Positively socialism
Socialism is often described in negative terms: a society with no
money, no classes, no government, no exploitation. But it is also
possible to speak of Socialism from a positive viewpoint, emphasising
the features it will have, as opposed to those it will not.
One precept Socialism will be based on is production for use, with
objects being made or services being provided because they are useful
to people, rather than with a view to making a profit. In some ways,
this is similar to what happens in many households at the moment.
People cook, clean, wash their car, because these are useful
activities, not because they hope to make money from them. Equally,
people grow vegetables in their garden or allotment for their own
consumption or that of their friends and neighbours. In Socialism such
principles will simply be extended to the whole of production. And
“usefulness” will really mean useful to people, rather than useful to
capitalism (like tanks and missiles). There will be no problem in
producing short runs of particular items or variants for which demand
is low, as questions of cost or profit will not enter into the
equation, and the technical difficulties of customising production have
long since been overcome.
The corollary of production for use is free access to what has been
produced. People will simply take what they need from the “shops” or
storehouses, as and when they want it. There will be no point in
hoarding things for a rainy day, or in taking masses of stuff. For one
thing, there is only a certain amount of most things - e.g potatoes or
toilet paper or pens - that people can consume. But would some people
want lots and lots of (say) clothes? Well, one point to bear in mind is
that in socialism nobody will be judged or assessed in terms of how
well-off they are, since all will be equal in this respect. So the idea
of dressing to impress will not exist. Nor will owning a powerful car
say anything about you. Maybe some will want lots of CDs, but the extra
resource used in producing lots of copies is very small, so this will
not be a problem. Above all, though, socialism cannot be established
without the support of the overwhelming majority of the population, and
they will be well aware that a society of abundance will effectively
provide plenty for all.
At the same time, work will be a fulfilling and satisfying experience.
It will take place in a society of harmony and equality, with no bosses
and no petty workplace dictators. Producing for use will be rewarding
in itself, and steps will be taken to make work as interesting as
possible. While we cannot be precise now, it is likely that people will
not do the same sort of work for years on end - they will change the
kind of work they do every few years perhaps, or will divide their week
among different activities. Under capitalism, many of the most
demeaning and boring jobs are directly connected to the money system,
and these will disappear immediately. Any monotonous work that remains
can be automated, at least in part, or can be done by one individual
for only short periods. Dangerous and unpleasant work will be
eliminated unless absolutely essential. It may be reasonable in some
ways to compare work in socialism with people’s hobbies now: things
done for their inherent enjoyment, not because of the wage packet. And
just as the appeal of some hobbies and pastimes is incomprehensible to
outsiders, so different people will find different kinds of work
attractive.
Not just work but the broader society will be built on cooperation,
people combining their efforts and producing (in various senses) more
than the sum of the individual parts. Rather than countries and
companies competing with each other, and workers trying to “get on” by
climbing over others, there will be a real sense of working together
for a common goal - a true community. What do most people like about
their jobs? It’s the interaction with their work colleagues, not the
daily grind of paperwork or targets to be met. Likewise, if you read
people’s reminiscences of the Second World War or the Depression of the
Thirties, you will find time and again the refrain, “Times were hard,
but everybody pulled together.” It matters not how accurate these
memories are; what is crucial is the way that cooperation and
solidarity are seen as positive values, to be cherished and kept in the
memory. Socialism won’t stop sporting competitions (and what do team
games emphasise, anyway?), but it will involve people working together
in a common interest, since there will be no groups with special
interests to defend.
As a consequence of this last point, socialism will be a truly
democratic society. Put simply, this means that people will decide for
themselves how to run their lives, rather than being subject to
leaders, bosses or the impersonal forces of the market. Decisions will
be taken at a suitable level, local, regional, global, as appropriate.
There will be open discussion, with no media bias and no vested
interests. The exact mechanisms cannot be known now, but there may,
especially in very local matters, be much use of consensus rather than
the majority always getting their way. It is sometimes objected that in
socialism there will be “too many meetings”, as most people want to get
on with their lives rather than attend endless discussions. There are a
number of possible responses to this point. One is that, perhaps after
an initial period of adjustment, there will simply be fewer decisions
to make and society will to a large extent run itself. Another is that
meetings and discussions will not be separate from people’s social life
but an integral part of it. In any case, individuals will be free to
choose the nature and extent of their participation in Socialism’s
democratic decision-making.
What about the environment? Production will be able to take a longer
view, untrammelled by considerations of profit. Resources will be
nursed, with renewable resources used wherever possible. We cannot say
categorically that there will be no pollution in socialism, but
unavoidable interference with nature will be handled in a sensitive
way, with an eye on both human needs and the health of the planet on
which we live. Sometimes choices will have to be made, such as whether
to build in a particular area or extract some specific source of raw
material, but decisions will be taken in a democratic way, as we saw in
the last paragraph, and with no incentive to go for the ‘cheap’ option.
As for total supplies of energy sources, socialism will not be able to
magic new supplies out of the ground or air, but it will provide the
best framework within which any actual or projected shortages can be
tackled in a way that provides the best solution for everyone.
Our pamphlet Socialism as a Practical Alternative presents a fuller
description of how the future society could be organised.
Paul Bennett
Socialist
Party home
page