Capitalism will only be abolished by the conscious act of the working class – the overwhelming majority of the world’s population.
It won’t be achieved by small groups or parties, or by prominent individuals.
It requires the majority working class collectively to understand the need for the present system to be overturned/abolished and that this task is its to carry out.
It will require millions upon millions to become committed advocates and activists for change, prepared to carry through that change.
To achieve this we need to build a mass socialist party committed to this aim.
We need to persuade people of the need for this step and that this step requires them to carry it out.
YourParty is in the process of being set up. There are lots of discussions taking place about what it should be for.
Socialists/Communists should argue that it should be for the abolition of the present system – capitalism – and for the creation of a new one – socialism/communism.
For me, as for Marx and Engels, these two words mean the same thing – a society based on the democratic common ownership of the resources of society.
I do not mean what existed in the Soviet Union and similar states, or what exists currently in China or North Korea. These have nothing to do with socialism/communism.
The majority working class in power would transform society, democratising every aspect of it, from the abolition of the monarchy through to the expropriation of the private capitalist ownership of the means of production and their vast accumulated wealth.
This would be a fundamental break with the old capitalist system and the basis for a new classless, stateless society to be created.
We need more material arguing in favour of socialism. Why would it be better? How would things be differently done? We need to convince others that the new socialist society is worth them putting in their effort, time, energy and money.
This system is rotten. Socialism would transform the lives of billions across the globe, now and for future generations.
We should argue for YourParty to clearly state that socialism is its aim.
Those of us who agree on this should find a way to work together to achieve this.
I find myself making essentially the same complaint as before.
No account of how the mass revolutionary socialist can built, nor of what Nick considers to be the potential, and the limitations, of Your Party considered against that requirement.
Absolutely agree. That exactly what the SPGB says. So why are you so critical of us and so prepared to suggest that ‘Your Party’ can somehow be some kind of agent of it?
I think that lots of socialists-communists would agree with my article. Or, at least, I’d like to think so.
I don’t believe that I have been “so critical” of the SPGB. I have some criticisms but I don’t think I’ve ever put them into print.
Add me to your list please