An idea whose time has come

Certainly times are changing; very quickly indeed it feels like years go by in a day at the moment. SO it is no surprise to me that ideas such as workers in struggle once again is coming back to the foreground. It’s been a while since the terms socialism and capitalism were being openly discussed and an idea that we cannot go on like we are. System change or at least the early signs of people discussing things need to change are on the agenda. I was at the NSSN lobby of the TUC yesterday and there was certainly a mood of defiance and determination to take the struggles forward. Whilst I say all this I do not think socialism or socialist ideas are popular in the mass’s of workers minds yet only by being drawn into struggle be that attending demonstrations against the cuts this autumn, taking strike action or coming into contact with a party like the socialist party of which I’m a member of. Consciousness as we know always lags behind but in periods of heightened class struggle which we are certainly in today consciousness can make big leaps and I do think the occupy movement while we have many reservations with the structures and slogans it did show a change or a shift in peoples thinking slogans like capitalism is crisis and the ideas of the 99% and the 1% was a first attempt of drawing conclusions of what is going on in society and the wider global economy. Workers are facing the biggest attack on their living standards possibly ever. What was won since the Second World War the welfare state, NHS, public services including many local services are disappearing under our very noses. Do you think workers will just stand by and watch this happen? No, they won’t and will by their class instincts be drawn into battle with the boss’s. The Tories are in disarray with arguments and splits a plenty in the coalition too we cannot predict what will topple this government or which split could open up as a huge split but increased strikes and industrial action on a mass scale including public and private sector workers which the NSSN supports could be the start of changing things out there. It is a slow process but ideas and people’s ideas are slowly starting to understand the reality of their children’s future being worse than their own. Socialism as we have always said as Marxists will come roaring back on to the scene as an alternative but it won’t just fall into our laps we must fight for the ideas of genuine Marxism of the teachings of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky. As revolutionaries we will fight for every reform for workers but know that ultimately the system, the system of capitalism must be overthrown no amount of tinkering or reforming the state will do. I’ve drawn these conclusions through being in the socialist party and I am sure in the coming months and years many more will do to. Its no longer enough to say what you are against, we can all say a million and one things we are against but where we differ we put forward an alternative. Things do not have to be this way, Workers can take control of society to run for need of the many not just the few.