We won’t die for capitalism

The capitalist system has failed working people are facing at least three major crises. A pandemic which has ignited an economic crisis and the climate change crisis. We have to move forward to new more sustainable, egalitarian world, a socialist world in which the resources of society are owned in common and democratically planned in a sane and rational manner for our needs instead of for profits. Society will has to be reconstructed on radically new foundations. “Business as usual” is no longer an option, no more rescue packages for the capitalist system. The flaws in our economic structure have been exposed. The good news is that we can use the current emergency to start building a more inclusive society for all of us to share in. This pandemic has revealed how unstable capitalism is. It doesn’t have to be like this. Socialism will bring — or is it at least more conductive to — the end of alienation, sexism and racism, environmental degradation, militarism and nationalism. Capitalism breeds chaos and a downward spiral towards barbarism. Socialism—production according to need and want and for the good of all—is in harmony with the natural world, and with the powerful human instinct for community and cooperation. It’s the only solution that can save ourselves and our planet.

It has become crystal clear over the past few months that the capitalist system is incapable of dealing with a crisis on the scale of the global coronavirus pandemic. National and local authorities have failed to fully address the problem and nor has the lauded market. This entire pandemic has revealed a complete societal failure and in response grassroot community groups are stepping in to fill the gaps taking the form of mutual aid and aiming to help those effected by the pandemic. Cooperative action has a long history and is a strategy that often arises in times and places where governments are unable or unwilling to address the needs of the people. Newly formed initiative focus on linking together volunteers to reach as many people as possible.

“It’s unfortunate and unjust that we have to do this work in the first place but until we dismantle these capitalist and colonial power structures, it’s necessary to keep each other alive,” Sharif-Ahmed Krabti, an organizer of a community-wide network of mutual aid aimed at helping students at the University of Michigan told Truthout. “We need to recognize that this organizing is inherently political and the result of a system that values profit over people. It’s not charity either. We are doing it because we understand that we will only be free if we work together and support each other collectively.”

These mutual aid initiatives catalyzed by the coronavirus pandemic shows us that there are alternative ways of organizing society. It’s heartening to know that people are still able and eager to organize in solidarity with one another and their communities in ways that could potentially fundamentally challenge the systems and structures that have failed us.

The Socialist Party’s aim is to offer a vision to our fellow-workers who suffer from the myopia of capitalist ideology. The work of the Socialist Party is making socialists and it must go on until a majority of the people see eye to eye with ourselves and organise with us in one united political party. To achieve their emancipation our fellow-workers, having acquired the necessary knowledge and understanding, must capture political power. For this purpose it must organise into a political party to fight for this control of power on its own behalf. Any other use of political organisation necessarily means the retention, or extension, of the political power of the masters. Because of this simple fact, a working-class political party striving for the emancipation of the workers must oppose all supporters of capitalism, or stand condemned as a fraud. Every party, no matter who composes its membership, that assists the masters to retain political power, under any pretext whatever, thereby proves itself an anti-socialist party. It must, therefore, be fought by the socialist party of that country. That is our position and work in Great Britain. We are the only party in this country that organises for the capture of political power by the working class, for its emancipation. To join with those who are working against this capture of power would be sheer idiocy.

Then, and not till then, we shall know that the dawn of the socialist day is near, where the potential of individuals will, at last, have an opportunity of developing sane and healthy lives.