Socialist Party USA

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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 th eNational 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 bythe Socialist Party USA.

Unchartered Groupings
Inclusion Tendency- We are concerned that members of the Party have been alienated or excluded
from Party meetings, events or social gatherings because theses meetings or events are being held in locations where alcohol is prevalent and a primary activity. 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.

This Tendency has been created so that members with these concerns can 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.

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.
Liaision: Greg Pason

Revolutionary Unity Group- We, the Revolutionary Unity Group, a multi-tendency group of revolutionary socialists within the multi-tendency framework of the Socialist Party USA, believe that by bringing together our different traditions and experiences we can help renew the revolutionary aspects of our party and our movement.

Just when the global economic crisis is causing millions of people in the US and throughout the world to question the capitalist system and to be open to programs and strategies for fundamental social change, revolutionary principles and tactics both within and outside our party are floundering.

There is much of value in the various revolutionary traditions, but we need to create new ways of engaging in revolutionary struggle-- a process that will help forge a revitalized democratic socialist response to the critical issues of the Twenty-first Century.

In this spirit, we invite you to join us if you agree that…
1) we are in a time when people are increasingly interested in socialism. We should be shouting socialism from the rafters, not apologizing for it, or watering it down.
2) reforms advance our cause by demonstrating the inherent limitations and injustice of the capitalist system. However, a reformist ideology that creates and supports the illusion that reforms are the path to socialism undermines our party and our movement;
3) Only the worker class can overthrow capitalism, because it is the producer class; Our work at the local and national level, as members of the SP-USA, must always be done within the context of international working class solidarity and with the objective of furthering the development of a global revolutionary socialist movement
4) “Broad Left Unity” is an opportunity for those who share revolutionary democratic socialist principles and programs to work together to build strong anti-capitalist networks at the local, national, and international
level-- not about participating in formations geared toward accommodating those who accept the amelioration of capitalism rather than its overthrow;
4) the Democratic Party has been a sink-hole for the U.S. Left for generations. Instead of colluding with this, or any other capitalist party, our electoral efforts should be focused on building a mass-based, multi-tendency, democratic socialist party. In the event that a broad, non-socialist reformist party is formed, the Socialist Party USA would not
participate in its deliberations or endorse its candidates;
5) it is the duty of socialists to expose the barbarity of the capitalist system in its entirety. Such liberal constructs as “fair trade” and “green capitalism” are contradictory, and obscure the fact that “fairness” and the reclamation of the environment are of no interest to the ruling class;
6) Socialist Party candidates must identify themselves as party members and explicitly uphold the principles, and put forward the platform, of the SP-USA. Whenever possible, Socialist Party members who stand as candidates
would do so on the Socialist Party ticket, and not as candidates of reformist parties such as the Green Party;
7) SP-USA outreach materials, including party statements and national publications (print and electronic), must clearly represent the Statement of Principles, the party platform, the will of the most recent national convention, and the diversity of the membership;
8) forthright debate of political and strategic differences is part and parcel of democracy. Adhering to feminist process can help create a positive atmosphere conducive to full participation by group members in discussion and decision-making, where opinions are expressed without recourse to personal attack.
9) the basic objectives and strategies of the Black, Women’s, and Gay liberation movements of the 1970’s are as relevant now as they were then, and should be an integral part of the mission and work of the Socialist Party USA.

Revolutionaries unite! We have a world to win!
Liaision: Peter Moody

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/gameand 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, I invite you to join this club.
Liaision: Greg Pason

Socialist Party USA 339 Lafayette St. #303 New York, NY 10012