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Your experts say they will answer my letter if I say what it means, and to assist me to do so they ask me three questions. I am very glad to answer so that I can get their reply as I have no doubt many other readers of the S.S. will.
(a) The workers of Britain will take the advice given them by socialists because they will finally have no alternative. Capitalism has broken down, it doesn't work any longer. Money, stocks, shares, investments etc. will no longer have any value, it is rapidly falling now as the first two articles in your own current issue point out. I quote as follows from the second article: “Capitalism . . . has outlived its usefulness” (I do not think it was ever any use but you obviously do). “Production will be owned and controlled by the whole worldwide community”. It was this that made me say the S.P.G.B. expects to go on for ever; but I take the view that there is no need for us to wait, it will be much better to set up a socialist economy and set an example for the world-wide community to follow.
(b) How they may take control. By taking over by the workers in them of all fields, factories, and workshops and taking no notice of the S.P.G.B.
(c) If you don’t like the expression “socialist state” will “socialist economy” suit you better as in my reply to (b)?
In reply to your last paragraph, I agree that it is no great hardship to have to dodge back but note that in the current issue you have managed to avoid this. I am surprised that you take so much notice of the posh magazines but even they do not dodge back, they just put the advertising in and then go on.
Tom Braddock
East Preston
Reply:
We are not experts! We simply pen the answers that any Socialist Party member could give.
Capitalism has not broken down now, just as it did not collapse in the ’thirties. Economic crises are a normal part of its existence. The view that capitalism has outlived its usefulness has not suddenly been reached because of the current crisis.
Socialism would not be a practical proposition without the ability to produce in abundance. Through capitalism, with its insatiable quest for profit, the means for production have been developed to the point where abundance is possible. It is in this historical sense that capitalism has been useful.
Socialism is not about workers controlling factories etc. but about human beings having social ownership and democratic control of their total environment. Such a social system cannot be established without the full understanding and active co-operation of the vast majority of the working class. They will come to this understanding because Socialism is the only solution to all of the problems posed by capitalism. Socialism is by definition a worldwide concept and it is nonsense to speak of “setting it up” in this or any other country. Incidentally if you think otherwise what are you waiting for?
We in the SPGB are not keeping anyone waiting but are enthusiastically working to achieve our objective —Socialism!
Editors.
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