how many left wing parties/organisations are you a member of ?

[learningaboutheleft123]

and which ones ?

[DecDoom]

A grand total of none, though I have considered joining a party of some sort.

[The Red Next Door]

Psl.

[Sosa]

no political party, but i'm considering joining the WSA or SDS (If I can find an active chapter in my area)

[Q]

I expect the answer will be quite binary throughout this thread: 01110011 01101001 01101100 01101100 0111100

I'll add a 1 to the line: the Committee for a Workers' International.

[graymouser]

At the present time, just one, Workers Power (US). There was a point where I was a dual member of the Socialist Party USA and Solidarity, but dual membership involving Leninist organizations is generally frowned upon.

[Spawn of Stalin]

CPGB-ML, Stalin Society, Palestine Solidarity, Cuba Solidarity.

I don't think Unite the union can be considered left wing so I'll leave it at that.

[ed miliband]

All of them.

Actually, none. I like Solidarity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidarity_(UK) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidarity_%28UK%29)) from what I've read about them, but they no longer exist. I sympathise with the Anarchist Federation, The Commune and a number of other orgs.

[learningaboutheleft123]

I have links with the CPGB-ML, im a sympathiser of the SWP (thinking of joining, I know its weird to be both a sympathiser of the CPGB-ML and the SWP but I think they are both good organisations) and im looking at joining the IWW.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

At the present time, just one, Workers Power (US). There was a point where I was a dual member of the Socialist Party USA and Solidarity, but dual membership involving Leninist organizations is generally frowned upon.

Why is it looked down upon? Are none leninist groups less strict? How so?

[Q]

Why is it looked down upon? Are none leninist groups less strict? How so?

Because while there is the seeming contradiction that x group has slightly different politics than y group, many people will wonder to who you're loyal to. Is it to group x or to group y?

These same people also wonder why others think they're sectarian.

[Agnapostate]

None. I've hung around RCP meetings on occasion, and am essentially a PSL associate.

[robbo203]

I dont think of myself as "left wing" but rather as a revolutionary socialist. The so called leftwing tend to be nothing more than the reformist advocates of some kind of state administered capitalism. They might pay lip service to authentic socialism but in practice obstruct any real movement towards socialism

[Q]

I dont think of myself as "left wing" but rather as a revolutionary socialist. The so called leftwing tend to be nothing more than the reformist advocates of some kind of state administered capitalism. They might pay lip service to authentic socialism but in practice obstruct any real movement towards socialism

The ICC puts forward similar rhetoric. Sadly, a communist is by definition "left" for pretty much everyone. Not that it means much, but it is ingrained in our collective spatial thinking.

In my opinion putting yourself against all the reformists by saying you don't wear a label is not only silly, but also alienates you from the class.

A commie: "We're real communists!"
Some worker: "cool! I'm also leaning to the left"
commie: "but we're not left!"
worker: "huh?"
commie: "the left is full of reformists!"
worker: "but you are left... ?"
commie: "we're not left!"
worker: "I don't get it, and have better things to do, cheers mate"

[Weezer]

SDS and Revolution(L5I's youth group).

[gorillafuck]

None. If I were to join any when I'm older it would be the IWW, or possibly be a part of the revolutionary section of the SP-USA.

[Spawn of Stalin]

I have links with the CPGB-ML, im a sympathiser of the SWP (thinking of joining, I know its weird to be both a sympathiser of the CPGB-ML and the SWP but I think they are both good organisations) and im looking at joining the IWW.

I believe Radical was in a similar situation when he joined, he had previously been recruited by the SWP and found himself very much at odds with his branch when he started calling himself a sympathiser of our party. If you join the SWP you'd probably be best off keeping your mouth shut about the fact that you agree with anything about our party, you may well find yourself being purged.

[Devrim]

The ICC puts forward similar rhetoric. Sadly, a communist is by definition "left" for pretty much everyone. Not that it means much, but it is ingrained in our collective spatial thinking.

In my opinion putting yourself against all the reformists by saying you don't wear a label is not only silly, but also alienates you from the class.

A commie: "We're real communists!"
Some worker: "cool! I'm also leaning to the left"
commie: "but we're not left!"
worker: "huh?"
commie: "the left is full of reformists!"
worker: "but you are left... ?"
commie: "we're not left!"
worker: "I don't get it, and have better things to do, cheers mate"

What is wrong Q? Do you think that workers are too stupid to understand the idea that organisations that take part in elections, or back nationalist movements have nothing to do with socialism despite what they claim?

Devrim

[Comrade Gwydion]

1 revolutionairy group, 2 reformist left parties and 1 ex-reformist left (ex-revolutionairy left) currently 'progressive center' party. Still forgetting to cancel my subscribtion to the last two.

[Blackscare]

I believe Radical was in a similar situation when he joined, he had previously been recruited by the SWP and found himself very much at odds with his branch when he started calling himself a sympathiser of our party. If you join the SWP you'd probably be best off keeping your mouth shut about the fact that you agree with anything about our party, you may well find yourself being purged.


Artful. You almost made it sound as if the CPGB-ML didn't behave the same way.

[Spawn of Stalin]

Please provide an example any one single occassion where we have behaved in this manner.

[robbo203]

The ICC puts forward similar rhetoric. Sadly, a communist is by definition "left" for pretty much everyone. Not that it means much, but it is ingrained in our collective spatial thinking.

In my opinion putting yourself against all the reformists by saying you don't wear a label is not only silly, but also alienates you from the class.

A commie: "We're real communists!"
Some worker: "cool! I'm also leaning to the left"
commie: "but we're not left!"
worker: "huh?"
commie: "the left is full of reformists!"
worker: "but you are left... ?"
commie: "we're not left!"
worker: "I don't get it, and have better things to do, cheers mate"


To the contrary, given general malaise and intellectual bankruptcy of the state capitalist Left, disassociating oneself from them might actually work to one's advantage and certainly arouse curiosity - contrary to your contrived sketch. More likely the worker will say "if you you are not party of the left then what do you stand for". At least in my experience

You talk about alienating yourself from the class but the Left pretty much does that itself. Most ordinary workers see the Left as a bunch of placard-carrying opportunists - a joke. An unpalatable fact perhaps but a fact nevertheless.

Besides you miss the basic point Im making. The "Left wing" by and large does not stand for socialism and persistently misrepresents what socialism is all about by identifying it with some kind of state involvement in the economy. No serious socialist could go along with this

[Zanthorus]

I'm a member of the party in the broad historical sense... which is a fancier way of saying I'm not a member of any organisation.


The ICC puts forward similar rhetoric.

Er, not really. The ICC's definition of what constitutes the 'left-wing of Capital' would put the SPGB (Whose politics Robbo at least seems close to) in that camp. In point of fact the ICC defines practically every 'Communist' group as the 'left-wing of capital', apart from themselves, other Left-Communist orgs, and a couple of the anarchist orgs which are close to Left-Communism.


Sadly, a communist is by definition "left" for pretty much everyone.

I think this is really the problem though. What gets called 'Left' involves a wide array of positions, most of which are, well, shit. In America Obama and the Democrats get labelled 'left-wing', in England Blair, Brown and Milliband are/where all supposedly 'centre-left', as are the Liberal Democrats, the Green party, the SWP, and so on. When you say you are 'leaning to the left', many will instantly think of these types of groups/individuals. But we are not only not these groups, our political stances are in many ways diametrically opposed. Therefore, in what sense can we say that we are 'left-wing'? Speaking for myself, quite a few people I have spoken to who are 'progressives' are fucking twats, to put it bluntly. I wouldn't associate my politics with them short of such an act being the spark that starts the social revolution.

The mindset of being 'left-wing' and opposed to the 'right-wing' also tends to trap many people into lesser evil politics. We don't want those 'right-wing' people to get into power, so we'll support those 'left-wing' guys. They are, of course, a bourgeois party. But they're 'progressive', so it's all right. It is, of course, not all right, as this is a clear violation of the need for an independent class movement. The point is, our politics should not be based on how 'left-wing' or 'right-wing' we are, but wether we base ourselves on the independent class movement of the working-class or, on the contrary, line up behind one or another faction of the bourgeoisie. Something which labels like 'left-wing' and 'right-wing' only serve to obscure.


Not that it means much, but it is ingrained in our collective spatial thinking.

Speak for yourself.

[NoOneIsIllegal]

No party. IWW-member. In solidarity with others such as CNT, FAU, SAC.

[Lyev]

I think this is really the problem though. What gets called 'Left' involves a wide array of positions, most of which are, well, shit. In America Obama and the Democrats get labelled 'left-wing', in England Blair, Brown and Milliband are/where all supposedly 'centre-left', as are the Liberal Democrats, the Green party, the SWP, and so on. When you say you are 'leaning to the left', many will instantly think of these types of groups/individuals. But we are not only not these groups, our political stances are in many ways diametrically opposed. Therefore, in what sense can we say that we are 'left-wing'? Speaking for myself, quite a few people I have spoken to who are 'progressives' are fucking twats, to put it bluntly. I wouldn't associate my politics with them short of such an act being the spark that starts the social revolution.Don't we have the same problem with the word 'communist'? And especially from a position like the ICC's or CWO's or whoever. The same logic can be applied to the contention over existing 'communist' movements: the Soviet Union, UCPN(M), China, Naxalites, Vietnam, FARC, DPRK were or are all supposedly communist, in many activists eyes. So should communists who do not uphold the the USSR, Stalin and Lenin or even the bolshevik party to start with, not use the word 'communist' anymore, because "many will instantly think of these types of groups/individuals"? I think we just have to be careful as regards the context and situation when we use certain words, rather than gloss over every single circumstance. I guess sometimes it's appropriate to say 'left-wing' and other times it's not. I do not think we should abandon the word altogether. (To the OP, I am part of the Committee for a Workers' International (CWI)).

[Admiral Swagmeister G-Funk]

Zero. At the moment, the anti-cuts work I'm involved with leads me to work with SPEW, SWP and even the Green Party - all at the same time.

I will be willing to work alongside any campaign that I feel is correct, whether it be led by SPEW or AFED, or even just ordinary, independent workers. Being free of any party line means you can use your potential as a revolutionary without being bound by what your ideology or party agrees with or disagrees with.

The rev-left is too fragmented and distorted to justify any one party as being more worthy of membership than another, I think.

[Widerstand]

I'm thinking of joining 1 to 3, but then again idk really. I'm looking into at least one for now.

[Bubbles]

I'm a member in an organisation called Socialisterna (The Socialists). http://nyttarbetarparti.se/

We call our self scientific socialists and historic materialists. A big differens between us and other left wing groups in Sweden is that we neither call our self reformists nor revolutionaries. We see the need to fight for social reforms, and defend our welfare, in the union and so on, to make the working class move and increase it's power, organization, consciousness and discipline in order to replace capitalism with socialism.

"The Socialists goal is mankind's social and economic liberation. It requires the abolition of the, on private property and wage labour resting, bourgeois class society. Today, this goal appears as a dream and an utopia, not because of it's impossibility but because of the current weakness and crisis of the workers movement. The working class today is standing without a workers movement worthy it's name and therefore cannot even defend it's most immediate interests. The Socialists current task is to rebuild the workers movement to a living, democratic and fighting power against the raw class society capitalism is."

[Luís Henrique]

I expect the answer will be quite binary throughout this thread: 01110011 01101001 01101100 01101100 0111100

I'll add a 1 to the line: the Committee for a Workers' International.

I will break the chain with a "2":

1. PT;
2. MRS - a tendency within the PT.

Luís Henrique

[Quail]

I'm a member of the Anarchist Federation (so one) but I'm thinking of joining the IWW at some point.

[Kassad]

I'm a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. That's about it.

[NecroCommie]

Finnish communist party (unity), Finnish communist youth, The alliance of conscientious objectors (anti-militarist (not pacifist)) and I have few connections in the left youth and Greenpeace. :blushing:

[Salvatore]

Similar here. I had been a party member of the Greens, though I am now a dedicated communist.

[syndicat]

1. workers solidarity alliance.

i think it's perfectly okay to say one is a part of "the left". the left are those who favor more equality, more democracy, are more likely to be critical of capitalism, and so on. as we all know, people and groupings on the left notoriously differ in many ways.