U.S. Socialist Party in turmoil

Politics1.com ^

[jmcclain19]

SOCIALIST PARTY IN TURMOIL. Last fall, the Socialist Party-USA nominated retired Oregon State Senator Walt Brown as its Presidential nominee for 2004. Brown -- a former Democrat -- was the most mainstream of the democratic socialists contenders in last year's nomination fight. More strident Marxists in the party opposed Brown, but were not able to block him. Now, months later, a vocal faction in the party is trying to force Brown from the ticket because of his views on the abortion issue. The SP-USA platform is solidly pro-choice, and without exceptions. Brown, it turns out, personally supports the ban on partial birth abortions. Contentious emails are flying between the party's various leaders and factions. Some demand that Brown quit the ticket. Others support Brown, noting that he is running on the party's platform -- so he is de facto fine with them on the issue. One group of activists in the party are calling for a mail referendum by party members to decide Brown's fate. "I would quit SP USA today if members were not calling for Brown's resignation, and for a referendum to achieve that if he doesn't voluntarily resign," wrote SP-USA labor activist Tanya Smith. "I would really be stunned if a handful of people could overturn a convention decision. You say you'd resign if this doesn't happen - but consider that others will resign if it does happen, because they are committed to a democratic process. Time that should be used for getting ballot access is being lost," retorted 2000 SP-USA Presidential nominee and former SP-USA National Chair David McReynolds.

[jmcclain19]

Just because it's fun to kick socialists while their down.

[cripplecreek]

A former democrat? how do they know the difference?

[sirshackleton]

This thread has a misleading subject line. I thought you were talking about the Democrats.

[expatguy]

Im thinking the exact same thing.

[Tacis]

Talk about poor timing. Now that Texas has fixed the way its Congressional districts are structured, it looks like Martin Frost will get voted out of a really cushy job. He'd fit perfectly at the top of the Socialist ticket. Sure he won't accomplish as much for the anti-American, destroy capitalism group as he did as a left wing dem Congressman, but he'd still be able to try to tear down the country.

[TheBigB]

These are the folks who think the Green Party is too conservative.

[An.American.Expatriate]

"Last fall, the Socialist Party-USA nominated retired Oregon State Senator Walt Brown as its Presidential nominee for 2004. Brown -- a former Democrat -"

Democrat = a socialist dressed up for the masses

former Democrat = a Democrat who is to tired to get dressed up . . .

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Actually he is!

Democratic Socialists of America's Progressive Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives

Taken verbatim from the Internet web site of the Democratic Socialists of America

"The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is the largest socialist organization in the United States, and the principal U.S. affiliate of the Socialist International (also in Francais and Espanol). DSA's members are building progressive movements for social change while establishing an openly socialist presence in American communities and politics...

"We invite you to support the campaign by adding your name to the list of signers of the Pledge for Economic Justice. In conjunction with the Campaign DSA is working with the Congressional Progressive Caucus, a network of more than 50 progressive members of the US House of Representatives...

"The Progressive Caucus of the US House of Representatives is made up of 58 members of the House. The Caucus works to advance economic and social justice through sponsoring legislation that reflects its purpose. The Caucus also works with a coalition of organizations, called the Progressive Challenge, to bring new life to the progressive voice in US politics."

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107,
any copyrighted material herein is distributed
without profit or payment, as is provided for the
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Reprinted under the
Fair Use doctrine of international copyright law

[Andrewksu]

That David McReynolds character was invited by a "student" socialist organization at Kansas State University. He ran for president awhile back himself, but was not even noticed.
The socialist turnout was weak and what you would expect, freaks and weirdos. McReynolds gave his spiel and then offered a QandA session, much to his displeasure, as the majority of questions came from conservative students. His attitude morphed from excited to amused (at the dumb republicans) to frustrated (that he couldn't argue a valid point) to downright mad (because he lost one too many arguments with farm boys). Most of these clowns couldn't debate their way our of a wet paper sack, and they turn childish when defeated.
What is disturbing is that it seems that there is an influx of socialists, communists, and far left types at otherwise conservative schools like K-State. These students that were involved with the socialist group were definitely misfits and I would be surprised if they were from Kansas or surrounding states.

[Luke]

A former democrat? how do they know the difference?

There is no difference. From FDR on... the Democratic Party has been a party of socialism.

[Brilliant]

Of course they are in turmoil. The Dems and Republicans have stolen their issues.

[hosepipe]

[ U.S. Socialist Party in turmoil ]

which one ?.....

[Austin Willard Wright]

And the Republican Party is the party of what?

[HankReardon]

They actually call themselves socialist!? Most socialist have enough sense to at least call themselves Democrats. Afterall, how many cures for diseases have been found by people living in any socialist nation? How many advancements in the innovations of drudgery relieving inventions? Was powered flight developed in a socialst nation? The automoble? Mass production? Advancements in the production of food? The locomotive? The harnessing of electricity to serve mankind? Nuclear energy? There's a rason why these thing have happened in America and not any socialist nation, we do things for a profit here. And the Socialist want to lead us? Just one question, What are they, STUPID!?

[HankReardon]

What is the Republican Party the party of?
The Republican Party is the party in power, the party bringing this nation back to economic recover after the Clinton Recession. The party that is rebuilding our military and intelligence agencies after the Clinton cuts and politicizing. The Republican Party is the party that is taking the fight to our enemies and bringing them to Justice. The Republican Party is the party that believes in the people more than they believe in the government. They believe the government is not our parents and we are not like children that need taken care of. The Democrats policies are working when a lot of people are recieving government assistance, the Republicans policies are working when a lot of people don't NEED goverment assitance. You clear on this now?

[Beck_isright]

This story is totally untrue. The DNC is getting it's act together daily.

[Tamzee]

[Tamzee]

Too bad, poor babies... they had built up so much steam on the back of 9/11.

http://www.socialistviewpoint.org/oct_01/oct_01_2.html

BUILD A NEW ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT
by Carole Seligman, October 7, 2001

San Francisco was the site of an enormous outpouring of anti-war, anti-racism, and pro-civil liberties sentiment on September 29, when well over 10,000 people, mostly youth, rallied and marched to stop the war before it begins. (As of October 4, the US has not bombed Afghanistan or other countries in retaliation for September 11.) The September 29 demonstration, called by the International Action Center and a new international coalition, Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (International A.N.S.W.E.R.), received the backing of every peace and social justice organization in the Bay Area including the Town Hall Committee to Stop War and Hate, San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO, immigrant rights organizations, anti-globalization groups, Veterans for Peace, religious congregations and social justice organizations, students, and many, many others. The Washington demonstration was also reported at “several thousand.”

San Francisco will also be the site of another anti-war protest on October 20. Called by the Town Hall Committee Against War and Hate, the march will assemble at Justin Herman Plaza and march up Market Street to U.N. Plaza.

Three themes

Three slogans unite the new anti-war movement: 1) Stop the war. 2) Defend Arabs, Arab-Americans, Muslims and people of Middle Eastern descent from attack. Oppose all racist scapegoating. 3) Defend civil liberties from government attack. Disparate groups from religious opponents to war and racism, to anti-globalization activists, to revolutionary socialists all seem to be advancing these three main ideas as central elements in response to the tragedy of September 11 and the US government’s response to it.

These three points of unity are exactly the right demands for the new movement because they address the needs of the masses of people and can unite the largest number of people in action. A fourth demand for government spending for people’s needs, such as jobs, schools, health care services—not war—should also be considered by the new movement as a conscious way to reach out to the growing numbers of unemployed and underemployed workers created by the economic crisis the United States is now entering.

The antiwar theme

Working people have no interests as cannon fodder for the US government’s coming attacks on poverty-stricken villagers in Afghanistan any more than they had any stake in shooting Vietnamese peasants and burning down their huts in the 1960s and 70s. Tragically, four million Vietnamese and 58,000 American soldiers died before a massive enough movement could be built to bring the American soldiers home and end their role as suppressors of the popular Vietnamese revolution for sovereignty against foreign domination.

The anti-racist theme

In a country built by immigrant and slave labor, and having won religious freedom, the scapegoating of Muslim immigrants is especially odious. Even the government, in trying to create an international coalition (including Islamic countries) around its war aims, is trying to look anti-racist and tolerant of national and ethnic differences at the same time as it stokes the fires of racial profiling and intolerance. The murders of a Palestinian, a Sikh, and a Yemeni, as well as countless acts of harassment of Muslims and Arab-Americans, including school children, are sickening antiracist Americans and fueling the growing movement against revenge and war.

The civil liberties theme

The open threats to deprive Americans of their civil rights in the interests of "security" represent an attack on all working people and their organizations as well as their right to free speech, assembly, and redress of grievances. Five years ago President Clinton got bi-partisan support in Congress to pass the Anti-terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 in the wake of the terrorist bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City. While that Act did nothing to slow down or prevent the horrifying terror of September 11th, it struck a terrible blow to the Constitutional right of habeas corpus, the right to judicial appeal. This affects everyone who is wrongfully accused of a crime and, as we know, this can happen to anyone.

Innocent prisoners now face huge obstacles to their rights to appeal wrongful convictions. Such is the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal, a Pennsylvania death row inmate for 19 years. Another man, Arnold Beverly, has confessed to the murder for which Jamal was convicted and so far, Jamal has not been able to get the courts to examine the evidence even though it involves a confession! This is only one horrible example of how our government uses anti-terrorist rhetoric as an excuse to inflict damage to our civil liberties. This affects us all.

US Senators and Congressional Representatives are rushing to present legislation attacking our civil liberties and rights. “Liberal” Senator Dianne Feinstein has already submitted legislation to end student visas and deport foreign students. Her San Francisco office was the object of a protest demonstration this week. Immigrants from countries all over the world are reporting thousands of cases of harassment and intimidation. Nearly the entire working class is made up of immigrants and the children and grandchildren of immigrants, as well as the descendants of Africans kidnapped as slaves. Any attack on immigrants ends up being an attack on the working class as a whole.

Who supports terrorism?

There is near-unanimous opposition to individual acts of terrorism as a means to redress grievances. That is not even a point for debate in the new antiwar movement. Everyone seems to understand that in order to stop war, the very largest possible movement must be built. Our only real weapons in the struggle for justice and peace in the United States are these: the truth and the organization of masses people speaking the truth.

In this case, one truth that needs to be explained is the root of terrorism. Why do people around the world hate the United States so much that a cadre of terrorists could carry out such a horrific, yet audacious, act and kill 5000 people in a single, four-pronged assault? Already a burgeoning movement, the anti-globalization movement, has begun to unearth and expose the true character of the living conditions of the world’s people. They have exposed the enormous and growing disparity of wealth and resources between the rulers of the US and the peoples of the world, billions of whom live in abject poverty. These conditions foster and incite a response, even a horribly wrong response.

US state-sponsored terror

The history of state terror carried out by the imperialist countries, especially the US—the only state to wage nuclear war against civilians (in Hiroshima and Nagasaki)—has also been coming to light ever since the Vietnam antiwar movement began to expose this terror systematically. Thousands of Americans are aware that US foreign policy is one that depends on the use of state terror against civilians. That is why many church congregations, unions, and civic organizations, have adopted positions in opposition to the sanctions against Iraq which kill thousands of Iraqi children every month!

The campaign for US divestiture from South Africa educated many in this country about how the US economically and politically backed up regimes who regularly used terror, including murder of civilians, against their own populations. A similar educational campaign for US divestiture is currently being organized against the US policy of military and financial support to the state of Israel, which engages in terrorism against the Palestinians.

Anti-globalization movement should become an anti-war movement

The anti-globalization movement needs to convert itself into an anti-war movement because the war is a direct result of the whole process of capitalist globalization, whereby the imperialist powers, especially the US, seek unlimited world rule to extract the world’s resources for profit. War is the ultimate weapon for the capitalist globalizers. A failure to understand this resulted in the cancellation of the Washington, D.C. anti-globalization demonstration when the World Trade Organization cancelled its meeting in the wake of the September 11 attacks. If they had decided to continue to hold the demonstration and convert it into an antiwar protest (as the International Action Center did), the demonstration would have been huge, perhaps even larger, than the San Francisco protest.

The task now is to mobilize a united front of all who agree with the goals of stopping war, racism and scapegoating, and for civil liberties. Organizations must put aside their organizational differences and find the means for working together democratically to approach the masses of working people with the simple idea that war and racism are against their interests, and international human solidarity is in their interests. This perspective will have the best chance of stopping the new war the US has begun to wage.

[DameAutour]

Took a look at the US Socialist Party Platform, found here.

It was hard to distinguish it from the Democrat Party platform found here.

If anything, the Democrat platform just does a better job of hiding their true objectives, but they both seem to want the same things.

I checked out the Socialist Party's economics platform, and was sufficiently frightened. For example, what the heck does this mean?:

We call for a steeply graduated income tax, and a maximum income of no more than ten times the minimum.

And how does this make any sense?: We support tax benefits for renters equal to those for homeowners.

And more nonsense from their education platform: We support public childcare starting from infancy, and public education starting at age 3, with caregivers and teachers of young children receiving the same training, wages, and benefits as teachers at every other level of the educational system.

We oppose tying teachers’ pay to student performance

LOL how about tying their jobs to student performance, is that better? What's funny is that when I checked out the Democrat position on education, they claimed that teachers should be held accountable, but not by looking at how their students are actually doing. Instead, they'd give teachers tests and if they fail them, more "training" so they can pass the tests.

[WOSG]

"U.S. Socialist Party in turmoil"

I wouldnt say that ... I think the Democrats are in pretty good shape, considering.