2008 November « International Socialism

Today, capitalism is a fetter on human development. It is a system based on the exploitation of the working majority for the benefit of a parasitic minority. It has outlived its historical usefulness and has entered a period of decline, with dire consequences for humanity.

The for-profit system is at the end of its rope. It offers no way out for the suffering masses. Instead it contributes to their suffering! Today, as millions—even in the richest countries—are being forced into homelessness and unemployment, while tens of thousands around the world continue to die every day as a result of starvation and curable disease, human labor and valuable resources are squandered on useless gimmicks and weapons that can destroy the human species and the earth itself. The world provides enough for every human being to have a quality life, yet capitalism restricts those without enough money from even surviving.

It is necessary for humanity to sweep away capitalism and replace it with a higher form of social organization. Because of its position in capitalist society as the producers of all, the sole force capable of carrying out this task is the working class (made up of all those who have no way to survive other than by selling themselves piecemeal, e.g. by the hour for a wage, to a capitalist who profits from their work).

The working class must oust the capitalist parasites and take power and control of production into their own hands, in order to reorganize society to meet human need. Only the rule of the working class can reverse humanity’s slide in barbarism, create a society free of exploitation and oppression, and pave the way for the creation of a world of material abundance in which the needs of all are met.

Marx correctly described the evolution of human society and the workings of the capitalist system as we have shown here. But as Marx said long ago, the point is not simply to understand the world, but to change it!

From marxwasright.com

Nov