FIST AND ROSE CAUCUS

The Fist-and-Rose Caucus is now in formation -- by Melvin Little

Dear SP Comrades,

The time has come for the formation of a new caucus inside the Socialist Party USA. I want to call this the Fist-and-Rose Caucus, but we could choose a different name if you don't like the sound of it too much. Anyway, we need some kind of a pro-openess caucus. By being "pro-openess," I mean that we have an open door to all tendencies in the party (based on tolerance and understanding). We need to be an inclusive SP which means that we are an active participant of the democratic-left; we must NEVER embrace authoritarian-left cults. We need to be open to organized labor (progressive circles inside the AFL-CIO) while continuing to be on friendly terms with (traditionalists) like the Wobblies. On the Democratic and Green parties question, we need to make it clear that the SP remains committed to either reviving the Eugene V. Debs/Norman Thomas SP and/or remain committed to the eventual formation of a mass based --- LABOR PARTY. Until either of those two worthy developments take place, SP Branches, Locals, and Statewide parties should always be permitted to embrace whatever electoral avenue appropriate in order to broaden their presence in their state, local, or branch. Even if this means actively supporting a leftist Democrat.

On the question of international partnerships, we need to have an open door policy of links with parties affiliated with the Socialist International (like Canada's NDP, the French SP, Meretz inside Israel) and left-socialist-parties outside the SI (like the Dutch SP, German PDS, and the Swedish Left Party). We need to be friendly with all the democratic-left around the world, while not dealing with 3rd Way forces nor the authoritarian and/or sectarian left.

We need to be on friendly terms with all of the progressive people's so-called liberal organizations like the ACLU, NAACP, NOW, WRL, AFL-CIO, HRC, and all the other groups that calls for civil liberties, social equality, worker's rights, feminism, gay and lesbian liberation, and peace. We need to domestically articulate a socialist program and message to the American people that would give them a reason to support our endeavors. We need to avoid sectarian jargon. We need to extend our hand of friendship to the social movements. Criticizing them for being Democrats, Greens, or "making peace with capitalism" will not bring them any closer to us. Any thoughts about this?

For Bread & Roses,
Melvin Little
Redlabour@aol.com