The Buffalo Workers’ Movement is an organization of men and women committed to building a Socialist society under the leadership of the working class. The Buffalo Workers* Movement sees that only within a Socialist society can we take control over our own lives and bring an end to war, economic insecurity and sexual and racial inequality. Only within Socialism can all people fully develop their potential and capabilities.
We must bring about the end of the present economic and political system that is imposed upon our lives – the system of monopoly capitalism/imperialism. This system is inherently based on misery and exploitation. It profits a wealthy few at the expense of the vast majority of working people in the U.S. and throughout much of the world. It generates war. It keeps people divided and powerless by fostering racial and sexual oppression. We believe that this system is controlled by a small number of extremely rich owners and bankers – a ruling class – who use all this country’s major institutions, including the government, to protect their interests and wealth. This class will use any means, even fascism, to maintain their control over our lives.
Historically our organization was forged in the large mass movement that took place in this country against the war in Indochina. Originally joining together to form the Veterans Club at University of Buffalo, we soon expanded to become a chapter of a national organization of antiwar veterans named Vietnam Veterans Against the War, which later expanded to include non-veterans and added Winter Soldier Organization to its name. From the struggles against the war in Indochina, we saw that the war was not a mistake, a bad foreign policy, or poor leadership on the part of our government. We saw that the war was a natural outgrowth of the system of monopoly capitalism/imperialism. As we learned in the struggle, we grew as a political organization to understand that imperialism was not just something that dominated foreign lands, but that it is the same exact system that exploits and oppresses people here at home. With this as our basic analysis, we took on more of a mass character as an organization and involved ourselves in the struggles that working class and oppressed people of the world face daily.
Socialism is not just an ideal. It is a proven, workable and scientific system where political and economic power is held and used to benefit not just a handful of people, but all people. In our commitment to Socialism, the Buffalo Workers8 Movement is deeply involved in the struggles of the people. We are active in trade unions and the workplace, in the community, against racial and sexual oppression, and in the growing struggle against fascism and political repression. We shall always attempt to present our ideas in the clearest way possible. We also see the need for a party of the working class to lead the struggle for socialism. The struggle for Socialism has deep roots in America’s history. The people in this country will make it a reality.