Establish the socialist co-operative commonwealth

 

Members of the World Socialist Movement are not emotionally insensitive on the pain suffered by many of our brothers and sisters around the world . But we refuse to be so emotionally committed that we lose sight of our own aim and object—Socialism. Emotion is only a positive and constructive force when it is controlled and directed. When it is misdirected its effects are negative and pernicious. We do not put forward our diagnosis of society merely because it is right, but because in the conclusions we draw from it are the humanitarian assumptions of remedying the social ills of today’s society. We are keenly aware of the many problems inflicted upon our fellow-workers, but we refuse in lieu of our own remedy to accept what we hold to be harmful soporifics based on a faulty diagnosis. To act other than we do would be to impugn our own humanitarian aims and falsify the reason for the  existence of our political organisation. We offer the universal unity of humanity. Others have paid lip service to this ideal. We have acted upon it and not to act on what you believe is not really to believe it at all.

Only in the socialist commonwealth, will vanish the ills we desire to end, and how ever distant it may be, we must travel that road. For ourselves, it is our hope and  wish that we may live to witness the establishment in many lands of that cooperative commonwealth, and the expansion of human happiness. Being socialists, we have an attainable ideal. Socialism, we say, is the only practicable solution for abolishing the many evils that are the product of the operations of capitalism. Socialism, we suggest, is the only system that can effectually realise for the world’s millions a real, true and full life, such as should be theirs who are the wealth producers.

We seek a world where here is peace  from pole to pole; a world where war and the very causes of war are abolished. We desire a full, joyous and unfettered life for all peoples everywhere. We campaign for the complete emancipation of the world’s workers from their wage-slavery, so that all these desirable things should be ours. We must overthrow the capitalist system, and establish in its place the socialist cooperative commonwealth of the world.

So long as we continue to tolerate this system of private ownership and production for profit, so long will the needs of humanity be disregarded. The hungry want food, and they cannot buy it because of their poverty. They are ill-housed and yet the race-horses of the wealthy are splendidly stabled and cared for. “Man's inhumanity to man,” as Burns so aptly phrased it, is exemplified to the nth degree by the social system we know as capitalism. In time of ”peace” or war, human considerations are the last things the ruling-class think of. We must have a goal to reach, a splendid purpose to fulfil far beyond the petty idea of working for wages in order to get a living; or the parochial ideas of reformers. Socialism, alone, opens up an immense vista of boundless development for the individual and for the world’s multi-millions. For socialism will come to free Mankind from bondage. We know that the socialist commonwealth, alone, can realise in full a social condition of equality and concord that is expressed by the phrase: “Each for all, and all for each!” 

Do you want joy and peace and freedom in full splendour?

You will get these only through your own wise and determined efforts—by establishing a worldwide socialist cooperative commonwealth. To those who understand and agree with our case for socialism our we extend an earnest invitation to assist in the efforts we are making to build up a vigorous and healthy socialist organisation.

bound together by a common understanding, with the bond of class-conscious solidarity, determined to wage uncompromising war on all who bar our way toward the goal of our ambition—the establishment of the socialist co-operative commonwealth, where poverty will give place to comfort, privilege to equality, and slavery to freedom.

The Capitalist Class Has A Problem!

Canada's Supreme Court has ruled Justin Trudeau's carbon tax is constitutional, thereby setting aside the legal arguments of the governments of, energy rich provinces, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

 Saskatchewan Premier, Scott Moe wants the federal government to provide his province with equal to what other provinces have received from the Low Carbon Economy Fund; to quote, ''We have $126 million that Saskatchewan has not received and we've asked for those dollars and that funding to be put forward so that we can continue with our emissions reduction plans.'' 

It’s typical; the capitalist class has a problem and they can't get their little heads together to solve it, even if it were possible.

S.P.C. Members.

Trying To Solve Their Problems Within Capitalism!

In March Joe Biden delivered his $2 trillion infrastructure plan, which included his aforementioned contention, ''We're going to make sure we buy American.'' United Steelworkers’ international president, Tom Conway, reacted quickly, vowing to protect businesses and workers in Canada from the threat of protectionism in the U.S.

 On April 1, Conway issued a joint statement with his Canadian counterpart Ken Neumann, stating: ''Canada is not the problem facing U.S. manufacturing and workers. Co-operation between Canada and U.S. will build on our long standing and productive trading relationship.''

 Exactly how they will achieve this, they didn't say. 

Obviously, this is a case of workers trying to solve their problems within capitalism, though it is good to see a declaration of working-class solidarity. It would be better still to see such solidarity in an effort to abolish the cause of their problems.

S.P.C. Members.

Who Will Change The World?

 

Hunger and poverty in the world is the price we pay for the continuing capitalist system. Capitalist governments evade the life-or-death problem of feeding food to millions of  hungry people, preferring instead to feed the profits to the capitalists. Only a society that produces for use instead of profit can truly give the whole world its gifts of health and concern for the well being of all the earth’s people. That would be a socialist society controlled by the world’s producers, working people.

This is a beautiful, bountiful world, abundant in natural resources. But they do not belong to the people. They belong to the capitalists and the corporations with their network of interlocking businesses --thousands of companies, big and small in every sector of the economy. There is the highest degree of centralisation of ownership of the resources and the industrial and financial system by a numerically small group. There is the highest degree of technological development and of productive efficiency. But nothing belongs to the people.

The  health and welfare of working people is not a consideration for  capitalist owners. Automation and artificial intelligence that could be blessings to humanity to eliminate drudgery and heavy work, deprive workers of their livelihood and many inventions are not fully implemented  for the commercial reasons of profit. Plenty can be produced for all, an abundance of food, shelter, health-care, education, leisure and travel. "Paradise on Earth" is not a hyperbole. The material basis is in the rational use of labour, machinery and resources to full capacity in planned socialist production and in socialised distribution. Produce for use and not for profit. In today’s capitalist world, no matter how much is produced, none of it belongs to the people. 

It is difficult to explain such a crazy system where tight-fisted, granite-faced, flint-hearted business-owners condemn millions of waged-workers to a mere existence and permits millions to suffer poverty. We work only to live and support our families and only when the employers allows us. This is the profit system, this is the private property system; this is capitalism. It has resulted in war and more war, hunger and more hunger and misery and more misery, in the midst of untold wealth. Capitalism offers no answer to solve the welfare of the people. Should any person dwell in a slum, go short of the necessities of a decent life just for the continued existence of a privileged few? Is that an ideal world?

Socialism will abolish private ownership of the means of production which are today the property of a small group of capitalists and used by them to exploit the labour of millions for their own private profit. By socialism we mean common ownership by the whole people of all the socially necessary means of production (land, natural resources, factories, transport, communications, etc.) and their operation through a planned economy which will guarantee an ample supply and equitable distribution of all commodities and services to all the people. Socialism does not exclude ownership of personal possession; in fact, most of us would have far more individual belongings in  socialism than we have now. Socialism denies the right to exploit the labour of others. To bring about a world where all people are safe, normal, happy, is the World Socialist Movement. We extend our invitation to our fellow-workers to join us.

"The people do not know their power…The union of twenty million is irresistible. Such members, such resources can enforce anything that is just." - Ernest Jones (Chartist), 1854

Possible Environment Disruption? Where Money Is to Be Made?

Eight of Ontario's most powerful land developers own thousands of acres of prime real estate near the proposed route of the controversial Highway 413. Four are connected to Doug Ford’s Conservative government, one of whom, John Di Poce employed the head of the Ontario Progressive fundraising campaign for several years. Associated with them is Caroline Mulroney, now Ontario transportation minister. The proposed 60-kilometre route will extend from near Milton looping around the greater Toronto area to Highway 400 north of Vaughan. The price tag could be anywhere between $6 billion to $10 billion, all to save drivers about 30 minutes. If built, it will raze 2,000 acres of farmland, cut across 85 waterways and pave 400 acres of protected? Greenbelt land in Vaughan. It will also disrupt 220 wetlands and the habitats of 10 species at risk, according to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. 

At present the matter is under consideration, but nobody should be surprised if the deal goes through. Where money is to be made, since when do the capitalist class and their political stooges care about the environment.

S.P.C. Members.

When Did Any Government Care About Any Aboriginals?

In 2015 Justin Trudeau was elected promising that he would solve problems relating to drinking water for Canada's indigenous peoples. At present 58 indigenous communities across Canada do not have drinking water, nor has any date been set when they will. Families are separated due to imposed evacuations and relocations. The loss of homes creates overcrowding and increased danger of disease such as tuberculosis and COVID-19. 

The Federal government complain of lack of funding, but since when did any government care about aboriginals who lived on the land for thousands of years before the capitalists invaded.

S.P.C. Members.

Cooperative Commonwealth or Catastrophe

 

The hallmark of capitalism is that those who produce all the wealth—the working class—are exploited during the course of production by an owning class who pay them less than the value of what they produce. The profit which the employer obtains is the main objective of production. So, when workers ask for higher wages the employer must resist such claims in order to defend that profit. The inevitable antagonism between the worker—who needs wages in order to live—and the capitalist—who receives rent, interest and profit—manifests itself in a continuous class struggle. As long as there is class ownership of the means of living this class struggle cannot be eradicated, in spite of the pretence that workers and capitalists have a common interest. 

Capitalism has nothing to offer but insecurity, environmental disasters, poverty and war. Global warming and the environmental crisis is one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. The uncontrolled and unconstrained expansion of  capitalism and its waste of resources will result in global catastrophe. Short-term profit-seeking, the abuse of science under capitalism damages the environment. Technology and industry can be beneficial to society, but private property and the priorities of the ruling class creates problems. Our answer is to organise to overthrow those who threaten the planet. Only socialism remedy the climate crises. The answer is not reform, but revolution. Socialism is the solution. Only politically aware and consciously organised working people will be able to  wrest power from the the capitalist class. Socialism  reclaims the people’s property from the capitalists and will end the right for some to exploit other people’s labour. Production will be planned on the basis of what serves society, not what yields the most profit. The producers themselves, the workers, will decide what to produce and how – not “the market”. Today’s environmental problems spring from capitalism’s reckless pursuit of accumulation without regard for human welfare or nature’s limitations. The drive for profit leads to the neglect of everything that stands in the way of it. Ecological havoc is created from one end of the world to the other.

Necessary though the continuation and extension of trades union activity is under capitalism, the true interests of the workers lie instead in the political struggle to establish socialism. On the other hand, the vast majority of trade union members are not socialists. Consequently their political motivation does not go further than reformist activity, which they believe will improve their lot under capitalism. Some, particularly the more active, would claim that they are socialists and that their political activity will help to hasten the establishment of socialism. However the acid test is to examine their definition, or rather lack of definition, of socialism.

Capitalism pollutes almost every institution with which it comes into contact. Whether such institutions are absorbed from a previous social system or whether they grow from the foundations of the capitalist system itself, they are either moulded to suit the interests of the capitalist class or are deflected from their original purpose to meet the needs of capital. 

 It is necessary to call attention once again to the following facts:

· That the wealth of the world is produced by the labour of the working class of the world, who receive in return wages that are barely enough to provide a poor existence for themselves and their families;

· That the wealth so produced takes the form of commodities, which are sold on the markets of the world on behalf of the capitalist class, the owners of the means of production, for the sole purpose of providing a profit for that class in order to enable its members to live in luxury without the necessity of working;

· That this profit represents the difference between the value of what the worker produces and the value of what he gets, in the form of wages or salaries, to provide him and his family with means of subsistence;

· That the pursuit of this profit, the result of the exploitation of the workers, is the fundamental cause of all modern wars which are quarrels between sections of the master class over the division of the spoil arising out of the robbery of the working class.

Therefore, the workers of the world should unite across the false barriers of territory, race, nationality and creeds into one world-wide combination of their class for the purpose of putting an end to their exploitation by abolishing the present system of capitalist production; in its place they should establish a socialist system, in which the means of production will he owned in common by the whole of mankind and used for the sole purpose of fulfilling equally the needs of each member of society, thus removing the profit motive as a social incentive and replacing it by the socialist principle of “from each according to ability, to each according to needs.”

As the establishment of this socialist system of society is the only means to prevent wars we call upon the workers of all lands to join together to accomplish this end and we point out the need for haste if the world is to be saved from a devastation that might well involve all in a common ruin and put an end to humanity’s progress for hundreds of years to come.

We further affirm our determination, whatever the immediate future may bring, to continue our policy of opposition to war and our advocacy of socialism as the only solution to the problems that beset the working class, no matter on what part of the world’s surface sections of that class may be employed.

This is our message and it is the only message of hope in a world that appears to be on the verge of catastrophe.

Low Wage Workers Risk Becoming Homeless.

As home prices skyrocket on Penticton, British Columbia, its city council voted to shut down a homeless shelter, which would put its 42 residents on the street. B.C.’s minister of housing David Eby has vowed to override this decision. With more people working from home Penticton has become a popular place to live. 

Across Canada, the pandemic has led to a boom in housing sales as well as rising rents in small and medium sized cities as those with the ability to work from home are seeking more space and a quieter pace of life. 

This means that Canadian workers who are not making a high wage are at risk of becoming homeless.

S.P,C, Members.

It’s Essential Workers Of Low Income Who Get COVID.

Readers of our last month’s report may recall that we said Amazon workers in the Toronto area are afraid to take a sick day in case they get fired. So, it should surprise nobody to learn that over 900 Amazon workers have got COVID since the pandemic began. A survey conducted by the COVID-19 Science Advisory Table for

Ontario, reported that, ''In the areas of the largest concentrations of essential workers, these infections are increasing at more than double the rate of areas with the lowest number of front-line employees.''

 According to Carolina Jimenez, an organizer of the Decent Work and Health Network,'' it could not be any clearer who’s getting COVID. It’s essential workers of low income; the exact same people who don't have paid sick days.''

 Common-sense may dictate that they should have been the first to get the vaccine, but then we live under crapitalism it’s always the little guy who gets shafted.

S.P.C. Members.