The Questions They Ask
Question: I agree with much of your criticisms of the capitalist system, which is pretty obvious anyway. But you still haven’t explained to my satisfaction this “to each according to his needs” bit. How will goods be apportioned under your system? Why doesn’t your Party publish a plan showing us exactly how it will work?
Answer: Goods will be distributed by transport, pretty much as now. But I assume from our questioner’s subsequent remarks that what he really has in mind is how this can be done without money.
It is quite understandable why many people think (judging by appearances only) that money moves goods, whereas actually it is goods that move money. The money never stops moving, the goods eventually stop.
Many people simply cannot conceive a state of affairs where the capitalist law of exchange values does not operate – socialism. In socialist society there will be use values only, goods circulating without a price mechanism.
People in socialist society will work to produce wealth. Yes–WORK!
Marx was firmly of the opinion that socialism entails “damned serious work” against Charles Fourier (the French Utopian) who thought that socialism would be one long playtime.
Your “needs” are entirely your own affair although it is obvious that what we regard as our “needs” are largely conditioned by what society produces – cars, television sets, nylon, petrol, gas for example.
Some rather thoughtless people, hearing the socialist case for the first time, declare that they will then, for example, take several Rolls Royces (how revealing). Another has just said that “I will want four mansions”. These objections are really voicing their own deprivations under capitalism NOW. The poverty-stricken worker’s dream – a gleaming Rolls Royce. Will he drive several Rolls Royces or live in four mansions all at once?
We cannot even draft a plan stating details of what capitalism will like in a few years’ time. How absurd in try to tell the citizens of the future socialist society what to do!
People are mainly conditioned by their environment. In a situation where most reasonable requirements are available in sufficient supply, the whole notion of taking more than you need, “hoarding” or “storing” for the proverbial rainy day, becomes ridiculous. Every human being will be the responsibility of society, which will be maintained by the voluntary labour of ALL.
“To each according to his needs” means precisely what it says and assumes that people intelligent enough to abolish capitalism and establish socialism will not drink themselves to death or eat themselves sick. Even a pig turns away from the trough when it’s had enough.
HORATIO