Strategies for Transition to Socialism
A comrade in South Dakota was explaining why she was a Socialist. She said most of her energy went into support for the Yellow Thunder Camp, an attempt by Lakota indians to reclaim some of their land, and organizing Litton workers in a runaway shop. “But,” she said, “I realized that the conditions that cause those problems are inherent in capitalism, and we’ll have to struggle with them as long as we have that system. That’s why I’m a socialist.”
Some socialists believe that socialism can be voted in. Other Socialists believe that electoral actions serve an important function in educating people about socialism and distinguishing it from capitalist alternatives. Socialists are committed to struggling for what André Gorz calls “revolutionary reforms,” i.e., reforms that change the balance of power in the present system toward more strength for the less powerful.
Ultimately, the present system cannot function without the cooperation and support of those oppressed by it. But, a rebellion in a few sectors of society can be crushed by a sophisticated ruling class. If cooperation of the working class can be obtained, the country could be shut down and taken over by it. This is the strategy outlined by Rosa Luxemburg in her General Strike.
Establishing and nurturing alternative institution is another strategy to replace the capitalist system. In all these strategies, Socialists recognize the connections between the means and the ends; that the means we employ will have a determinative effect on the end result. If we want a truly democratic society, we will need to foster democratic traditions as a means as well as an end in our efforts to create both political and cultural change in society.