Position Statement
Humanity is plunging into poverty and misery. Environmental destruction threatens the lives of billions. Fascist movements are spreading worldwide, and the danger of war between the great powers is growing. The leading cause of this misery is the exploitation of human beings and nature for the means of capital valorisation – a process that creates competition among all humans. We want a different society in which everyone has a say in how they live their lives. This requires bringing an end to capitalism, which is only possible if a majority of people demand it and organise to fight for it.
Ecology
We consider ending the environmental destruction to be the central challenge of the 21st century. The scientific evidence is clear: the extinction of species, soil erosion, climate change, air and ocean pollution, and the poisoning of drinking water are all crossing tipping points. Climate change, caused by fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas), is currently the most severe factor. Its consequences are heat, drought, storms, fires and floods that make entire regions uninhabitable. The arable land is shrinking, and the rising sea level will flood large areas and major cities. It’s not going to be the end of the world or the extinction of all humanity, but the destruction of the livelihoods of billions of people and many other living creatures.
We understand this environmental destruction as a social issue, as a class issue.
Capitalism
The valorisation of capital and the pursuit of maximising profits is the engine that drives this society. Capitalists buy labour and means of production, for example, machines and raw materials, to have goods produced, the sale of which is supposed to make more money. They have to add back a large part of this profit to their working capital and utilise it further. This is because each business competes with the others for market share. A primary method to compete is to increase productivity, mainly through optimising work flows and developing technology. This enables them to produce cheaper goods in larger quantities — those who do not succeed in this risk being pushed out of the market and out of business.
Our Demands
A system change requires a broad societal majority – one that we must collectively achieve. As first steps, we demand:
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