Review: SPGB Proud But Flawed

Socialism or your money back, articles from the Socialist

Standard published by the Socialist Party 2004, ISBN

0-9544733-1-0, soft back, 300 pages.

by Eric Trevett

This review was published in the New Worker 

on 20th August 2004

THE SOCIALIST Party of Great Britain has celebrated the

centenary of its foundation (June 1904) and the production

of its monthly paper with a special edition of selected

articles in a single volume. On an occasion such as this it

would be churlish not to congratulate the SPGB on its

achievement, especially as it purports to be supporting

workers' struggle to end their exploitation and achieve a

socialist society.

Indeed some of the articles, such as the one about the

attack on the Tonypandy miners, are very good in exposing

the ruthlessness of the capitalist class and the betrayal

of right-wing Labour leaders. But the SPGB is based on an

ideological position that is fundamentally wrong and leads

it into a position of condemning any and all attempts

hitherto to establish a socialist society.

Not only that, but the national liberation movements are

also condemned and the valid fight for reforms within

capitalist society also tend to be denigrated. To prove the

point, let us quote a full passage from the foreword of the

collected articles. It is a long quotation but it must be

made in full in order to do justice to the SPGB argument:

"The Socialist Party is particularly proud of the fact

that one of the things we have succeeded in doing over the

past 100 years has been to keep alive the original idea of

what a socialist society was supposed to be  a classless,

stateless, frontier less, wage less, moneyless society, to

define it somewhat negatively. Or more positively a World

community in which the natural and industrial resources of

the planet will have become a common heritage of all

humanity, a democratic society in which free and equal men

and women co-operate to produce the things they need to

live and enjoy life, and to which they have free access

with the principle from each according to their ability, to

each according to their needs." Accepted

For many years it has been accepted that socialist

revolution ushers in a long period of transition before a

communist society is established and in the initial period

of socialism, the principle is not from each according to

their ability, to each according to their need. But it is

in fact from each according to their ability, to each

according to the work they do.

The seed of socialist society germinates in the womb of

the capitalist system and when through struggle  economic

and political  it breaks free of the body of its parent, it

inherits many of he faults, inadequacies and shortcomings

of the previous society. To overcome these, as well as

developing the necessary production to eliminate poverty,

and achieve a situation where co-operation is an even

greater force than competition, will certainly take

decades, perhaps centuries.

When judged by such standards as the SPGB puts forward, it

is not surprising that any attempt to break with the

fetters of capitalism is condemned by the SPGB as being

state capitalist.

In addition the SPGB adopts a position of hostility

towards such countries. For instance, during the vicious

war launched by the United States against Vietnam, the SPGB

declared that they did not support either side and said:

"Of course defeat in Vietnam and the whole of South East

Asia would have serious consequences for American

capitalism. That is why they are fighting. It would deprive

them of access to many raw materials, but more important it

would shift the balance of power around the Pacific in

favour of Chinese state capitalism.

"It is not true that the Vietcong and workers are fighting

the same enemy. The Vietcong are fighting American

capitalism. The interests of workers are opposed not only

to American capitalism but also to capitalism everywhere

including Russia and China.

"Victory for the Vietcong, as we have already explained,

would shift the World balance of power from American to

other capitalist powers. This is not something that is in

the interests of workers, or something they should support.

There is not an issue at stake in Vietnam worth a single

worker's life."

Lest there be any doubt we can include another quote:

"Politically the socialist party nailed its colours to the

mast on the nation or class issue at the outset and the

article here on the rise of Sinn Fein in Ireland is a

stinging attack on the idea that national liberation

movements against established imperialist powers are in

some way progressive and worthy of working class support."

Another crucial issue ignored in this volume is the

question of state power and the concept of the dictatorship

of the proletariat in particular. Without the working class

establishing its authority on society, having command of

its oppressive and persuasive organs of power, socialism

cannot be developed. This goes far beyond the social

democrat idea that socialism can be achieved comfortably by

parliamentary legislation. For socialism to be developed

there has to be mass involvement of the working class,

which takes political power to itself and can effectively

defend itself against the national and international

efforts to destroy it whilst at the same time taking

measures to consolidate and develop conditions for a new

society.

The extent to which the revolution will be bloody or

bloodless depends on the unity and determination of the

working class to champion the interests of the bulk of the

people. This is essential to win firm allies in support of

the revolutionary process. It will also depend on the

degree to which there is disaffection among the personnel

of the coercive forces of capitalism. This will determine

the extent to which the capitalist class, which is being

displaced, can command the loyalty of its state apparatus.

Invalid

From the standpoint of the SPGB, such an authoritarian

interpretation of socialism would be invalid. But in the

world we live in the working class needs to be aware that

it is dealing with a ruthless adversary, which as we have

seen in innumerable wars does not blink an eyelid at

consigning millions of men, women and children to their

death.

The SPGB's general negative approach to people in struggle

is often reflected in the articles published in this book.

This includes the efforts of the suffragettes and extends

to people active in the peace movement. This is a book that

has to be read very critically. It would be nice to think

that, on its centenary, the SPGB would reflect

self-critically on its ideologically flawed position. Only

in this way can it correct its practice and really play a

positive role in the fight or socialism.

Currently it is in effect opposing and impeding all real

efforts in the direction of socialism because they cannot

achieve full, perfect communism in the blink of an eye. And

this position helps to sustain capitalism.