William Z. Foster, born on this day in 1881, was a radical American labor organizer and Marxist politician whose career included serving as General Secretary of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) from 1945 to 1957. He was previously a member of the Socialist Party of America (SPA) and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), although he was critical of the former for not working with already existing unions.

Foster was a key figure in the drive to organize the packinghouse industry during World War I and in instigating the Steel Strike of 1919. He was the more radical, pro-Soviet political rival of CPUSA leader Earl Browder, who was a supporter of the Roosevelt administration.

Foster was also a prolific political writer, and his work "Towards Soviet America" has been continuously republished by both leftists and anti-communists who see it as scandalous. Foster described the book as a "plain statement of Communist policy, avoiding technical complexities and theoretical elaboration...Its central purpose is to explain to the oppressed and exploited masses of workers and poor farmers how, under the leadership of the Communist party, they can best protect themselves now...".

The American Party of Labor claims descent from Foster and his secretary and aide, Jack Shulman.

Hola Camaradas :fidel-salute-big: , Our Comrades In Texas are currently passing Through some Hard times :amerikkka: so if you had some Leftover Change or are a bourgeoisie Class Traitor here are some Mutual Aid programs that you could donate to :left-unity-3:

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The Conquest of Bread :ancom:

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    • sailor_redstar [she/her]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Feminization for those who want it.

      If you like your gender, uhh, you can keep it.

    • Multihedra [he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Yeah, that was punishment the British government handed down to Alan Turing for the crime of being gay. This was only a few years after Turing helped crack the Nazi’s enigma machine cipher

    • vertexarray [any]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Remember when Waypoint ran some forcedfem-as-punishment fic on their front page and then removed it lol

        • vertexarray [any]
          ·
          4 years ago

          It seemed like it was an honest mistake, but their reaction was to make it policy to not publish fanfic anymore, which seems like it was wildly missing the point. Just don't run the weird sex fanfic!

    • FeverDream [comrade/them]
      ·
      4 years ago

      forced feminization should be for chuds only so that they might learn empathy. everyone should have control of their gender.

        • FeverDream [comrade/them]
          ·
          4 years ago

          okay you are right, sorry. I just like that it also is an attack on transphobes / bigots by subverting their "gay amphibians" and "soy boy" obsessions and reflecting it back at them with the mirror of satire.

          these humors are not worth it however since it also upsets good people such as yourself. I am sorry.

            • FeverDream [comrade/them]
              ·
              4 years ago

              weaponizing gender dysphoria

              I had never heard it presented in this framing. It very much makes sense now. I am always open to criticism because each of us is continually wrong in many ways and a joy of life is learning from the discomfort of that wrongness when it is discovered. Thank you for gifting one of these moments to me.