Concerning "Socialism from Below" Groups

["Jay Moore" <research@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Comrades -- Alex LaCascio's piece on the tricky relationship between
Solidarity and "Against the Current" (which I subscribe to and find
moderately interesting at times) seems like a good opportunity for me ask
those more knowledgeable than I to explain the historical and "line"
differences between Solidarity and the ISO tendency, and with other groups
and parties out there, if any, adhering to the "socialism from below"
perspective.  When I was a student at Michigan State in the early 1970s and
in my "Stalinist" (actually, Maoist) phase, I knew a few people who were
involved with the International Socialists which, as I understand it,
fractured shortly thereafter into several different groups including the one
that eventually led to Solidarity and "Labor Notes"  (what's the
relationship here?).  Another faction -- whatever happened to it? -- created
something called the Revolutionary Socialist League (RSL), and the guy I
knew most closely, and had thundering arguments with at the time, went into
it.

I understand that the ISO's founding father, recently deceased, was Tony
Cliff of the British SWP, and I have learned from reading some postings on
this List that father and child are having some difficulties at the moment.
But was there ever any relationship between this Cliffite tendency and the
IS tendency (which derived I think from Hal Draper's ideas?)?  As I read it,
there seem to be some definite political similarities in how socialism is
construed as a process of building and organizing from below.  Or, am I
being mistaken about that?  Thanks to anyone who can unravel these arcane
relationships for me.

best,
jay
www.neravt.com/left/