Buster Flynn

Hmm... nice question, BiA! I'll take a shot at answering it, informally, please understand.

Well, to begin with, the CPUSA don't shun people for merely mentioning trotsky or anarchism! Also, they are an incredible historical resource in and of themselves. They may not be particularly active, but then, opportunities for activism are not particularly rare-- chances to learn Marxism by participating in its application are, though. Also, if you think they're slackers, do a little experiment: spend one day going around and telling people you're with the CP. Try putting up CP flyers (asking for permission as you go), or selling their paper on a busy corner, or something. Note the hostility and heavy vibes that will surely greet your efforts, not universally, but definitely at every turn. It is amazing-- even much of the left has made part of it's selling point "well, yes, we're commies-- but we're not the CP!" As villainized as the CP has been in American culture and history, both widely and within the left, it seems to me frankly amazing that the Party has continued to exist and maintain infrastructure as it has. That's the kind of tenacity and bravery in the face of catastrophic adversity I think we all can learn from-- I certainly find it inspirational, and very moving, touching, even. Also, my research brought me into frequent contact with CP materials, so that people started asking me what's up with that. When at length I would not disclaim the Party, some of the more reactionary-minded among my liberal friends and colleagues started making certain assumptions. And hey-- if you're going to live with the onus, why not avail oneself of the benefits? Last, but certainly not least, a bit of digging into the record convinced me that for all my smarty-pants, anarcho-knowitallism, I actually knew very little about the Party-- and a lot of that was half-truths and smears, etc. Consider. Every American schoolchild can parrot "millions of dead! bad as hitler!" when Stalin's name is mentioned. However, how many Americans readily know that the USSR, an overwhelming peasant society until the 1920s-30s, saved our bacon in WWII, by defeating the most advanced war machine ever, i.e. the Nazis at whose tomb Reagan laid a wreath? Let alone anything of Stalin's work on ethnic-national minority rights within a majoritarian democratic system? Something the USA still can't seem to come to grips with, almost a century later. In short, dear comrade, the blinders slipped, and having caught a glimpse of the real, full picture, I became unwilling to put them back on. When all was said and done, as critical a thinker as I thought myself to be, I was appalled at how much of the Big Lie against the workers' revolution I had in fact bought into. Letting go the propaganda notions, I became enamored of the full range and sweep of our history-- good and bad, certainly, the mistakes mixed right in with the victories. I decided to become open to everyone's traditions, and the CP is a fine vantage point from which to do just that. And of course, once you've bought the big lie, the rest is just attenuation. Once you accept the reduction of the workers' revolution to "Stalin," who is reduced to "like Hitler," then the well is poisoned, and the rest is just a matter of manipulating the symbology-- until at length, any nation the USA wants to bomb next, has a leader "as bad as Hitler." Well, in a word, no. The US President is in fact as bad as Hitler, because of the shared traditions of genocide-- and most everyone else is colonized, one way or another-- just as Lenin, and Stalin, made so clear and proceeded to deal with in some sort of meaningful, tangible, and (yes) systematic a manner.

All that is a better representation (off the cuff, mind you) of why I joined the CPUSA. Considering how much is contained within that particular tradition, and how few are stepping forward to carry it onward into the future in some sort of living manner, I figured I ought to do my bit to contribute to its preservation, propagation, and rebuilding in the 21st century. I don't think it's the only valid choice, or that the Party has any corner on the truth market. However, it is in its own way a vital piece of working-class truth in America, and all considered, that's more of a miracle than many people of goodwill are even yet ready to give it credit for. But maybe we can change all that. As for mobilizing? Well, with the CPUSA, not so much. But that's okay, do we really want one party that does it all? I mean, one can always go mobilize with the PSL, or whomever. There are options there, is all I'm saying. The CP, bless their hearts, get it and are very tolerant of that sort of thing. They do not demand a political monopoly on their member's thoughts or deeds.

As for meetings-- everyone, and I mean the anarchos too, want their meetings to go smoothly so they can deal with things in a timely manner so they can move on to hanging out with comrades at the pub afterwards, or whatever. No one wants to spend most of a meeting arguing ideological differences with those otherwise convinced, and then rushing the business through the last ten chaotic minutes. Thus, in my experience anyways, I don't know of a group who won't move to shut that sort of "intervention" down, within the confines of a meeting. Usually, however, some element will gladly take you up on the chance to argue ideological &/or historical fine points, over a burrito after the meeting, or something. I don't see why the PSL should be any different.

So there's at least some of my more substantial answer. Even as it leaves out the international context and some of the historical detail, I think it's pretty comprehensive as regards the U. S. American cultural and left-political contexts. Thanks for asking, and thanks for being involved. Don't ever let "Them" persuade you to give up! Of course, tactical or strategic retreats are a different matter. :-)

Mhm, they're great at action and organizing rallies/protests. I'm just not fond of how narrow they are ideologically; I was shunned for even mentioning trotsky or anarchism at one of their meetings.

I'm interested in hearing why you joined the CPUSA instead. I have not seen them at all, even the RCP-USA has had more noticeable activity. (I've had my share of clashes with them as well )

Hmm? Oh, the PSL are alright. They were one of the all-too-few left formations publicly defending China in all the recent Olympic-torch hoo-hah. I admire that kind of fearlessness. As they say, your mileage may vary.

PSL a bit too sectarian, no?

Oh,we have safer spaces for discussion...

I heard a short sample of Track #3, entitled "Comrade Enver Hoxha", and it was...okay. i'm not certain what the message is, if there is one? Are they pro Hoxha, or is their song a left-critique of the PPSH as "Authertaryanz" ?

I figured they were going to do a techno/industrial remix of "Tungjatjetta" .

Where does Test Dept talk about Hoxha? any songs?

Comrade,

Read your reply, and it sounds good.

Understand, i have to take precautions, as we've had a few troll breaches.

I'll validate you.

Prairie Fire

Hi Comrade,

I've been an open-minded, ideologically-tolerant leftie since I was a kid. I first got turned on to the real left, if you will, by Abbie Hoffman's books.... well, that, and the music of Woodie Guthrie. I'm very much a cultural-front kinda comrade.

After many years in the various romper rooms of american anarchism, which of course were overwhelmingly narrowly-sectarian and ideologically-intolerant, often in the most hostile of ways, I went back to school and came out not only a historian, but also a Marxist, naturally enough. It's not even so much that I had a "come to Lenin" moment (so to speak), as it was that I became thoroughly convinced that I hadn't been told most of the truth on the so-called "authoritarian" left. Even a little deeper insight on Comrade Stalin's contributions has gone a long way towards changing my thinking on a lot of things, I think in an overwhelmingly positive, perspective-correcting direction.

As for Hoxha, I dont know much, but would like to change that. It may be informative for you to know that I first became aware of Comrade Hoxha through the work of a British industrial band called Test Dept.-- still one of my fave groups of that genre and era. (Did I mention the cultural front? ;-)

Thanks for the follow up. I sincerely hope to have constructive contributions to make to the conversation, in the course of time, as well as much to learn from it.

Sincerely, "Buster Flynn"

PS: I almost forgot: I've recently joined the CPUSA. Perhaps ironically enough, it seems to me to be one of the most open-thinking, tolerant-of-ideological-diversity left groups in my area, at the moment. But hey, I'm no bigot-- some of my best friends are Trots, Maoists, etc.... even the occasional anarchist, provided they are of the sane-and-rational variety ;-)

Comrade,

You applied to join the Hoxhaist group...

Tell me a bit more about yourself.

Prairie Fire