Socialism is the Only Alternative

[hallblithe]

One supporter of the People's Assembly Against Austerity has responded saying although he is sympathetic to our "call for socialism to be the alternative" he feels "that sometimes demands can be made on that road to socialism..  A shop steward does not just call for workers control of the workplace but places demands on the employer (wages and conditions etc) on the way.  To get to the top of the mountain you do not necessarily have to take the most direct route (you might just fall off).  It is imperative if we are to advance to focus on the enemy and not spend huge amounts of time dissecting the views of our friends."

[PJShannon]

Following is a discussion on the page titled: Socialism is the Only Alternative.
Below is the discussion so far. Feel free to add your own comments!

[ALB]

The comparison used here shows that they do see themselves as trying to do on the political field what unions try to do on the economic field — protect workers' living standards under and within the capitalist system. Fair enough to a certain extent, cxertainly as far as trade union action is concerned, but this is not some indirect route to socialism. In fact, it's not a route to socialism at all but like going round and round the Circle Line in London.Those attending the Assembly are supposed to have a wider understanding and a wider aim than merely stopping things getting worse than capitalism. Maybe they have, but in proposing "People's Budgets" and the like are assuming that capitalism can be reformed so as to benefit wage and salary workers and their dependents. The point we are making is that it can't and therefore we should be concentrating on campaigning to replace capitalism by socialism as a system of common ownership, democratic control, production for use not profit, and distribution on the principle of "from each according to their ability, to each according to their needs".We seem to be the only people making this point.

[Anonymous]

This cartoon sums it all up rather nicely I thought.

[jondwhite]

I know every class struggle is a political struggle. But I think the Bolshevik argument is that every class struggle suffices for political struggle when the socialist argument is meant to (as a rebuttal to "anti-politics" anarchists) mean political struggle includes class struggle but is not limited to class struggle. Therefore the comparison between economic struggle (in the case of trade unions) and political organisation is apples and oranges. You join a trade union to get better conditions, you join a political organisation to capture political power if enough people support it.

[ossie osborne]

Don't you people ever learn? Will you continue to live in cloud-cuckooland forever? Socialism DOES NOT WORK. It is dogma driven, like religion. Try and implement that dogma into policies and it doesn't work – it cannot work. And the reason it doesn't work? It takes no account of human nature and the inclination to to take the easy route and sponge off others, rather than pull your weight. CAPITALISM IS THE ONLY WAY FORWARD

[Anonymous]

ossie osborne wrote:

Socialism DOES NOT WORK.

As socialism has never been implemented….anywhere, don't you think it's rather premature to cast judgement?I would respectfully suggest you take a look at material on our extensive website before making further contributions.

[jondwhite]

Arguments like this but against capitalism were made based on 'human nature' as it replaced feudal society during the 16th to 18th centuries. It is a little surprising to hear it during a recession though.

[Author]

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