Communist Parties

[RadicalLeft62]

I wanted to start a thread on what everybody thought of the main Communist parties of the US. Here's what I think:

CPUSA: By calling them revisionist, I am putting it lightly. However, they have the greatest numbers. Should merge with SPUSA.

RCP: Full of people obsessed with Avakian, or people who don't understand Marx. Not much principle here.

WWP and SWP: Very small and inactive from what I see. Will die out soon most likely.

Progressive Labor Party: My pick. Seem to have the most initiative and principle, however their numbers are fairly small and there isn't much structure to the party.

[Delirium]

I'm not much of a party man myself.

[redstar2000]

There are a number of others as well.

I'm afraid the sad truth of the matter is that they all suck.

Try this...

Leninism: A Radical Middle Class Ideology (http://www.redstar2000papers.com/theory.php?subaction=showfull&id=1136115064&archive=&cnshow=headlines&start_from=&ucat=&)

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Here's what I think the Communist League (http://www.communistleague.org) & Free People's Movement (http://www.freepeoplesmovement.org) > all "communist" parties in the U.S.

[hemybel]

Who is the most powerful and influencial communist in the U.S.?

What I mean is... if ever America Surrendered to a communist country, and that country will set a leader for America, who do you think they'll choose?

[redstar2000]

Originally posted by [email protected] 24 2006, 02:43 AM
Who is the most powerful and influential communist in the U.S.?

What I mean is... if ever America Surrendered to a communist country, and that country will set a leader for America, who do you think they'll choose?
That has to be one of the strangest questions ever asked on this board.

First of all, there aren't any "powerful" or "influential" communists in the U.S. today.

Secondly, there aren't any communist countries anywhere today...there's no one for "America" to "surrender" to.

If you're talking about some hypothetical future in which a "communist country" somehow "conquered America" and decided to "impose" a "Leader" -- the way the Russians picked out "leaders" for the eastern European countries after World War II...well, I think that's such a remote possibility that's it's not even worth considering.

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[bolshevik butcher]

www.marixst.com Socialist Appeal has a small cell in America.

[Catch22]

Most all American radical parties blow asshole. RCP- nutjobs who masturbate to posters of avakian, CPUSA- so radical they vote for Kerry, SWP-nice and dedicated folks, but dogmatic and incredibly annoying sometimes, WWP- manage to split every couple years, SEP- nice website poor party policy, PLP-Stalinist whackos.

Really there are only a few left wing parties in the US worth dealing with, the green party, SP-USA and the DSA (only on weekends though cause a full dose of them can be tiresome). I currently work with the greens, and even I am an anarchist, I still see green party electoral politics as a key step in revitalizing the radical left.

[redstar2000]

Originally posted by Catch22
I still see Green party electoral politics as a key step in revitalizing the radical left.

Where did the "idea" ever come from that any kind of electoral politics would "radicalize" anybody???

There's not a single case of that ever happening, right?

And yet the myth gets endlessly repeated, generation after generation.

What actually happens to most of the people who dick around with electoral politics is that they become demoralized and then just quit everything!

In fact, only scoundrels can stand that crap "for the long haul". Decent people catch on to the scam and walk away in disgust.

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

I still see green party electoral politics as a key step in revitalizing the radical left.

HAHAHA. Thanks for the laugh.

[bolshevik butcher]

Electorla politics themselves dont radicalize people. However they can occasionally igve socialists a chance to shout and scream and wave red flags ;)

[RedStarOverChina]

I heard RCP now only has 100 members.

[bolshevik butcher]

ha ha ha, the funny thing is even when it claimed to be huge it was tiny compared to some other groups in Europe.

[RedStarOverChina]

Originally posted by [email protected] 25 2006, 04:03 AM
I heard RCP now only has 100 members.
Can I get a confirmation here?

I heard it from a creditable source (one of the founders of RCP Canada), but just wanna know for sure.

[Catch22]

Originally posted by redstar2000+Jan 25 2006, 01:08 AM--> (redstar2000 @ Jan 25 2006, 01:08 AM)
Catch22
I still see Green party electoral politics as a key step in revitalizing the radical left.

Where did the "idea" ever come from that any kind of electoral politics would "radicalize" anybody???

There's not a single case of that ever happening, right?

And yet the myth gets endlessly repeated, generation after generation.

What actually happens to most of the people who dick around with electoral politics is that they become demoralized and then just quit everything!

In fact, only scoundrels can stand that crap "for the long haul". Decent people catch on to the scam and walk away in disgust.

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif [/b]
Seems you’ve misunderstood me and painted me a reformist. I’m not; I put no stock in significant revolutionary or radical change coming about via reformism, statism, gradualism etc. I am an anarchist and as an anarchist I have no illusions about the bourgeois state. Hell ,my support of certain types of electoral politics is based on my assumption that the bourgeois state will dash any chance of revolutionary change. However, the state is the epicenter of modern power and in any struggle against the current order, we must aim our sights on that power and seek to undermine it. Thus I support the green party not as a vehicle in which to bring about revolution, but to undermine state power.

The green party is the only political party that advocates the decentralization of power, community-based economics, labor rights, democratic public control of government services and utilities. And, it is run in a fiercely democratic and consensus based way, giving the party built in defenses against personality cults, government bribery and big government reformism. If and when greens are elected, they are subject to an outright assault by the two major parties, further hardening members to corruption and ideological drift. Most importantly, the greens are a bottom up party, based around strong local parties and progressively weaker state and national parties. This makes it an incredibly flexible and organic political movement, which is driven by the actions of those on the bottom rather than the top.

Taken altogether the means that the greens provide us with a unique opportunity; not to spread and breed revolution but, to lessen state power in areas critical to the growth of a revolutionary left. For example, say the greens are able to secure the elimination of various labor laws, maybe even taft hartley. This, while not revolutionary in nature, opens up the door for greater worker militancy, leading to wildcat strikes, labor boycotts and sit-in strikes. And, while the same law may very well be put back into place after the third or forth general work stoppage, that period of openness could provide enough growth to rejuvenate and thoroughly radicalize the trade union movement.

Or we could look at issues of local governance and community control. The greens are extremely interested in promoting participatory democracy in all levels of county and municipal government, if not the state and federal echelons as well. This participatory democracy, while most certainty tinged with the class tensions inherent in any capitalist-democratic set up, will raise the political consciousness of millions. As they will become directly involved in the decision making process of their own communities. Teaching them that they too can manage their affairs without granddaddy state getting involved.

Most importantly though, is the party’s potential for changing the way ordinary people think and orienting their political consciousness in an anti authoritarian anti capitalist way. Currently people don’t have the necessary consciousness to make them avid participants in any kind of revolt. “Direct democracy! That’s crazy that’d never work! Economics based on social goals! That would hurt the market!” I hear these kinds of refrains all the time and it always stems from a lack of participation. Much like the syndicalists made the union a school in class solidarity, I feel that the greens can make schools of independent political thought.

So you see, while revolutionary unionism and radical direct action should be the mainstays and the keys of our fight. The green party gives us a unique ideological foothold, from which we can climb up out of the dearth of irrelevance and become a vibrant political force once more.

[Red Heretic]

Originally posted by RedStarOverChina+Jan 25 2006, 09:15 AM--> (RedStarOverChina @ Jan 25 2006, 09:15 AM)
[email protected] 25 2006, 04:03 AM
I heard RCP now only has 100 members.
Can I get a confirmation here?

I heard it from a creditable source (one of the founders of RCP Canada), but just wanna know for sure. [/b]
total BS.

the vast majority of people who work with the closely RCP are just regular supporters, for legal reasons, but still "100 members" is just plain ridiculous. More than five times that number attend single speeches by Avakian.

I'm no member, so I have no idea, but that number just seems stupid.

The RCPCanada[OC] wouldn't have that kind of information, and they aren't a very credible cource. They aren't a member of the RIM, and they have no official ties to the RCPUSA.

[rebelworker]

I think a piont missed by people with a genuine will to reach a broader section of the society with more radical ideas is the fact that average working people are not getting politicised in the green party, they are in unions, community groups, tenants groups ect...

These are the places radicals should be putting our effort. The revolution will not happen tommorrow, but battels against capitalism will.

As for my two cents on "communist parties" well although not a party The North Eastern Federation of Anarchist Communists represents a new fast growing strain of anti authoritarian communism. Currently only located in NewEngland and the mid Atlantic region, similar federations and collectives are poping up all over with the eventual goal of a continental federation including Canada and Mexico.
NEFAC and sister orgs. has probably got comparable membership #'s to the RCP but I would argue less politically isolated.

Most other "communist" groups have horribly outdated politics and a shrinking membership(I think its clear that the RCP has dated politics aswell but to their credit they continue to recruit some young people).

https://www.nefac.net
https://www.anarkismo.net

[Sankara1983]

CPUSA = antiquated
SWP = its glory days are long gone, though they publish worthwhile materials and seem to understand the need to connect to the working class
SEP = useful news service, but isolates itself from the working class; shows hints of the "middle-class radicalism" they claim to despise
RCP = I don't know much about them besides the personality cult; they uphold Maoist doctrine which is totally irrelevant in post-industrial societies
WWP = Stalinist opportunism heavily saturated with identity politics
FSP = dogmatic but has had some electoral success
Socialist Action = ??
Socialist Alternative = ??