Questions From A High School Student.
A High School student sent us a letter based on a topic set for the class.
"I am working on a topic, ‘Concerns on Socialism’. If possible, can you briefly explain:
1. Who are the supporters (important
people/group) of socialism?
2. What makes Socialism a good ideology?
3. What
are the consequences of Socialism?"
1. Important people/Group.
To interpret your first question, the "important group" of Socialism today is all those who are against a society based on one group or class of people living by the exploitation of another group or class.
In fact it is the working people who are the important group for socialism, since it is only through their (our) efforts that the exploitative capitalist system will eventually be replaced with a socialist one.
Capitalist society is about the exploitation of the many by the few. It is organised exploitation and robbery of the working people for the benefit of the few.
The Communist movement, which exists in every country, is the political expression of
those who oppose the fact that today's society is based on robbery and exploitation, and who support Socialism.
We live in capitalist societies, which actively
propagandize against the ideas of socialism in schools, colleges and the media. Despite this, many working-class people and students support socialist ideas, and through their labour organisations, unions and in other ways, they struggle against the worst injustices of capitalism and capitalist exploitation.
The majority of people don't support capitalism, they support maintaining and improving their standard of living. When capitalism threatens this, it is in serious trouble. For example, the developing events in the Middle East may destabilize the capitalist economy.
Faced with its failure, millions worldwide would be propelled into the struggle against imperialism. The struggle of working people throughout the world to defend their living standards would become the driving force for change, for revolution.
People do not just sit back and take what is done to them under
capitalism. The recent huge anti-war demonstrations testified to that: we even
saw school children demonstrating, not only university students, alongside
trade unionists and others. And in a time of capitalist crisis, the supporters
of change, of socialism, greatly increase in number. A new vanguard comes
forward to argue for and help achieve a thorough social and economic change.
2. What makes Socialism a good ideology?
Socialism is a 'good' ideology in that it is based upon
satisfying human need rather than on creating capitalist profit. But more than
being merely a 'good' ideology, it is the form of society appropriate to modern
development of the productive forces. This means that it is 'good' in the sense
of being right for the world today.
Marx taught that the forms of society were determined by the level
of development of the productive forces it contained. Marx explained that as the
productive forces developed, the old forms of society became outdated; the new
productive forces begin to clash with the old forms of society. For instance, hundreds of years ago,
feudalism gave way to capitalism. Eventually capitalism must give way to
socialism (communism), which is the most rational, most modern adaptation to
the new, enormous productive forces that now exist in the world. The present
contradictions in the world cannot be resolved by capitalism. Society's
enormous productive capabilities are utilised by the capitalist class to make
wars. For many capitalists war is good business, so is the environmental
destruction of the planet. In spite of the enormous productive forces, which
could feed the world ten times over, hundreds of millions are in poverty or
starving, while wars are waged to secure oil supplies and to bolster up the
capitalist (imperialist) system. Socialism is directed at ending that state of
affairs.
3. What are the consequences of Socialism?
The consequences of Socialism? When people talk about consequences, they often want to suggest something unpleasant. Yet you could do the same, and with more reason, with capitalism. In order to understand the consequences of Socialism, it is useful to consider those of Capitalism, which Socialism replaces.
The consequences of capitalism have been world wars
and imperialist wars; one consequence was fascism, which is a form of
capitalism minus the questionably 'democratic' cover. Other consequences of capitalism are a
huge gulf between rich and poor nations based on the exploitation of developing
countries by imperialist countries; a vast gulf between rich and poor in the
imperialist (capitalist) countries themselves; the deliberate destruction of
goods and resources when they cannot be sold at a profit; a waste of human life
or potential when they cannot afford adequate health care or education. There
are many other consequences of capitalism that are not so clear to us people
living in these societies, because they seem so natural, such as the alienation
felt by members of society who don't feel they "own" their
neighbourhoods and get no satisfaction from their work.
The consequences of Socialism, in contrast to this, would be to transform society, to do
away with this alienation and poverty, and put an end to war (especially the
current imperialist wars). The consequence would be to build a society based on
satisfying human need and not one based on securing profit.
To change society fundamentally requires a revolution in government and thinking. A consequence of revolution is, usually, that people take sides. The old order does not want to give up its privileges and wants to go on exploiting the majority. We can look at revolutions throughout history to see this. But we do not need to look at revolution to see such "consequences". Today and all last century, the capitalists, the imperialists, were willing to wage war
against one another (world wars) and against smaller countries (Iraq for
example) in "defence" of their financial interests. They have supported appalling murderous regimes because it was in their interests (for example, they supported Saddam Hussein throughout his worst atrocities).
We need to end the consequences of capitalism as soon as humanly possible.
John B. Green.
CP Alliance.