As of today, your local "progressive" libs are ready to hear that the Democrats are going to take them nowhere but loserville. If they care about protecting vulnerable populations like they say they do (most are genuine), then it's time to get serious about other options. We have 4 years to draw something up and it starts today.
Surely they already know you as something of a politics nerd if you post here. They are probably looking to you for an indication if you weren't too smug about "I'm not voting cause it doesn't matter" for the last 6 weeks (not advised). The existing socialist parties are somewhere between problematic and just too much for your well-meaning friends to sign up for (are you even a member yourself, liberal?).
One way to kick things off is to demonstrate some Democratic Centralism.
- Find 2 people you have very few fundamental disagreements with. Especially if they can be like "yeah, socialism, lets make our community more like Sweden".
- "We are now the socialist party of [Libtown, USA], consisting of three members, somebody design us a T-shirt or something".
- Then you start working through it. Write down a few bylaws, but be clear about your commitment to your comrades. "I'll vote for Kamala Harris 100x if that's what the party decides democratically, but also I really, really, don't think we should do that".
- This is all a great opportunity to educate, discuss politics, study/teach theory, and build bonds with political allies.
- Hopefully you get past being a 4 person book club and do some volunteering with your growing squad of 10 members.
- The endgame is that your mini-party will eventually be mature enough to vote to merge or have an official relationship with an actual substantial political party. Could be a merger with PSL or something, could be a merger with the dozen folks doing the same thing over in [Libville], the next town over.
This is organizing, this is praxis. It starts off as some nerd shit over a round of drinks, but it's at least an attempt to wield a bit of political power while also bringing more people into the fold. Your position is strong right now.
it doesn't have to be a socialist party, it could be built around serving the people
That's pretty much the definition of a socialist party. But if you're trying to avoid the S word in order to not scare away the liberals, that's fine.
Not in US, a socialist party implies what OP posted, making a brand, some rules, and a book club. virtually no socialist party in america of note is actively engaged with serving the people at all, and their membership is mostly made up of people who do not look like the most marginalized and oppressed.
True. A mutual aid org is probably a better use of anyone's time in the terminal collapse of an empire.
yes exactly "we can build our own resilience hubs and logistic networks so we can feed ourselves when the government abandons us again" is a stronger sell and meets people where they are vulnerable, their own survival. Connecting to people by immediately helping them survive is going to build stronger relationships quicker. apply all the concepts that we know to the structure and organization but I think going "socialist party" route is old hat