Theory Makes Perfect

What can we do to change society? First of all, we can educate ourselves. Seek to understand economics, politics and the society around us. Read and learn about Marx, interpretations of Marx, other Marxists and socialists, as well as critiques of them. Keep up with current events and read socialist and capitalist perspectives. Read what the ruling class is saying, what public consciousness is, etc. Become politically involved. If there is a socialist party with a chance at power, join it. Otherwise see if there is a main political party that could become a socialist party (does it have a socialist history, does it have links to the labour movement, is it a mass democratic party, etc). It probably won't be all that clear to people whether or not this is the case, but it's a matter of judgement and analysis, listen to the arguments either way. If there isn't any such political party, then find some alternative route to political involvement: is there a strong socialist moveme...

Socialists need a party. It isn't enough to wage purely economic struggles against capitalism, because capitalism isn't purely economic. If (and when) the working class strike with enough effectiveness to shut down major sectors of the economy, the state will be wielded by the capitalist class against them. Strikes will be broken with the police and the army, resources will be forcefully expropriated to keep things running, and the rights of ordinary people will be brutally curtailed in a "state of emergency". Besides, the state acts in so many ways to keep the working class in its place even before any industrial action is taken. Class relations are underwritten by employment law, capitalist property is enforced and protected, the working class is put to war against itself by nation states. The capitalist state by definition is used by the powerful minority to dominate the vast majority. It is for this reason that the working class must participate in politics, and d...

What would a socialist economic system look like? Here's a possible vision. A key aspect of such a society would be that workers exercise control over what they produce and how that product is used. In capitalism, you pretty much take the jobs you can get. The kind of jobs people have access to will very much depend on their background and class. Did they have access to good schools, training and qualifications, do they have connections to the industry, etc. Under socialism, people will have more choice of what to do. They will have access to the same high level of education and training as anyone else. Their chosen profession will be based on their natural talents and their preferences. Furthermore, workplaces will be democratic, meaning that all workers will have a say in major decisions such as how work is done, how the fruits of work are allocated and how the workplace is run. This is in stark contrast to the authoritarian model of capitalist businesses, where the business owne...