Decent leftist parties to work with in the USA

[Entrails Konfetti]

What are some decent leftist parties in America to work with ? SPUSA seems intelligent though reformist, CPUSA seems less-intelligent though reformist and pretty centralized, RCP seem fucking nuts. Is every leftist party in the USA reformist or fucking-nuts ?

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

here's two worth checking out:

www.freepeoplesmovement.org (http://www.freepeoplesmovement.org)

www.communistleague.org (http://www.communistleague.org)

[novemba]

maybe we can get revleft of paper so to speak.

[refuse_resist]

At the moment, these two are the best parties in the country, IMO.

Party for Socialism and Liberation (http://socialismandliberation.org/mag/index.php)

Workers World Party (http://www.workers.org/)

Another one that's fairly decent is the Progressive Labor Party (http://plp.org/), though their platform is more anarchist oriented than Marxist.

[RASH chris]

Are you aware that the SPUSA has multiple tendencies? Did you check out the Direct Action Tendency? The website is www.actiontendency.net. If you find the SPUSA to be reformist then look into the DAT, as I found it far more revolutionary, and joined.

[Camarada]

Originally posted by [email protected] 20 2005, 06:22 AM
At the moment, these two are the best parties in the country, IMO.

Party for Socialism and Liberation (http://socialismandliberation.org/mag/index.php)

Workers World Party (http://www.workers.org/)

Another one that's fairly decent is the Progressive Labor Party (http://plp.org/), though their platform is more anarchist oriented than Marxist.
I went to the Progressive Labor Party website, and here was something on their site:


CHICAGO, IL, March 19 -- City College students, led by PLP, headed the anti-imperialist forces in today's anti-war rally, marching under the banner, "CCC Students Against Imperialist War." The day's high point was chasing millionaire sellout Jesse Jackson from the stage in Federal Plaza. We started chanting, "Jesse Jackson Means We Got To Fight Back!" A comrade's speech exposed Jackson's support for the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, saying he had no business at an anti-war rally. Security tried to shut the comrade up but other workers defended him. People encouraged us to go on stage. When we did, Jackson scurried down like a rat and left the rally in his limo.

Is this story even factual? I thought Jesse Jackson was against the war. I went to his site and here something from one of his speeches:


Brothers and sisters, I bring you greetings from the peace movement in America. We exist. We are getting stronger. We are still trying to stop this war. Thank you for being here today. It is a joy to march with you, all of you! When we march together, we win.

[Severian]

Originally posted by EL [email protected] 19 2005, 08:53 PM
What are some decent leftist parties in America to work with ? SPUSA seems intelligent though reformist, CPUSA seems less-intelligent though reformist and pretty centralized, RCP seem fucking nuts. Is every leftist party in the USA reformist or fucking-nuts ?
No, just most. There are probably objective conditions behind that, but anyway.

I support the Socialist Workers Party myself.
What the SWP stands for (http://www.themilitant.com/2005/6920/692020.html)
An example of the workers' fightbacks the SWP is involved in. (http://www.themilitant.com/2005/6927/692701.html)

The newspaper's linked in my sig, if you want to check out what it stands for.

El Kablamo, I see from your profile you're in Florida, the SWP has a branch in Miami at:
Miami: 8365 NE 2nd Ave. #206. Zip: 33138. Tel: (305) 756-4436.
See link below for e-mail.

Also Atlanta and Birmingham, if those are closer to your part of Florida: list of local branches (http://www.themilitant.com/direct.shtml#8)

***

Refuse_resist, do you happen to know why your two preferred parties split from each other? They seem disinclined to announce a reason.

[Martin Blank]

Originally posted by [email protected] 20 2005, 04:14 AM
Refuse_resist, do you happen to know why your two preferred parties split from each other? They seem disinclined to announce a reason.
From what I've been able to gather, the people who formed the PSL split from the WWP because they did not want the party to run a presidential candidate. Also, the three top people in the PSL, the Becker brothers and Gloria La Riva, through ANSWER, had developed a quite friendly rapport with Democratic Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, and they did not want to "upset the apple cart", so to speak.

Miles

[codyvo]

I don't think their is too much of a problem with the YCL. It is a pretty cool organization. I think that all small parties like this should work on winning campaigns for things like city council or state representative then slowly move to bigger things after gaining a strong foundation.

[Red Heretic]

would you mind stating why you think the RCP seems "fucking-nuts?"

The RCP has the most correct mass line I have ever seen in this country.

[Che1990]

Whatever group you join, do it soon and take action! Although be careful, USA police forces are very McCarthyist (stating the obvious).

[comradestephen]

CPUSA www.cpusa.org

[danny android]

Originally posted by [email protected] 21 2005, 09:34 PM
CPUSA www.cpusa.org
I am a member of the YCLUSA which is the youth devision of the CPUSA, but I am currently finding that they are much more reformist and not revolutionary than I would prefer. For example they supported Jhon Kerry in the 2004 presidential election even though kerry is obviously a capitolist. Not to mention there are not any clubs near my area that I can find to help me start one in my town. I am currently trying to find a new organization to join.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Originally posted by [email protected] 21 2005, 09:34 PM
CPUSA www.cpusa.org

You must have misunderstood comrade, he said he was looking for a group that WASN'T reformist and centralized

The CPUSA supported Kerry for president, lol!

[Weidt]

* Socialist Party USA (http://www.sp-usa.org)
* Freedom Socialist Party (http://www.socialism.org)
* Freedom Road Socialist Organization (http://www.freedomroad.org)
* Socialist Action (http://www.socialistaction.org)
* International Socialist Organization (http://www.internationalsocialist.org)
* Solidarity (http://www.solidarity-us.org)
* Workers' International League (http://www.socialistappeal.org)
* Peace and Freedom Party (California) (http://www.peaceandfreedom.org)

[romanm]

MIM - Maoist Internationalist Movement (http://www.etext.org/Politics/MIM)

[Entrails Konfetti]

Originally posted by [email protected] 20 2005, 03:15 PM
I don't think their is too much of a problem with the YCL. It is a pretty cool organization. I think that all small parties like this should work on winning campaigns for things like city council or state representative then slowly move to bigger things after gaining a strong foundation.
For me the idea of repressentatives running for campaigns in the US is a problem,it only justifies the mechanism instead of placing up a new one.

[Entrails Konfetti]

Originally posted by [email protected] 20 2005, 06:49 PM
would you mind stating why you think the RCP seems "fucking-nuts?"

The RCP has the most correct mass line I have ever seen in this country.
Its fucking-nuts because it seems to worship the chairman, these cultist ideas existed in China and the U.S.S.R, and we all saw how these factors collapsed both countries. I'd rather stay away from old ideas that don't work. Marxism needs to be updated or there needs to be a new direction for socialism.

[Red Heretic]

The position of the RCP is not to "worship the chairman" dogmatically. You need to understand that there is a contradiction here that is very important to handle correctly.

On the one hand, it is absolutely necessary to put forward new leadership before the masses, so that the masses can see and pursue revolution with solid revolutionary leadership. On the other hand it is important to not treat leadership in a dogmatic way. Popularizing leadership in a religious, blind, or unrealistic manner is dogmatism, and a mistake that the RCP acknolwedges.

It is important to understand that it takes strong revolutionary leadership in order for revolution to get past narrow destruction. It takes the leadership of people like, Lenin, Mao, and Prachanda. Without their clear and strong revolutionary leadership, it is literally impossible to prevent revolutionary situations from ebbing off and melting away.

The Russians shouldn't have been ashamed that they had the leadership of people like Lenin, and the Chinese shouldn't have been ashamed that they had the leadership of someone like Mao. On the same lines, Americans shouldn't be ashamed that we have the leadership like someone like Bob Avakian.

We do need to avoid dogmatic worship of leadership though. Mao called this "ghoulash communism," and firmly opposed it. It is also important to note that in Russia, it was the revisionists themselves who created the dogmatic cult around Stalin, so as to create a platform from which to attack him once he died. You can read more about this here: http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Embas.../pers-cult.html (http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Embassy/7213/pers-cult.html)

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Maoism is so far detatched from proletarian liberation theory (Marxism), especially in its applications in a country like the US.

[Red Heretic]

There you go Companero, keep laying on the dogma until its so thick we all drown.

[Colombia]

How about the green party? I know they aren't very socialist in nature, but they are anti-capitalist.

[Severian]

Originally posted by EL KABLAMO+Jul 23 2005, 11:53 AM--> (EL KABLAMO @ Jul 23 2005, 11:53 AM)
[email protected] 20 2005, 03:15 PM
I don't think their is too much of a problem with the YCL. It is a pretty cool organization. I think that all small parties like this should work on winning campaigns for things like city council or state representative then slowly move to bigger things after gaining a strong foundation.
For me the idea of repressentatives running for campaigns in the US is a problem,it only justifies the mechanism instead of placing up a new one. [/b]
No, the fact that most people vote in those elections, and for capitalist parties is what legitimizes the system. That has to be changed.....the attitudes of actions of those millions...

Revolutionaries have often run in bourgeois elections...not primarily to win the office, but as a platform to advocate their ideas and aid mass actions. E.g. the Bolsheviks did, even under the tsar...and they have been accused of many things, but never rationally accused of reformism.

I can't think of a revolution that's been led by a party so ultraleft as to reject running in bourgeois elections on principle. People with that kind of approach are usually too purist to play a major role in any mass action or struggle.

The CPUSA and YCL are reformist, though...for one thing they support capitalist candidates and parties, mostly Democrats. When they do run their own candidates, it's often a token effort in the context of overall support to the Democratic Party.
And when Codyvo says "I think that all small parties like this should work on winning campaigns for things like city council or state representative then slowly move to bigger things after gaining a strong foundation. " that reflects an electoralist, reformist approach, where running in elections is a way of, well, getting elected, not just a secondary means of promoting revolutionary ideas and mass actions.

Makhno wrote: " There you go Companero, keep laying on the dogma until its so thick we all drown." Remember my Maoism-to-English dictionary, Makhno? Do I need to repost it?

[rebelworker]

Ok makhno, first off you should think about changing your name if you support the RCP, Nestor makhno was a great revolutionary, but he was an anrchist communist....

He is partially responsible for the Platformist tendancy of class struggle anarchist(where I identify with).

Te RCP is whacked, Bob Avakian is the spoiled son of a prominent judge in Berkeley...
...self proclaimed leader of the working class, all vanguardist petty bourgoise assholes should be shot!

Back to good revolutionary groups, and makhno i guess, one of the fastes growing trends world wide is annarchist communism, gets to the point, strong organization, no bullshit leaders or authoritarianism.

In the US you can check out:

The North Eastern Federation of Anarchist Commnists ( NEFAC) http://www.nefac.net

for danny android in the northwest try:
the Northwest Anarchist Federation (NAF) http://nafederation.org/

and for the comrade in the southwest there is the newly foarmed:

Capital Terminus Collective in Atlanta Georgia, they are currently trying to build a southwest federation

There is also the Dawn group in the bay area, and a few collectives in:
chicago (midwest unrest)
mineapolis (northstar collective, 2441 Lyndale Ave. S. Minneapolis, Minnesota 55405)
Cleveland (Burning River, PO Box 27376 Cleveland, Ohio 44127-0376
aswell as the south california anarchist federation

Good luck!

for working class revolution
(another)Rebelworker

[More Fire for the People]

Originally posted by [email protected] 23 2005, 10:51 PM
How about the green party? I know they aren't very socialist in nature, but they are anti-capitalist.
From the Green Party platform,

Community-based economics constitutes an alternative to both corporate capitalism and state socialism. It is very much in keeping with the Greens’ valuation of diversity and decentralization.
They are not opposed to capitalism, only corporate capitalism.

[bolshevik butcher]

Seems a bit of an irony of mao to oppose this. He was practically worshiped.