Berkeley, California 94720
United StatesThe ISO has branches and members in about 40 cities across the U.S. The following is a brief outline of the ISO's politics.
Workers? Power
Although workers create society?s wealth, they have no control over its production and distribution. A socialist society can only be built when workers collectively seize control of that wealth and democratically plan its production and distribution according to human needs instead of profit.
The working class, both blue-collar and white-collar, is the vast majority of society and is the key to the fight for socialism. Only mass struggles of the workers themselves can destroy the capitalist system of oppression and exploitation.
We support trade unions as essential to the fight for workers? economic and political rights. To make the unions fight for workers? interests, rank-and-file workers must organize themselves independent of the union officials.
Revolution Not Reform
Reforms within the capitalist system cannot put an end to oppression and exploitation. Capitalism must be overthrown.
The structures of the present government--the Congress, the army, the police and the judiciary--cannot be taken over and used by the working class. They grew up under capitalism and are designed to protect the ruling class against workers.
We do not support candidates of capitalist parties like the Democrats or the Republicans.
The working class needs an entirely different kind of state--a workers? state based on councils of workers? delegates and a workers? militia.
Internationalism
The struggle for socialism is part of a worldwide struggle. We campaign for solidarity with workers in other countries. We oppose everything that turns the workers of one country against those of another country.
We oppose imperialism and support all genuine national liberation movements. We oppose all immigration controls and protectionist measures.
The experience of Russia demonstrates that a socialist revolution cannot survive in one country. China and Cuba, like the former Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc, have nothing to do with socialism. They are state capitalist regimes which oppress and exploit workers. We support the struggles of workers in these countries against the bureaucratic ruling class.
Full Equality and Liberation
Capitalism divides the working class, based on sexual, racial and national distinctions. The specially oppressed groups within the working class suffer the most under capitalism.
We oppose racism in all its forms. We support the right to armed self-defense in the face of racist attacks.
Black liberation, women?s liberation and lesbian and gay liberation are essential to socialist revolution and impossible without it.
We fight for real social, economic and political equality for women and for an end to discrimination against lesbians and gays. We support the struggles of the oppressed for their own liberation.
The Revolutionary Party
To achieve socialism, the most militant workers must be organized into a revolutionary socialist party to provide political leadership and organization. The activities of the ISO are directed at taking the initial steps to building such a party.
This is a campus group. Geographical Scope: Local Added on 09-26-2002 Updated on 09-26-2002 |
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