American Socialist Voter

Second Industrial Revolution 1860-1920 and connotation thereof throughout the 20th Century

The original formation for the Socialist Party of America was between the merger of two Socialists political parties, Social Democratic Party (founded 1897) and the Socialist Labor Party (founded 1876) in the year 1901 and through many turmoils lasted until 1973.

American socialism was founded on communal needs at first, but the later political translations are both synonymous and interchangeable due to the language differences between the early German's who spoke of Karl Marx or Ferdinand Lassalle and those who spoke romance languages from other parts of Europe such as France's Pierre Joseph Proudhon.

Who defined themselves as a "Socialist" during this time relates back to the founding of the First International on September 28, 1864, St. Martin's Hall, London, England. Karl Marx later had wrecked the First International, now known as the International Workingmen's Alliance (1869) to remove Michael Bakunin's Alliance Sociale Demoratique, a secret Anarchist society. Bakunin is well known for his anti-Marxist statement, "I abominate Communism because it is a denial of freedom and I cannot understand anything human without freedom." By 1872 the Anarchist had all been expelled. Four years later, 1876 the International Workingmen's Alliance was dissolved.

World War I  1917-1918

Running up to war became a factor in the split early on with Socialists, the divide among many European immigrants to fight for or against those of different nationalities was greater than the traditional American neutralist standard.

The Second International (revived)

2 February 1919 - Berne,  April 1919 - Amsterdam, 2 August 1919 - Lucerne

Those "Socialists" who look back after much historical reflection see the Second International as the last formation of true Socialists Internationalism except with the break in Germany (1933) pre-World War II. This however was not well taken by the Communist that were then forming what would be known as the Third International over leadership, tactics, and cooperation with the Bolshevik Communists. The Second International looked to Spain and the United States of America for its future.

Russia's October Revolution of 1917 and Ripples to America's Shores until the 1950's

Events overseas during World War I with an unpopular Czar of Russia lead to a violent militant confrontation where the whole royal family was openly murdered by communist revolutionaries to assure that monarchist would never try to politically oppose them. These same monarchist still exist today in 21st century Russia with a strict policy of "Russia for Russians only."

Russia having by its 1917 revolution been the first to achieve a Socialist government, is regarded as the "Fatherland" of Socialists everywhere. By 1921 Menshevikism (social democracy and/or democratic socialism) was made illegal under Bolshevik communism (democratic centralism) due to events around the Kronstadt Uprising. The Third (Communists) International referred to the Second (Social Democratic and/or Democratic Socialist) as the "Yellow International."

The Bolsheviks (Communist) who over ran the Mensheviks (Social Democrats and/or Democratic Socialists) created a great divide among their American comrades for betrayals, the kangaroo courts (Moscow Show Trials), Philosophers Ship, executions of fellow radicals and even rewriting historical facts and alteration of photographs to remove said fellow radicals, the best example know is retouched pictures is that of Leon Trotsky erased from areas of I.V. Lenin during speeches.

Communist Are Expelled From the Socialist Party of America, September 1919

The mistrust and treachery reaching the shores of United States of America created an ideological and support splits within the Socialist Party of America, then which, later came to a head in September 1919 when the American - version of the Bolsheviks - Communist were expelled by the Socialist Party of America during their national convention to become the Communist Labor Party (later to be known as the Communist Party USA). These events were made into part of the movie REDS based on the revolutionary life of John Reed, its American Founder who is the only American buried in the Kremlin Wall Necroplis. This is a major factor in defining why "Socialists" are not "Communists" in today's world; however, the Communists have not forgotten those events and even to this day try to fracture, poison, and 'troll over' any and all "Socialists" like groups or remove, delete, rewrite evolutionary formations (reform) or related elements of social democracy.

Towards the end of World War II and the USA's friendship with the USSR many of the generational splits had been briefly forgotten as many work against a common foe, Hitler's Nazi Germany. This allowed in Social Democratic Federation (1956) and the Independent Socialist League (1958) with the old war won a new one was about to begin, the civil rights movement was now upon Americans.

Close to America's Shore - 1 January 1959

The 26th of July Movement begins to take control of Cuba as Fidel Castro leads a small band of Revolutionaries setting off more Cold War fears. Movimiento 26 de Julio was forced after later events from its social democratic and/or democratic socialism beginnings into the folds of the one party system of democratic centralism e.g. communism. Many neutral or disenfranchised by this takeover fled to Miami, Florida where they still live today. Later, 15 April - 31 October, 1980 the Disenfranchised manifested into the Mariel boat-lift. 

America's "Cultural Revolution" 1960's - 1972

Three grouping were in control of the Socialist Party of America, Michael Harrington who later founded Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee  which merged with New American Movement became Democratic Socialists of America, Max Shachtman the founder of Social Democrats USA, and David McReynolds of the Debs Caucus founding the Socialist Party of the United States of America.

The Cultural Revolution in the United States of America was so named for its revisionism (social democratic backsliding) towards freedom against both "The Man" with his war in Vietnam and Communistic (Maoist events in and around the making of personal attacks against the Deputy Mayor of Peking, Wu Han of November 1965; in 1966 Mao Tse-tung viewed revisionism as counterrevolutionary and ordered Marshall Lin Piao to create the Red Guards to move for more party purity until 1969) factions always in search of party purity and purging of the Hard-Left.

"Socialists" Divide and Blunder 1973

The three way weakening of the Socialist Party of America was for sad days to come after the 1972 elections. The Democratic Socialists of America began working within the left-wing of another party as a political action committee likewise the Minnesota Democratic-Farm-Labor Party. Some independently minded "Socialist" chose fusion ballots such as the Working Families Party while others work for Instant Runoff Voting. The Social Democrats USA held different appointed offices under both the ruling parties these days, and the Socialist Party of the United States of America still tries to use and relive the glory days of old while running unwinnable campaigns without funding, access to many ballots, or staffing. 

Eurocommunism of 26 June 1975 Breaks Moscow's Democratic Centralism

The beginning crack in what was once a death grip on all communistic elements in the world now faces some real democratic reforms (also known as Brezhnev's Compromises in the international press of Italy's Il Giornale by Franc Barbieri who coined the word "Eurocommunism") that reaches even the Communists in the USA. Later this would lead to the fall of the Berlin Wall and an end to Soviet rule.This helped to aiding the growth of real socialism in 21st century America by its European examples to elect "Socialists" to responsible and respectable seats of authority, not dictatorships and blossom to fruition through growth in the Socialist International. Several "Socialists" would be later re-elected or newly elected to many different offices.

Down But Not Out 2005

In 2005 the Social Democrats USA were down to a few loyal folks after the death of their National Director Penn Kemble leaving many without solid leadership. In 2008, the Social Democrats USA have a growing base in its revival movement. The Democratic Socialists of America works more or less in its self-limited fashion as a list server and tactical meetings. The 2008 election results for SP of the USA brought in less than 7,251 votes on 20 ballots which is a reduction of percentage placed next to the 2004 election when the SP of the USA was only on nine ballots and had nearly 10,500 votes. The reduction in votes could be a direct result of the purging of Fist & Rose Tendency members leaving one last tendency within the SP of the USA.

The Violations of A National Convention 22 October 2005

The issue was dual membership with other Leftist organizations and coming from this was the following outcome: 

1) Although members of the SP USA are of course free to be dual members of other leftwing political parties, membership in the SP USA is incompatible with membership in the two major parties of the exploiting class and their caucuses.
2) Officers of the SP USA or any of its state or local affiliates may not endorse or support in any capacity, as an officer using their title, any candidate or party that does not already have the endorsement of the SP USA or relevant state party or local. Officers of the SP USA at any level may never support Democratic Party or Republican Party candidates, or their party organizations, whether using or not using their official titles.

Amendment: This resolution may not be used to suspend or expel any member of the Socialist Party USA. Amendment passed 29 yes, 25 no and 3 abstentions

The following 2005 National Committee of the Socialist Party of the United States of America went against the highest body within any "Socialist" movement and began suspending and later expelling members from its ranks.

Somewhat of a listing for what transpired:

• Melvin Little (resigned 2005) Author of the Fist & Rose Manifesto
• Atlee Yarrow (expelled 2007) Former Candidate for Governor of Florida 2006
• Michael C. Marino (expelled 2008) Former State Chair for Oregon
• Tino Rozzo (resigned 2008) Former State Secretary for SP-NJ and Candidate for US Congress
• Dwight Welch (resigned 2008) Former SDUSA member, Activist, he openly joined DSA in 2008
• Gabe Ross (expelled 2008) Only elected Social Democrat - PA, USA
• 2007, Florida Charter Suspended by SP-USA National Action Committee of 2005
  • The SP-JAX Local of northeastern Florida lost 12 members due to SEC and NC levels of infighting.
• 2008, Pennsylvania Charter Suspended by SP-USA National Action Committee of 2007
  • Between 2000 and 2008 the SP of PA lost 104 of it members due to infighting of the National Committee of the SP-USA.

Socialist Party of America 2009 -

Will there be a future for socialism in America? This is up to you the American Socialist Voter.