Labor Day is the occasion when capitalist America honors its wage slaves, those who produce all of the wealth in return for the price of the commodities they need to exist and work and raise families to continue the process. Traditionally, labor unions throughout the country organize parades for labor's holiday thus advertising via their placards, even though unwittingly, the slave status of their members and their particular masters' product. There is some sort of satisfaction, it seems, in the knowledge that one is exploited by rubber capitalists or clothing capitalists or auto capitalists.
The myth of a common interest between the workers and the capitalists is furthered on this day and labor unions vie with the owners of industry in flaunting their patriotism to the nation, the chief pillar of a society based upon the subjugation and exploitation of labor. This is particularly galling to socialists on Labor Day, because this holiday was originally established by the capitalists, with complete approval of labor's hierarchy, as an alternative or antidote to May Day and the revolutionary aspects which once symbolized the first of May were carefully excluded from this first Monday in September. And the fact that May Day has become the property of totalitarian nations of state capitalism makes it all the more galling.
The philosophy behind Labor Day, then, is not at all in tune with the object and principles of the scientific socialist movement. Socialists are dedicated to the establishment of a society in which a common interest among all of mankind will finally become possible. This could only mean the abolition of both working class and capitalist class because the very division into economic classes indicates irreconcilable conflicts of interest among the population. As long as some members of society own the means and instruments by which all must live and the rest of the population must work for them at wages or salaries, a common interest is not possible. Any labor holiday which does not base its philosophy on this truth is a sham and a delusion and labor's very own organizations, the labor unions, are actively contributing toward this sham and delusion.
But Labor Day is not devoid of significance for the membership of the World Socialist Party of the U. S. For many years we have held our national conference on the weekend of Labor Day. usually in Boston which is the site of our national headquarters. on occasion in other cities such as New York and Detroit. Once again we meet in Boston to review our accomplishments of the past year — whatever —, to plan for the year ahead, and to enjoy the opportunity for socialists from widely scattered areas to get together. And what exactly have we accomplished in the year since we last met? In terms of the job that remains to be done, little. The deep confusion that throttles society is apparently as rife as ever. And to add to the confusion there are the government scandals which pit capitalists against one another and provide a deeper smokescreen to hide from the working class the only real need, the need to end the wages, prices, profits system itself. The worst scandal is the continuing existence of world capitalism at this late date.
But we certainly have accomplished something worthwhile in the last year. We have kept the scientific socialist movement alive and this, we feel, is no slight achievement. For confusion even in the ranks of militant and rebellious workers remains. The unfortunate equating of socialism with state capitalism is at least as widespread as ever. The World Socialist Party and its companion Socialist Parties in other countries remain the only dispensers of scientific socialist knowledge in the world at the present time. We continue to insist that the only way out of the mess that envelops society today, that spreads poverty and war throughout the entire planet, is the immediate establishment of world socialism. But this does not imply working for governments rather than for private capitalists. This can only mean the abolition of the wages system, itself, including governments; and their conversion into administrations over the affairs of man rather than over man. This is our message for Labor Day and for every other day to come.
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