Social Equality Party (Germany)
Encyclopedia
The Social Equality Party is a Trotskyst
minor political party
in Germany
. It was founded in 1997 as successor to the Federation of Socialist Workers (Bund Sozialistischer Arbeiter).
The party sees itself as the German section of the Fourth International
in the tradition of Leon Trotsky
. The international umbrella group of the party is the International Committee of the Fourth International
(ICFI). It has contacts to other member parties of the Fourth International in England, the US, Sri Lanka, Canada and Australia.
The PSG is critical of trade union
s, social democrats
and former Stalinist
organisations. Since they are based on the nation state these organisations have, according to the PSG, lost every opportunity to act for the working class
during the times of globalisation and the crisis of capitalism
. Since they do not question the capitalist system itself they are moving further to the right
in times of crises. The party on the contrary wants to build an internationalist, socialist
workers' movement.
Trotskyism
Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. Trotsky considered himself an orthodox Marxist and Bolshevik-Leninist, arguing for the establishment of a vanguard party of the working-class...
minor political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It was founded in 1997 as successor to the Federation of Socialist Workers (Bund Sozialistischer Arbeiter).
The party sees itself as the German section of the Fourth International
Fourth International
The Fourth International is the communist international organisation consisting of followers of Leon Trotsky , with the declared dedicated goal of helping the working class bring about socialism...
in the tradition of Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky
Leon Trotsky , born Lev Davidovich Bronshtein, was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and theorist, Soviet politician, and the founder and first leader of the Red Army....
. The international umbrella group of the party is the International Committee of the Fourth International
International Committee of the Fourth International
The International Committee of the Fourth International is the name of two Trotskyist internationals; one with sections named Socialist Equality Party which publishes the World Socialist Web Site and another linked to the Workers Revolutionary Party in Britain.-Foundation:The International...
(ICFI). It has contacts to other member parties of the Fourth International in England, the US, Sri Lanka, Canada and Australia.
The PSG is critical of trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s, social democrats
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
and former Stalinist
Stalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
organisations. Since they are based on the nation state these organisations have, according to the PSG, lost every opportunity to act for the working class
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
during the times of globalisation and the crisis of capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
. Since they do not question the capitalist system itself they are moving further to the right
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
in times of crises. The party on the contrary wants to build an internationalist, socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
workers' movement.
Further reading
- The Historical Foundations of the Partei fur Soziale Gleichheit, Mehring BooksMehring BooksMehring books is the publishing house of the International Committee of the Fourth International. In addition to putting out its own titles, it maintains an online storefront selling historical works of the socialist movement.-Vadim Rogovin:...
2011, ISBN 978-1-875639-41-0 (Online)