Produced over five years ago, this short pamphlet tries to answer the question “what is socialism?” In doing so, it explains how capitalism developed out of feudalism, how it was a necessary stage in the development of human society, but a stage that has long past its “sell by” date and now threatens to drag us all down with it.
“Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the billionaires have been crowing that their system is the only one that works. And yet today too society is haunted. It is plagued by wars, racism, ethnic cleansing, and terrorism; by violence on an individual and a mass scale, by explosions that are ripping whole societies apart. Beyond that looms the threat of environmental disaster caused by global warming and the decline in energy resources.
In short, what we see is the threat of complete chaos in society – the society the capitalist class has organized and lead and has ruled over for centuries….”
‘Some 75 years ago, Trotsky said: “History says to the working class ‘You must know that unless you cast down the bourgeoisie (the capitalist class), you will perish beneath the ruins of the capitalist civilization. Try, solve this task!”
‘In honor of those who came before and sacrificed and died for us, and bearing in mind the responsibility we bear to those who are still to come – the future generations, our children – we have no choice to but struggle to do this. ‘
Read more for printing: What Is Socialism
To read online: What is socialism online edition
NOTE: This pamphlet is reproduced here in two formats. One is for physical printing and one is for reading online.