About

Why This Site?

Wikipedia with attitude

Radical Futures will:

  • Take explicit political positions on key issues.
  • Encourage links between progressive parties and movements.
  • Counteract the de facto competition for attention between worthy campaigns.
  • Incorporate the best of capitalist academia and media.
  • Merge the prose style and register of popular science with those of pamphleteering.
  • Be the citizen-scientists of politics, philosophy and economics.
  • Limit entries to manageable chunks (‘twytes’) of 500-1000 words.
  • Encourage peaceful direct and industrial action.
  • Maintain a balanced dialogue between admin, contributors and users.

Why?

  • The aim is to enhance the transition to a world free from billionaires, poverty, racism, imperialism and war – a socialist world.
  • The precise functions of socialist institutions will be decided at the time of their initiation. They will operate democratically from the start. All staff members will have an input on all major decisions. Election to the ruling body of all social institutions will be open to all staff, and any other individual with demonstrable interest and/or expertise.
  • Political parties will always be necessary in any democratic society. Minorities will always need to respect majority decisions.
  • Radical Futures is not a party. It is a forum for developing far-sighted, theoretical and philosophical ideas that can facilitate the transition  to socialism.
  • All wealth derives its value from work. Under capitalism, workers have very little, or no, control over workplaces.
  • A tiny minority owns and/or controls global capital. This gives them ultimate power over workplaces – and also over the state, parliament, military and mass-media.
  • Progressive campaigns and resistance movements are vital, but mostly limited in political ambition.
  • Past experience of political breakdown indicates a range of scenarios. A decisive transition to socialism would include mass political radicalisation, organisations, strikes, sit-ins, work-ins and general strikes. This scenario would allow genuine democratic control of all workplaces, and also the state.
  • Such a sequence will only become feasible when present social institutions are clearly dysfunctional.
  • This scenario would be violently resisted by ruling minorities or new minorities. Progressive movements over past centuries have been crushed by military juntas, Fascists and state-capitalist (misnamed ‘Communist’) bureaucracies.
  • The violence of revolutions stems from the reaction of the old power structures.
  • Apart from open repression, every progressive initiative will face attempted sabotage by conservative elements.
  • Currently, many capitalist institutions are increasingly dysfunctional. How we, the working majorities, respond is crucial.
  • Many other websites are available. But a general spread of radical ideas is needed to extend effective organisation and action.

Who?

Anyone who:

  • Believes that the basics of a decent life should be guaranteed globally for everyone at birth.
  • Is aware that the complete failure of capitalism is now a realistic possibility.
  • Wishes to learn about, and/or contribute, to progressive transition.
  • Realises that no-one can keep up with every critical issue. The proliferation of failures, scandals and disasters has become overwhelming.
  • Can see the need for general political positions within every single-issue campaign.
  • Is not currently overstretched by activity within a party, trade union or movement.
  • May be a fellow-traveller, ex-member, retired or burnt-out activist of a progressive organisation.
  • Understands that revolution includes the struggle for reforms within capitalism.

23 October 2024

524 words

DPS