Re: [Marxism] Greens, Dems and Building Working Class Independence,

["Carlos A. Rivera" <cerejota@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Louis Proyect" <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>

> David, it should be obvious that if the Labor Party ever took off in the
> USA, most people--including myself--would vote for their candidates and/or
> join it. But it did not. It was stillborn because a good section of the
> bureaucrats who launched it are infected with the same ABB mentality as
> Ted Glick and company.
>
> Politics is always about taking the next best step. If Nader hadn't been
> betrayed by the 5th column inside the Green Party and around the Nation
> Magazine, etc. and had been on the ballot in even more states than he was
> in 2000, the vote would might have been even larger this go round.

It has nothing to do with Nader and the Green Party being as bankrupt as the
Labor Party ever was?

Damn Louis, as much as you try to shake out of it, you are still very much a
Party man...

In my opinion the great problem of the Green Party is the total lack of any
kind of cohesion at a national level. Yeah, Cobb might have stolen the
primary, but it shows just the kind of opportunist narcisist Nader is that
he didn't accept the result, and then vigorously campaing for Cobb, in spite
of himself, as a way to strengthen the Green Party. Instead, Nader accepted
with open hands the support of Republicans out to turn Nader into a spoiler.

Nader and Cobb are both equally responsible for the debacle, and the
membership of the green party is responsible for not choosing better leaders
and having a real organization that can win instead of a debate club for the
disaffected birkenstock set.

The Green Party is moribund much more for reasons internal than external.
Blaiming the other guy is always the easy way of having to face the tasks
ahead.

Now, I agree with you that the protestations of sectarians regarding the
non-socialism of the Green Party are stupid. After all, there was a time
when the Mensheviks, the Bolsheviks, the SRs and the Narodniks were all in
the same party. It took a revolutionary failure to change that.

But I offer that there is indeed one Party that both claims to be socialist,
and presents a possibility for struggle an revitalisation for those who see
the future in electoral politics:

The Socialist Party USA.

I mean, Greg Pason, the National Secretary, describes himself as
Luxemburgist, and runs for the Senate for the SP-NJ.

They have a caucus system that allows for a variety of openly debated
positions, including a self-described revolutionary caucus "Debs Caucus".

Now, I am not saying I am going to join the SP-USA, but I see no reason why
non-sectarian socialists in the USA who don't see any problems with
elections don't vote and join with the SPUSA?

And I am specially mesmerized at how can a socialist preffer the Green Party
over the SPUSA!!!

sks


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