Liberalism arose alongside the rise of the bourgeoisie, expressing the material needs of a new capitalist class seeking to overthrow feudal privilege and establish freedom for trade, property, and capital. Thinkers like Locke, Hume, and Adam Smith gave philosophical form to these needs, transforming “freedom” into the right of private ownership and market exchange. Yet this freedom was inherently contradictory: it liberated the capitalist while binding the worker to wage labour.
As capitalism developed, liberalism evolved into the ideological mask of bourgeois domination. Its focus on individualism and formal equality conceals the deep social and economic inequalities of class society. Electoral democracy and “free speech” exist alongside the private ownership of production and wealth, maintaining what Lenin called “democracy for the rich.”
Liberalism’s notion of “negative freedom” mystifies genuine liberty, which requires material means and social equality. Marx’s distinction between personal and private property clarifies that socialism does not abolish personal possessions but seeks to end exploitation through collective ownership of the means of production.
Thus, liberalism functions as the ideological armor of capitalist rule. Only socialism (through democratic control, workers’ power, and collective ownership) can transform formal freedom into real human emancipation.
Join us today to shape a better tomorrow.
Further reading:
May 13, 1969, remains one of the darkest days in Malaysian history—a violent racial clash that left hundreds dead and entrenched ethnic divisions in the country’s political landscape. But what really caused this tragedy? And who benefited from the bloodshed?
In this podcast, we examine May 13 from a socialist perspective, uncovering how Malaysia’s capitalist ruling elite—then and now—has exploited racial tensions to divide the working class and maintain power. We’ll dissect the economic inequalities, colonial legacies, and political manipulations that led to the riots, and explore how the same tactics are used today to pit Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Indigenous workers against each other.
Join us as we revisit this painful history—not just to remember, but to resist the forces that continue to divide us.
Further reading:
https://sosialisalternatif.org/50-tahun-selepas-peristiwa-13-mei-sentimen-perkauman-masih-berleluasa-apakah-jalan-penyelesaian/
Satu kesilapan telah dibuat dalam episod ini: Daripada 50 individu terkaya di Malaysia, 86% daripadanya adalah berbangsa Cina. Daripada 43 bilionair Cina di Malaysia, mereka memiliki 87% daripada jumlah kekayaan gabungan 50 individu terkaya—bukan bermakna 43 bilionair Cina ini memiliki 87% daripada jumlah kekayaan di Malaysia.*
Kapitalisme dan perkauman tidak dapat dipisahkan. Bagaimana mungkin para bilionair terus merompak kelas pekerja, namun kita sebagai pekerja kelihatan semakin terpecah oleh perkauman? Dalam episod ini, kami menjelaskan bagaimana kelas pemerintah menggunakan dasar perkauman untuk memecahbelahkan pekerja dan menghalang perpaduan kelas pekerja daripada beralih kepada musuh sebenarnya, iaitu sistem kapitalis.
Sumber:
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2024/04/30/malaysias-super-rich-old-diversified-and-chinese/
Bacaan lanjut:
Apakah sosialisme? Kami mendalami apa yang dimaksudkan oleh Sosialis Alternatif dengan sosialisme dan apa yang diperjuangkan oleh Sosialis Alternatif.
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