They aren’t. Those are the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA. These guys are the Revolutionary Communists of America. Two completely different, unrelated orgs.
I’m in the PSL and I recently started meeting regularly with a couple guys from the local RCA. Their organization is not perfect but they have been friendly and enthusiastic about cooperation and I look forward to working with them. Here’s some of what I’ve learned either from them or the PSL:
They’re a continuation of a Trot party, Marxist International (that changed its name at least partially due to a sex pest scandal), but they claim to be “non-sectarian Marxist-Leninists” and not Trots. The local guys seem unaware of the history of their party, they joined two months ago along with the name change and believe that the party is new and was founded two months ago.
I’ve re-written this paragraph several times because I don’t want to come off as too harsh, because they really are good folks who are doing their best, but: their organization suffers from a lack of, well, organization, and a focus on what I believe to be ineffective tactics (“agitation”, selling newspapers on street corners, etc.). They are also admitted class-reductionists, and the local branch at least is seven or eight white guys and one of their girlfriends. They’ve read a lot of books but knew very little about the political struggles going on in their own city.
The only time I would suggest joining the RCA is if you’ve already tried to join your local PSL branch and haven’t heard back.
Ah, I almost said they were the IMT rebrand, went to verify that I wasn’t mixing their names up, saw the results, and my brain said “you got it right” lmao.
I also steer everyone away from IMT. So many stories of abusive environments. They really get in their members’ business. And this is before we get to their neocon pipeline level bad analysis. Every negative thing you can think about a Trotskyist org applies to IMT.
If you aren’t very careful in how you work with them, they may try to recruit people in your org and/or make you look bad by association. For example, IMT (so now RCA) are pariahs in the local Palestinian solidarity coalition for doing western chauvinist things and taking credit for things others did.
I think some people are being a bit unfair - they’re good people with (95%) good politics, just with poor organization and tactics. Even their national contact was enthusiastic about cooperation with the PSL and even participation in the campaign. And best of all, at least the people local to me are open and willing to learn more effective methods of organizing. It takes time and confidence to build organizing skills.
They’re cringe, not evil or fundamentally flawed. Be nice, be tolerant, and be willing to help and teach. They are not doomed - they just need direction.
Not only Trot, but Avakian cultists.
They aren’t. Those are the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA. These guys are the Revolutionary Communists of America. Two completely different, unrelated orgs.
I’m in the PSL and I recently started meeting regularly with a couple guys from the local RCA. Their organization is not perfect but they have been friendly and enthusiastic about cooperation and I look forward to working with them. Here’s some of what I’ve learned either from them or the PSL:
They’re a continuation of a Trot party, Marxist International (that changed its name at least partially due to a sex pest scandal), but they claim to be “non-sectarian Marxist-Leninists” and not Trots. The local guys seem unaware of the history of their party, they joined two months ago along with the name change and believe that the party is new and was founded two months ago.
I’ve re-written this paragraph several times because I don’t want to come off as too harsh, because they really are good folks who are doing their best, but: their organization suffers from a lack of, well, organization, and a focus on what I believe to be ineffective tactics (“agitation”, selling newspapers on street corners, etc.). They are also admitted class-reductionists, and the local branch at least is seven or eight white guys and one of their girlfriends. They’ve read a lot of books but knew very little about the political struggles going on in their own city.
The only time I would suggest joining the RCA is if you’ve already tried to join your local PSL branch and haven’t heard back.
oh come on, this straight out of monty python.
Many such cases
Non sectarian except when writing articles online, where they call Vietnam a dictatorship and the former leader a “strongman”
How?
This seems wild to me. How can you be unaware of IMT?
Gotta be honest these guys don’t seem particularly well-informed
Ah, I almost said they were the IMT rebrand, went to verify that I wasn’t mixing their names up, saw the results, and my brain said “you got it right” lmao.
I also steer everyone away from IMT. So many stories of abusive environments. They really get in their members’ business. And this is before we get to their neocon pipeline level bad analysis. Every negative thing you can think about a Trotskyist org applies to IMT.
If you aren’t very careful in how you work with them, they may try to recruit people in your org and/or make you look bad by association. For example, IMT (so now RCA) are pariahs in the local Palestinian solidarity coalition for doing western chauvinist things and taking credit for things others did.
Just become an anarchist at that point. It could still potentially be more productive locally and would definitely be a far cooler experience.
I’d rather do that than be a class-reductionist paperboy dork with 8 White guys.
I think some people are being a bit unfair - they’re good people with (95%) good politics, just with poor organization and tactics. Even their national contact was enthusiastic about cooperation with the PSL and even participation in the campaign. And best of all, at least the people local to me are open and willing to learn more effective methods of organizing. It takes time and confidence to build organizing skills.
They’re cringe, not evil or fundamentally flawed. Be nice, be tolerant, and be willing to help and teach. They are not doomed - they just need direction.
Sure, you can be nice to them. Doesn’t mean join them though.
I’m just going based off what you said.