We require a vision of a better world and we are running out of time for that future to be achieved. The socialist vision is about creating a society that serves the well-being of humanity and nature alike. There may be disagreement among socialists as to the details of our shared vision yet we accept the same general principles of what it is and how it can be reached. But there is no guarantee that we will ever get there. It all depends on you and our fellow-workers taking action to realise the vision.
We are sorry to dampen the ardour of the environmentalists but let us put the whole thing in perspective. If there is a lesson to be learned from today’s global-warming crisis, it is that we can see a greater than ever need for socialist organisation for the overthrow of capitalism. There is ample evidence that capitalism cannot serve human needs or nature’s. Wherever we look, we see politicians of all parties struggling with their own impotence in face of the failures of capitalism. The pressing problem of climate change can only be addressed in an entirely new way and that is to show the struggle for socialism and solving the climate crisis is inseparable. It requires replacing the capitalist drive for profit with production for meeting real human need, and a meaningful transformation of how we live and work. There really isn’t time to waste.
One other lesson is clear. Revolution alone provides the answer to society’s ailments. Only a socialist party can point the way to a freer, saner, more abundant society. It is socialism or barbarism. Those within the ecology movement must clearly understand that the problems of climate change spring directly from the system’s basis and can be eliminated only by fundamentally changing that basis — in other words by ending capitalism and replacing it with socialism. Those activists intent upon remedying global warming must aim, without wavering or compromise, at this fundamental social change and must not opt for anything less than socialism, nor accept any postponement of the revolution in favour of tinkering with capitalism now. The watchword must always be — Revolution, not reform.
We are sorry to dampen the ardour of the environmentalists but let us put the whole thing in perspective. If there is a lesson to be learned from today’s global-warming crisis, it is that we can see a greater than ever need for socialist organisation for the overthrow of capitalism. There is ample evidence that capitalism cannot serve human needs or nature’s. Wherever we look, we see politicians of all parties struggling with their own impotence in face of the failures of capitalism. The pressing problem of climate change can only be addressed in an entirely new way and that is to show the struggle for socialism and solving the climate crisis is inseparable. It requires replacing the capitalist drive for profit with production for meeting real human need, and a meaningful transformation of how we live and work. There really isn’t time to waste.
One other lesson is clear. Revolution alone provides the answer to society’s ailments. Only a socialist party can point the way to a freer, saner, more abundant society. It is socialism or barbarism. Those within the ecology movement must clearly understand that the problems of climate change spring directly from the system’s basis and can be eliminated only by fundamentally changing that basis — in other words by ending capitalism and replacing it with socialism. Those activists intent upon remedying global warming must aim, without wavering or compromise, at this fundamental social change and must not opt for anything less than socialism, nor accept any postponement of the revolution in favour of tinkering with capitalism now. The watchword must always be — Revolution, not reform.
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