Picked up a copy of Socialist

December 2025 › Forums › General discussion › Workers create all the “wealth” (SPGB, SWP) or “value” (CPGB)? › Picked up a copy of Socialist

February 15, 2012 at 8:01 am #87565
ALB
Keymaster

Picked up a copy of Socialist Worker yesterday, literally, from a dustbin and see that they have now made the change from the old version:

Quote:
The workers create all the wealth under capitalism. A new society can only be constructed when they collectively seize control of that wealth and plan production and distribution.

(I imagine they put “collectively” in to avoid giving the impression that they were in favour of individual workers seizing it. back)to the new:

Quote:
Under capitalism workers’ labour creates all profit. A socialist society can only be constructed when the working class seizes control of the means of production and democratically plans how they are used.

That makes them sound like old-fashioned syndicalists who used to talk about the working class “taking and holding” the means of production. But if you read on to the end, you will see that they consider a “revolutionary party” is needed to seize political control.Even so, the front page proclaims “Strikes can beat the Government”. Not true, the most strikes can do is slow down the rate at which things are getting worse — not that workers shouldn’t try to do this, ie they should strike but “without illusions”. Also, article after article blames the Tories not capitalism, so they are playing the old (and Old) Labour card too. I’m just waiting for their announcement that workers should vote for Ken Livingstone as mayor of London ….