Principles 2003
Socialism in the Age of Waiting
It would be very easy to make world history
if the struggle could always be undertaken
when the odds are in our favour
- Karl Marx
This statement of the principles underpinning our activity on this website is supplementary to our comments on current events, gathered in the sections called Pamphlets and Commentaries (and to our other activities in other forums).
We emphasise from the outset that:
- We are socialists, committed to the replacement of capitalism by a classless society in which common ownership, under democratic control, permits the realisation of the Enlightenment goals of universal freedom, equality and solidarity.
- We remain intransigently loyal to the Marxist tradition – but for us, if not for most contemporary “Marxists”, that means neither a routinised Marxism, subordinated to the interests of self-appointed leaders or authoritarian parties, nor a fossilised Marxism, reduced to academic introspection about ideas, but a Marxism that is still developing, still responsive to the new and unforeseen, and still capable of helping the working class and, along with them, all exploited and oppressed groups, to overthrow their rulers and build a better world.
- We accept the need for dialogue and collaboration with non-Marxists, respecting the sincerity of their own convictions where they are sincere, while maintaining our independence.
The sections of this statement are presented in the following webpages:
- Defining socialism
- Freedom and equality
- Democratic control
- Common ownership
- Universalism
- Ends and means