James Weinstein

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

(From the DSA youth group's mailing list)

James Weinstein, founder of In These Times, Socialist Review (formerly
Socialist Revolution), and author of numerous books died today of a
brain tumor. Jim belonged to a generation that came of age after the
glory days of the Old Left, but well before the New left took off. He
was a member of the New American Movement, which fused with DSOC
creating DSA.

Jim was very proud of his latest book, "The Long Detour," which
outlines the hisory of the American Left and suggests a possible
trajectory for the future.

He was especially interested in getting young people to read it and I
suggest that YDSers give it a look. His main argument was that "really
existing socialism" paralized the American left and that today's
post-soviet situation presents an opportunity to make a new case for
socialism (Jim himself was in the CP in his youth). He was fascinated
by the Nonpartisan League, a radical farmers movement in the early
20th century that greatly influenced politics in the Upper Midwest
without functioning as a traditional political party. In many ways it
was similar to the Working Families Party in New York.

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