From Capitalism to Socialism — and Beyond

The Newsletter, vol. 2 no. 69, 20 September 1958 · scan pages 2, 3

Read from the scan by machine and not corrected: headlines and words can be misread, and a caption or advert can run into the text. For anything you quote, read the scan.

Joe IN a previous article we discussed the taking of power by. the working class. We showed that the most likely course would be the working class setting up workers’ councils all over the country and electing from these a national workers’ council, which. would take over the government of the whole country. :

Such a government. would immediately declare the banks, basic industries arid land ‘national property.

At. the same time it. would offer shopkeepers and farmers credit facilities to Carry on their businesses until they became convinced of the neéd to join their life with that of the new. planned society. — ; : a Why does the working class need its own State machine in order to progress. to socialism?

Because without such a State machine the overthrown capitalist. class would soon rally its. forces to take back the factories, using violence to remove.the workers from control.

If the working class does not set up its own Staté machine, -.2 which includes its own armed detachments of -workers, it

cannot transfer all the basic means of production to the people —nor can it_even begin to plan the economy.

History is rich in instances where workers rose in revolt with great heroism—even occupying the factories—but where because there was no leadership to advise them to set up their own State the capitalist class ruthlessly crushed them.

The failure of the Italian working-class leaders to carry’ through the occupation of the factories in- 1920 to‘ the establishment of a workers’ State led to:twenty years of fascism.

The lesson of Spain is a similar one.. ~ ©.

CAPITALISM is a world system. Although each capitalist country is in competition with others, a revolution in one country threatens. all capitalists.

That is: why they will unite to try to crush any workers’

‘This is‘ the fourth of a series of articles en socialism.

The author is a. Birmingham. Labour councillor and a shop steward at GEC.

revolt. Fourteen capitalist States sent troops. to: Russia to” try to crush. the. workers’. State there. Mutiniés, strikes and demonstrations* by the workers of the intervening countries played a vital part in forcing the end of this intervention.

And so for ‘any revolution to succeed ‘the aid of workers in other countries is essential.

And for a workers’ State to exist for any length of time without degenerating it “is necessary for workers to take power in other countries.

For the existence of capitalism in the world constitutes not only a military danger to a workers’ State but also‘ a strong economic danger (blockades etc).

This makes the struggle for socialism international to: its very core. There is ‘no such thing as socialism in. one country, though after Lenin’s death certain renegades from Marxism in Russia claimed there could be.

Though. the industries in Russia. remain nationalized and have expanded tremendously, the: pressure of world capitalism on Russia, its severe backwardness in the early years. after the revolution. of 1917 and the absence of other ‘workers’ States led, not to ‘socialism in one country’; but to a huge _+ SEPTEMBER 20, 1958.

bureaucracy taking political power out of the Russian workers’ hands.

The ‘best way we can_ help the Russian workers get rid of © this bureaucracy is to bring about a workers’ State in Britain as quickly as possible.

As the workers in one country after another take power the expansion of production, brought about by the nationalization of all the means of production; will be further accelerated, for not only will there be planning at home but also international planning of the linked economies. © The scientists will be released for peaceful research to wrest further. secrets from nature.

The former ‘backward’ nations will have the most ‘advanced techniques introduced so that their economies can be swiftly raised. For instance, atomic power stations will be built’ in the remotest corners of ‘the globe.

Why sink deep shafts for: the dangerous: ‘trade of mining when atomic power, freed- from. its. hideous H-bomb use, is. -available: for the whole of humanity?

The expansion of world production will rapidly raise standards of. living. Automation will enable ourhours: of work. _.to be reduced more and more, . There. will be an international, planned super-abundance of all goods.

And. .if there is. a super-abundance~ of _ necessities. and ‘luxuries’ in the world: _Money will lose all meaning and classes will disappear: .

We certainly could not imagine anyone wanting to ‘own’

his own shop, or factory, when. a.few hours of work in an automated -establishment establishes his right to take from society all -he needs. -But what about. human. nature? “This is the old Tory. cry.

Would not.one man want.moré than another?

This would not. matter. A super-abundance: means just what it says..If someone took:'three cars. instead of one he would be regarded. as. queer, just- as. anyone in our society who left the taps running all day because water is practically free would be looked: on ‘as odd.

Once ‘society. reaches a state. of Super-abundance for. all -there is no need fora State machine: It. will’ die: out. ‘Jails,: armies and police will become the museum relics of the past.’

(To be concluded)