Letter from The Socialist Party

[Anonymous]

Here is a letter I received from The Socialist Party, (The party that nicked our name) 13^th February this year after I asked for further details about ‘Socialism’

 

Dear Vin,

Many thanks for your interest in the ideas of Marxism and the Socialist Party.

The Socialist Party is against the capitalist system and is part of an international socialist organisation that is based on the ideas of Marxism and Trotskyism, and has a programme for revolutionary socialist change.

Any of the points you mention about our election material, for full employment with quality jobs and pay for example, or no to cuts – all these points of programme must be taken in their entire context – namely our programme that stands for an ending of capitalism and a socialist alternative which we explicitly call for and explain a fair bit given space restrictions in our election manifesto – calling for a struggle of workers across Europe and a socialist Europe for example

Full employment – this cannot be achieved on the basis of capitalism. There is a strike of investment by the capitalist class. Only a movement, policies and programme that attack the private ownership of wealth can begin to point a way forward as to how full employment (a basic and understandable aspiration of working class people) can be achieved.

And we illustrate this and make this explicit if you read through our material.

There is tremendous and growing opposition to capitalism around the world. But the propaganda of capitalism has been quite effective in diminishing people's horizons that there is any alternative. So it's really important to present socialist ideas in a way that connects with the basic desires and aspirations of people, connected to the crisis etc., and therefore is best able to have an impact and increase socialist consciousness in the working class and amongst young people.

We would be very intersted in discussing these ideas with you further,
There is also a lot of material that I can send you if you are interested – please let me know.

Yours sincerely,
Laura Fitzgerald,
Socialist Party Organiser

 

I took up her offer to discuss this further and sent the following but did not receive a response. I guess she changed her mind.

 

Thank you for your reply. I am not against fighting the cuts, improving NHS and workers having decent well paid jobs – we have to struggle, to survive – but these are aspirations that have developed within capitalism and nurtured by the ruling class.  The capitalist class would like ALL workers working and making them profits and a healthy working class makes more profits than an unhealthy working class. These aspirations should not be confused with the aspiration to be free from capitalism and wage labour. I do  fight the cuts to my living standards, but that is NOT socialist action: It is  defensive.

 

fraternally

 

vin maratty

 

 

[Anonymous]

Well done comrade! Thanks for spending you 'person hours' on this.

[Author]

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