Our Vision of Socialism:

The ideal we strive for is the complete abolition of capitalism and its replacement by a socialist society. The achievement of this objective is by no means inevitable, nor in current conditions probable, but we assert that it is possible. Since the term socialism conjures up many images, some very negative, it is important that we outline what we mean by the word.

A socialist society means a society where people have democratic control all aspects of their lives. The existence of power elites of any kind is contrary to our vision of socialism. Socialists wish to extend and deepen democracy and that can only be done when it is decoupled from capitalism.

Capitalism is based on production for profit not need. It benefits the few at the expense of the many. The alternative to capitalism is a socially owned economy where the goal of production is the benefit of all. This does not, however, mean regulated capitalism or authoritarian state control. A socialist economy is one in which workers and consumers own and democratically control all economic structures. All wealth and resources of a country belong to the people as a whole and should be used for their collective benefit.

Equality of all citizens is fundamental to socialism. All privilege and discrimination must be abolished. Capitalism is a system based on the monopoly of power by the wealthy and its demise can only be based on the capture of power by the huge majority, who belong to the working class. But there are other structures of inequality which, though intrinsically linked to capitalism, will not necessarily disappear with its demise. Patriarchy is such a structure and socialists seek to confront the determination of a life of privilege or oppression based on an accident of birth. In a similar fashion socialists reject the marginalisation of people because of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability. The society we aspire to would value equally the participation of every individual and celebrate the differences that enrich human life.

This separates us not only from the intolerance of the conservatives but from the mere tolerance of liberals. All human rights, without distinction, are inviolable. None can be sacrificed in the interests of others. Capitalist democracies often ignore social and economic rights while emphasising political and personal rights, though often violating them. Authoritarian communism violated people’s personal rights on a massive scale but paid lip service to social rights. The protection and assertion of all rights is fundamental to socialism. The limited freedoms that people now have would be fully realised, not abolished.

In a socialist system economic development would be environmentally sustainable. The view that all economic growth equals progress must be rejected. Technological and economic development must be developed in harmony with our natural environment. A commitment to radical environmentalism must be central to our vision, not an added extra. A key component of socialist thought is internationalism. This is based on the view that the struggles of the vast majority of the world’s people who are excluded from power unite us all in a common interest. Any victory against injustice and inequality anywhere is a victory for all humanity. With the emergence of a globalised capitalist economy such internationalism becomes more important than ever.

But this is not just a vision for the future; it is a set of principles for today's actions. Those actions prefigure the society we desire. The means either enhance or distort the ends. Organisations whose own internal life are characterised by elitism, inequality and lack of real democracy can hardly contribute to the creation of an open, democratic and equal future. This in broad brush-strokes is our vision of socialism.

It is important also to state what socialism is not. Clearly the authoritarian communist systems that existed in Eastern Europe and still exist in China, North Korea etc. were contrary to almost all the principles outlined above. Despite the social progress achieved in some of these countries they were brutally ruled by a small elite maintained in power at immense human cost.

Our immediate goal must be the construction of a broad radical alliance based on a common programme which would combine a long-term vision of socialist society with a short term goal of radical reform and a clear view of how these are linked. Such an alliance, comprised of left-political, community and single-issue organisations, would have to be non-sectarian, democratic, non-violent and committed to both campaigning and electoral activity.

We believe that Marxist political thought is essential to an understanding and analysis of how a capitalist society works. The continued centrality of the struggle between capital and labour amply illustrates this. Our Marxism is not a dogma but a tool in advancing the struggle for socialism.

We recognise that people can be equally inspired to espouse and work for socialism by many sources, ranging from humanist morals to religious beliefs or simply by their experience of the suffering and injustice caused by existing structures.

The fundamental transformation of society must be carried out in all terrains of struggle simultaneously. The struggle to democratise society occurs everywhere; in the workplace, the home, the neighbourhood and is not confined to elections, council chambers and the Dail. The primary means by which a socialist society can be built is through the day-to-day struggles of ordinary people. You can't abolish capitalism through an act of parliament any more than through a violent revolution. While every reform that improves peoples lives is an advance and should be fought for and supported, such reforms are not an end in themselves but steps in the struggle to transform society. Achieving governmental power, while essential, is only part of a broader democratic struggle to transform society and establish a socialist democracy. It is through our common action and that of those with whom we share this vision that such a society can be achieved. As Marx wrote "Philosophers have only interpreted the world, the point, however, is to change it".