Yes, but hang on - this one's different.
THAT'S WHAT THEY ALL SAY!
They don't all mean it, though. And they don't all know what they're talking about!
HOW ARE YOU DIFFERENT?
We're not promising you anything.
SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING THEN?
Asking you to think. Then vote for yourself. For a change.
THAT'S WHAT THEY ALL SAY!
They don't all mean it, though. And they don't all know what they're talking about!
HOW ARE YOU DIFFERENT?
We're not promising you anything.
SO WHAT ARE YOU DOING THEN?
Asking you to think. Then vote for yourself. For a change.
What Are The Mainstream Parties Offering?
The usual platitudes of course. Some unexciting and probably insincere promises which won't make much difference to the quality of our lives. Consider what's on offer from the usual suspects - New Labour, Tories, Lib-Dems - all totally committed to maintaining and defending the profit system, and serving the interests of the minority Capitalist Class. Labour, whether New or Old, has never aimed at anything more than managing capitalism. Maybe more crumbs for the workers - but only if the profit system allows it.
But what about the BNP?
Same again! Like the others, they want to keep the working class divided because they know that way we are more easily ruled over. They want us to blame our fellow workers for the problems which capitalism causes. They try to turn us against ourselves - blaming immigrants, or Muslims, or non-whites instead of understanding that it's the profit system itself which is the problem.
The BNP like to pose as a radical alternative to the mainstream parties of Labour, Conservative and the Lib-Dems. The fact that these parties seem united in regarding the BNP as 'beyond the pale' serves to bolster the BNP's image. But what neither they nor the mainstream can ever acknowledge are some fundamental things which they share in common. Chief among these is that in supporting one variety of capitalism or another, all these parties are fundamentally anti-working class.
The mainstream parties have long used the tactic of 'divide and rule' to keep us - the majority - in our place. Instead of realising what we have in common as a class, we are taught to regard our fellow workers as being the enemy, or the cause of our problems. The BNP's version of this, of course, is its rabid nationalism. But when the BNP talk of putting 'Britain' first, it simply means putting the interests of the ruling class first! You can't just wish away the reality of class division, and the interests of Blair, Cameron, Branson etc. are most certainly NOT the same as the interests of the working class in Britain. We have far more in common with our fellow workers elsewhere than we have with those who rule over us, and swapping Labour or Tory for BNP won't alter that.
The BNP hits out at symptoms but fails to understand causes. Take immigration for instance. Immigrants are, quite simply, our fellow workers. They are NOT the cause of unemployment, they are NOT the cause of overcrowding, they are NOT the cause of crime. These things are caused by the system of production for profit; in fact, capitalism itself. It is the profit system which forces employers to drive wages down by importing cheaper labour, but the BNP have no wish to tackle this system - in effect, they think it's ok for the ruling class to exploit the rest of us.
They also think we need leaders to do things for us - only with them being in charge instead of the present rulers.
Think Local or Think Global?
This may be a local election, but it's impossible to separate the everyday local issues from the wider social system we live under. Councillors aren't necessarily lying when they say there's not enough funds for the things people want funding for - they point to National Government and say they don't get enough from them. But the job of National Government; is to run the profit system - that's the number one priority and people will always come second to that in capitalism.
If we want to improve things we are going to have to act for ourselves. We're going to have to organise democratically to bring about a society geared to meeting human needs, not profits. But production for use (not profit) is only possible on the basis of genuine common ownership and democratic co-operation - what we call socialism.
This kind of society may seem like a million miles away, but remember we already have the resources and technology to make it possible! After all, this is a world of plenty. What prevents us from enjoying it is class division. Under capitalism, only a tiny minority of the world have ownership and control over the economy. The vast majority of us have nothing except our ability to work which we are then obliged to sell to the minority. WE are the ones who create all wealth in society - but then we hand it over to the minority, the capitalist class!
One World. One People
We have a world to win. The Socialist Party cannot bring this about on your behalf, and we're not promising to. As workers ourselves all we promise is to play our part in bringing about a sane and rational democratic society where we collectively make the decisions that affect us without needing to worry about how to pay. A society where meeting our needs is the only priority!
So don't waste a vote on any of the various 'Capitalist Parties' - as there are no socialists standing in this election, if you want a society of common ownership, democratic control and production for use not profit, then please express your agreement by writing "WORLD SOCIALISM" across your ballot paper and cross out the names of the various 'Capitalist Party' representatives.
The Socialist Party
What happens in this city depends mainly on what happens in the country and even in the world. That is why socialists are working for a different world. But it can't happen unless you join us. The job of making a better world must be the work of all of us.
Since 1904 The Socialist Party has completely opposed the idea of leadership; has rejected all forms of nationalism and advocated a world without borders; and has opposed both the phoney 'socialism' of the Labour Party and the state-capitalist dictatorship of the Soviet Union.
The world we want is one where we all work together. Co-operation is in our interests and this is how a socialist community would be organised - through democracy and through working with each other.
To co-operate we need democratic control not only in our own area, but by people everywhere. This means that all places of industry and manufacture, all the land, transport, shops etc. should be owned in common by the whole community. That way we could all enjoy free access to what we need without the barriers of buying and selling.
FOR A WORLD OF GENUINE COMMON OWNERSHIP AND FREE ACCESS!
An End To Pessimism
We, in the Socialist Party, reject the view that things will always stay the same. We CAN change the world. Nothing could stop a majority of socialists building a new society run for the benefit of everyone. We all have the ability to work together in each other's interests. All it takes is the right ideas and a willingness to make it happen. So why not visit our website at www.worldsocialism.org/spgb and read about the real Socialist alternative in our magazine, the Socialist Standard?
- leaflet distribution in areas in England where the Socialist Party is not standing candidates.
3 comments:
"Religious communism is a form of communism centered on religious principles. The term usually refers to a number of egalitarian and utopian religious societies practicing the voluntary dissolution of private property, so that society's benefits are distributed according to a person's needs, and every person performs labour according to their abilities. "Religious communism" has also been used to describe the ideas of religious individuals and groups who advocate the application of communist policies on a wider scale, often joining secular communists in their struggle to abolish capitalism."
(Wikipedia article on religious communism)
Alas, the struggle of these religious communists (a.k.a. Communalists) are not recognised by their secular/atheistic counterparts. An example of this is when SPGB and its sister parties in the WSM do not allow religious membership merely because they promote a different understanding of what religion is then religious communists.
Many a working class person's devotion to his or her religion has no relation to his or her enslavement by the ruling class, the latter's use of the priesthood to ensure worker conformity notwithstanding. While some religions are easy for the ruling class to exploit for their own benefit, others such as Buddhism and Jainism do not have any principles that can be used towards promoting capitalism. Indeed, religions such as these are fundementally anti-ruling class and pro-working class.
Another thing is that being on the Left, (as opposed to being on the Right, who settle their differences by going at each others throats), we are supposed to be known for our ability to transcend differences and work together. Communalists, in keeping with Leftist charecteristics, do not impose their beliefs upon others, but non-religious Socialists impose a prequisite of being athiest upon Communalists before they will even recognise them as being truly Socialist, what more having a willingness to work with them. Such differentiation is mere Right-wing style segregation and serves no other purpose then to needlessly split the Left.
After all, there is nothing on the Right to prevent atheism and it can be argued that the best capitalist would be atheist, since not even the restrictions inherent in religion would stop his exploitation anymore. The only difference between the atheist socialist and the religious socialist is that while the former utilises Marxism as the underlying premise, the latter uses religion.
If the SPGB is serious about Socialist unity as enumerated in its election leaflet, it would take the lead in abolishing needless barriers to cooperation by recognising that Socialism is not exclusive to Marxist analysis and can also come of religion as well as recognise Communalists as fellow Leftists and equals by admitting them as members.
Have you thought of joining our open discussion forum at http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/WSM_Forum/ where issues like those you raise are being debated all the time (and where more people can join in)?
But of course keep on posting comments here too.
As to the issue you raise here "communalism" normally means people organising on a "communal" basis, eg as Muslims or Hindus or, in Northern Ireland, as Catholics or Protestants. As socialists we are totally opposed to this as divisive of the working class. Workers of Muslim, Hindu, Catholic, Protestant, etc origin have more in common with each other than with the capitalist members of their so-called "community".
My understanding of the word "Communalism" comes from Wikipedia's article of the same name, where it is written that the word serves merely to distinguish between Socialism as it is understood by Marxists (called Communism) and Socialism as understood by religionists, which is called "Religious Communism" or "Communalism" to distinguish it from Marxism. My definition is not the communalism in the sense that you cite.
Thanks for the link. I had a look at the WSM Forum, and a cursory reading through one of the posts namely "[Socialism and Materialism] the God spot" doesn't give me much hope. In particular, people such as "Citizens of the World" still shoot down all suggestions of Socialism derived from religion on the basis that "science doesn't agree with them" and from my observation evidence that support religion from a scientific point of view is still greeted with the usual materialist derision.
It seems that even an atheist who dares to suggest that Socialism can go together with religion (Chris) gets insulted (though those making the insults claim that Chris is the one making them) so if a fellow atheist gets this kind of response, what more a religious communist?
Thanks but no thanks. If people such as myself are going to be insulted there, I might as well just stay here.
Quite clearly the SPGB is not ready for an infusion of religious communists into their fold just like Gray said. Sigh. I suppose people like myself have to go and form our own Communalist Party to advocate our own kind of Socialism, which would be a pity since it is as every bit similar to SPGB's except on religion.
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