cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/5141613

From the Tweet:

"The Communist Party USA is saddened to learn about the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Our Party sends condolences to all members of the Communist Party of Vietnam and to all the people of Vietnam."

  • PM_ME_YOUR_FOUCAULTS [he/him, they/them]
    ·
    4 months ago

    In what way is CPUSA better than useless?

    Didn't the leadership just dissolve an active chapter for, in part, dissenting at the convention over Bidenism?

    https://clarion.unity-struggle-unity.org/2024-07-16-austin-moving-on/

    • comradecalzone@lemmygrad.ml
      ·
      4 months ago

      No. Many other districts (and by proxy, clubs) also dissented over resolution 5. Not only was there no "reprisal," but we have been asked for feedback on it.

      We have not, however, broken democratic centralism.

    • Makan@lemmygrad.ml
      ·
      4 months ago

      There is no Bidenism.

      Also lol Austin Club and Red Clarion, they're kinda a laughing stock

      • PM_ME_YOUR_FOUCAULTS [he/him, they/them]
        ·
        4 months ago

        There is no Bidenism.

        WHEREAS the corporate/financial extreme right and the extreme-right coalition have a strategy to disrupt, demoralize, and splinter the growing unity in the anti-fascist and people’s movement. Principled unity in action is an asset Communists bring to the table. Communists and our friends have a strategic role in building and maintaining unity within the anti-extreme-right coalition.

        THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that to defend the working class, people’s movement, and democracy, the Communist Party issues this urgent call to action to build a broad People’s Needs, Not MAGA Greed Campaign, an all-people’s front to win victory. We must go all out to support the all-people’s front for a maximum voter turnout on the critical issues affecting our lives.

        THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Communist Party is committed to year-round organizing and mobilizing on the issues facing the working class, to build a broad-based grassroots movement on its behalf, and will encourage our members to work in their local communities with labor and other forces in targeted voter registration, education, and mobilization efforts, in support of the issues to help elect Communist and progressive candidates, support voting rights for immigrants, and support progressive ballot initiatives. We call on our members to work on neighborhood-based canvassing and to get out the vote with labor and allies for the strongest pro-worker and progressive candidates at every level.

        THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a victory over rightwing candidates will be a decisive defeat for the corporate rightwing and fascist forces. This will help change the balance of forces and clear the way to change the direction of our nation–to slash the military budget, end the sending of weapons to Israel, tax the rich, win quality healthcare for all, strengthen the right to vote, strengthen union organizing rights, restore Roe v. Wade, and end police murder of people of color.

        THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Communists will give full united support and participation in the broad front to defeat Trump, Trumpism, and the MAGA Republicans.

        Y'all are to the right of DSA on this election lmao

        • comradecalzone@lemmygrad.ml
          ·
          4 months ago

          This is resolution 5, which did not pass at the National Convention, nor has a version of it yet passed from the National Committee. A big part of the disagreement was the lack of mention of the Democratic party and its role in allowing our descent into fascism.

          I largely agree with the resolution, but it is a fine line that has to be walked between building a People's Front against fascism, and subordination and class collaboration.

          • PM_ME_YOUR_FOUCAULTS [he/him, they/them]
            ·
            4 months ago

            Thank you for an actual response. Your party has a god-awful reputation and stuff like this looks disgustingly unprincipled on its face

            I ask again however, as I did elsewhere in this thread, who exactly is in this "People's Front" against fascism aside from CPUSA itself? The Democratic Party, itself a fascist organization, surely cannot be included

            • comradecalzone@lemmygrad.ml
              ·
              4 months ago

              Your party has a god-awful reputation

              Definitely true in some digital circles like Hexbear. This hasn't been my experience on the ground, however.

              stuff like this looks disgustingly unprincipled on its face

              It seems to me that, in cases like this, the discussions are initially framed from either a place of misunderstanding or malintent. It's a pretty fundamental fact that this resolution was not passed.

              I ask again however, as I did elsewhere in this thread, who exactly is in this “People’s Front” against fascism aside from CPUSA itself?

              We define a "People's Front" or "Popular Front" as an alliance on specific issues, and the alliance is not necessarily based on class character. This is opposed to a "United Front," which is a more stable and permanent coalition of united working class orgs. It can be other communists, labor activists, liberals, Democrats, and other progressive groups.

              Locally we have worked with progressive democrats, student orgs, housing activists, and even Catholic orgs on things like specific housing issues (e.g. property millage for funding local housing insecurity services) and forcing our city and county officials to call for a ceasefire in Palestine.

              If we committed to blocking a Trump presidency, it should be a strategic one off, not subordination to a party that enforces the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie.

              Finally, we do not see the Democratic Party as a fascist organization. We define fascism using the comintern's definition as presented by Georgi Dmitrov: "the open terrorist dictatorship of the most reactionary, most chauvinistic and most imperialist elements of finance capital".

              This is not an excuse for the imperialist, settler-colonial, bourgeois-subservient Democratic Party, but there is a material difference between fascism and neoliberal orthodoxy. The conditions for organizing the masses becomes much more difficult when there is a ramp up in censorship, imprisonment, and outright executions of communists. This philosophy of "Social Fascism," where modern social democracy and fascism are equated, in part caused the communists to remove themselves from the masses and underestimate fascism. It led to a failure to prevent fascism in Bulgaria, Poland, Finland, and Germany pre-1935, hence the comintern's analysis.

              • PM_ME_YOUR_FOUCAULTS [he/him, they/them]
                ·
                4 months ago

                Finally, we do not see the Democratic Party as a fascist organization. We define fascism using the comintern's definition as presented by Georgi Dmitrov: "the open terrorist dictatorship of the most reactionary, most chauvinistic and most imperialist elements of finance capital".

                I fail to see the distinction, particularly, when the Democratic Party is in full support of the genocide in Gaza.

                This philosophy of "Social Fascism," where modern social democracy and fascism are equated

                Are we equating the Democratic Party with social democracy now?

                • comradecalzone@lemmygrad.ml
                  ·
                  4 months ago

                  I fail to see the distinction, particularly, when the Democratic Party is in full support of the genocide in Gaza.

                  It is oft said that "fascism is imperialism turned inwards," no? Again, it is a material difference of the conditions in which we mobilize the masses and build a revolution.

                  The Communist Party of Poland also didn't see the difference, they saw Pilsudiki's coup of 1926 as a simple bourgeois vs bourgeois conflict. When the new regime curtailed the powers of parliament, and pursued policies of censorship and suppression of leftist activities, the party changed its tune. But it was far too late - the ability to mobilize and communicate had been crushed.

                  Are we equating the Democratic Party with social democracy now?

                  Well, in pre-1935 Europe it was indeed the Social Democrats. But in terms of this specific function, the difference between the material conditions under a class-collaborationist party and an outright fascist party, yes I think the comparison is apt.

                  • PM_ME_YOUR_FOUCAULTS [he/him, they/them]
                    ·
                    4 months ago

                    It is oft said that "fascism is imperialism turned inwards," no? Again, it is a material difference of the conditions in which we mobilize the masses and build a revolution.

                    It is a failure of solidarity to ally, even tactically, with a genocidal regime, simply on the assumption that domestic conditions will be better for organizing. Moreover, yes, the Democratic Party has shown time and again that they are willing and eager to use the full, repressive force of state terror on the left. The numerous links between the military, the police, the intelligence apparatus and the genocidal regime in Israel are exactly the fascism coming home from the frontier and it is happening under the merely class collaborationist Democrats

                    • comradecalzone@lemmygrad.ml
                      ·
                      4 months ago

                      Moreover, yes, the Democratic Party has shown time and again that they are willing and eager to use the full, repressive force of state terror on the left. The numerous links between the military, the police, the intelligence apparatus and the genocidal regime in Israel are exactly the fascism coming home from the frontier and it is happening under the merely class collaborationist Democrats

                      Agreed. I'm not arguing that electing democrats stops fascism. The Democratic Party is complicit in the rise of fascism. What I am arguing, is blocking a Trump presidency as the resolution proposed helps mitigate an existential threat to building a revolution, an all powerful unitary executive, and an increasingly radical right-wing legislature that dismantles civil rights.

                      And it doesn't and shouldn't be done through a public advocation for the Democratic Party. For example, engaging in something like voter registration canvassing, and advocating for pro-worker ballot proposals, diminishes the likelihood of a Trump presidency, and more importantly, builds connections with other groups and the workers themselves.

                      It is a failure of solidarity to ally, even tactically, with a genocidal regime, simply on the assumption that domestic conditions will be better for organizing.

                      Not an assumption, an observation that fits a historical pattern. And not just organizing - it is existential. The president now being legally completely above the law will only embolden capital, and the consolidation and expansion of the executive's powers will make it all the easier to escalate suppression against us and our comrades.

                      But, those are my thoughts as to the positives of such a resolution. It didn't pass, and if the National Committee does pass a revised version, I'll be very interested to see the changes.

                      • Tomorrow_Farewell [any, they/them]
                        ·
                        4 months ago

                        blocking a Trump presidency as the resolution proposed helps mitigate an existential threat to building a revolutio

                        How?

                        an all powerful unitary executive, and an increasingly radical right-wing legislature that dismantles civil rights

                        You mean the thing that is done under both parties, including right now?

                        Not an assumption, an observation that fits a historical pattern

                        What is the 'historical pattern'?

        • Makan@lemmygrad.ml
          ·
          4 months ago

          We are not.

          I don't see any Bidenism and I don't even know what you mean by Bidenism.

          We never even endorsed Biden.

          • robinnn
            ·
            4 months ago

            Never! Btw LOVED how one of your justifications for calling for a ceasefire was that it helped Biden’s chances of winning against Trump! Let’s all “vote for democracy”!!

              • robinnn
                ·
                4 months ago

                Sure what?

                From the CPUSA.org article “Not One Step Back — Vote Against Fascism 2024”:

                Our Co-Chair Joe Sims said that “defeating Biden’s support for the Israeli government’s genocide in Gaza is the path to defeating fascism in November.” The massive show of force in the key swing state of Michigan, where over 101,000 people voted ‘uncommitted’ rather than for Joe Biden in the Democratic primary, shows how high the stakes are for the fight for a ceasefire. Make no mistake, the fate of Palestine and U.S. democracy are now intertwined. Failure to reach a ceasefire could very well mean a defeat for Biden in Michigan and even in the entire general election. While Biden will have no one to blame but himself for his defeat, the results would be catastrophic.

                But while we can forget the Joe Sims quote (he may have been misheard!), what we cannot forget is Lenin’s On Militant Materialism, where he very explicitly states that the CPSU did not have hyper strict standards for who/what they published, and that therefore not everything published represented the official stance of the party! Maybe CPUSA is simply following in Lenin‘s footsteps!

                Everything is great until we look at this CPUSA-authored article, “the main report to the 32nd National Convention of the Communist Party USA, presented by Joe Sims, Co-Chair,” which “was unanimously adopted”:

                Let’s make it plain: Biden’s Israel policy must be defeated today, so that Trump and MAGA can be defeated tomorrow!

                • Makan@lemmygrad.ml
                  ·
                  4 months ago

                  Again, we don't endorse other candidates and even had a schism over it. And yes, we do subscribe to Lenin here. People's World, for example, is not the party voice officially. Notice how we don't do so in any of the articles cited.

                  • robinnn
                    ·
                    4 months ago

                    …why would you reply “sure” to what I said? You effectively endorse Biden, but great you don’t officially do so. Why couldn’t you reply to my original comment with that empty nonsense?

                    • Makan@lemmygrad.ml
                      ·
                      4 months ago

                      Frankly, I was short on time and I didn't know how else to reply to what you were saying. It's hard when everyone's arguing with you and I was thinking to myself "Well, I'm not going to convince you." At least at the time, idk.

          • PM_ME_YOUR_FOUCAULTS [he/him, they/them]
            ·
            4 months ago

            THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Communists will give full united support and participation in the broad front to defeat Trump, Trumpism, and the MAGA Republicans.

            The party is here committing itself to electoralism on behalf of the Democrats with the thinnest figleaf of a self-declared "broad front" (who else is a member of this front exactly, btw?). Let's see here, who exactly is at the top of the ticket, and would be elected upon the defeat of Trump, and Trumpism. It's noted war criminal, Genocide Joe Biden! Guess you didn't endorse him, just fully committed yourselves to electing him.