The mechanism of Capitalist production is a slave exploiting mechanism. It was not designed primarily to enable more wealth to be produced but to enable more profit to be made
The question is—can this mechanism, in its present form, be used to advantage under a system of production for use? Engels did not think so.
“Just as far as society obtains the domination of the social means of production in order to organize them socially, it abolishes the existing servitude of man to the own means of production. Society cannot be free without every member of society being free. The old methods of production must be completely revolutionised, and the old form of the division of labour must be done away with above all. In its place an organisation of production will have to be made in which, on the one hand, no single individual will be able to shift his share in productive labour, in providing the essentials of human existence upon another, and on the other hand productive labour instead of being a means of slavery will be a means towards human freedom, in that it offers an opportunity to everyone to develop his full powers physical and intellectual in every direction, and to exercise them so that it makes a pleasure out of a burden." (P.240, “Landmarks of Scientific Socialism.")This appears to indicate that it is not possible to form the new society or even its basis within the shell of the old as our I.W.W. friends proclaim. There is also another factor which does not seem to be generally realised and that is there will be in the new system no difference or separation between town and country. This is an essential condition for the success of a socialist form of society. I quote from Engels again.
“Civilisation has left us a number of large cities as an inheritance, which it will take much time and trouble to abolish. But they must and will be done away with however much time and trouble it may take." (P.244, "Landmarks of Scientific Socialism.")This clearly shows that the founders of scientific socialism did not contemplate the continuation of gigantic factories, they could never have conceived any such thing as the belt system existing under Socialism. They held the view that all machinery that dominates man in the sense that, when operated, he is an appendage to it, would be ruthlessly scrapped.
The machinery that we have today is for the express purpose of enabling surplus value to be obtained, and realised upon. For this the market is an essential factor. Under a system of production for use, will not a vast portion of the mechanism designed for a profit-making purpose be not only useless, but a hindrance to general well-being?
Judging from what one hears at public meetings and reads in the so-called "left" press, many so-called socialists appear to be under the impression that the mode of production is O.K. All that is required is an equitable distribution of the products of industry, and the problem is solved. Unfortunately Capitalism is a system of production for profit only; there has never been produced at any time under Capitalism sufficient to satisfy the needs of all. The object of Capitalist production is not the production of wealth; the mechanism was not designed for that purpose; where profit is not visualized Capital does not go; in other words, no profit—no production.
The mechanism, built expressly to exploit wage slaves, is becoming ever more efficient from that standpoint but this makes the situation ever worse for the exploited. The wage slave knows this instinctively, but cannot understand why it is so; there is a developing dissatisfaction and a desire to kick, but not understanding that the system is at fault, in the main workers act blindly.
When the proletarians perform their historic task it will be as a result of the fact that they are compelled to revolt against the exploiting mechanism, not because they desire to possess it, but partly because of the workers' disinclination to operate it under the then prevailing conditions. They, the workers, will be driven to take control of the State machine and register the fact that the means of production are from then on to be operated exclusively for use. As a means of ending chaos the tools of industry will be made common property. The dismantling process can then begin. Socialism entails the abolition of the wages system, and also the scrapping of the harness buckled on the limbs of the slave. It may be difficult for some to believe they can dispense with it; they have got so used to it they cannot conceive of life without it, and so-called socialists often go out of their way to perpetuate the false idea that man is free from exploitation when he is firmly rivetted to the mechanism of capitalism, in other words they want him to make it his own permanently in its present form.
The time is getting short, we are in for a period of incessant conflict; the workers must more clearly understand what they are called upon to do. All that is involved in the revolutionary act must be made plain. To make the machinery of production common property is not the whole of it. To establish a system of production for use through the operation of the present day machinery designed for exploitation is impossible. Many wage slaves vaguely realise this and once they comprehend that socialism means doing away with the tread mill that they now find themselves tied to, they will the better understand our message. Man will be so circumstanced that he may go from one machine to another producing things he enjoys producing because of their use to mankind and also because they are, to a considerable extent, the expression of his own personality. The desire to produce what one personally wants will be intensified.
In the earlier forms of society every member of the tribe could do practically what every other tribesman could do. We are returning to the communal life of our ancestors, but on a higher plane. A careful study of the life and institutions, of the old barbarian gens should enable us to form some idea of what is coming. Socialism means freedom. To be free man must control his means of life, and not only that, he must be at liberty to so develop himself that he is able to make the mechanism that he operates in order to live, subordinate to his will. In other words he must be a man. To be a cog in a machine is to be a slave no matter how well greased the mechanism is.
Nothing is destroyed until it is replaced. What is required is ever-increasing knowledge of constructive socialism. A study of what is inferred by the above may enable us to discern that is the root cause of the peculiar actions of Russia, and the Kremlin's will to power. From the period of the introduction of the modern machine the Russian workers found themselves cribbed, cabined and confined to an extent never previously known. When they resisted they were forced into the mould shaped by the economic conditions which the introduction of the profit machine brought into being. The rulers of Russia, once the thing started, had no option; they were determined to make their system run. They eventually succeeded in grinding slaves for profit more rapidly than their competitors, and to make good the loss they have not hesitated even to kidnap some skilled workers from other lands. Their suffering dupes must be stimulated; when they flag or show restlessness an appeal is made to “National pride”; they are deceived by cunning propaganda, soothed by lies and tricked in various ways as workers here are, and for what? To retain and extend the power of the ruling clique and increase the wealth of its members. Everything that can be utilized is ruthlessly applied towards the end the government of Russia has in view, and woe betide those workers who venture to oppose what is decreed by the group in authority.
Wage slaves in all countries are groaning under this soul-destroying power, the mechanism of Capitalism. Everything around them, together with themselves, is geared to it. Speed, speed and more speed is the slogan. It does not slow up, it cannot. Sometimes a stoppage occurs here and there, but when it restarts it goes quicker than before; faster and ever faster it must move, and so must those who attend it. Its slaves are killed and maimed in countless numbers when at work, and even when travelling to the places of exploitation. They contract diseases where they slave from which they prematurely die; periodically they are lined up to slaughter one another, and in various ways brutalized and butchered, to serve capitalism’s ends.
Charles Lestor
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