1) What is socialism. Socialism is the economic & social system based on social ownership of the means of production, distribution and their democratic control by the whole people/society, not by any master/ruling class, coterie or a handful of leaders. It is a society of participatory democracy where irrespective of gender, class, color, for ‘everyone according to his ability & everyone according to his self-defined needs’, will be the norm. Possibly, there will be objection to the phrase “self defined” but I insist on the phrase because this actually precludes a higher stage of mental revolution i.e. universal cooperation & fellow feeling projected in socialism. The relationship in society will be cooperative as class antagonism will be eliminated after emancipation of human race through emancipation of working class (the lowest & last in the class ladder). The 4 necessary conditions of Socialism are: 1) Universal ownership, 2) Democratic control through elected but revocable delegates with mandate 3) Production for use & 4) Free access to all goods & services according to self-defined needs. To this we may add a proper respect of nature & ecological balance.2) Role of banks in a socialist society. Banks correspond to money/currency which in turn corresponds to exchange, market, commodity- production, requiring capital accumulation, competitive markets, and a price system. ‘Money has functions four – a medium, a measure, a standard & store’. Money & banking is integral with accumulation of profit & no other necessity. If capital loses its character of exploitation, society will not need money. In socialist society production of goods & services will be aimed for consumption, not for profit hence commodity production will be done away with, & thus money/currency, banking, insurance & the whole financial sector, we are presently associated with, will be totally redundant. 3) Was socialism ever established anywhere in the world? No, socialism, leave alone establish, was never been tried as an economic-social order. The theory of passing State Capitalism as socialism, the theory of so-called ‘oppressed’ nationalities was conjured up by Lenin. Russian state capitalism is the basis of Leninism. In Lenin’s opinion “socialism is merely the state capitalist monopoly made to serve the interest of the whole people”. Leninism demands an ‘unquestioning obedience’- Lenin wrote, “… people unquestioningly obey the single will of the leaders of labor”. Likewise China, East European states, North Korea, Cuba, Vietnam models of socialism are nothing but state capitalism. Parties concerned will no doubt stay put with this system, until forced by working class to relinquish their hold. Whereas capitalism, be it ‘state’ or ‘private’ runs through exploitation of the WC; their task was never to serve interest of the whole people or W.C, as given to believe, but to serve the interest of the capitalist class alone. State Capitalism was an ominous system. When state itself is the exploiter, workers can go nowhere to protest! In contrast, Marxian concept is, socialism and communism are synonymous. Marx and Engels have used the two terms alternatively to mean one & the same. In Marx’s view the principle of communism or socialism is abolition of money, employment &‘From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs’. 4) On Socialists their task. Why world Socialists shouldn’t struggle for reforms? Socialist is a person who works for establishing socialism in global society. She/he is a person who understands the objective, principles & goal of socialism, believes it and passionately wants to establish. Foundation of socialism is the realization of existence of the W.C. & its revolutionary character from history. In capitalism working class produces all commodity & services, but doesn’t possess means of production,hence the only subject for exploitation. To alter this unsustainable existence, working class must liberate itself. This emancipation is the task of working class itself & not by a vanguard party or selected (1dozen?) talented leaders. It is only socialist revolution of working class that can emancipate workers from the compulsion of selling their labor power for capitalists’ profit. It is only socialism that can unmask any product & services from their commodity character and can change the workers from wage-slave to full-fledged human being. Socialism will put an end to all class-divisions, all privileges to a few and deprivation to many & thereby emancipate human society from all oppression. Reform signifies cosmetic change in the superstructures. Reform helps creating illusion about the retrograde capitalist system & helps prolonging its run. reform is like begging for pay hike, little better working condition, a kinder judiciary, a free square meal for poor school going children or begging for little more fund for care of old people etc. Such demand & reform cannot change the structure. WC & wage earners remain subject to exploitation even if all such demands may be met! Socialist movement fights for empowerment of WC. Character of capitalism is beyond redemption, so uprooting of the foundation of the present socio-economic system, based on the free right of capitalists to exploit working class, is the only way out – not reforms. 5) On establishing socialism in one country, while other countries lag behind. Establishing socialism is not possible in one country. Capital from its formative stage itself is self expanding & global in character; on the other side a worker may belong to a country, but the country belongs to the ruling capitalists. Workers have no country – neither to live on, nor to die for. Home country/foreign country divide, patriotism, nationalism are only obstacles to class consciousness and unity. So WC means world working class. Under this circumstances when both the main antagonist class represent global character, how can a national solution be plausible? Further, in present context, in particular after WW2, the whole world (economy & otherwise) is more integrated. International organizations like IMF, WB, ADB, United Nations organizations, all representing Global Capitalist Interest, will not allow any country go socialist in real sense and no country can survive in isolation from the neighbors or the rest of the world in present condition. Hence this is merely a hypothetical question. Global socialism or no socialism.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Jul 2013 16:23:14 +0000
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