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| Socialist Party USA:
Unchartered/Unofficial Groupings |
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The Socialist Party USA is
a multi-tendency
organization which encourages discussion and debate amongst our
members. We encourage all members to bring their ideas to their affiliates (local and
state), commissions,
committees and regional groups and take part in the decision making
process. Members are also invited to attend National Committee meetings, conferences and conventions where they
can bring up concerns or ideas.
Some members have organized unofficial groupings with other members, as
a place where they can discuss and help build support for these ideas
or issues. Groupings which meet the following National Committee
adopted guidelines are listed below:
1) The
grouping not be organized on democratic-centralist lines.
2)
The
grouping
is
to
be
composed
only of Socialist Party USA members in good standing if it wishes to
identify itself as affiliated with the Socialist Party USA in any way.
3)
The
grouping
produce
a
statement
describing
its purpose, which shall not conflict with the Party's Statement of
Principles.
4)
The
grouping
shall
elect
a
liaison
and submit that name to the National Office.
5)
The
National
Office
or
appropriate
bodies
must recognize the request of Party members to be identified as part of
one or more of these groupings in Party publications as long as the
grouping meets the above guidelines and any future guidelines adopted
by the National Committee. If a member identifies her/himself as a
member of a grouping that does not meet these guidelines, she/he must
state that the grouping is not recognized by the Socialist Party USA.
Current
Groupings
Debs Forum- We are a grouping of
socialists working in the spirit of solidarity and class-based
militancy that was displayed by figures throughout US history, particularly Eugene
V. Debs. We want contribute to the
creation of
democratic revolution in America, a revolution that places people's
lives
under their own control.
- Our is not a tendency
attempting to impose a norm or a view, but rather a network of SP active
members who, with like minded interests and views, have come together to
help contribute to a modern, attractive and activist-based Socialist Party USA.
--We
reject dogmatic or "line" positions on day-to-day working class struggles. At the
same time, we stand by the Statement of Principles of the Socialist Party USA and learn
from the history of socialism and our party. We strive to create
a 21st century American Socialism that takes into account the history,
victories, and errors of the past.
--We
believe that in a multi-tendency, democratic socialist organization comradely debate and
discussion is part of the norm. We believe in a feminist process and
practice, where the inclusion of all voices enhances democracy. We believe such a process reflects the values
of the Socialist Party USA. We reject
dogmatic and hyper-masculine internal organizational behavior. Such actions are not democratic.
They do not bring us together, but only serve to
undermine the day-to-day work of the party.
--Though
coming
from
different
views,
we are all socialists. Though coming from different
political traditions (libertarian socialists, marxists, socialist-feminists,
religious socialists etc), we all believe in the Socialist Party
USA's work and mission.
--We
see a need for a greater involvement by the SP-USA in social movements. Though we will
always support and put forward a democratic socialist view inside of the social
movements we belong to, we will not do so to the point
of undermining our
relationships with those community organizations involved in the struggle. As these movements grow so too will our
organization.
- We seek to develop
positive educational resources that will improve the image and political
work of the Socialist Party USA. We
believe that our organization as a
whole will benefit from the work we do in this forum and that it will help to
popularize notions of socialism that are so sorely needed in this
moment of capitalist crisis.
- We want to be free. Freedom from economic want. Freedom
from racism, sexism and
homophobia. Freedom to express ourselves
culturally, sexually and politically
without fear of reprisal. Freedom to participate democratically in
all decisions that affect our lives in the economy, the state, civil
society, and the family. The freedom to
live, work, associate and develop
ourselves without economic hardship and for the benefit of our society. We hope to contribute to the creation of a
socialist society where the freedom of each
is a condition of the freedom of all.
- We invite you to
join the Debs Forum and encourage you to support the efforts of the
SP-USA. Together we are everything, alone
nothing.
Liaison: Kristin
Schall / spusadebsforum@gmail.com
Feminist
Practice Tendency Mission Statement: The
Socialist Party USA Feminist Practice Tendency organizes to promote the
principles, practice, and process of socialist feminism inside and
outside the party. Our goal is to educate, engage, create discussion,
do outreach, and inspire collective actions that synthesize theory and
practice into socialist feminist praxis which is accessible to all
regardless of gender identity or sex. We are an all-inclusive tendency
that promotes working together to realize a socialist feminist society.
We work on various issues using various tactics to spread the message
of socialist feminism. We seek to examine and dissect gender, sex,
patriarchy, sexism, strict gender roles, misogyny, and male chauvinism
among other barriers to full liberation for all people. We believe the
capitalist and patriarchal systems benefit from and perpetuate the
social constructions of gender which bind us and control us. We believe
systemic, institutional, and structural changes must be made through
both reforms and revolutionary means so that a socialist feminist
society may be realized.
The tendency encourages active socialist feminist thought,
self-reflection, and mutual understanding between all people. We
believe that socialist feminism can be practiced in our everyday lives
through feminist process, which we educate others about and help others
to learn to practice. We believe that we must meet people where they
are in order to engage with them and help them consciously create
socialist feminism in their everyday lives. We believe that feminism
cannot be realized without the participation of all people of all
genders and all sexes -- as well as those who are genderqueer or do not
identify with one sex or gender.
We seek to make the direct connections between a socialist feminist
society and personal and social transformation of all people. The
tendency believes that everyone can directly benefit from the
realization of socialist feminism in relationships and communication
with one another. We believe patriarchal structures, socially
constructed gender, strict gender roles, and the power dynamic
integrated into these structures are a detriment to all people and must
be dismantled and abolished.
We believe in the importance of the recruitment and retention of female
identified members of the SPUSA, as well as the active development of
female leadership, and adherence to gender balance. We support the
right of women to organize, have their own space, and create their own
leadership. We also support the freedom and liberation of women –
including allowing women's participation in all aspects of life,
allowing for equal partnerships and relationships with men/others, full
comprehensive reproductive rights and control (including abortion on
demand), economic parity and equal pay, and an end to violence against
women.
We also believe that solidarity between women/female identified people
and men/male identified people is mutually beneficial and may be
necessary for the liberation of both. We support the right of men and
male identified people to organize for their own liberation through
socialist feminism. Men and male identified people can benefit directly
from socialist feminism since it would allow them to develop a full
range of emotional expression, encourage them to take on roles as
caregivers to children and their families and not see their jobs as
their sole source of self-worth, embrace cooperation over competition,
give them the opportunity to unlearn aggressiveness and overcome
violence, and be able to embrace femininity as just as important in
one’s life as masculinity, among other benefits. Socialist feminism is
just as much for males as it is for females.
Our tendency also supports the liberation of queer people, people of
color, and other minorities and acknowledges the struggle of people
with intersecting identities.
We are united in class struggle to realize a classless socialist
feminist society. We also believe in people over profits, social
ownership of the means of production, and a radical democracy where
people have control in their workplaces, government, and over their own
lives. We believe that partnership and collaboration will be key as we
move forward together.
Tenets We
Value and Advocate for as Socialist Feminists
Non-hierarchical structures.
Rejection of patterns of dominance and submission.
Egalitarianism, mutual support, and the sharing of skills and knowledge.
Consensus building when possible.
Synthesis and cooperation rather than conflict and competition.
Assertive communication (as opposed to passive or aggressive).
Active engagement in the movement for socialist feminism, liberation
for all people, for social justice, and equal treatment, and recognized
rights for all.
Being sensitive to people's needs.
Enhancing rather than degrading others.
Focusing on developing collective actions.
Conscious thought and conscious action.
Critical analysis of gender, sex, and other identities.
Working to end male dominance in ourselves and society.
Deconstructing class, race, sexuality, homophobia,
heterosexism/heteronormativity etc. and acknowledging their
intersectionality and the role that they play.
Connecting our personal issues and struggles with historical and
systematic structure of capitalist oppression.
Recognizing and seeking to eliminate control, power, and privilege.
Giving feelings, emotions and lived experience the same regard as a
source of knowledge as “rational” thinking.
We see value and worth in caring for others and our personal lives. The
personal is political.
We understand that acceptance of, and working with, feelings and
emotions is a strength and not a weakness.
We work individually and collectively to overcome internalized
oppressions.
We celebrate both the “feminine” and “masculine”traits that make each
of us fully human.
We challenge both gender binary and gender dichotomy constructions.
We work to create space for women to speak, have a voice, and
participate – share space and be considerate.
We commit ourselves to the work described above; continually striving
for self-improvement and social progress.
Liaison:
Tina Philips/
tinarphillips@yahoo.com
Inclusion
- Inclusion
is
a group for Socialist Party members in recovery or seeking recovery
from alcohol or drug addiction. As recovering alcoholics and addicts or
members seeking recovery, we are concerned that members of the Party
have been alienated or excluded from Party meetings, events or social
gatherings because these meetings or events are being held in locations
where alcohol is prevalent and a primary activity.
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Events in bars alienate members with addiction problems and exclude
members who are under 21, and events with a major focus on alcohol can
lead to embarrassing or uncomfortable conditions for those with
addiction problems or religious/personal beliefs which do not support
alcohol consumption. It also leads to a division in the local and
exclusion of members from some of the most social aspects of the local
and its work.
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This group has been created for a few reasons:
1) To provide a space for support and solidarity for SPUSA members in
or seeking recovery from alcohol and drug adiction within the Party.
2) To help develop policy for Party events and meetings and also allow
us to brainstorm on how to bring a more inclusive and less
discriminatory atmosphere to these events.
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Some ideas include:
1) A restriction on holding
decisions-making meetings in a bar or other establishments which
excludes those under 21 or which alcohol consumption is prevalent.
2) To create a space for those who do not want an atmosphere of alcohol
consumption to fully take part in events or hold sober/alcohol free
events with the support of the local, state or national organization.
3) To create a safe and healthy environment for children of members or
youth who do not want to take part in events dominated by alcohol
consumption.
Liaison: Greg
Pason
Radical
Democracy
Points of
Unity:
1) Finding a Majority - In order to ensure a healthy internal
political culture, we believe that debate must strive to clarify the crux
of political differences. We seek to compromise on programmatic and
organizational matters when necessary to move a majority forward, but do not
compromise on fairness,
accountability, or political principles.
2) Welcome
Open Debate - The SPUSA must
always create spaces that welcome open debate. When a body is making a decision, the political
substance of the matter must be
open for debate before the vote. Arguments must be based on topical and truthful representations; not ad hominem
attacks or threats.
3)
Accountability for Authority
- Candidates, officers, and members acting in the name of the SPUSA must not contradict our Principles, Platform
or written policies. Whenever
responsibilities are delegated to an officer or subordinate committee, all work must be transparent to higher
bodies. Individual committee
members, including officers, are accountable to the committees on which they sit. No SPUSA work should be
conducted in secret, unless expressly authorized.
4) A Mass
Party Based on the Statement of Principles - The mission of the SPUSA is to
struggle for socialism as outlined in the SPUSA Statement of Principles. This is
only possible by becoming a mass party rooted in the working class and
accountable to its membership.
5) The Role
of Platform Demands - The
demands made by our Platform represent the breaking point of capitalism. We view these transitional
demands not as the final
embodiment of socialism, but the beginning of its construction.
6)
Socialists in Mass Struggle -
We operate openly as socialists and do not limit our demands based on what is possible under capitalism, what
the Democratic Party will
accept, or what broader movements are prepared to advocate. While we seek to participate in broader movements
on a principled basis, we do
not strive to take leadership roles based on false agreement.
Also see
"Socialism as a Radical Democracy"
http://socialistparty-usa.org/principles.html
Liasion:
Brandy Baker SPRadicalDemocracy@gmail.com
Socialist
Sport Supporters Club- A grouping for all members of the
Socialist Party who are involved in supporters clubs of sports teams
(local/national amateur /pro) and for members who would
like to develop Socialist Party sporting events/ teams for Socialist
Party members.
Some
of us are active fans or supporters of sports teams. These
organizations can be positive and social events which build unity
amongst fans. These clubs have also had influence on team attendance
policy, the price of tickets and in some occasions have been used to
promote political messages (good and bad). Many of us have seen
baseball supporters/fans organizing against sweatshops and most
recently SB1070 in Arizona, soccer supporter clubs have been vocal with
banners and political slogans and promoting racial unity (sometimes in
opposition to racist cubs) and local sports events have been used as a
unifying project for left groups
(anti-imperialist
/socialist/anarchist
soccer
teams/games
and
leftist
bowling leagues, etc.)
As members of the
Party we would like to help promote this activity and to help bring
forward socialist message within these sports fan/ supporters
organizations. We’d also like to help to create sporting events at
Socialist Party BBQ’s, picnics, conferences and other gatherings.
If you are a member
of sports teams fan or supporters club, would like helping organizing
one, would like to share ideas or experiences within these
organizations or would like to help to establish socialist teams or
events, we invite you to join this club. Liaison: Greg Pason
The Motorcycle
Diaries Network (TMDnet)- The group is for
Socialist Party USA members who consider themselves Marxist or are
interested in Marxist political-economic theory and practice. The main
three objectives of the network are:
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a) provide
a non-sectarian non-dogmatic colloquium space where Marxist comradely
discussion and
conversation
can
occur.
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b)
provide resources for Socialist Party members wanting to learn more
about Marxist theory and practice, and
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c) create
position papers or statements regarding issues or community actions
that may be of interest to the party as a whole. TMDnet is a not
tendency, but is an open space for Marxist discussion and political
activism within the framework of the Socialist Party USA. TMDnet
is only open to Socialist Party USA members in good standing. If you
would like to join, please contact Erik Toren at ectoren@gmail.com.
TMDnet participants will be subbed in to an email group. Liaison: Erik Toren
Revolutionary
Tendency - The Revolutionary Tendency of the Socialist Party
(RT-SP) is a group presently
forming within the Socialist Party (SP-USA) that advocates a
revolutionary socialist
program with workers' democracy. As such it opposes the betrayals of
the social democratic,
Stalinist, and anarchist models of socialism. We do so without dismissing the usefulness people with
such ideas have at times played in the class struggle, making important historic gains
for social progress, and the importance of these people today. We work with people
with those differing ideas in the Socialist Party as we work to make the SP a mass
workers party.
As a tendency, our program and inspiration is not being invented out of
the blue, it comes in large
part from revolutionary leaders that include people like Karl Marx, Fredrich Engels, Lucy Parsons, V.I.
Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Rosa Luxemburg, Karl Liebnecht, Eugene Debs, Dick Frasier,
Hubert Harrison, Robert F. Harrison, and James
P. Cannon.
While highly inspired by these leaders, we do not accept the need for
the Leninist model of party
building that has been followed by Trotskyist parties. That model, while perhaps useful in times when
the movement is driven underground, has instead today led to the fragmentation of
the American left into many different socialist parties with rigid programs
that are too refined to be attractive to experienced socialists who are likely to
disagree with some important component of every party's program. On the other end
of the extreme is the Socialist Party itself. Its general lack of programmatic
clarity, and lack of any
tendency to bring that needed program, was a major cause of its
inability to produce any
potential presidential candidates for the 2012 election capable of clearly representing the socialist
program.
We draw inspiration from the Civil Rights and Black Liberation
movements that abolished Jim
Crow segregation, won the right of Blacks to vote, and opened new educational and employment opportunities
for Blacks. The Democrats and Republicans were agreed on maintaining all of those
injustices until they were forced to make changes by a movement that was causing
them too many problems. Those victories show that real gains can sometimes be made by
the people against the U.S. government through mass action, militant
self-defense, and international outrage (at the country that was supposedly fighting for
democracy in the world). While drawing inspiration from these movements, we
recognize that problems of racism are far from resolved in the United States and we seek
to apply our socialist program to achieve Black liberation through socialist
revolution.
As a tendency serving as a tribune of the people we denounce the
pro-imperialist history of our
own party, the Socialist Party, when it took pro-imperialist positions like supporting the U.S. war in
Vietnam and the U.S. invasion of the Dominican Republic.
We are instead inspired by socialists who played a central role in
organizing the movement
against the U.S. war in Vietnam. Primary amongst these were the
Trotskyists of the Socialist
Workers Party who played a consistent role in educating and organizing mass protest after mass
protest that demanded an end to the U.S. war in Vietnam. Starting out small, with no idea
that they would actually influence anything, it grew into a major movement
that helped bring an end to the war and helped bring other important changes. We,
however, recognize that the imperialist system that spawned the U.S. War in
Vietnam is alive and well and we seek to end all U.S. imperialist wars through socialist
revolution.
The movement against the U.S. War in Vietnam was also movements that
educated a generation to
stand-up against the injustices of the capitalist system creating spin-off movements for women’s
liberation, Gay and Lesbian rights, and for the defense of the environment. Those
movements have won major victories like the right to abortion, changes in social thinking
and discrimination, protections against some important pollutants and the creation of
the Endangered Species Act. But we still have a long ways to go and still need the
passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), protections against the chipping
away of the right to abortion, the right to same sex marriage, and need to make rapid
moves against climate change.
While the wealthy 1% are still doing well, the working class is taking
a beating under the crisis of
capitalism. Before 1934 the labor movement of the United States was in the same boat and unable to
effectively fight back due to the conservative leadership of the labor unions. It was a
situation very similar to today. In 1934 this all changed when socialists took the
leadership of three important unions and, unlike the entrenched union bureaucrats,
were able to lead successful strikes, the Minneapolis Teamsters Strike, the San
Francisco Longshore Strike, and the Toledo Autolite Strike. We look to these strikes
as good examples of how unions can fight back and win.
The RT-SP is
being established to recruit all of the following people to participate in discussing and adopting a program:
1.
Experienced socialists who have no party
2. Members of
the Socialist Party who see the need for such a tendency
3. People who
are just learning about socialism who want to get involved4. Members of the Peace and Freedom Party (PFP)
(dual membership in both the SP and PFP is allowed, so you can join the SP to get
involved with the RT-SP).
We will
come together to build an organization that can more effectively channel our knowledge and creativity into group
action. While membership in this Tendency is only open to members of the SP-USA, we
will reach out and form alliances with revolutionary socialists and encourage
them to join both the SP-USA as well as the RT-SP in order to build a larger
revolutionary Left in the SP-USA.
The socialist movement is, in part, the historic memory of the working
class. While the ruling class
attempts to create amnesia regarding past victories of the working class, the socialist movement resurrects
these lessons and applies them to the struggle for a better world. Marxism,
through our eyes, is a revolutionary socialist program for the overthrow of our
capitalist oppressors for the establishment of an egalitarian socialist society capable of
providing everyone with a job, housing, free health care, free education, workers
democracy (without the control of capitalists, corporations, or Stalinist
bureaucrats), and a cleaner environment where we can save the planet by combating
climate change.
As a party and tendency we must also serve as a tribune of the people
championing the causes of all
of the most oppressed including Blacks, women, immigrants, Native Americans, people in countries dominated
by U.S. imperialism, and the BGLT community.
As opposed to the Green Party and some within our own party, we see
that for a party to remain a
tool of the working class in the long run such a party also needs to have a revolutionary anti-capitalist
program for the building of socialism. Political parties without a clear
anti-capitalist program, once in power, just become mere rulers over the inherent
injustices of the capitalist system.
We call for an end to the dictatorial power of the wealthy through the expropriation of the 1% with the
establishment of a planned economy run to meet human and environmental needs. This
socialist society will only come about through the revolutionary overthrow of the
capitalist state, comprised at its heart of the existing police, armies, courts, and
prisons.
The primary force in society capable of winning this program is the
working class with the
influence of a revolutionary socialist leadership. Labor has the
potential to win a wide range
of demands today by shutting down the profits of the
capitalists.
Yet the American working class is presently saddled with a conservative union bureaucracy that supports the
Democratic Party. That bureaucracy also fears worker defiance of court injunctions,
fears worker defiance of police orders, fears worker defiance of Taft Hartley, fears
anything but porous picket lines, fears the concept of a general strike, fears the
concept of political strikes, fears union democracy, but most of all fears defiance
of their sell-out contracts and challenges from the membership that could remove the
bureaucrats from their cushy jobs.
As members of the labor movement and militant supporters of collective
bargaining we support any and
all means of effective action and we speak up when what we see appears to be ineffective. Likewise, we
seek to break the unions from support for our class enemies in the Democrat Party.
Instead of financing Democrat Party campaigns it is our position that unions
need to rely on our own collective power to shut down profits through shutting down
transport and production. Likewise, money raised from union members would be better
spent on strike funds and strike support.
Without an independent fight-back of the working class, using the power
of the strike for political
demands, the situation will just continue to grow bleaker.
As the current crisis of capitalism threatens the break-down all that
is left that is civil in our
society, the Democrats charge ahead with the Republicans in making sure it is the poor, the working class,
and the planet, who pay for the crisis of capitalism, not capitalist profits. The
alternative to socialist revolution becomes increasingly clear as capitalist society
becomes less and less able to take care of its people; climate change caused by
capitalist greed becomes an increasing threat to the future of human civilization; the
capitalist state becomes increasingly repressive; and the leading capitalist
countries plunge the world into war after war of imperialist domination and conquest.
As the great German revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg said in 1918, the alternatives
are socialism or
barbarism.
The following is a partial list of what we are fighting to do:
* Establish a system of socialized medicine
for the United States to provide everyone with free guaranteed health care,
*Establish
full employment and housing guaranteed to all, easily achieved through the expropriation of foreclosed housing
from the banks and a broader planned socialist economy,
*Establish
free quality well funded education through the university level coupled with the cancellation of all student debt
carried out in part through the
nationalization of the banks,
*For the
nationalization of the gas, oil, coal, and auto industries to carry out immediate emergency measures to
drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
*Bring an end
to all U.S. military occupations of other countries both because we need to stop U.S. terror against the
people of the world and the trillions of dollars squandered on war is needed for
human and environmental needs,
*Bring an end
to repressive and brutal police occupations of communities of color throughout the United States through the
abolition of all current police forces and the building of new ones controlled by
the people through the new workers democracy,
*Close
Guantanamo and give it back to Cuba
*End
indefinite detention without trial,
*End the mass
incarceration of the poor and people of color through firing all current DA’s, judges, and cops and
replacing them with representatives of the people through the workers’ democracy,
*Abolish US
prisons in their current form and look to models where incarceration exists to rehabilitate not to punish and
torture.
*End the war
on drugs while providing quality drug and alcohol treatment free on demand with the mandatory availability of
non-Christian and non-spiritual options,
*Freedom for
all political prisoners including Mumia Abu-Jamal, Leonard Peltier, Brianna (Bradley) Manning, Romaine “Chip”
Fitzgerald, and Lynne Stewart,
*Bring an end
to brutal police repression of the Occupy movement and end all prosecutions of those who were arrested,
*Bring an end
to U.S. military aid to murderous and repressive governments including Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Colombia, Yemen,
Iraq, and Honduras just to name a few,
*Pass the
Equal Rights Amendment (ERA),
*Establish
free quality daycare and communal kitchens as steps to ameliorate daily drudgeries disproportionately put on the
shoulders of women and create more opportunities for women outside the home,
*Defend
reproductive rights including free abortion on demand and
re-establishing clinics where
terror has shut them down by providing, where needed, 24 hour armed defenses for providers and clinics,.
* For the
right of any couple to marry no matter their gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation,* Repeal of Taft
Hartley, “right to work”, and all other anti-union laws.
This is
a partial platform, the RT-SP plans to decide on a full platform and program in the near future.
Join
the RT-SP!
We encourage
people here who are interested in this program to join the Socialist Party so that you can join our tendency.
Here is a link to a website where people can join the
SP.http://socialistparty-usa.org/joinus/
People
interested in joining the RT-SP should contact us by e-mail at: revolution_updates@yahoo.com
Liaison: Steven Argue
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