Letter: Socialism and motor cars. (1934)

Letter to the Editors from the October 1934 issue of the Socialist Standard

Socialism and motor cars.

A correspondent (W. E. B. Acton) puts the following question: 

Under Socialism, as we understand it, equal distribution of the world’s wealth will be put into operation. What will happen if everyone desires a motor-car ?

The correspondent tells us that this is one of many questions put to him by work-mates of his, this particular question being put by a follower of Lord Beaverbrook. To students of capitalism the question is interesting as an example of the way private ownership and profit-seeking muddle and distort every issue. Lord Beaverbrook is an intelligent and experienced man, yet he will trot out infantile conundrums like this under the impression he is dealing with one of the important problems which will face Socialist society.

Socialism does not mean "equal distribution." It does not mean "dividing up." It means a system of society based on common ownership and democratic control of the means of production and distribution. It means that society as a whole will tackle the job of producing what society as a whole wants, limited, of course, by the then existing powers of production and by the number of hours it is considered desirable to spend at production.

"What will happen under Socialism if everyone desires a motor-car?" is a question which we could only answer if we knew the power of production prevailing at that time.

If the powers of production will not permit of one car per head except at considerable sacrifice of production in other fields, then people will democratically decide whether or not they are prepared to make this sacrifice. In this case, as in all other cases, .they will choose between alternatives in the light of their most pressing desires unless and until the powers of production have developed to the point where such a choice of alternatives is no longer necessary.

In any case, we must beware of foisting our own needs and aspirations under capitalism upon people living under the very different social conditions of Socialism. It is highly improbable that everybody under Socialism would want a car. In fact, it is certain that many will not. The utility of a car lies in its convenience for business and pleasure; but undoubtedly, too, part of the joy of possessing a car to-day lies in the social prestige it gives a man among his neighbours. As under Socialism this will be lacking, people are far more likely to make use, for travelling, of a clean, pleasant, rapid and conveniently-run traffic system, which is not beyond the wit of man to devise. Alternatively, to the extent that cars might be preferred, they could (though we do not claim that they will) be taken from a depot when wanted and returned when finished with—a method far superior to the wasteful and cumbrous system whereby each and every individual kept and maintained his own individual car. Ed. Comm.