Gormanilius
12th August 2012, 00:56
It has been about a month since my membership with the Socialist Party USA lapsed. I joined them initially due to Victorian notions of joining the party of Eugene V. Debs, a dedicated revolutionary socialist. When my membership lapsed, it wasn’t so much for my dislike of the organization or the people in it. I actually find it one of the better organizations out there in the American left.
I don’t want to give up on it. It has amazing potential, but there are certain issues which need to be addressed.
It benefits by having a minimal set of principles (which can be found here) to be accepted, whereas many sects out there requires acceptance of a lot more, which to me is borderline dogma. A revolutionary organization will have disagreements, but so long as these are within agreement of the minimalistic principles, that is fine.
Many comrades left the party, either by way of letting their dues lapse or outright leaving, and went on to form Revolutionary Unity. I am also a member of Revolutionary Unity, but am not giving up on the party just yet.
The flaws with it may have been pointed out on this site before. Perhaps it was a lack of educational program, or maybe it was members feeling more like “donors” to a party than as members of a party. Another is the party-wide ban on members joining who are also members of Democratic Centralist organizations (like the ISO). I think this ban inhibits growth – no other political party has these sorts of policies. It is up to the state one lives in to ensure a person is registered to one party only. The dues should also be collected monthly, rather than annually.
Why post all this here? I want to know what your opinions are on how to improve the Socialist Party USA, particularly if you are or were a member of it. Or perhaps there is something you think that could benefit it from your other experiences? One comrade mentioned it needs a better mixture of vertical vs. horizontal organization, something which I agree with. Others have mentioned a need for an educational program, which I would also agree with.
As for comrades who disagree with electoral action – I respectfully disagree with them. Providing we do not compromise from our positions in hope that we may be better elected, and providing we do not delude ourselves into thinking socialism can be merely legislated into existence, then I find it a useful tactic. Those that do get elected should never moderate, and always fight on the platform from which they were elected.
My influences, in terms of people, are Eugene Debs, Hal Draper, Kautsky, Marx, Luxemburg, De Leon, Lenin, and Trotsky. Now this is not to say I have read or agree with everything of theirs, but I generally like what I have read.
I don’t want to give up on it. It has amazing potential, but there are certain issues which need to be addressed.
It benefits by having a minimal set of principles (which can be found here) to be accepted, whereas many sects out there requires acceptance of a lot more, which to me is borderline dogma. A revolutionary organization will have disagreements, but so long as these are within agreement of the minimalistic principles, that is fine.
Many comrades left the party, either by way of letting their dues lapse or outright leaving, and went on to form Revolutionary Unity. I am also a member of Revolutionary Unity, but am not giving up on the party just yet.
The flaws with it may have been pointed out on this site before. Perhaps it was a lack of educational program, or maybe it was members feeling more like “donors” to a party than as members of a party. Another is the party-wide ban on members joining who are also members of Democratic Centralist organizations (like the ISO). I think this ban inhibits growth – no other political party has these sorts of policies. It is up to the state one lives in to ensure a person is registered to one party only. The dues should also be collected monthly, rather than annually.
Why post all this here? I want to know what your opinions are on how to improve the Socialist Party USA, particularly if you are or were a member of it. Or perhaps there is something you think that could benefit it from your other experiences? One comrade mentioned it needs a better mixture of vertical vs. horizontal organization, something which I agree with. Others have mentioned a need for an educational program, which I would also agree with.
As for comrades who disagree with electoral action – I respectfully disagree with them. Providing we do not compromise from our positions in hope that we may be better elected, and providing we do not delude ourselves into thinking socialism can be merely legislated into existence, then I find it a useful tactic. Those that do get elected should never moderate, and always fight on the platform from which they were elected.
My influences, in terms of people, are Eugene Debs, Hal Draper, Kautsky, Marx, Luxemburg, De Leon, Lenin, and Trotsky. Now this is not to say I have read or agree with everything of theirs, but I generally like what I have read.