The Socialist Party – The Peace Party of the World.

Our organisation and its companion parties stands for peace. Our motto is “Workers of the World, Unite.” We do not take sides in the rivalries’ of countries, of nationalities, of presidents and politicians. The Socialist Party simply issues our call for friendship, fraternity and solidarity. The latest provocation of conflict has been recent developments in the Persian Gulf, the face-off between Iran and America. The Socialist Party denounces the aggressive acts of both governments and declares that between the peoples of the two countries there is no cause of quarrel. The interests of the working class are bound up with the maintenance of peace; and it is the working people who suffer most severely from the devastation and horrors of war. When a country is attacked the rich may suffer some financial loss; but they escape the worst horrors of starvation and misery inflicted upon the poor. The rich can get away to their rural retreats. The poor have to stay put in target areas. Anybody, therefore, claiming to speak on behalf of the working class must necessarily be in favour of peace.

The nature and causes of modern war proves that war is an essential part of capitalism. The inner conflicts of capitalism lead and must lead to war. War is a symptom and result, of the irreconcilable troubles and conflicts of the present form of society, that is to say, of capitalism. The only way to oppose against war is to fight against the causes of war. Since the causes of war are part of the inner nature of capitalism, it follows that the only way to fight, against war is to fight against: capitalism. But the only true fight against capitalism is the revolutionary struggle for socialism. It therefore follows that the only possible struggle AGAINST war is the struggle FOR the socialist revolution. The Socialist Party is absolutely clear on this point. There is no “separate” or “special” struggle against war. The campaign against war cannot be divorced from the day-to-day struggles of the workers so far as, in their historical implications, these lead toward a socialist society. No one can uphold capitalism – whether directly, as an open adherent of the capitalists, or indirectly, from any shade of reformist or pacifist position – and fight against war, because capitalism means war. Only a revolutionist can fight against war, because only a revolutionist takes the road to the overthrow of capitalism. Any organisation based upon not challenging capitalism is not merely powerless to prevent war; in practice, it promotes war, because it serves to uphold the system that breeds war, and because it diverts the attention away from the real fight against war. The Socialist Party seeks to prevent all kinds and forms of pacifism – all theories and organisations, that is, based on a mere “anti-war” platform. Pacifism is not merely powerless against war – since it is not based on genuine social organisation nor a clear analysis of the causes of war. In practice, it aids war: by spreading illusions about the nature of war and the fight against it; by shifting the energies of honest opponents of war to a fictitious fight against it; by sugar-coating the realities of capitalist society and thus making them – including war – more palatable; by subordinating the working class to middle class individuals and ideas; by preparing the betrayal of the masses in the next war, when outstanding pacifist leaders will decide in the crisis that, this war is different – is for democracy, culture, God, or what not – and call for support of the government. No, the pacifist way is not the way to fight war.

There is only one case against war: the socialist case for revolution. The socialist revolution will end war because, by overthrowing capitalist economy and supplanting capitalism with a socialist economy, it will remove the causes of war. With socialism there will no longer exist the basic contradictions that lead to war. The expansion of the means of production, under the ownership and control of society as a whole, will proceed in accordance with a rational plan adjusted to the needs of the members of society. Socialism will remove the limits on consumption, and hence permit the scientific and controlled development of production. Thus, under socialism, war will disappear because the causes of war will have been removed. It is for the Socialist Party to strive for that goal, greater even than peace, — Socialism so that when peace is assured it shall be a peace based upon universal freedom and fraternity, when every man, woman and child is well-housed; well-clothed; well-fed; well cared for when sick; and no longer wage-slaves all of their lives.