Impossibilism (Study Guide)

  1. The Idler
    The Idler
    Study Guide: Impossibilism

    "Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing."

    -- Muhammad Ali

    Q1. What is capitalism?
    A1: One of Marx's defining features of capitalism is the existence of wage-labour. Wage-labour implies extraction of surplus value.
    Economics for Beginners, 1935, John Keracher
    http://www.marxists.org/archive/kera...-beginners.htm

    Q2. What is the alternative? What is anti-capitalism?
    A2: Opposition to wage-labour. Calculation in kind is one of the suggested economic systems.
    The Policy of the Socialist League, June 1888, Commonweal
    http://www.marxists.org/archive/morr.../06-policy.htm
    We Don't Want Full Employment, 1998, Ken Knabb
    http://theoryandpractice.org.uk/libr...ken-knabb-1998
    Beyond Capitalism, June 1993, Socialist Standard
    http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/s...ond-capitalism

    Q3: Can this be achieved by joining non-class struggle parties? Can this be achieved without recognising the class struggle? Workerism, Worker's Parties and Working-class organisations? Fighting the economic struggle. Economism.

    A3: The history of the Labour Party (formed as a workers party to represent workers) and the more left-wing (left of Labour) Independent Labour Party (formed as a "socialist" party to represent socialists) shows that rejection of the class struggle (as both did) undermines it.
    The Rise and Fall of the I. L. P., October 2009, Socialist Standard
    http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/s...e-and-fall-ilp
    Syndicalism: Its Origin and Weakness, October 1986, Socialist Standard
    http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/s...n-and-weakness
    The General Strike Fiasco: Its Causes and Effects, June 1926, Socialist Standard
    http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/s...es-and-effects
    Commodity Struggle or Class Struggle, November 1920, Socialist Standard
    http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/s...class-struggle
    Remember Tonypandy, December 1910, Socialist Standard
    http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/s...mber-tonypandy
    As to Politics, 1907, Daniel De Leon
    http://www.marxists.org/archive/dele...wers/index.htm

    Q4. What is radical? Can I live a radical lifestyle? Can I be an activist for radical causes and radical change? Dropping out? Utopian Socialism? Sociology? Holloway's Crack Capitalism?
    A4: Radical means striking at the root. So addressing the effects rather than the cause does not constitute radical.
    Anyone know a Lifestyle Anarchist? July 2011, Socialist Standard
    http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/s...tyle-anarchist
    Robert Owen: Paternalist utopian, December 2008, Socialist Standard
    http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/s...nalist-utopian
    Looking Backward, 22 June 1889, Commonweal
    http://www.marxists.org/archive/morr...06-bellamy.htm

    Q5. What is the effect of reforms?
    A5: Palliatives of capitalism merely address various effects of wage-labour rather than their cause. See the futility of reforms (Socialist Standard 1912). Reforms that are at the expense of the ruling class are concessions (short of conceding a classless society) permitted by the ruling class for as long as they feel their position most threatened. Settlements in exchange for class peace.
    Politicians Promise and Things Get Worse, Why? 1997, SLP (US)
    http://www.slp.org/res_state_htm/pol_promise.html
    The Futility of Reformism, 1984, Samuel Leight
    http://theoryandpractice.org.uk/libr...el-leight-1984
    The Futility of Reform, October 1904, Socialist Standard
    Reform or Revolution, 1896, Daniel De Leon
    http://www.deleonism.org/ror.htm
    Reforms and Reforms, 1896, Daniel De Leon, The People
    http://www.deleonism.org/text/18960105.htm
    Socialism and Radicalism, 1894, John Carruthers, Hammersmith Socialist Society

    Q6. Can reforms of capitalism get us closer to its abolition?
    A6: The Fabians argued a gradualist route to abolition of wages. This division is where the term possibilism and impossibilism originated as an insult. Trotsky and the Fourth International argued for a transitional program. Abolition of wages however is a zero-sum game.
    The Myth of the Transitional Society, 1975, Critique 5
    http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/e...tional-society
    Stepping Stones to Nowhere, June 1996, Socialist Standard
    http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/s...stones-nowhere
    Fabian Essays in Socialism, 25 January 1890
    http://www.marxists.org/archive/morr...ian-essays.htm

    Q7. What is revolution? How is it different from reform? Isn't revolution the use of violence and force in contrast to peaceful reform?
    A7: Revolution is a change from wage-labour to its abolition. Use of force was the division based on illusory definitions of the Second International and between the Mensheviks and the Bolsheviks.
    State Capitalism, April 1987, Socialist Standard
    http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/s...ate-capitalism
    State Socialism, Feb 17 1911, Daniel De Leon, The people
    http://www.deleonism.org/text/19110217.htm

    Q8. How do we organise for revolution? Don't anarchists argue reformism covers organising and political parties and participation in elections?
    A8: To abolish wage-labour we need to target the centre of power where it is exercised. This is the state. Abstentionism was the division based on illusory definitions of Bakunin in the First International and within the Socialist League.
    Morris and the Problem of Reform or Revolution, February 1984, Socialist Standard
    http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/s...-or-revolution
    What is Anarchism?, December 1967, Socialist Standard
    http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/s...what-anarchism
    The Practical and Logical Impossibility of Anarchism, Socialist Studies
    http://www.socialiststudies.org.uk/p...0anarchy.shtml
    Socialism and Politics, July 1885, Commonweal
    http://www.marxists.org/archive/morr.../07-answer.htm

    Q9. Doesn't unity with reformers strengthen our case by sheer numbers? Can't we tolerate differences with other class-struggle socialists? Is there room for differences of opinion within impossibilists?
    A9. There are many historical examples of co-operation within a single party. All ended with the majority expelling the minority, splits or both groups becoming defunct. Social Democratic Federation contained a majority of reformers and minorities of impossibilists who split off to form the Socialist League, Socialist Labour Party and Socialist Party of Great Britain. Socialist Party of Canada contained a majority of impossibilists and a minority of reformers. Socialist Party of America contained both. French Workers' Party contained impossibilists who expelled possibilists. Within impossibilist parties there is room for differences of opinion.
    Is the SPGB Sectarian?, Summer 2001, Socialist Studies 40
    http://www.socialiststudies.org.uk/s...html#sectarian
    How the SPGB is different
    http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/how-spgb-different
    What's the Difference between the SLP (and other Socialists)?
    http://www.slp.org/res_state_htm/whats_diff.html
    The Birth of the Socialist Party, September 1954, Socialist Standard
    http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/s...ocialist-party
    Requirements for Membership, June 1953, Forum SPGB Discussion journal
    Is there Room for Differences of Opinion in a Socialist Party?, March 1960, Forum SPGB Discussion journal
    The Socialist Party of Great Britain, September 1904, Socialist Standard
    http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/s...t-britain-1904
    Where Are We Now?, 15 November 1890, Commonweal
    http://www.marxists.org/archive/morr...-where-now.htm

    Q10. What about Marx and the Maximum programme?
    A10: This was the division based on illusory definitions of the Third International. Abolition of wage-labour is our only program, therefore what others would term a minimum program.
    the SPGB does not endorse Marx’s ideas regarding struggles for national liberation, minimum reform programmes, labour vouchers, the lower stage of communism. On some of these points, the SPGB does not reject what Marx advocated in his own time, but rejects their applicability to revolutionaries now; on the other points, the SPGB approaches social problems from a different angle from adopted by Marx
    Chapter 4, Impossibilism, Steve Coleman, Non-Market Socialism in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries ed. Max Rubel and John Crump (1987)
    http://bataillesocialiste.wordpress....-coleman-1987/

    http://archive.org/details/TheHistor...OfGreatBritain
  2. TheGodlessUtopian
    TheGodlessUtopian
    Awesome guide, is it completed and ready to be posted up?
  3. The Idler
    The Idler
    Not yet
  4. TheGodlessUtopian
    TheGodlessUtopian
    Alright, no problem. When it is ready say so and I will get it up.
  5. The Idler
    The Idler
    I'm happy for it to be posted now.
  6. TheGodlessUtopian
    TheGodlessUtopian
    I'm happy for it to be posted now.
    Awesome, I will do so momentarily.

    I will be posting it under the tendency section if that is alright with you.
  7. The Idler
    The Idler
    I don't understand. Where is the tendency section?
  8. TheGodlessUtopian
    TheGodlessUtopian
    I don't understand. Where is the tendency section?
    In the stickied thread there are different sections for each author and tendency...

    http://www.revleft.com/vb/rev-left-s...829/index.html
  9. The Idler
    The Idler
    okay, thanks.
  10. TheGodlessUtopian
    TheGodlessUtopian
    Posted and thank you for your contribution.