Questions about the PSL

[Red October]

Alright, I have some questions about the Party For Socialism And Liberation.

1: Why did the PSL split from Worker's World Party? I've never been able to find an explanation for this.

2: What are the PSL's positions on the USSR, Stalin, Mao, Trotskyism, etc.

3: How are they fundamentally different from WWP or other American Marxist parties?

4: What is their basic platform?


I hope some PSL members here can answer these, and thanks to anyone who does!

[Martin Blank]

1: Why did the PSL split from Worker's World Party? I've never been able to find an explanation for this.

From what I was able to gather, it was over relations between the ANSWER coalition and the liberal antiwar groups. The PSL wanted to make nice with UFPJ and others, while the WWP wanted to try to "out-organize" them (both efforts failed)). This disagreement drifted into electoral policy, as well. The PSL people succumbed to the "anybody but Bush" sentiment in 2004 and opposed the WWP running candidates -- in a sense, an olive branch to the liberals they were courting.

Since the liberals have rejected the PSL/ANSWER overtones, the PSL's position has reverted to the pre-split WWP style of work. The WWP, on the other hand, has drifted into the orbit of the Green Party, with their members actively participating in the McKinney campaign this year and some of them running as Green candidates in states like Michigan and Ohio. (The PSL ran its own candidates in the 2008 election.)


2: What are the PSL's positions on the USSR, Stalin, Mao, Trotskyism, etc.

Same as Workers World's.


3: How are they fundamentally different from WWP or other American Marxist parties?

They are not fundamentally different from the WWP, and differ from other organizations in the same way that Workers World differs.


4: What is their basic platform?

Same as Workers World's.

[KC]

They are opportunists masquerading as Marxists.

[Red October]

I've been around WWP members for a few years now and have a fair amount of organizing experience with them. So I was confused because like you said, PSL seems almost exactly like WWP, and I couldn't find any reason for a split. I had heard it was over electoral stuff, but both of them have run candidates and engage in electoral politics. No WWP member I asked has been able to give me a straight answer on it. Thanks a lot!