Letter: How should Socialists vote at elections?
A correspondent (J. F. Carr, North Finchley), asks the following question :
“I shall be grateful for an answer to the following question :
“The S.P.G.B. is, I suppose, preparing for eventual, considerable, representation in Parliament. But this may not be for some decades. What is the Socialist voter to do in the meantime?
“Is he to (i) abstain from voting and thus help the Tories to unfettered control? (ii) vote for the Labour candidate? Or (iii) vote for a Communist candidate if possible?
“Thanking you. Yours, etc.,
JOHN F. CARR.”
Our correspondent raises the old question how the voters should use their vote when a candidate of their own party is not standing. To our correspondent it is an issue facing Socialists. He is wrong. The S.P.G.B. does not need to explain to those who really understand the Socialist case the futility of voting for non-Socialists. The question does, however, face all the parties that are prepared to accept capitalism while disagreeing between themselves about the way capitalism should be administered.
All parties except the S.P.G.B. have pursued this tactic of the so-called “lesser evil,” and the history of the working class movement is full of examples to show that it is useless and dangerous; the ultimate evil effects make nonsense of the argument that it produces worth-while results.
Underlying our correspondents question is the idea that capitalism can be made a better system for the workers if administered differently. The idea is quite baseless. It ought by now to be obvious to our correspondent from experience of Labour government that the broad lines of policy of those who administer capitalism are not determined by pre-election good intentions but by the forces of capitalism itself. Sooner or later this will show itself in the form of large numbers of former Labour voters deserting the Labour Party. It is indeed already in evidence and the Tories are standing our correspondent’s plea on its head by saying to dissatisfled workers “Vote Tory and prevent the evils of Labour government from continuing.”
The S.P.G.B.’s attitude is clear and logical. As capitalism, no matter who administers it, holds no hope for the working-class it would be nonsensical for the S.P.G.B. to pursue a policy that denies this and asserts or implies that, after all, capitalism can be made to work better if this or that, party takes control. Socialism will only be achieved when a majority have faced the issue squarely and made the difficult decision to abandon capitalism and put Socialism in its place. Our correspondent differentiates between the ultimate policy of achieving Socialism and the immediate, “meantime,” policy of supporting parties of capitalism—he forgets that if the workers continue to do the latter the “meantime” will last for ever.
One of the clearest examples of the stupidity of the policy is the experience of the German Social Democratic Party. Immediately after 1918 they promised “Socialism,” meaning state capitalism under Social Democratic government. The workers found it so deplorable that in increasing numbers they deserted the Social Democratic Partv. So in 1925 the S.D.P. first put forward their own candidate for the Presidency, then, scared by the rise of the Nationalists, withdrew him and gave their votes to the “lesser evil,” Dr. Marx. Admittedly Dr. Marx was an avowed anti-Socialist, and opponent of the S.D.P. but be promised to keep out the “worse evil,” General Hindenburg and his Nationalists. Hindenburg was elected. Then in 1932, as the situation worsened, it was Hindenburg who for the S.D.P. became “the lesser evil.” Instead of putting forward their own candidate they voted for Hindenburg, this time to keep Hitler out. Hindenburg, with the help of Social Democratic votes, was elected, but almost the first thing he did was to hand over power to Hitler who used power to suppress the Social Democrats.
Equally evil would be the alternative put by our correspondent of voting for Communists. In Russia and many other countries the Communists in power have used their power to suppress all the other parties.
Capitalism and all who support it are the enemies of the working class and the time to recognise it and act on that knowledge is now. If our correspondent does not understand this it is because be does not yet understand the Socialist case.
Ed. Comm.