SOCIALISM TODAY

Down with Capitalism

The empire of capitalism and imperialism is coming crashing down. It is falling because of the brave struggle of the working people and because of the over exploitation of the natural resource by capitalism. The crisis of capitalism is also because of the internal contradiction of huge inequalities destroying markets and slowing economic growth.

Capitalism has caused immense poverty and hunger to the millions of working people. It also destroyed forests and endangered plants and animals to such an extent that many of them have vanished for ever.  It has burnt so much fossil fuel that on one hand it has created global warming which threatens to kill all life on earth. On the other hand depletion of this resource has reached such a level that it has become one of the main sources of crisis of capitalism today.

Onward March towards Socialism

The alternative to capitalism is socialism. For more than 100 years socialism has won various victories in different parts of the earth – in Russia, China, Vietnam and Cuba. In the process there have been mistakes. Today when capitalism is coming to end in a big way there is a good chance to rebuild socialism anew. The challenge is to learn from the past mistakes and take into account the new conditions. Cuba remains an inspiration in today's context.

Socialism Today

In the light of past experience, both of successes and shortcomings, the socialism today may look like this:

1.                       Human beings are a part of nature. They have to live with it and not off it.

2.                       Within human society there should be equality, brotherhood and democracy.

3.                       The socialist state will have ecological boundaries and will be organised federally within, with its neighbours and globally.

4.                       Within the socialist state there will be decentralisation and direct democracy at the grass root level (village pnachayat and city wards) and all units will be federally related. The 'centre' will have minimum powers.

5.                       The grass root level organisations will start with direct democracy and move towards 'a free association of free people'.

6.                       The technological base of such society will be to move towards ecologically sound processes. Food will come from organic farming and free range animals, birds and fishes. Other needs will be satisfied by humane use of domestic animals in farming and transport, leather and wood as main raw materials etc. It does not mean completely abandoning modern sensibilities and scientific advances.

7.                        The main agenda for humanity for the 21^st century will be to restore the earth's ecological health which has been damaged so severely by capitalism. Special attention will have to be given to endangered ecosystem, plants and animals.

Broad Objectives of Socialism Today

1. Equality

2. Reducing consumption of resources

3. Ecological restoration

What then should be done?

1.                       To organise people through trade unions and other people's organisations to struggle for rights, dignity and freedom. To fight against exploitation, oppression and slavery.

2.                       To oppose those projects of capitalism which are against the long term interests of the people and ecology.

3.                       To restore ecology and build socialism through people's collective action.

4.                       To create green jobs in the immediate future for the workers, particularly for those that are displaced by projects, for workers of factories that are shut down and for the new generation of young people.

5.                       Capitalist crisis can also lead to fascism and religious fundamentalism. Therefore we must oppose fascism and communalism in all forms, even when they seem opposed to capitalism.