can be produced in abundance with a comparatively small expenditure of time and energy on the part of each of us. It has, therefore, performed its historic mission and signed its death warrant. It remains for us to profit by the lesson it has taught.  Capitalism cannot control the forces it has brought into being, therefore it must perish, and a new society will arise like a phoenix out of its ashes.

We must, therefore, organise for the overthrow of capitalism and the introduction of socialism if we would abolish poverty for ever. That means the capture of the political machinery which sustains the capitalists in their privileged position. The real interest of the working class is the possession of that knowledge in sociology, economics, and politics that will enable them to apply the revolutionary principle and establish society on a basis of production for use. All such knowledge points to this as the conclusion of the class struggle. But this involves the elimination from society of the class that lives by exploitation. Karl Marx and his twin discoveries, the ''Materialistic Conception of History" and the “Theory of Surplus Value” gave to the working class the basis of a critical analysis of the capitalist system. He laid bare and exposed to the full as a ruthless system of intensive slavery and exploitation. His remedy was to establish society on a basis of common ownership and democratic control.

Not understanding, or not daring to show, where and how the robbery of the working class takes place—i.e., in the mines, mills, factories, workshops and the like by the expropriation of the product of their toil—politicians  uses the question of the taxes as a stunt to gain their political ambitions.  Their concern is all for the taxpayer—the capitalist—and their only thought for the workers is that they should be kept exploited to full capacity. What the politicians never tell the workers is that the wealth of society—produced by them alone as far as the human factor is concerned— is appropriated by the capitalist class, and that the wages the workers receive are the price of their labour-power, determined by its cost of production. Competition for jobs prevents wages rising above the cost of living, and all the wealth the workers produce above their total wages is stolen from them by the master class. They never proclaim this robbery of the working class, nor the vital need for socialism as the only way to stop the robbery.

The Looming Scottish Recession

The Fraser of Allander Institute said the country was now in its deepest recession in living memory.

A report from the think tank said in the most optimistic scenario, it will be the end of 2021 before the economy recovers. In the worst case scenario it could be 2024 before a "new normal" is reached.

With more than 750,000 people in Scotland either furloughed or being supported through the UK government's self-employment scheme, the think tank fears a possible "raft of redundancies and business closures" will occur when this help starts to be scaled back. The institute's latest economic commentary said the immediate priority for many businesses is simply survival.

The number of Scots in receipt of the Universal Credit rose to more than 440,000 in May - more than double the total of 185,000 recorded in the same month last year. In addition, Scotland's unemployment rose by 30,000 to 127,000 between February and April as lockdown hit the labour market.

Prof Graeme Roy, director of the institute, said: "So far, as a result of the major government support initiatives that have been put in place the impact of the full effects of the crisis have been dampened. Sadly, it is only now once we start to switch the economy back on that the crisis will hit home with a raft of redundancies and business closures likely over the summer."

Steve Williams, senior partner for Scotland at accountancy firm Deloitte, said: "For the majority of organisations and consumers, the lockdown on non-essential parts of the global economy has left a scar on finances, with businesses and some individuals likely to emerge with a combination of higher debt and weaker financial reserves."

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-53157358

There is only one banner - the Red Flag

Pro-independence group All Under One Banner have announced plans to hold rallies as coronavirus restrictions begin to lift in Scotland.

The group revealed the timetable for action will begin in Edinburgh on July 20, before the moving to Stirling and Glasgow in August and September.

Nationalisms divide the world.  The trouble with any nationalism is that it simply ignores the realities of power under modern capitalism. The ruling class has at its disposal massive economic wealth, on a global scale which exercises effective control over any sovereign nation no matter how powerful. 

An independent Scotland has no means of breaking that sort of power. 

The Socialist Party does not, of course, defend the present constitutional arrangement. Neither do we support encouraging separatist trends in Scotland. There is no doubt that the Scots consider themselves to be uniquely culturally Scottish but hat does not determine our socialist attitude  towards Scottish self-determination. 

The appeal of  nationalism to many working people is, of course, a result of the failure of capitalism and its political apologists to fulfill the repeated promises and Scottish national channels the discontent. Nationalism poisons the working class with the spurious belief in the common interests of opposed classes. Nationalism is always the tool of the bourgeoisie. Unlike the left-nationalists the Socialist Party does not tag along with or follow behind, nationalist movements. We resolutely struggle against them while propagating the case for socialism. Secession is not the way to workers’ liberation. It is not the remedy for the economic social problems of Scottish working people. 

What should the world tomorrow look like?

 

 Throughout society a deepening sense of malaise has become pervasive. Capitalist society is a reactionary social system. capitalism is on the edge of a profound crises. The real solution to the looming disasters is the socialist revolution. Only the world’s working class can lead humanity out of the historical impasse of capitalism, by making the world socialist revolution. capitalism and the consequent misery for the world can only be terminated by the conscious workers’ revolution. The socialist revolution is a conscious act of the working class. So-called “socialist” parties have been promoting state capitalism, not socialism.

The World Socialist Movement alone has a working-class policy which would give a knock-out blow to all of the exploiters and throw the whole lot of them out of the ring for all time. Then will the fullness of the earth and the valuable cultures of all peoples be freely available for the whole of mankind. The world socialist revolution, is a revolution of a majority aimed at the ending of class- divided society and the ending of all exploitation of man by man. With the ending of all property rights in the means of production, that is the establishment of a new form of society, class conflicts will cease. The way is prepared for the new progress in which man will replace the blind way of economic forces, by the conscious direction of economically free men and women—socialism. Emancipation is not going to be achieved by non-socialists led by professional party cadres because it requires a socialist working class getting control of the machinery of government.

The facts of history have proved the Socialist Party right in its outlook and its criticisms. We urge workers to study the position we put forward for it is the only position, the only solution to the problems of today that offers the workers hope. We have kept steadfastly to this position because we know that socialism is the system of society that will bring comfort and security for all mankind. Why should a vast number of people have to perform useless and frustrating tasks, in order to satisfy the selfish wishes of a ruling clique? Yet it is working people themselves who perpetuate this foolish system: who do the useless tasks as well as the useful; the unproductive as well as the productive.

The trouble is that the alternative, a world of common ownership and common effort, is frightening in its simplicity. It seems too easy to be true. Nevertheless, true it is. It’s as simple as that!

 The problems which face us are those that have plagued us for the past 200 years. To ignore the past is only to insure one’s dependence on the will-o’-the-wisp ideas of the moment. The problems persist because they have not been solved. Revolutionary and reformist movements have met with defeat, time and time again. We are without illusions, knowing that building socialism will be a long, arduous process.

 In protests across the world over recent years, people have said, “Enough!” People have had enough of the political elite looting and lying, intimidating them and imprisoning them. People are demanding an end to the outdated premise that the ruling class are above the law and are all-knowing. We no longer wish to submit to the authority of governments. We can demand equality for all members of our human family. No matter which region of the world you live in, the most urgent issues affect everyone. Pandemics, economic crises, the environmental emergency; war; poverty; food insecurity and refugees. Such problems go beyond frontiers and cannot be controlled or contained by national governments. No State nor global corporation can cope. They are all interconnected international issues and they require a coordinated worldwide response. Peace, hunger, migration environment, health, every issue is related, one impacting on the other. All arise from and are intensified by the all-pervasive unjust socio-economic capitalist system. Everything and all areas of life have become commodified and commercialized, including nature, food, healthcare and education. No money - no food, no cash - no healthcare, no income - no housing, even though the means of providing a decent life for humanity, promoting human well-being and offering a healthy environment exists. The key to a better life is the introduction of sharing. Our planet is overflowing with an abundance of riches and everyone is entitled to access its collective storehouse of wealth.