Looks like Socialist Alternative is going to try to make DSA form a workers party by having some of it's members join DSA.
Current DSA by-laws allow for chapters to expel members for being in Democratic Centralist organizations but its not automatic. It also seems like SAlt isn't telling their members to join en-masse, just a few to push for a new workers party at meetings.
My DSA chapter isn't happy about this but it seems like most apprehension seems to be from their experience with individual SAlt members, first and the rudeness of the tactic, second. But there seems to be little consideration of their goals.
It persists from the 80s when DSA was explicitly anticommunist. Its not anymore but there is some rationale for not letting your organization become controlled by members more loyal to another organization.
We have a bunch of ex ISO members in our chapter who view having dual membership as being very rude.
Yeah, this is kinda making me think, it isn't an entirely unjustified rule despite the very bad anticommunist rules.
It should be replaced for sure. Something that leaves us open to DemCents but also protects against splitting and hostile takeovers. Something like:
Or something more specific. I think our politicians should be allowed to share membership with a DemCent organization. Just not our leadership because that's a conflict of interest.
That would fuck up a lot of chapters though. You need to basically just keep it as a rule that's applied by chapter majority. Having that be automatic would cripple smaller chapters because if DSA in an area only has 20 members, leadership is most definitely also leadership in other orgs.
SRA and DSA have a lot of leadership overlap here, we have a few PSL people, but they aren't really active in the chapter.
Hmm. Sounds like something that would have to be debated beyond forms.
Definitely. It's a chapter by chapter issue. I don't think national should really do anything with the existing law as it's not an automatic expulsion, but allows for wreckers to be kicked by vote.
I'm fine with one that bans dual carding for any org that acts in a way DSA deems collectively undemocratic or reactionary or demands they vote for measures that are not wholly originated in DSA (this is all kind of loose, but so is the demcent ban as is). Like If PSL sent members to some DSA chapter, and then voted to give that chapters funds to a front group of PSL, that should be banned.