I think there’s a real possibility for cooperation between DSA and PSL on this point that I think some locals chapters are in a prime position to exploit.
The DSA is a club, not a political party. Unless it’s members run as independents, they need a Party to run under in most cases. And while DSA can be good for building organizing skills, because of their lack of ideological discipline they lack the ability to create disciplined ideologues and are prone to endorsing opportunists.
While DSA members cannot join the PSL or vice-versa, there is no rule against DSA endorsing PSL candidates for office or members volunteering for their campaigns. And while PSL branches cannot endorse non-PSL candidates, a common workaround is publishing a “Peoples’s Program” of local political demands and asking local candidates to endorse the Party Program.
In both the Cleveland and Akron branches of the DSA, most active members are either with the Marxist Unity Group (Trots) or Red Star Caucus (MLs). They have different organizational goals from the PSL but, overall, they’re Good. I don’t want to necessarily generalize my local experience to the entire country, but it seems that the DSA is heading in a more explicitly Marxist direction and I look forward to a future where the DSA serves as a part of the PSL’s party periphery.
I agree completely. The majority of DSA committees are held by caucused membership, which are almost exclusively hard left when compared to the uncaucused DSA rank and file. It sets DSA’s course to left for sure, as these caucuses are largely responsible for the political agenda DSA engages in.
The biggest internal debate within DSA is about electoralism, and I don’t see it being large enough to fracture the org because it is so decentralized. As the org grows, I do see it gaining the ability to wield party-like level control of politics in some strongholds. Popular Front style DSA-PSL campaigns where groundwork could go a loooooooong way in places like NYC where a ground game can essentially unseat any incumbent politician. This in combination with the Working Families Party, there is essentially a party apparatus waiting to be used behind the “Smash Glass In Case Of Working Class Politics” sign.
We actually came quite close to using this in NYC this mayoral election cycle should Zohran have lost the primary. We were strongly considering throwing our weight behind running him on the Working Families Party ticket in the 4 way general election. Turns out he was too popular for that to be necessary lol
While DSA members cannot join the PSL or vice-versa
This is not true actually. At the most recent DSA National Convention this year the anti-democratic centralism clause was repealed, so there is no problem being both part of DSA and PSL anymore
PSL doesn’t allow dual membership with another organization with democratic centralism, but DSA doesn’t have anything like that and isn’t a political party so it’s fine as far as I know. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong though
I think there’s a real possibility for cooperation between DSA and PSL on this point that I think some locals chapters are in a prime position to exploit.
The DSA is a club, not a political party. Unless it’s members run as independents, they need a Party to run under in most cases. And while DSA can be good for building organizing skills, because of their lack of ideological discipline they lack the ability to create disciplined ideologues and are prone to endorsing opportunists.
While DSA members cannot join the PSL or vice-versa, there is no rule against DSA endorsing PSL candidates for office or members volunteering for their campaigns. And while PSL branches cannot endorse non-PSL candidates, a common workaround is publishing a “Peoples’s Program” of local political demands and asking local candidates to endorse the Party Program.
In both the Cleveland and Akron branches of the DSA, most active members are either with the Marxist Unity Group (Trots) or Red Star Caucus (MLs). They have different organizational goals from the PSL but, overall, they’re Good. I don’t want to necessarily generalize my local experience to the entire country, but it seems that the DSA is heading in a more explicitly Marxist direction and I look forward to a future where the DSA serves as a part of the PSL’s party periphery.
I agree completely. The majority of DSA committees are held by caucused membership, which are almost exclusively hard left when compared to the uncaucused DSA rank and file. It sets DSA’s course to left for sure, as these caucuses are largely responsible for the political agenda DSA engages in.
The biggest internal debate within DSA is about electoralism, and I don’t see it being large enough to fracture the org because it is so decentralized. As the org grows, I do see it gaining the ability to wield party-like level control of politics in some strongholds. Popular Front style DSA-PSL campaigns where groundwork could go a loooooooong way in places like NYC where a ground game can essentially unseat any incumbent politician. This in combination with the Working Families Party, there is essentially a party apparatus waiting to be used behind the “Smash Glass In Case Of Working Class Politics” sign.
We actually came quite close to using this in NYC this mayoral election cycle should Zohran have lost the primary. We were strongly considering throwing our weight behind running him on the Working Families Party ticket in the 4 way general election. Turns out he was too popular for that to be necessary lol
This is not true actually. At the most recent DSA National Convention this year the anti-democratic centralism clause was repealed, so there is no problem being both part of DSA and PSL anymore
PSL still has a no dual membership clause
PSL doesn’t allow dual membership with another organization with democratic centralism, but DSA doesn’t have anything like that and isn’t a political party so it’s fine as far as I know. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong though
That’s very interesting wording that I think will end up being very relevant if/when the DSA split happens
Honestly I’m not sure if this changes the policy or not
DSA may allow it now but I don’t think PSL does.
Oh FR? That’s actually awesome idk how I missed that