“The World is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion.” – Thomas Paine (1737-1809)
“Nature made us relatives by creating us from the same materials and for the same destiny.”– Seneca (4-65 A.D.)
The World Socialist Movement rejects allegiance to any State and regards themselves as citizens of the world. We reluctantly accept the boundaries between nations as they are (or as they may change) and work within them to win control of each State with a view to abolishing them all. Our aim is the establishment of a democratic world community without frontiers based on the common ownership of the world’s resources. The whole idea underlying nationalism — that all the people of a particular nation (however defined) have some common interest — challenges the socialist analysis which says that the workers have no country and that the “national interest” is a fraud and a trick designed to get them to co-operate on the political field with their rulers. The task of the World Socialist Movement is to campaign for the establishment of a socialist society across the whole world.
As COP26 in Glasgow approaches, we address ourselves to those who agree that the capitalist society must be replaced with a free association of producers and citizens.
We, in the World Socialist Movement, are committed to building a world that prides itself on having a sustainable environment and society that co-exists in relative harmony with undeveloped areas of the planet. We insist that our environment not be sacrificed on the altar of profit — either in the form of corporations devouring our forests and waters or in the form of urban sprawl and unnecessary development.
We, in the World Socialist Movement, seek to build a society where the barriers between rural and urban are broken down through the reorganisation of society for the benefit of all life on the planet.
We, in the World Socialist Movement, understand that we are not isolated from the world community. On the contrary, our internationalism allows us to understand how what we do has an effect on what happens across and around the world.
We, in the Socialist Party, are committed to building a society that will be a beacon of democracy and social justice.
The demands members of the World Socialist Movement put forward are based on what working people need if they are to live any sort of a decent life. They are not based on what the capitalist system says it can afford. Our intention is to provide a guide and plan of action, and, at the same time, assist working people in becoming aware of their power to reconstruct society so that it serves the interests of humanity. Our demand is the aim of revolution and the establishment of democratic socialism. The tactics, methods, and forms of struggle may necessarily change over time, depending on the development of the conditions. But, at all times, these tactics, methods, forms, and aims applied by the World Socialist Movement are developed with the same objective— the advancing of the struggles and interests of working people. Let’s not fall for “nationalist” nonsense. Whatever other differences we have, we are united as a class by the fact that we are all the exploited victims of capitalism. This makes the working class the global and internationalist class. It is the only force capable of putting an end to poverty and scarcity and the infernal cycle of economic crises and war. Today it’s not so much that we have a world to win – we have a world to save from a system that offers only social and environmental devastation.
The World Socialist Movement, basing its principles on the fact that workers the world over have a common interest, is opposed to all racialism and to all nationalism.
The World Socialist Movement does not fan the flames of patriotism that further divisions between the worker. Rather we promote working-class unity.
The World Socialist Movement repudiates nationalism as an ideology that divides humanity.
There are some people who even call themselves revolutionaries and consider a nation is something quite natural, sacred, and worthy of preservation.
What has happened? We have got “left nationalism.” We have the spectacle of openly capitalist governments being applauded by people who call themselves ”socialist.” Strange “socialists”, indeed.
They foster division among workers, steering them farther away from the international needs of the working class. Nationalistic symbols are taking over. The World Socialist Movement doesn’t care where a man or woman was born, as long as he and she stand alongside us for socialism. Let us raise the red flags and banners of workers’ solidarity across all borders. Let us not unite with our masters and leaders. Let us not be duped by xenophobic or national chauvinist rhetoric. We stand resolutely for world socialism and if this is far too embracing for some on the Left – so be it. We shall leave them to their various national ‘socialisms’.
We endorse Eugene Debs sentiments when he explained:
“If Socialism, international, revolutionary Socialism, does not stand staunchly, unflinchingly, and uncompromisingly for the working class and for the exploited and oppressed masses of all lands, then it stands for none and its claim is a false pretense and its profession a delusion and a snare. Let those desert us who will because we refuse to shut the international door in the faces of their own brethren; we will be none the weaker but all the stronger for their going, for they evidently have no clear conception of the international solidarity, are wholly lacking in the revolutionary spirit, and have no proper place in the Socialist movement”
