About socialism
The benefits of capitalism
Before we talk about socialism, we have to talk a little more about capitalism.
Capitalism has solved the technical problem of producing enough to ensure a comfortable standard of living for everyone on the planet,
It has brought the world’s population together to cooperate in a massive network of socialised production, by and large organised and operated by the workers.
Most capitalists have withdrawn from any economic activity beyond organising the collection of dividends, interest and rent (and most of that is done by workers too!) .
How socialism is different
The revolutionary change that we propose is nothing more than a re-purposing of the global production system. In other words, we stop cooperating on behalf of the capitalists and cooperate instead to meet human need.
Of course, we’ll still have to mine, grow food, make machinery, etc. After all, that is the human condition. But working to meet need alone means that we will be able to plan and produce rationally – making everything to the best of our technical ability, with as much regard for the rest of the natural world as is reasonably possible.
It means an end to any form of exchange – what we produce will be available for anyone to use/consume as they wish. This will mean that all of the paraphernalia of buying and selling will be scrapped.
And with no bosses, we’ll all be able to take as big a part as we wish in decision-making about how and what we produce.
The material conditions for socialist production already exist. Just one thing is missing – class consciousness.
Next: Class consciousness ➡️