Letter: The Path to Socialism (1982)

Letter to the Editors from the October 1982 issue of the Socialist Standard

The Path to Socialism

Dear Editors.

Your literature does not seem to offer an acceptable path to socialism. Obviously socialism must be worldwide; once you are elected you seem to think that socialism will just "happen". Possibly, in fact probably, most other countries will not have socialist governments. So what will you do in Britain whilst waiting for our friends abroad to come into power?

In Steve Coleman’s article "Class v. Class” (July 1982 Socialist Standard) he says that "Some misguided workers who call themselves socialists, but are in fact the most backward of social thinkers, actually organise processions demanding the right to be exploited". I presume he refers to the right to work campaigns. These are an essential part of the fight for socialism. When the people see us helping them they will join us. Yours is the misguided view, criticising every quest to better our conditions, workers will look upon you as fools and supporters of the capitalists. Please stop your ridicule of workers' fight for better conditions under capitalism, these are necessary and will precede the formation of a socialist world.

Militant's views are much like yours, although they say what they will do whilst awaiting the world socialism they want, when the right wing of Labour move out to the SDP Labour will again be a Marxist party and able to bring about world socialism. I am sorry, but I cannot see your party gaining any significant support in the near (100 years) future. Not because of your views but because of your size and lack of opinions relating to day to day issues.

Chris Cooke 

Hull

Reply:

As any reader of the Socialist Standard is aware, the SPGB has very clear, definite opinions on day to day issues; Chris Cooke confuses opinions which he happens to disagree with with having no opinion. Our policy on day to day issues is that workers must struggle to defend and improve their wages and working conditions under a capitalist society; that is an essential, inescapable part of the class struggle. But we recognise the limitations of these struggles; they cannot bring about a comprehensive, permanent solution to the workers' problems. That can only happen by the abolition of capitalism and its replacement by socialism. We also insist that much of the “day to day struggle" has nothing to do with working class interests. It is often for some ephemeral, inconsequential reform within capitalism or even at times for some blatantly anti-working class aim like "national self-determination". Workers everywhere should avoid such "struggles" like the plague.

Socialism will not be the work of any government and it will not take place as the result of a majority of socialist MPs behaving just like Labour and Tory members now — legislating on issues of capitalist reform. It will be a very different process — it will arise from the democratic action of the international working class in a deliberate, conscious decision taken in full knowledge of the nature of socialism and of how it will end the problems of capitalism. A socialist working class will not need — or want — anyone to set themselves up as leaders and to "help" them to socialism; they will know thoroughly how to get it for themselves. They will elect socialist delegates to the various seats of parliament throughout the world mandated to take over the state machines and transform them into agents of working class emancipation.

Any differences there may be in the timing of this event in the various parts of the world will be so slight as not to affect the matter. Socialism is a process of changing ideas and ideas spring from prevailing material conditions. In terms of broad social concepts they keep pace and as the means of communication develop this tendency will increase. At present, for example, there is a general acceptance throughout the world of the capitalist system of society, of its preconceptions, principles and morals. Workers everywhere offer the same arguments in support of capitalism and the same objections to socialism. It can thus be said that the development of socialist ideas will follow the same pattern; capitalism will be questioned, rejected and finally overthrown more or less simultaneously all over the world.

Campaigns like Right to Work have always been justified on such grounds as “an essential part of the fight for socialism" or that they will "precede the formation of a socialist world". In fact they have if anything delayed socialism; they have misled and confused workers into a belief that they must divert their attention from an uncompromising, immediate demand for a social revolution into campaigns for reforms of capitalism. None of these have any useful, permanent effect on workers' lives except that, by delaying socialism, they worsen workers’ conditions. Unemployment does not happen because of an absence of demonstrations against it and it cannot be removed as a result of such demonstrations. It happens as a direct consequence of the anarchy of capitalist production and the only permanent solution is to struggle, not for the Right to Work (whatever that may mean), but for an end to the social system in which class exploitation is basic.

Militant has the absurd ambition to change the Labour Party while leaving untouched its basic nature as a party of capitalism. It was never a Marxist party; it never propagated Marx's analysis of history, economics and politics (which in fact effectively destroy the case for muddled reformists like Militant) so it cannot "again" be a Marxist party. There is already such a party and any workers who are interested in propagating Marxian ideas should be in it. That party is the SPGB.

Editors.