Problems and Solutions (2009)

From the June 2009 issue of the Socialist Standard

Socialism won’t be a problem-free society but it will allow problems to be dealt with rationally.

Capitalism is a society beset by problems, from poverty, unemployment and homelessness to war, violence and insecurity. As the current recession shows, even those who consider themselves to be comfortably off and with a relatively ‘good’ job may still be thrown out of work with little notice. The housing market is in such a state that many people cannot sell their homes and estate agents are closing almost as quickly as pubs. The fact is that capitalism throws up problem after problem, and this is an in-built aspect of the system’s operation.

Now, socialism will not be a society without problems. There will doubtless still be personal disagreements and dislikes, and natural disasters to disrupt the straightforward functioning of everyday life. But we can say with some assurance that the problems of socialism will be very different from those of capitalism.

We may distinguish two situations. The first consists of problems of capitalism which will simply not arise in socialism; the second of problems that socialism will be far better equipped to address and to solve than capitalism is.

All the economic difficulties of capitalism will automatically be things of the past in a socialist society. The idea that there could be people who want to work but are forced to sit around idle, while at the same time there are others who badly need the goods or services that the first group could provide, would be totally alien. There would be no unemployed building workers alongside homeless people or inhabitants of slums. No unemployed agricultural workers alongside the starving. Anyone who wishes to contribute to production will be able to do so, without considerations of profit and the market being of any relevance. Poverty will vanish in a society based on free access and production for use, and people will not starve while food is exported. So all the problems of destitution, insecurity and worry will be gone, since these are created by capitalism’s rationing of goods and its exploitation of the working class. Concepts like booms and slumps and recession and unemployment will have been confined to the history books.

Equally, war will no longer exist. With no contending countries and no ruling classes, there will be no need for vast armies making use of the latest weapons technology. Issues such as ensuring the availability of raw materials like oil will not arise, since they will be the common property of all the earth’s people. Resources, both natural and human, will no longer be wasted on killing and inventing new ways of killing other humans.

At the same time, there will be other problems which will exist in socialism, and for which the establishment of a co-operative commonwealth will not automatically provide a solution. Environmental issues would be a prominent example of this. Under capitalism, the profit motive and the short-term nature of planning combine to cause pollution and destruction of the environment. Socialism would be unable to simply stop interfering with the world we live in, since production of any kind assumes some sort of interaction with our environment. Nor can we say now how much mess capitalism will leave behind for socialism to grapple with. To what degree, for instance, will global warming have gone beyond the point of no return? How much oil will still be available, and how will energy be produced?

There are no easy answers to such ecological questions, and we cannot just dismiss them by saying that socialism will evince a concern for the environment that capitalism never can. Rather we can point out that satisfying human need and caring for the environment will be at the forefront of socialism’s priorities. If they come into conflict, decisions will have to be taken about whether to emphasise one or the other in a particular case. The answers cannot be given yet, since we do not even know just what the questions will be. But from anything other than a capitalist perspective, caring for the world is part of satisfying human need, since we are part of the planet and must always live within it.

Paul Bennett

Weekly Bulletin of The Socialist Party of Great Britain (101)

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the 101st of our weekly bulletins to keep you informed of changes at Socialist Party of Great Britain @ MySpace.

We now have 1511 friends!

Recent blogs:

A simpler way of doing things

Positively socialism

Euroelections: the case for the SPGB

Quote for the week:

"It was the first time that I had ever been in a town where the working class was in the saddle ... There was much in it that I did not understand, in some ways I did not even like it, but I recognized it immediately as a state of affairs worth fighting for . . . " George Orwell, Homage to Catalonia (1938).

Continuing luck with your MySpace adventures!

Robert and Piers

Socialist Party of Great Britain

È ancora tempo di elezioni

Ogni quattro o cinque anni gruppi di politici di professione competono per il tuo voto con lo scopo di ottenere per se stessi una posizione privilegiata, questa volta nel Parlamento Europeo. Tutti i partiti e i candidati (ad eccezione dei rarissimi candidati del Movimento Socialista Mondiale) offrono solo cambiamenti minori all’attuale sistema. Ecco perché qualunque candidato o partito vinca non vi è nessun significante cambiamento del presente stato delle cose. Continuamente vengono fatte promesse che poi vengono ritirate, vengono fissati obiettivi che poi non vengono raggiunti, vengono selezionate e create ad arte delle statistiche.

Tutti i politici partono dal presupposto che il capitalismo sia l’unico modo di vivere possibile, anche se alcuni di loro criticano delle caratteristiche della sua faccia inaccettabile, come per esempio i banchieri avidi, o il peggio dei suoi eccessi, come per esempio le guerre. Difendono una società in cui noi, la maggioranza della popolazione, dobbiamo vendere le nostre capacità lavorative a una minuscola minoranza che possiede la maggior parte delle ricchezze. Difendono una società in cui i posti di lavoro sono offerti solo se c’è un profitto da realizzare.

Il vero socialismo

Il Movimento Socialista Mondiale propone con insistenza una società veramente democratica in cui le persone prendono tutte le decisioni che le riguardano. Questo significa una società senza ricchi e senza poveri, senza padroni e senza lavoratori, senza governi e senza governati, una società senza leader e senza seguaci.

In una società del genere le persone coopererebbero per usare tutte le risorse naturali e industriali del mondo nel loro proprio interesse. Libererebbero la produzione dalle restrizioni artificiali del profitto e realizzerebbero un sistema sociale in cui ogni persona avrebbe libero accesso ai benefici della civiltà. La società socialista comporterà di conseguenza la fine della compravendita e dello scambio, la fine dei confini e delle frontiere, la fine della violenza organizzata e della coercizione, dello spreco, del bisogno e della guerra.

Cosa puoi fare

Puoi votare per candidati che opereranno all’interno del sistema capitalista e aiutare la continuazione di questo sistema. Oppure puoi usare il tuo voto per mostrare che desideri abbatterlo e porre fine una volta per tutte ai problemi che esso causa.

Quando un numero sufficiente di noi si unirà insieme, determinati a porre fine all’ineguaglianza e alla privazione, potremo trasformare le elezioni in un mezzo per sbarazzarci di una società di dominio minoritario in favore di una società veramente democratica e di uguaglianza sociale.

Se sei d’accordo con l’idea di una società di proprietà comune e democratica dove nessuno è lasciato indietro e le cose sono prodotte perché sono necessarie, e non per fare un profitto per qualche grande impresa capitalista, e sei pronto ad unirti a noi per ottenere ciò, allora vota per essa, dal momento che in Italia non abbiamo nostri candidati, scrivendo “SOCIALISMO MONDIALE” sulla tua scheda elettorale.

İnsanlar….. ya da Kâr?

Yine seçim zamanı

Her birkaç yılda bir politikacılar kendilerine rahat bir pozisyon sağlayacak oylarınızı kazanmak için birbirleriyle yarışırlar; bu yıl da Avrupa Parlementosu seçimlerinde bu oylar için yarışacaklar. Varolan bütün partiler ve adaylar şu an için varolan sistemde çok düşük düzeyde değişiklikler öne sürüyorlar. Bu nedenle hangi aday ya da parti seçimleri kazanırsa kazansın şu anda varolan durumda belirgin bir değişiklik ne yazık ki gerçekleşemiyor. Sözler veriliyor ve yerine getirilmiyor, hedefler belirleniyor ancak ulaşilamıyor istatistik sonuçlar belirleniyor ve sonuçlar üzerine oynanıyor.

Aç gözlü bankerler ya da kazanılamayan savaşlar gibi kabul edilemeyen bazı özelliklerini eleştirseler de bütün politikacılar kapitalizimin varolan tek alternatif olduğunu düşünüyorlar. Toplumun çogunlugunu oluşturan bizlerin kapasitemizi refahın büyük bir kısmını ellerinde bulunduran küçük bir azınlığa satmamızın gerektiği bir sistemi savunuyorlar. Bizlere sadece kâr getirebilecek işlerin sunulduğu bir sistemi savunuyorlar.

Gerçek Sosyalizm

Sosyalist Parti kişilerin kendilerini etkileyen bütün kararları bizzat kendilerinin aldığı demokratik bir sistemin gerekliliğini vurgular. Demokratik sistemle söylenmek istenen zengin ve yoksulların, refah sahibi olanlar ile işçilerin, yönetenlerle yönetilenlerin, liderlerle idare edilenlerin olmadığı bir sistemdir.

Böyle bir toplumda kişiler üretimi kâr elde etme güdüsünün baskısından kurtaracak ve herkesin uygarlaşmanın faydalarından serbestçe yararlanabileceği bir toplum oluşturacaklardır. Sosyalist toplum sonuç olarak alım, satım, değiş-tokuş gibi işlemlerin bittiği, sınırların olmadığı, örgütlü suçlar, baskı rejimleri, savaşlar, sarfiyat ve yokluğun sonlandırıldığı bir toplum olacaktır.

Ne yapabilirsiniz

Kapitalist sistemde çalisacak ve sistemin devam etmesine yardımcı olacak adaylara oy verebilirsiniz. Alternatif olarak oyunuzu, bu sistemi değiştirmeyi ve sistemle birlikte gelen problemleri bir defada ve tümüyle sonlandırmayı istediğinizi göstermek için kullanabilirsiniz.

Toplumun büyük bir çogunlugunu oluşturan bizler yoksulluk ve eşitsizliğe son vermeye kararlı bir şekilde yeterli sayıda bir araya geldiğimizde seçimleri kullanarak refah sahibi azınlıkların yönettiği bir toplumdan kurtulup yerine sosyal eşitlik ve gerçek demokrasi temelli bir toplum inşa edebiliriz.

Her birkaç yılda bir politikacılar kendilerine rahat bir pozisyon sağlayacak oylarınızı kazanmak için birbirleriyle yarışırlar; bu yıl da Avrupa Parlementosu seçimlerinde bu oylar için yarışacaklar. Varolan bütün partiler ve adaylar şu an için varolan sistemde çok düşük düzeyde değişiklikler öne sürüyorlar. Bu nedenle hangi aday ya da parti seçimleri kazanırsa kazansın şu anda varolan durumda belirgin bir değişiklik ne yazık ki gerçekleşemiyor. Sözler veriliyor ve yerine getirilmiyor, hedefler belirleniyor ancak ulaşilamıyor istatistik sonuçlar belirleniyor ve sonuçlar üzerine oynanıyor.

Aç gözlü bankerler ya da kazanılamayan savaşlar gibi kabul edilemeyen bazı özelliklerini eleştirseler de bütün politikacılar kapitalizimin varolan tek alternatif olduğunu düşünüyorlar. Toplumun çogunlugunu oluşturan bizlerin kapasitemizi refahın büyük bir kısmını ellerinde bulunduran küçük bir azınlığa satmamızın gerektiği bir sistemi savunuyorlar. Bizlere sadece kâr getirebilecek işlerin sunulduğu bir sistemi savunuyorlar.

Gerçek Sosyalizm

Sosyalist Parti kişilerin kendilerini etkileyen bütün kararları bizzat kendilerinin aldığı demokratik bir sistemin gerekliliğini vurgular. Demokratik sistemle söylenmek istenen zengin ve yoksulların, refah sahibi olanlar ile işçilerin, yönetenlerle yönetilenlerin, liderlerle idare edilenlerin olmadığı bir sistemdir.

Böyle bir sistemde kişiler dünyanın bütün doğal ve endüstriyel.

Kimsenin geride bırakılmadığı, herşeyin kapitalist bir şirkete kâr getirmek amacıyla değil insanların gereksinimi doğrultusunda üretildigi, ortak ve demokratik mülkiyet temelli bir toplum düşüncesini kabul ediyorsanız ve bu amaca ulşmak için bizlere katılmaya hazırsanız oylarınızı SOCIALIST PARTY listesi için kullanınız.

Znowu wybory

Co parę lat grupy profesjonalnych polityków konkurują o Twój głos, żeby zdobyć sobie wygodny stołek, tym razem w Parlamencie Europejskim. Wszstkie z tych partii i wszyscy kandydaci oferują tylko niewielkie zmiany do obecnego systemu społeczno-gospodarczego. Dlatego właśnie, którykolwiek kandydat czy partie zwyciężą, nic się wokół nas nie zmienia.

Obiecanki cacanki

Wszyscy politycy zakładają, że kapitalizm jest jedyną drogą, nawet jeśli krytykują jego nieakceptowalne przejawy, np. zachłannych bankierów czy wojny nie do wygrania. Bronią oni społeczeństwa, w którym my, wiekszość ludzkości, musimy sprzedawać naszą zdolność do pracy dla niewielkiej garstki posiadających środki produkcji. Bronią oni społeczeństwa, w którym praca jest oferowana tylko wtedy, jeśli uda się zrobić zysk.

Prawdziwy socjalizm

Partia Socjalistyczna proponuje prawdziwie demokratyczne społeczeństwo, w którym wszyscy ludzie podejmują decyzje ich dotyczące. Oznacza to społeczeństwo bez biednych i bogatych, bez właścicieli środków produkcji i robotników, bez rządzących i rządzonych, społeczeństwo bez przywódców i podporządkowanej im masy.

W takim społeczeństwie ludzie bedą współpracować ze sobą, by używać zasobów naturalnych i przemysłowych w swym własnym interesie. Uwolnią oni produkcje dóbr ze sztucznych ograniczeń zysku i ustanowią system społeczny, w którym każda osoba ma bezpłatny dostęp do dóbr cywilizacyjnych.

Społeczeństwo socjalistyczne w konsekwencji będzie oznaczać koniec sprzedawania, kupowania i wymiany, zniesienie granic, koniec zorganizowanej przemocy i przymusu, marnotrawstwa i wojen.

Co możesz zrobić?

Możesz głosować na kandydatów, którzy będą pracować wewnątrz systemu kapitalistycznego i pomagać mu przetrwać. Lub też możesz użyc swego głosu, żeby pokazać, że chcesz jego zniesienia i skończenia z problemami, jakie ze sobą niesie, raz i na zawsze.

Gdy wystarczająco wielu z nas razem połączy się, zdecydowanych skończyć z nierównościa i ubóstwem, to możemy zmienić wybory parlamentarne w narzędzie odrzucenia społeczeństwa rządów mniejszosci.

Jeśli zgadzasz sie z ideą społeczeństwa wspólnej demokratycznej własności, gdzie nikt nie jest pozostawiony sam sobie na marginesie społecznym i rzeczy są wytwarzane, poniewaz są społecznie potrzebne, a nie tylko by tworzyć zysk dla jakiejś kapitalistycznej korporacji, i jeśli jesteś gotowy połaczyć się z naszym celem, to głosuj na listę Partii Socjalistycznej.

Anmerkungen der Sozialistischen Partei zur Europawahl 2009

Wahrscheinlich wirst du schon etwas über die Wahlen zum Europäischen Parlament gehört haben, der größten Wahl in Europa, die es bislang gegeben hat. Denn in den 27 Staaten der Europäischen Union leben 500 Millionen Menschen. Du bist aufgerufen, zwischen dem 4. und 7. Juni diejenigen aus dem Kreis der „politischen Elite“ deines Wahlbezirks zu wählen, die ihre Ferien in Brüssel und Strassburg werden verbringen können. Auf deine Kosten, versteht sich.

Die Machthaber sind aber derzeit ein wenig in Sorge, ob du überhaupt von ihren Argumenten und ihrem Wahlspektakel genügend angetan sein wirst, um zur Wahl zu gehen. Sie befürchten, dass du zu Hause bleibst. Schande über Dich!

Um dir deutlich zu machen, warum das alles so wichtig, oder eher unwichtig ist, könnten wir dir ein paar Hinweise darauf geben, in welchen Bereichen in der letzten Zeit das Europäische Parlament dein Leben veränderte (in der englischsprachigen Version tun wir es auch): Aber das Ergebnis ist, dass es dabei nichts Wichtiges aufzuzählen gibt, daher lassen wir es hier bei dieser Feststellung bewenden.

Insbesondere wenn du auf die so genannten “Sozialleistungen” angewiesen oder „arbeitslos“, also mittellos, bist, oder wenn dich die vielen Problemen plagen, mit denen Lohnabhängige, auch und gerade wenn sie „Arbeit haben“, ständig konfrontiert sind, dann hast du wirklich keinen Grund, zur Wahl zu gehen und einen dieser üblichen Kandidaten der Linken, der Rechten oder der Mitte zu wählen.

Tatsache ist, dass das Spektakel der Eurowahl nicht aufgeführt wird, um irgendetwas Gutes für DICH zu tun. Es dient dazu, die herrschenden Eliten des Kapitals davon abzuhalten, übereinander herzufallen, also gegeneinander in Europa Krieg zu führen, wie sie das in der Geschichte, mehr als einmal, taten. Wir erinnern nur an den Ersten und den Zweiten Weltkrieg.

Obwohl es natürlich eine gute Idee ist, Kriege zu vermeiden - denn es sind Arbeiterinnen und Arbeiter, die an dessen Folgen am Meisten zu leiden haben - ist es mitnichten dieser „Wohlfahrtsaspekt“, der eine Rolle spielen würde. Die eigentliche Motivation ist hingegen die Angst des Kapitals, zu viel Geld für die Kriegsführung ausgeben zu müssen. Die kapitalistischen Eliten wollen zwar alle (mehr als) satt werden, aber ohne unnötigerweise Gefahr zu laufen, im Maul und zwischen den Zähnen ihrer Konkurrenten zu enden. Es geht - wer hätte das gedacht – um Profit und Geld. Und daran wird sich auch nichts ändern, solange der Kapitalismus und das Geld bestehen bleiben. Abgesehen davon ist der kapitalistische Friede – global betrachtet – immer nur ein Zwischenzustand, denn kapitalistische Konkurrenz und Kriege gehören zusammen.

Vielleicht denkst du ja wirklich angesichts der Wirtschafts- und Finanzkrise, dass der Kapitalismus für dich nichts tut, außer dass er dich zu seinem Lohnsklaven macht, dessen einzige anerkannte Existenzberechtigung darin besteht, die Reichen noch reicher zu machen. Wenn aber die Kandidaten in deinem Wahlkreis dies nicht so klar und deutlich sehen und es aussprechen, warum solltest du einen von ihnen wählen?

Es ist besser, wenigstens im Stillen etwas zu sagen oder zu schreiben, als vollkommen schweigend und untätig zu verharren. Insofern solltest du zur Wahl gehen, dann aber „ungültig“ stimmen, zum Beispiel dadurch, dass du auf den Wahlzettel „Abschaffung des Geldes und des Kapitalismus“ oder „Weltsozialismus – gemeinschaftliches Eigentum und gleichberechtigte Kontrolle“ schreibst. Danach besuche unsere Webseite www.worldsocialism.org, auf der du Leute treffen wirst, die ähnlich denken, wie du.

Wir meinen, dass es durchaus sinnvoll ist, eine Wahl zu treffen, auch wenn es bei der Europawahl niemanden gibt, der es Wert wäre, gewählt zu werden.

De nuevo es tiempo de elecciones

Cada cierto número de años los políticos profesionales compiten por ganar el voto de usted y a la par ganar para sí mismos una posición acomodada, esta vez en Parlamento Europeo. Todos los partidos y candidatos ofrecen sólo cambios secundarios al sistema presente. Tal es la razón de gane el candidato o partido que gane no haya cambios importantes en la forma en son las cosas. Hacen promesas que no cumplen, se definen metas a las que nunca se llega, se seleccionan y tuercen las estadísticas.

Todos los políticos suponen que al capitalismo es a lo único que se puede jugar, aunque quizá critiquen los rasgos de cara su inaceptable, como los banqueros codiciosos, o el peor de sus excesos, como las guerras imposibles de ganar. Defienden la sociedad en que nosotros, la mayoría de la población, debemos vender nuestra capacidad de trabajar a la ínfima mayoría de quienes detentan la mayor parte de la riqueza. Defienden una sociedad en que se ofrecen los trabajos sólo si van a reportar una ganancia.

El socialismo real

El Movimiento Socialista Mundial lucha con vehemencia por una sociedad de verdad democrática, en que la gente tome todas las decisiones que la afectan. Esto significa una sociedad sin ricos ni pobres, sin propietarios ni trabajadores, sin gobernantes ni gobernados, una sociedad sin líderes ni liderados.

En una sociedad así la gente cooperaría para utilizar todos los recursos naturales e industriales en su propio interés. La gente liberaría la producción de las restricciones artificiales del lucro y establecería un sistema social en que cada persona tuviera acceso gratuito a los beneficios de la civilización. En consecuencia, con la sociedad socialista terminaría el comprar, el vender y el intercambiar, y con ella también dejarían de existir las fronteras, y la violencia y la coerción organizadas, el desperdicio, las carencias y las guerras.

Qué puede usted hacer

Puede usted votar por candidatos que trabajarán dentro del sistema capitalista y procurarán que siga funcionando. O puede usted emplear su voto para demostrar que quiere derrumbarlo y ponerle fin a los problemas que causa de una vez por todas.

Cuando un número suficientemente grande de nosotros nos unamos, resueltos a terminar con la desigualdad y las privaciones, podremos transformar las elecciones en medio de acabar con una sociedad gobernada por una minoría y de declararnos a favor de una sociedad de democracia real e igualdad social.

Si está usted de acuerdo con una sociedad de propiedad común y democrática en la cual nadie se quede atrás y las cosas se produzcan porque son necesarias, y no para que la empresa capitalista las venda con ganancia, y esté usted dispuesto a unirse a nosotros para lograrlo, entonces vote por eso, ya que no estamos en este distrito electoral, escribiendo “SOCIALISMO MUNDIAL” en su papeleta de voto.

Mensen…. of winst ?

Het is weer verkiezingstijd

Elke paar jaar strijden groepen professionele politic om uw stem, om voor zichzelf een comfortabele positie te verkrijgen, dit keer in het Europese Parlement. Al de andere partijen en kandidaten bieden slechts kleine veranderingen aan van het huidige systeem. Daarom is er vrijwel geen verandering in de status quo, welke kandidaat of partij er ook wint. Beloftes worden gemaakt en gebroken, doelen gezet en niet gehaald, statistieken geselecteerd en gemasseerd.

Alle politici beweren dat kapitalisme het enige mogelijke model is, hoewel ze onderdelen van kapitalisme’s onacceptabele gezicht bekritiseren, zoals graaiende bankiers, of de ergste excessen er van, zoals onwinbare oorlogen. Ze verdedigen een maatschappij waarin wij, de meerderheid van de bevoling, onze capaciteit om te werken moeten verkopen aan het kleine handjevol dat de meeste rijkdom bezit. Ze verdedigen een maatschappij waarin banen alleen worden aangeboden als er winst mee te maken valt.

Echt socialisme

De Socialistische Partij dringt aan op een waarachtig democratische samenleving waarin mensen alle beslissingen die hen betreffen, zelf nemen. Dit betekent een samenleving zonder rijk en arm, zonder eigenaars en werkers, zonder regeringen en geregeerden, een samenleving zonder leiders en geleiden.

In zo’n samenleving zouden mensen samenwerken om alle natuurlijke en industriële hulpbronnen in hun eigen belang te gebruiken. Dit zou productie bevrijden van het kunstmatige keurslijf van winst en een systeem van samenleving tot stand brengen waar elke persoon vrije toegang heeft tot de baten van de beschaving. Een socialistische samenleving zou dus het einde betekenen van kopen, verkopen en uitwisselen, een einde aan grenzen, een einde aan georganiseerd geweld en dwang, verspilling, armoede en oorlog.

Wat u kan doen

U kunt stemmen voor kandidaten die in het kapitalistische systeem werken en helpen om het gaande te houden. Of u kunt uw stem gebruiken om te laten zien dat u dit systeem omver wil werpen en de problemen die het veroorzaakt voor eens en voor altijd wil beëindigen.

Als genoeg van ons samenkomen, vastbesloten om ongelijkheid en ontbering te beëindigen, kunnen we verkiezingen veranderen in een manier om van een samenleving gebaseerd op minderheidsheerschappij af te komen, ten gunste van een samenleving gebaseerd op echte democratie en sociale gelijkheid.

Als u het eens bent met het idee van een samenleving met gemeenschappelijk en democratisch eigendom waar niemand achtergelaten wordt en dingen geproduceerd worden omdat ze nodig zijn en niet om winst te maken voor één of ander kapitalistisch bedrijf, en u bereid bent om met ons samen te werken om dit te bereiken, schrijf dan WERELDSOCIALISME op uw stembiljet.

Nu är det val igen

Av och till tävlar grupper av yrkespolitiker om din röst för att själva kunna skaffa sig en bekväm position, den här gången i EU-parlamentet. Alla partier och kandidater erbjuder bara mindre förändringar av det nuvarande systemet. Oavsett vilken kandidat eller vilket parti som vinner kommer ingen förändring av vikt att inträffa. Givna löften bryts, uppställda mål uppnås inte och statistik väljs ut och manipuleras.

Politiker kan visserligen kritisera sådana företeelser som giriga bankirer eller vidriga krig, men alla utgår de från att kapitalismen är det enda möjliga systemet. De försvarar ett system i vilket vi, majoriteten av befolkningen, måste sälja vår arbetskraft till en liten förmögen minoritet. De försvarar ett system i vilket det finns jobb bara när det går att göra vinst.

Verklig socialism

Den världssocialistiska rörelsen eftersträvar ett verkligt demokratiskt samhälle i vilket människorna själva fattar alla beslut som påverkar dem. Det innebär ett samhälle utan fattiga och rika, utan ägare och arbetare, utan regeringar och styrda, ett samhälle utan ledare och ledda.

I ett sådant samhälle skulle människor samarbeta för att använda jordens naturtillgångar och industrianläggningar i sitt eget intresse. De skulle befria produktionen från det konstgjorda hinder som kravet på vinst ställer upp och upprätta ett samhällssystem i vilket alla människor har fri tillgång till det som samhället producerar. Det socialistiska samhället skulle innebära slutet för köp, försäljning och utbyte, ett slut på gränser och nationer, och ett slut på organiserat våld och förtryck, slöseri, nöd och krig.

Vad du kan göra

Du kan rösta på kandidater som kommer att arbeta inom det kapitalistiska systemet och hjälpa till att hålla det igång. Eller så kan du använda din röst för att visa att du vill avskaffa det och en gång för alla göra slut på problemen som kapitalismen orsakar.

När tillräckligt många av oss förenar sig kan vi förändra valen till att bli ett medel för att göra slut på ett samhälle med minoritetsstyre till förmån för ett samhälle med verklig demokrati och social jämlikhet.

Om du håller med om detta och är beredd att förena dig med oss för att uppnå detta samhälle kan du rösta för det genom att skriva VÄRLDSSOCIALISM, WORLD SOCIALISM, på din valsedel.

MÅL: Att upprätta ett samhällssystem baserat på hela samhällets gemensamma ägande och demokratiska kontroll av produktions- och distributionsmedlen.gemensamt.

Encore des élections

À intervalles de quelques années, des groupes de politiciens professionnels entrent en compétition pour gagner votre vote et ainsi accéder à une position confortable, cette fois-ci au Parlement Européen. Tous les partis et candidats n'offrent que des changements mineurs au système actuel. C'est pourquoi il n'y a jamais de véritable changement à l'état des choses, peu importe le candidat élu. Des promesses sont faites et brisées, des buts sont fixés mais jamais atteints et on joue au ventriloque avec des statistiques.

Tous les politiciens assument que la seule option est le capitalisme, même s'ils critiquent ses côtés inacceptables, comme des banquiers cupides, et ses pires excès, comme des guerres sans victoire. Ils défendent un système social dans lequel nous, la majorité de la population, devons vendre notre force de travail à une poignée de personnes qui possèdent la plupart des richesses. Ils défendent un système social dans lequel des emplois sont offerts seulement si un profit peut être fait.

Le véritable socialisme

Le Mouvement pour le socialisme mondial désire une société véritablement démocratique dans laquelle les gens pourront prendre les décisions qui les affectent. C'est une société sans riches et pauvres, sans propriétaires et travailleurs, sans gouvernants et gouvernés, une société sans chefs et moutons.

Dans une telle société, les gens coopéreraient pour que les ressources naturelles et industrielles du monde servent leurs intérêts. Ils libéreraient la production des chaînes du profit et établiraient un monde dans lequel chacun pourra accéder librement aux bienfaits de la civilisation. Une société socialiste implique la fin de l'achat, de la vente et de l'échange, la fin des frontières, la fin de la violence et de l'oppression organisées, la fin du gaspillage, de la pauvreté et de la guerre.

Ce que vous pouvez faire

Vous pouvez voter pour des candidats qui travailleront à l'intérieur du système capitaliste et feront en sorte qu'il subsiste. Vous pouvez aussi utiliser votre vote pour montrer que vous voulez vous débarrasser de lui et des problèmes qu'il cause une fois pour toutes.

Quand nous serons assez nombreux à vouloir la fin de l'inégalité et de la privation, nous pourrons faire des élections un moyen de laisser derrière nous une société de pouvoir de la minorité pour passer à une société de véritable démocratie et égalité.

Si vous êtes d'accord avec l'idée d'une société de propriété commune et démocratique dans laquelle personne n'est mis à l'écart et la production servira à combler les besoins, plutôt que pour faire faire un profit à une entreprise, et êtes prêt à vous joindre à nous pour atteindre cet objectif, alors votez pour. Puisque nous ne nous présentons pas à ces élections, mettez un bulletin marqué « SOCIALISME MONDIAL » dans l’urne.

Massacre in Peking (1989)

From the July 1989 issue of the Socialist Standard

In the early hours of 4 June, soldiers of the Chinese army moved against the demonstrators who had been encamped since the end of April in Tiananmen Square in the centre of Peking. It had been widely expected that there would be a final confrontation between government forces and the students and others who had repulsed previous army attempts to uproot them. But few had anticipated that the army's action would be so brutal, with tanks and flamethrowers being used on unarmed civilians. Onlookers were cut down indiscriminately with those who attempted to resist. Thousands perished; nobody will ever know how many, as charred and disfigured corpses were hurriedly disposed of and hospitals were overwhelmed by the injured and dying. In the annals of capitalist bloodletting, this day in Peking will hold a place of its own.

The events had begun peaceably enough with marches in commemoration of the former Party Secretary Hu Yaobang. a supposed "liberal". They gradually grew, with more and more students boycotting classes, till there were demonstrations in many cities on 4 May, 'the anniversary of the day in 1919 when students demonstrated against the dispositions of the Versailles Peace Conference, a date usually seen as the beginning of Chinese nationalism. Hu's successor Zhao Ziyang expressed sympathy with the student's demands for an end to corruption and for greater democracy (an aim never given much clearer formulation). "Hard-liners" in the government, such as Prime Minister Li Peng, insisted that just a handful of disruptive elements were stirring things up. This was exposed as nonsense when on 17 May over a million people marched through Peking. Li's faction declared martial law (which had never been done in Peking before), but the first army units sent on to the streets of the capital were unwilling or unable to enforce it fully, as workers set up roadblocks and dissuaded soldiers from attacking them. Public transport virtually ceased, and many shops were closed. The power struggle within the ruling echelons of party and state seemed at first to favour Zhao, but he was apparently placed under house arrest as the hard-liners, led by Li and the power behind the throne Deng Xiaoping, seized the upper hand. Troops from outside Peking were drafted in, as the preparations for the final putsch were made. And the fateful day of 4 June arrived.

Government leaders kept studiously quiet just before and after the massacre; there were rumours that Deng was seriously ill. It looked as if a group of geriatric rulers had determined to preserve their own power at all costs, with little thought to the slaughter that would ensue, the prospect of a country in chaos, the watching TV cameras and the effect of China's "open door" policy towards overseas investment. This was somehow different even from Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968, for it involved Chinese troops killing Chinese workers. Even when Peking was captured by "Communist" armies in 1949, there was no shooting on the streets of the capital. Now the "People's Liberation Army" was slaughtering those it was ostensibly supposed to protect.

State Capitalist Ruling Class

Not that such armed repression is anything new even in the recent history of China. The savage military attacks in Tibet are only the most blatant example of the government's willingness to use violence to maintain its position. Many participants in earlier movements for "greater democracy" from the late seventies and early eighties are in prison or labour camp. The death penalty exists for a wide range of acts and is frequently applied. Nevertheless, the scale of the Tiananmen carnage has ensured that it will have an unprecedented impact on Chinese workers.

These workers have seen so many of the rulers getting rich quick as market oriented reforms open the way to corruption and black-market dealing. Only the bureaucrats have the opportunity to buy large quantities of goods at subsidised prices and sell them at massive profits on the open market. At the same time, the new economic arrangements have increased the sense of insecurity felt by so many. Yet, apart from the pervasive opposition to official corruption, there is no sign that the protestors were making economic demands. The call for a free press and other "rights" provided for in the constitution were the central issues for which workers fought with such dignity and heroism.

What crimes are committed in the name of liberty, exclaimed Madame Roland when on the way to be guillotined in the French Revolution. Even more horrendous are the crimes committed in the name of Socialism. The butchery in Peking is only the latest in a long series of acts of violence and brute force by state capitalist ruling classes against workers who dare to take the first tentative steps of resistance. Capitalism usually does not need to use such naked brutality to keep workers in their place, though is of course prepared to do so when necessary. But it is the courageous victims who will be remembered, not their vicious and barbaric murderers.

Paul Bennett

Weekly Bulletin of The Socialist Party of Great Britain (100)

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the 100th(!!) of our weekly bulletins to keep you informed of changes at Socialist Party of Great Britain @ MySpace.

We now have 1508 friends!

Recent blogs:

Whose news?

Let's make a real socialist revolution

Global Warming: Is it (or will it soon be) too late?

Quote for the week:

"In communist society, where nobody has one exclusive sphere of activity but each can become accomplished in any branch he wishes, society regulates the general production and thus makes it possible for me to do one thing today and another tomorrow, to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, criticise after dinner, just as I have a mind, without ever becoming hunter, fisherman, herdsman or critic." Marx, German Ideology (1845).

Continuing luck with your MySpace adventures!

Robert and Piers

Socialist Party of Great Britain

Cooking the Books: No jam tomorrow either (2009)

The Cooking the Books column from the June 2009 issue of the Socialist Standard

There’s a story told about a barber who displayed a sign outside his shop that stated “Free haircuts tomorrow”. When someone came in the next day asking for a free haircut, the barber pointed to the sign indicating that the free haircuts were for tomorrow not today.

In the past politicians in power worked the same con. Work harder, pull together, make sacrifices today, they used to say, and in a few years you’ll reap the rewards. Of course tomorrow never came. They are no longer saying this now. At least the Tory Leader, David Cameron, isn’t. Addressing a conference of his party, he spoke of “the Age of Austerity” that we are entering (London Times, 27 April) and the effects this was going to have on our standard of living.

He is of course in a difficult position. This time next year he expects to be Prime Minister, but one presiding over an economy that will still be in a depression and which will require severe cutbacks in government spending. He knows it just wouldn’t be credible if he promised jam tomorrow.

Actually, despite Gordon Brown’s claim to be spending the way out of the crisis – actually, trying to print his way out of it – there’s already austerity today. As the Guardian reported on 27 April:

“More than half of British firms plan to freeze pay this year while one in eight are planning to cut workers' pay, the British Chambers of Commerce says today. The BCC says its survey of 400 companies across the country shows that 58% of businesses are planning wage freezes this year while 12% are planning actually to cut pay in response to big falls in inflation and falling profits. The survey hints at the danger of deflation in Britain, with prices falling on the retail prices index measure, which could tip into a downward spiral if firms cut their pay. Official data last week showed pay growth had plummeted to just above zero – the lowest on record.” (See here.)

Meanwhile, unemployment is continuing to rise:

“The UK unemployment total is now 2,215,000 – the worst figure since 1996. The Office for National Statistics also showed a fall in earnings by 0.4 per cent in the year to March, the first time this has ever gone negative” (Morning Star, 13 May. See also here).

The two are of course connected. Wages are a price, the price of the working skills that workers sell to employers, which like all prices is subject to the law of supply and demand. With growing unemployment and a stagnating economy demand falls while supply increases, so exerting a powerful downward pressure on wages. If the economic commentators were honest, they would hail this fall in wages as one of the “green shoots of recovery” they are desperately looking for, since one of the conditions for recovery is that wages should fall. That’s the way capitalism works and always has worked.

Editorial: Crisis of legitimacy (2009)

Editorial from the June 2009 issue of the Socialist Standard

The European elections this month could not have come at a better time for a disgruntled UK electorate. While clearly fuelled by a media fresh from savaging merchant bankers and seeking new victims, the anger felt amongst the public regarding the "creativity" shown by MPs in relation to their expenses claims is undoubtedly genuine enough. Having had it confirmed recently in a government report that deprivation and inequality had risen for the third year running, the UK working class might find the maintenance costs of an MPs moat – to take just one example – a little difficult to understand.

Of course in the scheme of things, while the expenses claims make interesting reading, the whole issue is a bit of a storm in a teacup, and should be kept in some perspective. A few grand nicked here or there is crumbs compared to the wholesale legalised theft of value that occurs on payday when workers receive less than the value they have produced for their employer during that month

Socialists have little concern for the apparent moral consistency (or otherwise) of individuals, be they MPs or not. It’s the system we live under that we are interested in. As defenders of capitalism the right honourable gentlemen and ladies at Westminster have rarely been "right", and are certainly unlikely "honourable" role models. As exemplars of capitalism's principles, however they would appear to embody all the necessary tight-fisted, money-grabbing, elements.

If we didn't know it already, the last year should have taught us that capitalism is just not a "fair" system. There are many more important criticisms that can be levelled against capitalism, but the idea of "fairness" – the assumption that the society we live in should basically be a fair one, giving everyone an equal shout and an equal chance – is a political sentiment that seems to strike a very deep chord with people. On that score, capitalism is clearly found wanting.

More importantly, workers' confidence in the money system has clearly taken a significant bashing in recent months as pensions evaporate, redundancies are announced and house repossessions increase. The legitimacy of our leaders – whether business or political – is under increasing attack. Bankers have been an easy scapegoat for the fundamental failings of the economic system, capitalism. It is likely that some of that anger focussed on bankers has been generalised against those in power in the form of the political class represented at Westminster. And seldom before can the political choice provided for us have seemed so narrow. Threatened by ridicule from the public, the main political parties – between queuing up to show their contrition and denouncing their own excesses in terms reminiscent of some Maoist show trial – have spoken with one voice, the pro-capitalist voice. For brevity and clarity we can call them the Capitalist Party, the real political opponent of the Socialist Party.

Electrickery (2008)

From the December 2008 issue of the Socialist Standard

Catweazle was a television comedy series produced by London Weekend Television in the early 1970's. The series was conceived, and written by Richard Carpenter and ran for two seasons starring Geoffrey Bayldon as the irrepressible Catweazle. If, like me, you grew up in the constant presence of Doctor Who and the Goodies it is very likely you will also have fond memories of this well written and charming series.

Catweazle was a magician, who lived in the eleventh century, but however hard he tried, his spells hardly ever worked. One day was different. When Norman soldiers tried to capture him, in desperation he used magic to escape, and it worked! The only trouble was that instead of flying through space to flee his pursuers, he flew though time. Catweazle finds himself nine centuries into the future. Being a magician, everything he experiences in the twentieth century such as motor cars, telephones ("telling bone"), and electric light ("electrickery"), he believes is the result of magic. This basic premise and Catweazle’s quest to return to his own time, drives much of the humour in the series as Catweazle finds himself in situations that often become, well, hilarious.

Catweazle came to mind following the Socialist Party’s recent showing of the film “Who Killed the Electric Car”, as part of its season of free film evenings exploring issues and problems affecting our daily lives. This documentary covers the history of the battery electric vehicle: its birth, limited commercial development, and subsequent death, focusing mainly on the General Motors EV1 which was made available for lease in Southern California following the 1990 ZEV mandate of the California Air Resources Board. It also explores the role played in limiting the technology’s development and adoption by the US and Californian governments; manufacturers of conventional automobiles, hydrogen vehicles, and batteries; the oil industry; and of consumers, whilst also considering the implications of these events for Middle East politics, environmentalism, air pollution and global warming.

Electric car technology has been around for a long time: the first crude electric carriage was invented by Scotsman Robert Anderson in about 1889 and the electric car subsequently caught on in the US, enjoying success into the roaring 1920s with production peaking in 1912.

Its decline was brought about by several major developments. By the 1920s America had a better system of roads that now connected cities, bringing with it the need for longer-range vehicles. The discovery of Texan crude oil reduced the price of gasoline making it cheap and affordable to the average consumer. The initiation of mass production of the internal combustion engine as developed by Henry Ford (Fordism) made these vehicles widely available. And electric vehicles, by and large, were made with expensive materials the cost of which continued to rise: in 1912 an electric roadster sold for $1.750 while a gasoline car sold for $650.

Human-induced air pollution has been around at least since humans discovered fire; and everyday five hundred million car exhausts blow out some very nasty emissions as well as CO2, in fact roadside emissions are if anything on the increase. Traffic pollution has been blamed for tens of thousands of deaths every year. The Lancet has estimated that 6 percent of all deaths per year are due to air pollution. Half these deaths, it says, were linked to traffic fumes. In Britain researchers estimate that traffic fumes were responsible for more than 25,000 new cases of chronic bronchitis and more than 500,000 asthma attacks. Asthma is a chronic disease, in which sufferers have repeated attacks and difficulty in breathing and coughing, which is becoming common place amongst children. In Britain the cost of treating illness associated with traffic pollution amounts to 1.7 percent of the gross domestic product, exceeding the costs arising from traffic accidents.

California has almost perfect conditions for photochemical smog with the necessary ingredients: the type of pollutants put out by cars, and abundant sunshine. So here at least you would have thought the introduction and development of General Motors EVI would have been rationally embraced.. California already leads in electricity generation from hydroelectric power, that accounts for close to one-fifth of State electricity generation, and non hydroelectric renewable energy sources, such as wind, geothermal, solar energy, fuel wood, and municipal solid waste/landfill gas resources. (Interestingly, due to strict emission laws, only a few small coal-fired power plants operate in California, and the Mojave Desert is said to be one of the best sites in the United States for solar power plants. A facility known as “The Geysers,” located in the Mayacamas Mountains north of San Francisco, is the largest group of geothermal power plants in the world, with more than 750 megawatts of installed capacity.) These resources could have been harnessed to support the EVI, an emissions free vehicle. But we don’t live in a rational or even a remotely reasonable world. Profit and greed of the market are both master and ruler today.

Just ask yourself what short of a world is it where up to one billion people worldwide consume less than the minimum critical daily caloric intake needed to avoid hunger. In Africa in particular, hunger and disease are a vicious cycle. Hunger, along with many other effects causes the immune system to weaken, making the body more susceptible to other diseases. What kind of a world denies millions the medication to fight off illness and disease? What kind of world is it? Rational and Reasonable? Who killed the Electric Car?

The killers of the electric car are roaming the planet freely plundering it of its resources and all for profit – they will destroy a rain forest, pollute a river and poison the sea let alone empty an oil well or kill a car if there is a profit in it. It’s not “Electrickery.”

NL