Vote for a real change

Wars are being waged across the world that benefit no member of the working class. All over the world religious fanaticism has reached extreme levels. Global warming continues to wreak havoc with the environment with increasing extreme weather events in all around the world. Demagogues thrive on fear and insecurity. People are hurting and disillusioned with mainstream politics and increasingly angry at the austerity policies and the economic system destroying lives and the planet. Many believe that it's only a matter of time before a new crisis hits. People cannot rely on others to save them because fundamental change is required. When we work for change from the ground up and when we are building towards a future we know is possible with our own hands, we find our true power rather than hoping distant leaders. Change is not going to be smooth or easy. We are the ones we are looking to and it must be ourselves who grasp the opportunities to come together. The Socialist Party urgently needs to mobilise fellow-workers around the world for a process of transformation that can end the cause of all our social problems.  The Socialist Party is not resigned to the belief that the system cannot be changed because “that’s the way it is”. Our hope is to build a new system, a new pluralistic economic and political structure. The least we can do is begin by contributing to the solidification of that idea, involving ourselves in it as fully as we can. We seek to construct a new system geared towards turning to society into an effective decision-making entity. 

The battle between bosses and workers rages everywhere. Capitalism has failed miserably to provide the basic necessities of life for hundreds of millions of workers around the world. Millions upon millions are hungry and homeless. Millions of youth will never find work in capitalist society. Older workers are thrown on the scrap-heap when they no longer have any value to an employer. The boss class is presently ripping up many of the reforms that workers have fought hard to gain. Like all thieves, the capitalists have no honour among themselves and are constantly falling out causing wars across the globe. The only solution is the socialist revolution, otherwise, we will suffer capitalism's ceaseless exploitation and endless wars. Capitalism means the ruination of, our families, our friends, our fellow-workers and our neighbours. Productivity has reached undreamed of heights; skills are available and so are the raw materials. We have solved the problem of carrying on agriculture, the widespread system of transportation we have organise, the wonderful machinery of production we have built, have freed us from the danger of lack of food, clothing, or houses to live in because of the inability to produce them. We have been able to supply our needs. We have solved the problem of production. We can produce all that is needed to supply the necessities of life, as well as some of the comforts of life — education and the opportunity for recreation — to all the people. And, yet, people go without. Does not this indicate the bankruptcy of a system? The ruling class would like the workers to forget these things. Only world socialism offers an alternative to the misery of capitalism.

The Socialist Party wants a society where the people run everything in the interests of the world's people. We want a system that encourages everyone to become involved in running society for the common good and does not indoctrinate people to "look out for number one;" that opposes placing selfish interests above the social needs. We want society to help each person grow to his or her full potential. In a capitalist society, only the employing owning class are free--free to hire and fire, free to pillage and plunder, free to make our class fight for their profits. In contrast, socialism will allow no freedom to exploit workers. Instead of the principle "every man for himself" in socialism, it will be "to each according to need." Socialism will abolish the wage system and people will work because they want to, because their brothers and sisters around the world need their contribution. The measure of work will have nothing to do with what people receive. People should and will get what they need, within the limits of what everyone can produce. For the first time in history, workers will receive a fair share of society's wealth, regardless of the work they do. They will share in decision-making, including the distribution of goods and services according to society's needs. They will share shortage along with abundance. Socialism will abolish socially useless forms of work that exist now only for capitalist profit. Socialism will not need of lawyers, advertisers, or salespeople. In one stroke, it will do away with layers of needless government bureaucrats, as well as the hordes of petty supervisors and administrators who oversee and manage us for the bosses. It will free everyone to perform socially useful work, which is the source of true creativity. The socialist re-construction of society requires the active commitment of the majority. Socialism will not succeed unless people understand it, agree with it, and help to make it succeed. A society of free individuals in which all, through their own work, contribute to the liberation and enrichment of the lives of others, is the only environment in which any individual can really grow normally to stature. Business wants interchangeable docile and trained personnel for their offices and factories and voting sheep for their parties. They do not need independent, critical-minded individuals.

The Socialist Party is not interested in upholding capitalist economics. We are not asking anyone to vote for us who does not understand and want socialism; we are not in the business of providing reformist promises to patch the system back together. We are asking you to study the case for socialism so that when you do vote for socialism, you will, in effect, be voting for yourself for your own interests. We believe in the hard-headed understanding of knowing what we want as a class and the perseverance to achieve it. The Socialist Party has clearly explained for over a century that poverty and all the economic and social evils are caused by the ownership of the tools of production by a tiny minority with the consequent need for the vast majority to sell their mental and physical capabilities and work for wages with which to buy back some of what they produce. If that sounds crazy, that’s because it is! Production for profit has created the mess we are in.  The Socialist Party isn’t interested in making life less harsh for anyone within capitalism, but in overthrowing an economic system that makes, and will continue to make, life harsh for the vast majority. We hold that the root cause of today’s social problems is that a tiny minority owns the world’s natural resources, and all political parties, except those of the World Socialist Movement, exist to maintain the status quo. We advocate a society where the means of production and distribution are owned by everyone and where all production is to satisfy needs, not profit. In such a society, there will be no military budget, in fact, no military and no budget; no bombs, no taxes, no funding for anything; no fares, no prisons, no police, no racism, no rents, no homeless, no utility cut-offs, no corporations, no take-home pay, in fact, no money. A society based on common ownership, where all take what they require will eliminate buying and selling and has no need for money. It will be a case of “From each according to their ability, to each according to their need.”