87. What is a 'transitional programme'?

Socialism

How can socialists link day-to-day struggles to the need for revolution? Global capitalism is in a historic crisis, and offers no future to the majority of humanity. Socialism is the only alternative to bloated billionaires, mass unemployment and ruinous trade wars. On the one hand, the profit system is in such a mess that even defending existing pro-worker reforms can lead to colossal pitched battles. On the other hand, why would workers bother fighting for new reforms if it seems the economy cannot possibly grant them? Socialists need demands and slogans which link the struggle over day-to-day problems with the need to overthrow capitalism. So how can we work out such ‘transitional demands’? What is the difference between a ‘transitional programme’ and a ‘minimum-maximum programme’? Is there a fixed formula we can use to create it? Has one ever worked? And what are some of the problems it would have to address today? This episode of Socialism looks at the bridge from immediate needs to socialist revolution: what is a ‘transitional programme’? Further reading The Transitional Programme (Trotsky) with an introduction by Peter Taaffe: http://leftbooks.co.uk/epages/950002679.sf/en_GB/?ObjectID=2333802 The Socialist Party's core programme - What We Stand For: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/partydoc/What_We_Stand_For Coronavirus - a workers' charter: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/partydoc/Coronavirus_-_a_workers_charter_2020 A socialist charter for young people - we won't sacrifice our future to capitalist crisis: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/30868/08-06-2020/a-socialist-charter-for-young-people Trotsky's Transitional Programme: Winning Support For Socialism (2002): https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/24669 The Impending Catastrophe and How to Combat It (Lenin): https://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1917/ichtci/index.htm The Communist Manifesto (Marx and Engels) - especially final two chapters: https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/manifesto/ Discussions on the Transitional Programme (Trotsky): https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1938/tp/tpdiscuss.htm Third Congress of the Communist International: On Tactics - especially section V: https://www.marxists.org/history/international/comintern/3rd-congress/tactics.htm