WELCOME TO OUR SITE The "Glasgow Branch Socialist Discussion Group" started in response to a demand for regular informal discussion meetings, as well as, our usual Debates and Lecture meetings, which Glasgow Branch have provided since 1922, when the Branch was formed. It is open,as all of our meetings are, to anyone who wants to come along, whether it is to question, reflect, discuss, debate or merely listen. although the discussion meeting is in its our summer recess just now,we aren't we make the both wednesdays available for branch meetings,as we have a hectic schedule over this period also travelling to other areas of the country. We meet every first and third Wednesday for branch meetings,but watch this space for any resumption of the Discussion Group 8.00 to 10.00 prompt. Maryhill Community Centre,Maryhill Road, Glasgow. Ask at reception what room we meet in (not always the same room). We really would love to see you there! The Branch Business meetings are in the same place on the first Wednesday of the month.Same times apply.I just told you all that but I am keeping this here for the resumption.

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REAL SOCIALISM

And what is real socialism, then? In 1904 The Socialist Party of Great Britain (now usually referred to as The Socialist Party) was founded and it declared as it's OBJECT : The establishment of a system of society based upon the common ownership and democratic control of the means and instruments for producing and distributing wealth by and in the interests of the whole community. This is real socialism: a world that is co-operatively owned and run by all of us for all of us!

We are quite unique among political parties in that we do not seek to reform capitalism, but to replace it. And once having replaced it there is no further need for any party to exist, ourselves included. That is what emancipation means - an end to the overlordship of politics by political parties,as most of them if not all,are merely different sides of the same money economy,and the assumption of the freedom to start looking after ourselves,our fellow human beings and our world.

We see that as being a revolutionary goal, but one that can best achieved through informed and co-operative action on the part of a people, organising themselves, by ,and for ,themselves,locally ,regionally and globally. We see the avenue as being parliamentary. A lot of people who seek change see parliament as a talking shop full of ambitious and greedy opportunist politicians, all of whom dance to the tune of capitalism whether they wish to or not.

That is true, but if voters elect these people in to parliament in the first place then it can hardly be filled with any thing else. If people on the other hand decide they want their own needs (as opposed to that of the politician and his parent party) realised through the parliamentary process, then parliament can be used for real socialist change and abolishing it.

Before we can do that we need to know what socialism is, and what it is not.We need to be socialists ourselves,because it is ourselves who will be bringing in to being, the new society.Socialists refuse to allow politicians or leaders to do it for them.If you want socialism then start becoming by socialists to start the journey towards a real socialist society.Although ideally we would wish you to join us and assist our work,no not selling papers to people who dont want them,you can be a part of the party of socialism, without being a member of the Socialist Party

The democracy that exists at the moment is a capitalist democracy. It is not a pinnacle but rather the second rung on the democratic ladder of evolution (a step up from dictatorship). Currently politicians promise what they think people will vote for, and hope the people return them to power (where the promises tend to turn out to be different than promised) as politicians both have their own agendas and find they cannot control the vagaries of capitalism despite all the pretence that they can.

A more real form of democracy is where people themselves decide what their needs are, and actually pick and vote for delegates who are instructed as to what their task is, and wholly agree. In other words the delegate isn't a leader with their own agenda, but a delegate who is actually charged with following the limited mandate people have set out for him, or her. And wholly accountable to them.There is in fact only one mandate possible for a socialist majority,which is to dismantle the forces of repression at the disposal of government and abolish prices, with the wages system, and private ownership of the means of producing and distributing wealth.

The Socialist Party is the most democratic party in the world. The party has no leaders, through concious choice. It's not a loss, by the way, but an improvement.All of our meetings are public,our executive are mere administrators, with no power, and their meetings are open for all to see and hear what we are up to.

We are kept busy now trying to share our unique viewpoint with fellow workers. Real socialism can only be gained when people know what it is, and want it. Until they do, there won't be much hope of getting it. So, the first stage to socialism is,as William Morris said, making socialists, or to put it another way - sharing with people, the information they need to make themselves socialists.

By doing this we have to listen, and educate ourselves, in the process. Once that is achieved on a significant scale there will be more than enough action and activity to go round!You ,the people, will make socialism yourselves.You already run capitalism from top to bottom,you occupy the factories and the offices and you make the decisions which affect your fellow workers on a daily basis.

The original capitalist class are no longer in any realistic control of their enterprises, other than by ownership of legal pieces of paper.We solved all of the problems of producing wealth,only to see the wealth destroyed,and fellow workers thrown on the scrapheap, when it could not be distibuted, as access to it is rationed, by the prices/wages system, regardless of real needs.

We have solved the problem which capitalism finds insurmountable, as it only produces to realise a profit.Only socialism can solve the problem of distribution,by basing the organising premise of society's distibution and production, upon the original socialist tenet of needs, "From each according to their ability, to each according to their,self assessed,needs."


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