I had always been a little politically minded before I joined the Socialist Party, however I was still only aware of the three main parties and what they pretended to be. I knew there was something wrong with the system we have, all I had to do was switch on the news and there would be something on there about a disaster in the Middle East or something relating to Third World poverty. It didn’t take a miracle to figure out that all these problems were a result of the capitalist system.
During the last elections in which the Con-Dem coalition was created, I decided to vote for the Liberal Democrats because of what they said in their manifesto, (fair taxes, fair future, fair chances and a fair deal.) On the face of it all it sounded like a party I would have liked to run the country, so I handed in my balloting paper.
Later that evening I met with a few friends of mine 2 of which were very politically minded, one socialist and one capitalist. The conversation quickly turned to who we had decided to vote for, obviously the capitalist friend voted for the Conservative’s. I asked him why and he said that that’s the party that was offering him the most by voting for them. Then my socialist friend came back with the argument that all the three main parties are the same and they would all do the same things. I asked him about this and did some research of my own.
I discovered that he was in fact telling the truth. The Conservative party has always been a party for the rich and powerful. When the Labour Party started about it was a party for the working class however now thanks to corruption and other influences it to represents the rich and powerful using the shroud of protecting the working class to gain votes. The Liberal Democrats who we have all recently seen will do anything even betray their own morals just to get political office.
I started looking for an alternative, I asked my friend about the Socialist Party and what they do about the problems that exist today. He suggested that I should go to one of the meetings they regularly hold; I agreed and in the process met a wide variety of like-minded people.
At this time I was still influenced by what was portrayed in the media so I kept asking questions about the banking crises and the problems with the Middle East and through their responses I was able to piece together that all the problems that exist today are a result of the capitalist system.
Wars would not exist if people didn’t crave power and resources, the reason for invading Iraq was for oil yet previously Saddam had been supplied with weapons from their good friends the USA. The banks lend money they don’t have to people who can’t pay it back because they have been made redundant by corporations who put profits before people.
I decided to stay with the socialist party because of what it does to help people, with every stab at the working classes by the rich and powerful (redundancies, pension slashing, etc.) the Socialist Party have been there to counter, whether through protest and occupations (like the ones seen in London,) strike action or even just trying to raise public awareness, they have never given up fighting for people’s rights and will continue to do even as things get worse, as they are inevitably going to.
Andy
York Socialist Party 