Any good American communist parties?

[Fourth Internationalist]

It seems that every American communist party (or organisation) is either Marxist-Leninist (PSL), reformist (CPUSA), or small and sectarian (any of the hundreds of Trotskyist groups). Are there any that are, well, good? There are other parties like the CPGB that have great ideas, but nothing like them exist in the United States. :(

[Yet_Another_Boring_Marxist]

The PSL are Marcyites, no Marxist-Leninist would be caught dead with them.

Other than that, not really. There is the New Communist Party (Organizing Committee) that hasn't finished organizing itself, they popped around a few months ago and intend on making an American Party based on the line of the RCP Canada, and of the Signalfire collective. When I go to Newark I intend to start a branch when I figure out how to get into contact with them. But they are Marxist-Leninist-Maoist so that might not be your thing, and they've got maybe 20 people tops, though mostly proles and migrant workers if it counts for anything.

Perhaps the Communist Voice Organization is up your alley, they put out some good stuff and they could use some fresh members. From what I've read from their magazine and your posts you have similar politics with the,


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Voice_Organization

[Fourth Internationalist]

The CVO emphasizes the importance of theory for the revolutionary movement, and criticizes Trotskyism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trotskyism), Stalinism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalinism), and Maoism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maoism) as "fake communism" adapted to the interests of the ruling class (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruling_class).

So... sectarian...

[#FF0000]

So... sectarian...

If you're looking for a "big tent" leftist organization that has no strong opinions on anything then you can check out the SPUSA

[Yet_Another_Boring_Marxist]

So... sectarian...

Yea well this is America, what can you expect? All of our communist parties are horrible. Though I remember the other day I browsed the internet and apparently the Communist Party of the Philippines has a massive front organization with branches in every major state, and although I can't join because I'm not a migrant worker or from the Philippines, I guess if you were from there you could. They might let non-Filipino's in but I'm not sure. I only mention this because I can't think of anything else. The Left Communist Movement died the other year when the last left comm of the ICC in America died in 2010, which is kinda sad when you think about it.

[Fourth Internationalist]

This is both sad and frustrating.

[Sasha]

Socialist alternative always seems the least useless to me: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Alternative_(United_States)

[The Idler]

WSPUS are small but, contrary to popular opinion, not sectarian.

[Yet_Another_Boring_Marxist]

This is the most idiotic thing about WWP/PSL that I've seen posted here so far. I still laugh like crazy that the word "Marcyites" even exists and that anyone would seriously use it. We're Marxist-Leninists who view it as that Sam Marcy held to Leninism correctly and made important contributions for our stage of capitalism.

Then you go on to suggest that there are absolutely no other good parties except for some obscure sect of a handful of people that don't even have an organized party. Ridiculous.

Actually, I will self criticize here on the basis that the PSL is the closest thing we have to a Mass Party with a basis in the working class, and therefore deserves respect. so I apologize for the flippant comment.

[Anglo-Saxon Philistine]

This is the most idiotic thing about WWP/PSL that I've seen posted here so far. I still laugh like crazy that the word "Marcyites" even exists and that anyone would seriously use it. We're Marxist-Leninists who view it as that Sam Marcy held to Leninism correctly and made important contributions for our stage of capitalism.

But surely, "Marcyist" is a good term for groups originating in the old Global Class War Tendency of the SWP - WWP, PSL, the RCL(I) to an extent - since Marcy contributed several new theories (or stressed existing theories, as I think happened in the case of the global class war) to Leninism?

That said, the comment that "no M-L would be caught dead with the PSL" does seem odd. PSL in particular seems to be very popular, and most of its members seem to consider themselves Marxists-Leninists. And they're not that odd, surely (wrong, I think, but not odd, particularly not in America). I think many people just see the party position on Korea and start going into fits.

[Yet_Another_Boring_Marxist]

Apparently, the bloody Kaufskyites decided make a party in America and steal our name. What Scoundrels!

But if you are interested. Here is their site

http://www.newcommunistparty.com/about-us.html

[Taters]

Apparently, the bloody Kaufskyites decided make a party in America and steal our name. What Scoundrels!

But if you are interested. Here is their site

http://www.newcommunistparty.com/about-us.html

What the hell is up with that logo? What's Sputnik doing there?

Anyway, thanks for this; I was wondering if there was a group in the US inspired by the CPGB -PCC.

[Anglo-Saxon Philistine]

What the hell is up with that logo? What's Sputnik doing there?

They're space cases.

[Fourth Internationalist]

Apparently, the bloody Kaufskyites decided make a party in America and steal our name. What Scoundrels!

But if you are interested. Here is their site

http://www.newcommunistparty.com/about-us.html

Thank you so much!!!!!! Now just to wait until I'm an adult to join :lol:

[Yet_Another_Boring_Marxist]

Thank you so much!!!!!! Now just to wait until I'm an adult to join :lol:

If I might ask, what age are you now and why does it prevent you from joining? I'm not judging, I'm just curious.

[Fourth Internationalist]

If I might ask, what age are you now and why does it prevent you from joining? I'm not judging, I'm just curious.

15. I assume I have to be 18. Also, I have no money.

[Taters]

15. I assume I have to be 18. Also, I have no money.

I didn't thoroughly read the site, but I saw no mention of age or dues.

[Fourth Internationalist]

I didn't thoroughly read the site, but I saw no mention of age or dues.

Hm. I'll ask them. But I wouldn't and couldn't be very active as in doing events or whatever (if they do them), unlike writing or something, which I do.

[Rural Comrade]

Let's face the facts all communist parties (including in name onlys) are weak and pointless. For one reason only the two-party tyranny. Look at how "popular" third parities are doing:

Green: 1 seat in a the lower house of a state
Libertarian: no major government seats
Constitutional: same deal as the libertarians

Even then there are so many parties with very little power to begin with, and thanks to propaganda the majority of Americans unjustly hate anything with the word "communism" in it. So even if we got rid of the two parties the communist ones would still have trouble doing anything including: A. Anything political B. Help the working class C. Create a platform for the left.

[Fourth Internationalist]

Okay I asked the party those questions. I'll be waiting for a response from them.

[Wonton Carter]

Sent in my application for the NCPA a day and a half ago. Haven't heard anything back yet.

[baronci]

Nope. Just about existing "communist" parties are just cosplaying groups that waste your time selling newspaper and listening in on boring meetings while making you pay big money. I'd advise just going on your own for a while and getting resources directly from others on sites like this rather than becoming indoctrinated to some party line.

[Lucretia]

If you're looking for a "big tent" leftist organization that has no strong opinions on anything then you can check out the SPUSA

Yes, but like every organization that operates according to big-tent, "non-sectarian" principles, it is reformist.

[Fourth Internationalist]

Sent in my application for the NCPA a day and a half ago. Haven't heard anything back yet.

I asked them a few questions on the 7th and I too haven't heard back.

[Wonton Carter]

OK, so at least it's not just me. I was worried gmail might've been automatically deleting them.

I've thought before of founding one, and I technically have (for my micronation), but not for the US. But I have absolutely no money and can't even afford a domain name, so if this with the NCPA doesn't work out, I might just wait til I have a bit.

[Slavic]

I think that you can do more positive work in the US through community outreach and benefits. There really isn't an US socialist party that isn't reformist, and even the largest socialist parties are pathetically small and powerless in comparison to any non-socialist party.

Helping out the most vulnerable in the community and teaching how socialism can help better society is the most beneficial thing you can do in the US currently. Once a class conscious base is established a functional party can be formed.

[Wonton Carter]

Did some quick looking around the internet. Seems here in America, the Trotskyists have some good parties, the M-Ls have the PSL, but the whole 6-8 months, classes, and meetings for membership kinda turn me off of it (might do it anyway idk), and then there's a few other parties that are largely ignored and tiny.

[Synthesis-]

The reason the communist and socialist party's are so weak in my opinion is that they would rather posture and have theoretical discussions ad nausuem, at a certain point you have to be in the trench with the working class not merely discussing them. A party here has to win battles for the working class and maintain a strict working class composition to weed out reformists. It is only then i think more people would flock to the party because by the working class getting concrete things done they will feel themselves as a conscious power as marx said.

[Synthesis-]

I'm not saying that every party does (some certainly don't) but the communist and socialist parties here are "in the tench" with the working class. Parties have played major roles in the movement throughout history but it usually goes unnoticed (it's not always advantageous to openly be a communist) or purposefully not put into the history. I'm by no means saying that all parties here are active in the struggle but the larger and more established ones are.

You have a point, to be fair alot of working class gains have come from communists and socialists liberals love to take claim to those gains which is offensive. Anti communist propaganda has bombarded this country for so long that if you say your a communist you raise eyebrows. But with all the new stuff going on and the continued hegemony of the capitalist order im just sad that the party's here seem so small and impotent. But then again this is my pessimism, I've never actually been involved in any socialist group.

This is a question for those interested in creating a organization, should the party be organized along state lines? Regional lines? I can see many drawbacks, if you organize along those lines you close yourself off from the wider struggles going on but if you dont some people could manipulate and say your "outsiders" or whatever provincial prejudice might they fancy.

[Synthesis-]

I think that you can do more positive work in the US through community outreach and benefits. There really isn't an US socialist party that isn't reformist, and even the largest socialist parties are pathetically small and powerless in comparison to any non-socialist party.

Helping out the most vulnerable in the community and teaching how socialism can help better society is the most beneficial thing you can do in the US currently. Once a class conscious base is established a functional party can be formed.

I'm not sure i agree fully with what you said, I think a party can be formed prior to and after a "class conscious base" is established.

[SonofRage]

...the whole 6-8 months, classes, and meetings for membership kinda turn me off of it.

Why? To me, that's a sign that they want people who are committed and who are prepared on a political/theoretical level. If you agreed with their politics, you should see it as a plus.


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[connoros]

I don't know if the American Party of Labor is actually a party, but it seems to have a very sound theoretical basis.