Socialist Fulcrum

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Socialist Fulcrum Iff* i « of the Socialist Party erf Canada ^ly journal o Vol. 13. No 1 Socialist Fulcrum ft! 40< I Of Voluntary Cooperation And Free Acceee A Wepeteee Common Ownership end Oamoemtfe Contra/ k IF» 41 II I > Ji i . ELECTION ’80 I °LD MISTAKES REVIVED gold Election & leaders j j Nl)f CAPITALISM v°vr ballot 2_________________ SOCIALIST FULCRUM______________________ Voi. 13, No. | Commonwealth Federation (the NDPj former name) was inaugurated in 195? ttu: xiinhjf IntheNews the CCFz'NDP stands for capitalism, n* state or the private variety being of Jim, Editorial Note; la common with her si>- concern. The NDP is more easily etp.-^-i rerx, Sylvia was a bit thin on theory. Class APPEAR TO BE DIFFERENT however, when spokesmen like Hovdebo at distinctions do not, as Sylvia contends, arise The death of former Tory Prime Minister inadvertantly candid. from differences of education but from John Diefenhaker brought about a bvelec- One of Hobdebo’s qualtftcatioos was sad ownership of means of production. There tion in the Prince Albert federal to be ",.. his vote-getting ability,’’ whahi are examples of poorly educated, even constituency. was the NDP’s choice in the May general stuped. children of capitalists who live with A “crowd" (to use the terminology of the election, where he took votes away powei and comfort N evert he leas the article Saskatchewan "Commonwealth") of 1,000 from Diefenbaker. To effect this, it hcJpt to makes interesting reading if only to compare attended an NDP convention to pick a can­ appear to be an alternative to the other par­ how fat her modern contemporaries have didate for the Nov. 19th poll. ties, and the "Commonwealth" (Oct. 2dtki fallen from her position. Stan Hovdebo, the chosen one said: as much as said so: “Sum flovdefo’i I believe tn a society where equality is approach was one of... confidence m sor­ THE FUTURE SOCIETY by Sylvia not only desirable, but possible. ting a process in motion that would preset# i Pankhurst A soaety where social equality is desirable clear alternative to the voters and product, The words Socialism and Communism describes present society: capitalism, a class as a logical result, an NDP victory." have the same meaning. They md cate a con­ divided system where the exploited majority Deception can be "tough sledding" snd dition of societ* in which the wealth of the vaguely longs for classless democracy, a per­ always demands a renewal of schemes to community the land and the means of pro­ centage of whom think the NDP is the vehi­ appear to be "a dear alternative." After aH duction, distribution and transport are held cle for achieving this end. The Socialist Party the years, when the CCF/NDP has been in common, production being for use and of Canada has known since theCo-operative shown to be anything but, both in andoot of no* for profit office, it has no choice. The instance of Soctthuu being an ideal towards which CCFers voting for John Diefenbaker in the we are working, it is natural that there ductive work to do purely administrative 1945 general election in l^ke Center, must should be some (inferences of opinion in that work. Thus useless toil is manufactured, and have been a tough one to play down in liter future society. Since we are living under the burden of non-producers maintained by years. They had been told by their leader of Capitalism it is natural that many people's the productive workers is increased. the time, M. J. Coldwell, that Diefenbaker ideas of Socialism should be colored by then Moreover social conditions are preserved was a better man for the west than the Lib­ experiesces of life under the present system. which are quite out of harmony with Com­ eral candidate and the CCF had no chaog We must not be surprised that some who munist fraternity. The wage system makes of winning there. recognize the present system is bad should the worker's life precarious. The payment of The establishment of a system of nail yet lack the imagination to realize the possi­ wages entails the power to dismiss the equality cannot be brought about by shop bility of abolishing ail the institutions of worker by an official or officials. follow-shepberds. The "crowd" at the P A Capitalist society. Nevertheless Lnere can be So long as the money system remains, nominating convention of course was no real advantage in setting up a half-way- each productive eoterprize must be run on a deceived by the slick phrase of the candidau house to socialism. A combination of Social­ paying basis. Therefore it will tend to aim at 1 believe in a society where equality.. .ft ism aud Capitalism would produce alt sorts employing as few workers as possible, in possible. of injustice, difficult* and waste, f hose who order to spend less on wages. It will also tend Political parties whose memberships «* happen to suffer under the an,n tabes would to dismiss the less efficient worker who divided into generals at the top, and ptivoo continually stniggle lor a return to the old becomning unemployed, becomes less effi­ or “the crowd” at the bottom, are commu­ system. cient. Thus an unemployable class tends to ted to social inequality The means tatties* Full and complete Socialism entails the grow up. the end. total abolition of money, buying and selling, The existence of a wage system almost and the wages system. inevitably leads to unequal wages; overtime, DAMNED IF THEY DO AND DAMNED If It means the community must set itself the bonuses, highei pay for work requiring spe­ THEY DONT task of providing rather more than the peo­ cial qualifications. Class distinctions are "Belgrade (Reuter) After three (toy* ple can use of aU the things that the people purely differences of education, material gloomy speeches about the state of tbtto** need and desae, and of supply ing these when comfort and environment national economy, world financial feeder and as the people require them. Buying and selling by die Government ending their conference here agreed Any system by which the buying and sel­ opens the door to official corruption. To hard times must continue in order to bwi ling system is retained means the employ­ check that, high salaried positions are inflation." (Western Producer, No* ment of vast sections of the population in created tn order that those occupying them But inflation was caused to brat bra unproductive work It leaves the productive have too much to lose to make pilfering and times. w ork to be done by one portion of the people jobbery worth while. w hibt the other portion is spending its ener­ One Big Union Bulletin, Aug. 2, 1923. TO CAUSE PEACE, MANUFACW# gies in keeping shop, banking, making AND SELL ARMS advertisements and all the various develop­ Washington — “The U.S. announce -! ment! of commerce which, in fact, einplov VINTAGE VIEWS would sell helicopter gunships m4 sfl* Letter from Charles Lestor more than two-thirds of the people today. reconnaissance planes to Morocco, ... we can never forgive the founder of the Giv en the money system, the wage system naked King Hassan to join negotiaticw • is inevitable. If things needed and desired are third international for stabbing the revolu­ resolve the West Sahara dispute." obtainable only by payment those who do tionary movement in the back and handing Gymnich, West Germany — "Oww** over the proletariat of Western nations to the work must be paid in order that they may Helmut Schmidt told visiting 0>ifi*eb*d obtain the n* cans ot life. The wage system the forces of opportunism and reaction. Hu* Guofeng West Germany was entails such tnstrtu.ious as the old-age pen­ They have attempted to sacrifice the Social Revolution upon the alter of Russian mined to continue its pobey of detect**” sion, sick and unemployment insurance and the Soviet bloc on the basis of ** Nationalism. Th« the revolution!!'. can widow's pensions, or the Poor Law, and military equality," (Western Prodnc**^ probably plus the Poor Law Tliese involve never forget not forgive Charles Ltetor — burgs numbers of people drawn from pro One Big Union Bulletin, Dec 11,1924 1/79.) po-kxai po*er. whJ lx aotc y. Uaa the wc rk- IS MAN AN ENDANGERED SPECIES? Mg dam to socufecnu Tfey am » a brow aed czmcRsdc this they ha** a fee*’ at »o Never More in thr h-*ury of mankind of affam. for we are pevtieuety teetering ou codafisw and bare no titre to prepw aw b* the population of the world been faced the brmk of the war’d dettructK-n. And now foristou koowfcdge, These wV-MfUd -met- mth mass destruction and death. People are the U.S. A. hat the neutron bomb s weapon leetuato rnrefy define wter aoembam * to a* confused and confounded. They are not which will kill life but leave propenv mcact. in* sad the) are dtegbew^y dbhnnmt ahd rvea diseasing the question. To toem it Perha p» they and other pow its ate » ortnng uadwrecniir far, bow cog they, rran the* jecms to be an enigma — a riddle without a on an improved bomb; om that mil kill art elected to fa f yament, briny ahem * v-.w »<ution. workers but win avoid kiting caphahsts change in society wifenaa amandasefoi rb» There has been a religious revival and After all, the latter control year minds and purpose md) people are seeking solace in the new their power rests upon their -»t wealth Taea there are ’.box who aigee -oat religions which have sprung up; others seek which they obtain from their of socialism will come through the *’’m«fetab*- transcendental meditation as a form of the means of v calth production n</ »»tt ity of gradualism.” niser * long serin *to escape from the world’s ills and others resort yeur wifltng ce>-opera! ion.
Recommended publications
  • Latin America: Muddy Road Ahead
    No. 21 • LATIN AMERICA ISSUE• $2OO H EMPLOY LIS M O EN B T world A socialist review Journal of the World Socialist Movement in the United States Latin America: Muddy Road Ahead INSIDE a pre-socialist left? ¡viva la revolución! looking for socialism (in all the wrong places) brazil repeats history is cuba socialist? changing geopolitics review of build it now Latin America’s pre-socialist Left he hot issues in Latin America today are the self-deter- balization, they do not understand that concept either, because mination of nations and anti-imperialism. Both concepts globalization is only the wide spread of the capitalist mode of Tare false, because they drag the working class into the production, which is creating the proper conditions for a new trap of nationalism. Class struggle is not mentioned by any of society. They think that the spread of poverty, hunger and the political leaders, and the Left is not mentioning it either, unemployment is caused by globalization only, but they do not despite the fact that there is not any kind of homogeneity of say that it is a by-product of the capitalist system itself, and interests within any nation; every nation has antagonistic inter- that all those consequences are very normal for capitalism. As ests between the rulers and the working class. for [neo]liberalism, that concept is totally incorrect, because On a practical level, there is a lot confusion going around liberalism does not exist anymore; today the state is participat- in Latin America regarding leaders like Chávez, Castro and ing more in the economy than in prior years.
    [Show full text]
  • The Socialist Party of Canada
    The Impossibilists: A brief profile of the Socialist Party of Canada by Peter E. Newell In memory of Geoff Verco (1925 – 2006), a friend for 66 years ii By the same author Fighting the Revolution: Makho-Durruti-Zapata (London, England, 1972) Zapata of Mexico (Sanday, Scotland, 1979) (reprinted: Montreal, Canada, 1997) (reprinted: London, England, 2005) Stamps of Alderney (Chippenham, England, 1982) (reprinted and enlarged: Brighton, England, 1988) Photographs supplied by the late George Jenkins, Karla Rab Ellenbogen, Steve Shannon, Steve Szalai, John Ames, Adam Buick, the author and the Cumberland Museum on Vancouver Island. Front cover designed by the author. Peter E Newell left school at 17 years of age without any qualifications. He has been a draughtsman, a postman, a trade union journalist and official, a sewage worker and a local government officer. He has been a member of an appropriate trade union since 1944, and is a member of the retired members’ section of UNISON. He retired from Colchester Borough Council in 1995. He spent some time Mexico, in 1979, and his Zapata of Mexico has been published in Scotland, Canada and England. i “…the possessing class rules directly by means of universal suffrage. As long as the oppressed class – in our case, therefore, the proletariat – is not ripe for its self-liberation, so long will it, in its majority, recognise the existing order of society as the only possible one and remain politically the tail of the capitalist class, its extreme left wing. But in the measure in which it matures towards its self-emancipation, in the same measure it constitutes itself as its own party and votes for its own representatives, not those of the capitalists.
    [Show full text]
  • The Knoxmaxton Affair
    Socialist Studies The Knox­Maxton Affair Socialist Studies No.8 Book Review Spanner & The SPGB The Socialist Party Refuses to Debate The Knox­Maxton Affair (How james Maxton M.P., lifelong member of the Independent Labour Party and opponent of the Socialist Party of Great Britain was, in 1987, dressed up afresh by the Clapham­based Socialist Party to appear as “the personification of Socialism”). The Independent Labour Party (I.L.P.) The I.L.P, formed in 1983, had established a dominating influence over the Labour Party at the time of the Labour Governments of 1924 and 1929­31. Two­thirds of the Labour MP’s were members of the I.L.P., including Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald and many other Ministers. The I.L.P. was a reformist organisation aiming to establish state capitalism (Nationalisation). It claimed to be socialist but what it meant by socialism was set out in its pamphlet “SOCIALISM AT WORK IN QUEENSLAND”. This described the actions of the Labour Government in Queensland in taking over sugar mills, cattle farms, butcher shops, etc. The pamphlet contained this statement: “Workers of Great Britain and Ireland, the policy of the I.L.P. is identically the same as the policy of Ryan’s Socialist Government of Queensland. And what has been done in Queensland can be done in Great Britain and Ireland”. The I.L.P. helped to form the Labour party and was affiliated to it until 1932. It disaffiliated in that year over the issue of the right of I.L.P. members of Parliament to be allowed, on occasion, to vote against Labour Party policies.
    [Show full text]
  • July Standard
    Socialist Standard July 2016 1 socialist standard Contents July 2016 Features Regulars 10 100 years of the World Socialist 10 4 Pathfi nders Party of the US 5 Le" ers The History of the WSP(US) 6 Halo Halo! 6 Cooking the Books 1 12 The Socialist Party of America Dashed on the rocks of compromise 7 Greasy Pole 9 Material World 15 The ‘democra$ c socialism’ of 18 Cooking the Books 2 Bernie Sanders 19 Proper Gander Just how socialist is he? 20 Reviews 17 Looking back on Edward Bellamy 22 50 Years Ago We examine Bellamy’s Looking Backward 23 Mee$ ngs 15 24 Rear View 24 Free Lunch 12 22 Introducing the Socialist Party The Socialist Party is like no other poli cal capitalism. Polish, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish as party in Britain. It is made up of people We use every possible opportunity well as English. who have joined together to make new socialists. We The more of you who join the Socialist because we want to get publish pamphlets and Party the more we will be able to get our rid of the profi t system books, as well as CDs, ideas across, the more experiences we and establish real DVDs and various will be able to draw on and greater will be socialism. Our aim is other informa$ ve the new ideas for building the movement to persuade others to material. We also give which you will be able to bring us. become socialist and talks and take part The Socialist Party is an organisa$ on of act for themselves, in debates; a" end equals.
    [Show full text]
  • Role-Modeling Socialist Behavior
    role-modeling socialist behavior The Life and letters of Isaac Rab karla doris rab role-modeling Socialist behavior The life and letters of Isaac rab Published November 2010 by Lulu.com Printed in USA The author gives her permission in advance to anyone wishing to reproduce or store this book in any form, or transmit it by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise. It just might somehow help speed up the Revolution! ISBN 978-0-557-52860-8 contents Acknowledgments page viii Preface page 1 Chapter One: Beginnings page 4 1893 -1915 Chapter Two: Rab becomes a revolutionary page 14 1915 -1921 Chapter Three: The Birth of Boston Local page 28 1921 -1932 Chapter Four: The Local in its Heyday page 50 1932 -1947 Chapter Five: Changes page 79 1948 -1973 Chapter Six: The End of an Era page 119 1973 -1986 Epilogue page 136 The Rab-Canter Correspondence page 141 Selected Letters page 164 A Sample of Rab’s Writings page 426 “Proletarian Logic” page 426 “Our Practical Program” page 428 “Requirements for Membership” page 433 “A Rose by Any Other Name” page 436 Fred Jacobs page 437 “Is Labor the Cause of Inflation?” page 439 “Is There Room for Differences of Opinion in a Socialist Party?” page 440 “A Letter Not Fit to Print” page 443 Obituary for Manlio Reffi page 445 “A New Approach to Crime” page 446 An Introduction to John Keracher’s How the Gods were Made page 449 “The Facets of Socialism” page 456 “The Missing Ingredient” page 457 Chapter Notes page 458 Index page 482 Abbreviations and Acronyms page 492 acknowledgments
    [Show full text]
  • We Need a Socialist Revolution
    Socialist Studies We Need a Socialist Revolution Socialist Studies No 72, Summer 2009 The Failure of Labour's Social Reforms Darwin, Morgan and Marxism (Part 2) There Is No Right To Work We Need a Socialist Revolution Trade Unions, The Class Struggle, Socialism Parliament is in crisis. The corruption and the greed has forced some political commentators to call for a modern Reform Act, Pakistan: Crucible of Terror similar to the one enacted in 1832. Politicians are seen as remote, Capitalist Miscellany self­serving and interested only in themselves. Some critics have Crises and Depressions: Normal even called for a “revolution” Hyperbole rules. Fiddling is Capitalism condemned, but nothing is said about politicians voting for Mr Brown's Cunning Plan capitalism’s wars and defending the interest and wealth of the capitalist class. Marx and Popular Press Gibberish Obituary: Bob Barltrop According to the media politicians are now running scared. One MP believed that the electorate would not be satisfied until politicians were hanging from lamp posts. Others are close to suicide. Once political revolution begins, they do not know when it will end and what power politicians will lose. Tory grandees are forced back to their country estates to pay for their own moats and houses for their ducks. Vile politicians like Jackie Smith might end up in court to become a victim of her own legislation by having her DNA placed on a police data base. Already some Establishment figures like the Archbishop of Canterbury are calling for calm. They see an ugly mood which could threaten the status quo.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Socialist Standard April 2021
    Socialist Standard April 2021 1 Introducing the Socialist Party The Socialist Party advocates a society developing Russian capitalism under a where production is freed from the one-party dictatorship. Both failures have artificial constraints of profit and given socialism a quite different -- and organised for the benefit of all on the unattractive -- meaning: state ownership basis of material abundance. It does not and control. As the Socialist Standard have policies to ameliorate aspects of pointed out before both courses were the existing social system. It is opposed followed, the results would more properly to all war. be called state capitalism. The Socialist Standard is the combative The Socialist Party and the World monthly journal of the Socialist Party, Socialist Movement affirm that capitalism published without interruption since is incapable of meaningful change in 1904. In the 1930s the Socialist Standard the interests of the majority; that the explained why capitalism would not basis of exploitation is the wages/money collapse of its own accord, in response to system. The Socialist Standard is proud widespread claims to the contrary, and to have kept alive the original idea of continues to hold this view in face of the what socialism is -- a classless, stateless, notion’s recent popularity. Beveridge’s of the natural world can have limited wageless, moneyless society or, defined welfare measures of the 1940s were effect and run counter to the nature of positively, a democracy in which free and viewed as a reorganisation of poverty and capitalism itself. equal men and women co-operate to a necessary ‘expense’ of production, and Gradualist reformers like the Labour produce the things they need to live and Keynesian policies designed to overcome Party believed that capitalism could be enjoy life, to which they have free access slumps an illusion.
    [Show full text]
  • FULCRUM 25C Wah E Lever Long Enough and a Mown Prong Enol, T
    Quarterly journal of the Socialist Party of Canada FULCRUM 25c wah e lever long enough and a Mown Prong enol, t. t rne p°c,r (stay ? PRODUCCM& ( PROFITS in rtrNCN L ABfiAOop roc VIVA *" k tepMATg A CAPlTAUS/'l l rnr c/r# f Stay rich hmm** pponrs, IN AHY LAHC,l*G> NO CHANGE IN QUEBEC Via la Ibis (**»•: I (MdUk Politic* Tf* IWom T«art»| Socialist Mu Socialist God . tatt Palitlea | OwttiMit» or Sodiiitm ftaria*) fir*____ - PtftOUi WA 10 Jh;t socialist kixwiedg*' aevavet the working clem will pre-enpl the need for external use of tbe aned SOAPBOX forces fresing them to hang like tbe «ord at •smdsrS Ham on ths «tond Dmeocles, hopefully unusnd, for any capitalist^) who might be foolhardy enough to atleapt viotaew to thwart the will of a socialist majority. h Force for democracy 7 is ironic that in the previous issue of RU3UI< I apologise for not renewing ny subscription to Leninist group criticized the* Stxrlallst Party for HajOUf when It was due, scam two months ago. 1 being too soft on this point, but tbe lenlniat> hereby renew. But I do have a question or two. are motivated by minority conscious actum to The Object arid Declaration of Principles of the implant capital ism in place of fuedallan or ■ Socialist Party of Canada seem to be at odds, 'll** immature capitalism Object states that the aim is cannon ownership The writer himself concedes a variety of inter- and "democratic control of the means and instru­ re 1 at ions of hostility.
    [Show full text]
  • Jun2004 Final.Qxd
    Contents Centenary Event London, Saturday 12 June and Editorial 4 Sunday 13 June 6 50 years ago Saturday 12 June Regents College, Regents Park, NW1 Inaugural meeting 7 (nearest tube: Baker St) The “university of the 9 working class” Introductory course in 11 socialist theory Mastering Marxian economics 12 On the stump 16 6pm WHY SOCIALISM IS A brush with the fascists 19 STILL RELEVANT Speakers: Richard Donnelly and Bill Free thinking logic 22 Martin Chair: Pat Deutz Northern Ireland: our first 24 election campaign 7.30 - 12pm Social Evening, Buffet, Music Smash cash 26 Details and Tickets from: Centenary Committee, 52 Clapham High St, SW4 7UN Socialism on one planet 28 Long live the (electronic) 30 Sunday 13 June revolution! 11pm Guided walking tour (2 hours) As others have seen us 32 of Clerkenwell and Holborn area of places associated with the Socialist Party and the working class Movement or monument? 37 movement in general. Meet at Farringdon station (rail and tube). Getting splinters 38 Guide: Keith Scholey. 3pm (till dark) Socialist Party rally at Some internal debates 42 Speakers Corner, Hyde Park (tube: Marble Arch). As soon as this pub closes 46 Socialist Standard June 2004 3 A century for socialism elcome to this special edition of the Socialist One hundred years ago the men and women who Standard, a commemorative issue marking one founded the Socialist Party came to a significant political Whundred years in the political life of the conclusion, which is just as important now as it was then. Socialist Party of Great Britain. When our Party was This was that capitalism, through creating an inter- formed on 12th June 1904, in a hall in a little alley off connected world-wide division of labour and unparalleled Fetter Lane, Fleet Street, London, the founder members leaps in productivity (whereby ten years in its lifespan is would rightly have viewed the possibility of our existence equal to one hundred years and more of previous systems a century later in something of a negative light.
    [Show full text]
  • History of the Socialist Party of Canada by J
    History of the Socialist Party of Canada By J. M. Milne with Wrigley’s assistance, as the Canadian Socialist. In Originally published in 1973. This edition published by the October he changed the name to Western Socialist, later pur- Socialist History Project, with permission from the Socialist chasing a Nanaimo paper, The Clarion, and merging the two Party of Canada. together with a Strike Bulletin of the United Brotherhood of The Socialist History Project, launched in June 2004 by Railway Employees, as the Western Clarion, which made its South Branch Publishing, aims to recover the experiences, first appearance on May 8, 1903. ideas, analyses and insights of a century of revolutionary The United Brotherhood of Railway Employees was at socialism in Canada, and make it available on the web. that time on strike through the west. Explaining the inclu- The project is not affiliated to any political organization sion of the Strike Bulletin in the merger “it was felt that an or tendency. For more information, visit our website: overlapping of work existed, and the UBRE possessing no www.socialisthistory.ca mail privileges was shortened in its range of influence”. It was also hoped “to establish in the Western Clarion a labor paper that will do full justice to the labor movement indus- Background trial and political”. A circulation of 6000 copies three times Socialism in Canada had its origin in Ontario, the industrial a week was guaranteed. heart of the country. It came to the fore in the 1890s. The Western Clarion and its several forerunners was The Socialist Labor Party, an offshoot of the SLP of the not owned or in any way controlled by the Socialist Party.
    [Show full text]