By Shannon Briggs, Socialist Party Melbourne

Plato once wisely stated “one of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors”.

I’m not sure if Plato foresaw a future where corporations would govern which laws are passed, which civil liberties to extinguish and even who will become President, Prime Minister or Pope, but his words are as true today as ever.

As an individual I have become increasingly tired of seeing wars waged, jobs lost and basic human rights undermined in the name of profit. I want to contribute to a cause that I believe can make right a lot of wrongs that have flourished under capitalism.

Political and economic corruption, famine, homelessness and inefficiency are all issues among many others that can be eradicated under socialism. That’s why I have decided to join the Socialist Party.