One issue I see with this logic is it doesn't factor in the value of promoting PSL and it's ideals. Of course their direct action is important but the people who are going to Palestine protest or Union solidarity actions or whatever aren't the majority of Americans, even if a majority agree with those things (once you explain it using non scary commie words). The vast majority of Americans are not aware of politics other than voting Democrat or Republican every 2/4 years based almost entirely on IdPol. During a campaign PSL is showing that an alternative exist away from the ballot box as well.
How? How do the workers see the PSL campaign? They aren't in any debates, they aren't mentioned on any news. Barring a volunteer literally showing up to your house and knocking, you would have no idea they even exist. For millions of dollars over decades of campaigns, the PSL is still virtually unknown to anyone except people who are already radicalized.
They literally do knock on people's doors. People in my rural MAGAland county voted for them. Their membership is steadily growing. I don't know what else to say.
Right, that's what I said. The only way they reach people is by door knocking and meeting people personally to tell them about a presidential campaign that has no intention of winning. The campaign otherwise doesn't get to most people.
So if the solution to growing PSL membership is just knocking on doors and talking to people, why not have an organizing project that actually impacts the person you are talking to instead of one that will immediately be disregarded by 99% of the people you talk to? If you have to go knock on every door anyway, it seems like offering something of substance is a better way to get people on your side.
Getting a few fringe people in your county to vote for the campaign that won't win is something I guess, but how does that translate into those same people organizing locally to do anything? Membership growth doesn't really mean anything, DSA is huge and has actually got people elected all across the country, but having large paper membership of an org with a bad strategy and bad use of funds isn't compelling.
I don't expect you or anyone else here to really have an answer or anything, no pressure to say more if you don't know what else to say.
In the end, these are the strategies being pursued and they are a part of the moment, but I can't imagine why PSL rank and file members would be putting so much into an organization with these kind of strategies unless their education about socialism came directly from PSL. A bunch of newly radicalized people getting into politics through a specific org end up just mindlessly agreeing with that org's strategies because that's what they were told to think. Referencing Lenin's position on running candidates in parliamentary elections in Russia a century ago is not an analysis to base organizing strategy off of, and no one has been able to explain any other reasoning for PSL to do these campaigns other than "it is what the leadership who has been in power since the beginning says to do," which to me is a pretty glaring issue that PSL members will try and bully you about for bringing up.
PSL strong armed to take over ANSWER and has used it as a tool for self promotion. Of course they have a loud voice in these spaces, that can't be denied, but let's not give them more credit for the movement than is due. ___
Besides, that's totally irrelevant. Even if they hijacked it and you think that's bad or whatever, that still means they're the ones running ANSWER. So which is it? You can't have it both ways.
PSL deserving no credit for the public consciousness of Palestine because they "didn't found ANSWER" or whatever, vs PSL having "hijacked" ANSWER 20 years ago.
One issue I see with this logic is it doesn't factor in the value of promoting PSL and it's ideals. Of course their direct action is important but the people who are going to Palestine protest or Union solidarity actions or whatever aren't the majority of Americans, even if a majority agree with those things (once you explain it using non scary commie words). The vast majority of Americans are not aware of politics other than voting Democrat or Republican every 2/4 years based almost entirely on IdPol. During a campaign PSL is showing that an alternative exist away from the ballot box as well.
How? How do the workers see the PSL campaign? They aren't in any debates, they aren't mentioned on any news. Barring a volunteer literally showing up to your house and knocking, you would have no idea they even exist. For millions of dollars over decades of campaigns, the PSL is still virtually unknown to anyone except people who are already radicalized.
They literally do knock on people's doors. People in my rural MAGAland county voted for them. Their membership is steadily growing. I don't know what else to say.
Right, that's what I said. The only way they reach people is by door knocking and meeting people personally to tell them about a presidential campaign that has no intention of winning. The campaign otherwise doesn't get to most people.
So if the solution to growing PSL membership is just knocking on doors and talking to people, why not have an organizing project that actually impacts the person you are talking to instead of one that will immediately be disregarded by 99% of the people you talk to? If you have to go knock on every door anyway, it seems like offering something of substance is a better way to get people on your side.
Getting a few fringe people in your county to vote for the campaign that won't win is something I guess, but how does that translate into those same people organizing locally to do anything? Membership growth doesn't really mean anything, DSA is huge and has actually got people elected all across the country, but having large paper membership of an org with a bad strategy and bad use of funds isn't compelling.
I don't expect you or anyone else here to really have an answer or anything, no pressure to say more if you don't know what else to say.
In the end, these are the strategies being pursued and they are a part of the moment, but I can't imagine why PSL rank and file members would be putting so much into an organization with these kind of strategies unless their education about socialism came directly from PSL. A bunch of newly radicalized people getting into politics through a specific org end up just mindlessly agreeing with that org's strategies because that's what they were told to think. Referencing Lenin's position on running candidates in parliamentary elections in Russia a century ago is not an analysis to base organizing strategy off of, and no one has been able to explain any other reasoning for PSL to do these campaigns other than "it is what the leadership who has been in power since the beginning says to do," which to me is a pretty glaring issue that PSL members will try and bully you about for bringing up.
Exactly this.
They might not be the majority of Americans but they generate 30000x the pulbicity PSL ever has.
In what way?
Which, of course, PSL has played no role in, right...
PSL strong armed to take over ANSWER and has used it as a tool for self promotion. Of course they have a loud voice in these spaces, that can't be denied, but let's not give them more credit for the movement than is due. ___
Lol what?
ANSWER is older than PSL and was a coalition, PSL split from WWP and strong armed the other leadership out of ANSWER.
lol
Yeah, formed by the people who split to form PSL.
Besides, that's totally irrelevant. Even if they hijacked it and you think that's bad or whatever, that still means they're the ones running ANSWER. So which is it? You can't have it both ways.
What are the both ways that can't be had?
PSL deserving no credit for the public consciousness of Palestine because they "didn't found ANSWER" or whatever, vs PSL having "hijacked" ANSWER 20 years ago.