I've been reading the WSM website and a bit confused. It sounds like the role of the party is educational only when you read some things, but then I see other articles mention WSM members who are union organizers. It was my understanding that you're against any kind of reforms. What kind of organizing do companion parties actually do? Can someone clarify? thanks!
"Against any kind of reforms" is unnecessarily ambiguous in respect of strategy and tactics. Most political tactics aren't either clearly demarcated as "revolutionary" or "reformist." The SPGB activity is prescribed by being only with those who agree with the basic minimums of socialism for unambiguity. The SPGB is resolutely against fronts of any type. That may sound like a weakness but it helps a united party and united non-SPGB cross-class campaigns are best dealt with by united non-SPGB cross-class forces. Non-members and supporters do decide to get involved with the SPGB on some of these SPGB terms and the SPGB can do nothing to stop them. Educational-only is a strange (but not uncommon) way of putting it, in contrast to what? Other than the minimum points of agreement, SPGB activity can consist of anything that does not contravene the principles or otherwise constitute action detrimental to the party. Implicit in the SPGB case is workers ought to exert economic pressure on profits if they can, economic pressure is not always equivalent to political pressure. Although trade unions are sectional by their nature, these are the way to exert this pressure, and not always by striking as the magic wand for everything. The main activity of the SPGB is trying to capture political power, in Britain this is most effective using universal suffrage (not parliament). Other than that, the SPGB has called for workers to demonstrate for socialism in the past. Reading some of the politics of a group you mention in your profile (http://www.bringtheruckus.org/?q=about) there are some similarities in organisation aswell as some differences. The SPGB is a democratic not "democratic centralist" where members can openly disagree with majority decisions. The SPGB has a membership with political criteria for joining. It is not a network or a vanguard.
Thanks for your response. I've been considering applying for membership in the WSPUS. Since Bring the Ruckus disbanded, I've been looking at them as well as the Socialist Labor Party (US), although that seems largely inactive (besides the newsletter they put out) and I've heard tales of a somewhat authoritarian internal functioning.
I'm interested in any newsletter the SLP put out. I'm aware of the two yahoo groups mailing lists but I'm not even sure they are official SLP yahoo groups. Robert Bills, national secretary did not return my e-mails (nor did any locals) although still makes minor uploads to the website now and again. Anyway, its certainly worth dropping WSPUS an e-mail. Or if you want to do further reading, there is another website by a WSPUS member here http://stephenshenfield.net/ If you want to read more history on WSPUS there's a few books https://libcom.org/library/role-mode...ters-isaac-rab hope to make this available in other formats soon. World Socialist Review is 80s/90s and most issues are online, Western Socialist goes right back to the 1933. Hope to make both these available online over the more medium term.
Bills has responded to me, but it takes several tries each time. I can scan the newsletter if you'd like. I received the newsletter shortly after sending my mailing address. Thanks for the links!
