Ownership and Arms
Your party supports common ownership of the means of production and distribution, but opposes nationalization, calling it state capitalism. How, therefore does your party propose to bring about common ownership and does it wish to do this for all industries?
Your party opposes religion, why? Is this because your party is based on Marxism?
Finally, why does your party oppose and wish to abolish the armed forces? In a socialist state surely they could be used to defend freedom and democracy. If this country were to be invaded by hostile forces what would your attitude be to resistance?
Michael Newton,
Cambridgeshire
Reply:
Nationalization is a means of running capitalism under the auspices of the state. It has nothing whatever to do with Socialism and bears no resemblance to common ownership. Look at the coal mines, the railways, electricity and steel: the same capitalist economics of money, wages, and profits and competition for markets hold sway as in the “private sector”. Common ownership means that the whole world and all its industry and resources will be held in common by all mankind. Goods and services, being produced solely for use, will be freely available according to need. How? A democratic majority on a world basis will first come to understand the need to change and then vote for it. This presupposes their readiness to co-operate in bringing it into being and running it.
Yes, Marx has supplied the scientific basis for opposing religion. The crude and primitive mumbo- jumbo of religion has served successive ruling classes through centuries. When the working class develop class-consciousness they will have no further need for pie in the sky. There is no rational or scientific basis for religious ideas; clinging to them anchors the workers to capitalism.
Your final question assumes “this country” will go Socialist first and be on its own. You must be on your guard against nationalistic habits of thought. The workers of the world are confronted by the same social problems, all arising from the same cause—capitalism. Socialist ideas will not spread in isolated pockets here and there. Millions of workers in this country must become Socialists before the system here can change. Can your really imagine this happening while in the rest of the world ideas stand still? As Socialism involves working together and organized co-operation, then as the movement for Socialism grows the liaison and unity of workers will grow and will necessarily be world-wide. Hostile forces are a product of capitalism. They are represented in the military machines of rival capitalists struggling for markets and profits. Workers have no country to defend, and armed forces only exist to conserve the property of the capitalists. Workers have a common interest wherever they are, and no reason to be hostile to each other. For further expansion of the above arguments you will find our pamphlets War and Questions of the Day well worth reading.
Editorial Committee.
No comments:
Post a Comment