Why?

Socialism from Below

• Many current affairs websites are available. But a world free from destructive competition, billionaires, imperialism and wars – a socialist world – needs more than good Internet journalism. It needs real organisation from the ground up.
• All wealth derives its value from work. The global majority that carries out that work, will need eventually to take control of the workplaces.
• A tiny minority of the population owns and/or controls global capital. This gives them ultimate power over workplaces, state and legislative bodies, the military and mass-media.
• Progressive campaigns and resistance movements can be useful. But the decisive chain of events will include organisation, strikes, sit-ins or work-ins, general strikes and, finally, democratic control of all major workplaces.
• This revolutionary scenario will only be possible when existing global systems are clearly in a state of irreversible collapse. Ruling minorities will always resort to repression when threatened. Evidence the past century of military coups, juntas, fascism and state-capitalist regimes like Russai and China.
• Given the absence of functioning capitalist institutions, exactly how we, the majority, organise ourselves will be crucial.
• Every form of democracy needs political parties. But within capitalist social democracy, self-seeking, careerist politicians are not simply inevitable they are one of its essential ingredients.
• The transition to socialism will be chaotic. This is because it will be sabotaged throughout by violent conservative elements.
• To be effective, socialist parties need to comprise ‘democratic-centralist’ structures. These will be able to minimise schisms and prevent takeovers or infiltrations. They will also encourage discussion of all issues and an informal atmosphere.

What?

Wikipedia with attitude

Radical Futures will:

• take explicit political positions on key issues.
• encourage links between progressive parties and movements.
• be the ‘citizen scientists’ of politics, philosophy and economics.
• adapt the best of capitalist academic and media reports.
• use the prose style and register of popular science and campaign pamphlets.
• limit entries to manageable chunks (‘twytes’) of 500-1000 words.
• encourage peaceful direct and industrial action.
• invite applications for contributor status.
• offer further roles of editor, moderator and administrator.
• attempt to counteract the de facto competition between worthy campaigns and parties. The intention is to increase the overall effectiveness of the socialist project and not merely pull in already fully active individuals.
• if successful, transfer ownership to a management group. A nominal fixed price will be charged to exclude spurious bids. But the choice will be based on prospectus and individual resumés.
• fall on its sword if it fails.

Who?

The far-sighted left

Targeted individuals:

• believe that the basics of a decent life should be guaranteed for everybody at birth.
• are aware that the failure of capitalism is now catastrophic and global.
• wish to learn about, and/or contribute, within particular problem areas. This because the sheer number of current problems has become emotionally overwhelming.
• also see the need for general political awareness among single-issue activists.
• are not currently fully active in existing progressive campaigns or parties.
• may be fellow travellers, ex-members, retired or burned-out activists, from politics or campaigns.