Are there any US Activist Groups...

[KarlMarx1989]

Does anyone know of any activist groups in the US that would happen to be moving through, say, Chicago or Indianapolis any time soon?

[Kassad]

What are you looking for exactly? The Party for Socialism and Liberation has a very active branch in Chicago. We're a relatively new Marxist-Leninist party struggling for revolutionary change and we're active in a multitude of struggles in Chicago and nationwide. Here's some contact information:

Contact the Chicago branch of the PSL:
[email protected] ([email protected])
773-920-7590

Also, the ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition also has a branch in Chicago. The PSL is on the steering committee of the ANSWER Coalition and we're working to formulate a fighting workers movement for radical change and to oppose war, racism and oppression. Here's contact information for ANSWER Chicago:

Chicago3334 W. Lawrence #202, Chicago, IL 60625
(1 block E. of the Kimball stop on the Brown Line) · (773) 463-0311
[email protected] ([email protected]) · http://www.chicagoanswer.net/ (http://www.chicagoanswer.net/)

If you have any questions, feel free to let me know.

[Bill Hadnot]

If you don't think the brutal regime in Iran deserves our support, or that Cuba is a socialist nation then you might want to go to Revolution Books in Chicago instead.

1103 North Ashland Avenue - Chicago, Illinois 60622 - 773-489-0930

[Lolshevik]

Socialist Alternative, the U.S. affiliate of the Committee for a Workers' International, has one of its larger branches based in Chicago.

I won't sit here and tell you why we're the best. There'll be a link at the end of this post and you can make that decision for yourself. My hope is that you get into the movement, period - hopefully with us, because I do feel we have the best tactics & perspective, but a comrade added to any organization is a victory for us all.

http://www.socialistalternative.org/about/ - You can find the Chicago branch's contact info there.

[OriginalGumby]

International Socialist Organization which has several branches in the Chicago area. We are active in unions, antiwar, healthcare, LGBT rights, Immigrant rights, and more.

http://www.internationalsocialist.org/

We also have a conference next weekend in Chicago
http://www.midwestsocialistconference.com/

I would check out all these groups to find out what you think is right but its obvious where my support is. This is for a few reasons. One we are the largest revolutionary socialist group in the US with many members having decades of experience. We are also very active in what struggles are going on. For example we organized buses to DC for the National Equality March and had several speakers at the 200,000 strong demonstration.

Other reasons that I think make us stand out is that socialism for us is not something that can be imposed from above by tanks or "Communist" led governments but must instead be brought about by the self activity of the working class. This is the essence of what we are trying to build, a movement for socialism from below.

Lastly our newsite.
http://socialistworker.org/

Peace Comrade

[Cooler Reds Will Prevail]

I love how everybody just comes in here and plugs their own organization. Why don't we give this comrade a more comprehensive list? In Chicago:

International Socialist Organization
Revolutionary Communist Party
Socialist Party, USA (not very revolutionary though)
Party for Socialism & Liberation
Freedom Road Socialist Organization [Fight Back]
Workers World Party
Socialist Alternative
Socialist Workers Party

These are the parties that I am aware of that are active in Chicago. Feel free to look them up and decide for yourself. I'd encourage you to avoid any of these traditional parties, however. A lot of them are quite dogmatic and stick to old formulas that either aren't relevant or don't work. I'm involved with some people trying to form independent revolutionary communist collectives; as an example I'd refer you to my comrades in Houston that formed a group called FIRE Collective. http://thefirecollective.org/

If you feel you MUST pick a political party to join into instead of building something new, I'd get down with PSL, though they have a horrendous line on Iran, China, North Korea, etc. Their idea of internationalism basically breaks down to "let's support any regime that pisses off the U.S." Regardless, I still like their cadre though and think that, out of all the presently existing parties, PSL and FRSO (the OTHER Freedom Road, there are two... This one doesn't have a presence in Chicago I don't think) are the best.

[ellipsis]

Mexico Solidarity Network, which does EZLN solidarity work is based out of Chicago. Good people.

[CELMX]

you might try http://www.iww.org/branches/US/IL/chicago/
industrial workers of the world (wobblies!) :)...
sorry if this wasn't what u were looking for

[CELMX]

http://www.revleft.com/vb/raymond-lotta-campus-t119161/index.html?p=1595241#post1595241
(they r also goin' to u of chicago)

this?

[Lolshevik]

Other reasons that I think make us stand out is that socialism for us is not something that can be imposed from above by tanks or "Communist" led governments but must instead be brought about by the self activity of the working class. This is the essence of what we are trying to build, a movement for socialism from below.

Wow! And all this time, I had been telling workers at the S.A.lt paper sales that the path to revolutionary change would be brought from above by a series of tanks... thanks for clearing that up for me. :P

Seriously though, the ISO is not the only socialist organization which agitates for independent mass action of the working class as the only way to win change, and ultimately, socialism. I don't just mean my party here, either.

[OriginalGumby]

Wow! And all this time, I had been telling workers at the S.A.lt paper sales that the path to revolutionary change would be brought from above by a series of tanks... thanks for clearing that up for me. :P

Seriously though, the ISO is not the only socialist organization which agitates for independent mass action of the working class as the only way to win change, and ultimately, socialism. I don't just mean my party here, either.

I was not saying this directly to your organization. I just feel that organizations that agitate for mass action while supporting top down governments with no workers democracy are in a contradictory position.

I actually dont think there is too much of a difference between us except that the ISO is quite a bit large than SA. Personally I think we may merge in the future. Do you know any differences?

[Kassad]

I actually dont think there is too much of a difference between us except that the ISO is quite a bit large than SA. Personally I think we may merge in the future. Do you know any differences?

If I remember correctly, Committee for a Workers' International and its affiliates do not uphold the theory of 'state capitalism.' That's a pretty big difference and I seriously doubt that the International Socialist Organization would ever become a part of CWI, nor would Socialist Alternative forsake its international affiliate.

[OriginalGumby]

If you read the Paul LeBlanc letter in the propaganda section where he talks about why he is joining the ISO he says that he also does not ascribe to that interpretation either. I don't want to say too much on this except to say that some differences of interpretation may not be as important as they once were. I don't know the CWIs position myself. I was thinking more medium term rather than the next few years and maybe I am wrong altogether.

[Q]

I was not saying this directly to your organization. I just feel that organizations that agitate for mass action while supporting top down governments with no workers democracy are in a contradictory position.

I actually dont think there is too much of a difference between us except that the ISO is quite a bit large than SA. Personally I think we may merge in the future. Do you know any differences?
I too would be interested in such a debate, but I don't think this thread is the best place for it. Saying ISO and SA may very well merge, is something that sparks my interest and I'm not certain enough about ISO's politics to flatly reject the possibility.

[Random Precision]

If I remember correctly, Committee for a Workers' International and its affiliates do not uphold the theory of 'state capitalism.' That's a pretty big difference and I seriously doubt that the International Socialist Organization would ever become a part of CWI, nor would Socialist Alternative forsake its international affiliate.

But, statecap is not something that most ISO members care all that much about. I'd say that a bigger obstacle to unity is S.Alt's workerism. I don't mean to insult S.Alt or other CWI members, but it's just been my experience that they tend to look down on struggles that don't involve some abstract idea of the interests of workers in manual labor occupations. Usually this idea involves them being white, male and straight, or at least implies that. Also even when one encounters them on college campuses you'll get attitude from their cadre about being middle-class, student oriented or whatever.

I think that in the long term this is a far greater block to unity than any theoretical disagreements that, for the most part, should by now have gone into the history books.

[redasheville]

I don't think differences in the interpretations of the USSR/other 'communist' states is irrelevant. However, hanging on to shibboleths as a type of organizational perimeter is a practice that the socialist left needs to get over. This is different from matters of principle, which is what I think OriginalGumby was alluding to.

[Jimmie Higgins]

KMarx, the best advice is to check out the links to these various groups to see which ones have politics that appeal to you - then check out a meeting or even from the ones you are most interested in.

[Kassad]

Well, while we're clarifying positions for a new member, I'd like to ask a question to International Socialist Organization members without straying too far off topic. Would you support the overthrow of the Cuban, Chinese or Korean communist parties by any force, regardless of who it was, or would you only support workers revolution in them? Say that a capitalist force had the ability to topple the Communist Party pf Cuba. Would the destruction of the current Cuban state be preferable to what the ISO views as 'state capitalist' Cuba?

[Jimmie Higgins]

Well, while we're clarifying positions for a new member, I'd like to ask a question to International Socialist Organization members without straying too far off topic. Would you support the overthrow of the Cuban, Chinese or Korean communist parties by any force, regardless of who it was, or would you only support workers revolution in them? Say that a capitalist force had the ability to topple the Communist Party pf Cuba. Would the destruction of the current Cuban state be preferable to what the ISO views as 'state capitalist' Cuba?

We do not support attempts by the US or other powers to have any kind of interventions in these countries - we would also support resistance against an imperialist attack.

Everything else is speculation and would have to be looked at given the circumstances of the time - such as if there was a popular movement for reforms that wasn't explicitly based around calls for worker's power. But we would obviously support a working class uprising and revolution

I think where state-capitalist theory comes into play is that I do not believe that reforms from the top of North Korea or Cuba or China could reform state-capitalism into socialism. It would take a full revolution and new structures for worker's power to achieve a real worker's society in my view.

For example, it might look more like the early stages of Solidarity in Poland where workers organize and strike against the boss and the state and form their own worker councils. I don't think it would be possible for Raul Castro to issue a bunch of decrees to democratize Cuba and have worker's power develop there.