Socialism has never been tried

As human beings we live in a world in which we exist amongst dire poverty and strife. But this is not a natural phenomenon, it is the result of human social problems and we as the human race have the ability to solve these problems.

We live in a world which is on the verge of environmental catastrophe and in which crime is rising, wars are commonplace and racism and nationalism are virulent.

We live in a world where 800 million people are malnourished, 600 million peo ple are homeless, one billion people have no access to clean water, and one billion

people have no work. We live in a world in which food mountains are destroyed amid starvation, where half a million scientists are meployed to develop weapons when developments in other areas could benefit the world’s population directly, and where homeless people preside amid vacant buildins and unemployed construction workers. We do not, however, have to live like this, the people of the world have an opportunity like none before in history to live in peace amidst plenty. Capitalism pre vents this with its ethos of “can’t pay, can’t have” which retards real human develop ment and leads to the relative impoversih ment of the many for the benefit of the few who monopolise the world’s resources courtesy of ownership.

A society of common ownership of the means of productive wealth by and in the interests of all. A world of voluntary co operation where each gives according to ability and each receives according to their self-defined needs.

World socialists believe this will come about by the majority organising for it, not by being led by a vanguardist minority. The World Socialist Organisation is a leaderless organisation and always has been, deci sions being made equally amongst equal members, the World Socialist Movement has companion parties in several countries all united by the vision of a moneyless world of real democracy and the potential for plenty.

Socialism has never been tried, the World Socialist Movement has always maintained that the so called “socialism” of Russia, China and their cronies was noth ing but state capitalism.

The World Socialist Movement does not offer to lead you - a socialist revolution will be work of the working class itself. If we want to change the world we have to do it ourselves.

C B Shelly

Overses Department The Socialist Party (Great Britain) World Socialist Movement