User:ProudML/sandbox
Party of Communists USA Partido de los Comunistas USA | |
|---|---|
| General Secretary | Angelo D'Angelo |
| Preceded by | Communist Party USA |
| Headquarters | New York City, United States |
| Newspaper | The Worker, central organ; Ideological Fightback, theoretical, political and cultural journal |
| Youth wing | League of Young Communists USA |
| Ideology | Communism Marxism–Leninism |
| Political position | Far-left |
| Religion | Secular |
| International affiliation | International Meeting of Communist and Workers' Parties (Formal Application) |
| Slogan | Peace, Equality, Socialism |
| Anthem | L'internationale |
| Website | |
| www | |
| Part of a series on |
| Communist parties |
|---|
Party of Communists USA
[edit]The Party of Communists USA (Spanish: Partido de los Comunistas USA, PCUSA) is a communist party in the United States. The PCUSA is the Marxist–Leninist[1][2][3][4] continuation of the Communist Party USA, founded on May Day 2014[5] from the many dropped CPUSA clubs[6] scattered around the country. The PCUSA is a Pro-Soviet[7] organization. The League of Young Communists USA is the Communist Youth organization of the PCUSA,[8][9] created in 2015 after the Young Communist League USA was liquidated by the CPUSA.[10] The PCUSA's 1st Congress was held in April, 2016.[11]
The Party of Communists USA is active throughout the United States; PCUSA members have been to rallies, communist events, workers events, along with tabled throughout the four districts.[12][13][14][15][16][17]
The PCUSA is focused completely in the working class, however the party has commissions to deal with other national issues as well.
Based on the CPUSA experience, the PCUSA treats its cadre humanely and listens to their opinions. The PCUSA is structured from the ground up, in four tiers of leadership: 1. General Membeship, 2. The Central Committee (CC) of the PCUSA, 3. The Political Bureau (PB) of the PCUSA, and 4. The National Congress. The LYCUSA follows the structure of the PCUSA, with its own mirror leadership structure.
Party Organizations
[edit]The PCUSA maintains the organizations US Friends of the Soviet People,[18] active in support of the peoples of the former Soviet Union, such as the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic, Red Star Publishers,[19] the PCUSA's printing arm, and the League of Young Communists USA,[20] the Communist Youth organization of the PCUSA.
Modeled after the Jefferson School of Social Science, the People's School for Marxist-Leninist Studies is a separate but allied organization to the PCUSA.[21][22] The Jefferson School had at one point as many as five thousand students enrolled during one term, and even offered courses that satisfied college degree components.[23] The People's School engages new members in political discussions, while also serving as a place where people can speak their mind and share their thoughts. Many people outside of the PCUSA participate in the People's School.
Formation and History
[edit]The PCUSA's roots lie in the Communist Party USA history, founded in 1919.
Members of the PCUSA were supportive of Gus Hall against Angela Davis during the factional Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism (CCDS) split at the 1991 CPUSA convention, where the members of the PCUSA fought for the CPUSA to maintain Leninism.[24] The CPUSA was severely weakened by the CCDS factional split.[25]
PCUSA members supported the international Marxist-Leninist response from numerous Communist Parties around the world against former CPUSA Chair Sam Webb,[26] who took control of the CPUSA after the passing of Gus Hall.[27][28] CCDS leadership of the CPUSA was solidified when Webb stepped down and John Bachtell was elected Chair at the CPUSA's 30th National Convention in 2014.[29] Webb resigned from the CPUSA after Bachtell refused to remove the word Communist from the CPUSA's title.[30]
The PCUSA was originally formed in the wake of the upcoming CPUSA National Convention in 2014,[31] from dropped CPUSA clubs such as the Austin Hogan New York Transit Workers Club, the CPUSA Arts & Culture Club, the Buffalo NY CPUSA Club, the CPUSA Los Angeles Metro Club, the US Friends of the Soviet Union (the US affiliate of the Friends of Soviet Russia) and individual CPUSA members across the country. Growing unrest about the dissolution of the Party and its organizations, such as ties to the World Federation of Trade Unions, the theoretical, cultural and political journal Political Affairs (magazine),[32] and other organizations such as the Young Communist League USA were catalysts to unify early members of the PCUSA. The dropped CPUSA members first created the National Council of Communists USA, a pre-party formation which on May 1st, 2014 formed the Party of Communists USA.[33][34]
PCUSA members fought against the CPUSA's strategy of tailing the Democratic Party USA. One of Bachtell's first changes of CPUSA policy was to end all CPUSA election candidates and to cooperate with the Democratic Party instead,[35] which led more current-CPUSA members to join the PCUSA. The CPUSA under Bachtell urged its members to support Hillary Clinton in the United States presidential election, 2016,[36][37] a position the PCUSA and the international communist movement attacked.[38]
Political Activity
[edit]The PCUSA has not run candidates for president, but it has run local candidates. LYCUSA Member Peter Korman won 1% of the vote in his local school board in Zionsville, Indiana, 2015.[39][40]
The PCUSA is active in the trade union movement, the student movement, environmentalism, LGBTQ+, the peace movement, and many struggles today in the United States. International Workers Day is one of the PCUSA's main events, with members participating in May 1st events across the country every year.
Party members are also active in their local areas in activist work such as organizing study groups, attending important workers rallies and rallies against discrimination, working in their areas to help the impoverished and homeless, tabling, and so on. The PCUSA stresses to its members the importance of Party activism.[41]
Commissions
[edit]The PCUSA Commissions report to the Politburo of the Party of Communists USA.
All Party commissions are listed on the PCUSA website[42]
Oppressed Nationalities Commission: The Oppressed Nationalities Commission is focused on issues dealing with oppressed groups such as African-Americans, Mexicans, Cubans, etc. Social issues such as police brutality, immigration, racism, institutional racism, are addressed by the commission, and to organize against such issues. Like all commissions under the PCUSA, the oppressed nationalities commission is focused on the working class nationalities who struggle under the brutal exploitation of capitalism.
Women's Commission: The Women's Commission is focused on the working class women who suffer from rampant sexism and assault under capitalism. One of the main goals is to organize women workers to unite against capitalism and to fight all forms of sexism, be it misogyny or transmisogyny.
LGBT+ Commission: The LGBT+ Commission is for all LGBT+ members of the working class who fight for workers liberation and gay rights. The commission fights for an egalitarian society where oppression against the LGBT+ is no longer a reality, a socialist society. Addressing and organizing against issues like homophobia, Transphobia, biphobia, etc. is of key importance for this commission, and to stand up against violence upon LGBT+ people in society. The PCUSA LGBT+ commission acknowledges Harry Hay as one of the main leaders of the Gay Rights movement in the United States. Harry Hay was a member of the CPUSA and a founder of the Mattachine Society, a pioneering LGBT+ group in the US during the 20th century.[43]
Peace & Solidarity Commission: The Peace & Solidarity Commission works to unite the working class against fascism and imperialism, the highest stage of capitalism.
Labor Commission: The Labor Commission is dedicated to improving workers' rights and building and strengthening the labor movement.
Arts & Culture Commission: The Arts & Culture Commission creates music, poetry, artwork, and many other documents, works and information. This commission also promotes the culture of the communist movement both in and outside the United States.
Electoral & Legislative Commission: The Electoral & Legislative commission studies US politics to produce statements, recommendations, communications and strategy to the Politburo of the PCUSA.
Environmental Commission: The Environmental commission is responsible for Party policy on the environment.
Health, Safety, Aged, Disabled Commission: The Health, Safety, Aged, and Disabled Commission is for creating Party policy on topics of healthcare, senior care, and healthcare for disabled people's.
Economic Commission: The Economic Commission deals with economic issues in the United States and is responsible for Party policy on the current economic status of the United States.
Animal Rights Commission: The Animal Rights Commission deals with the subject of brutality to animals in the U.S. on the grounds of profit. This commission is responsible for addressing all issues of animal brutality and abuse under the Party.
Veterans Commission: The Veterans Commission is for building unity with veterans of the military who have been denied assistance and/or used in the name of imperialism.
Religious Affairs Commission: The Religious Affairs Commission is to assist bridging a gap between the progressive workers movement and the religious movement in order to promote a united movement of all workers no matter what religious belief for a secular socialist society.
International Relations
[edit]The PCUSA is closely linked to the International Communist Review Journal,[44] which is a coordinated effort between the Communist Party of Greece, the Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain, the Communist Party of Mexico (2011), the Russian Communist Workers' Party of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, the Hungarian Workers' Party (2013), the New Communist Party of Yugoslavia of Serbia, the Communist Party of Italy, the Communist Party of Turkey (current) and other Marxist-Leninist Communist Parties around the world.
The Party of Communists USA issued a statement that the PCUSA will work with any group willing to work with the PCUSA, leading to ties with the Labour Party (Turkey) and other non-aligned groups, even the US-based "American Party of Labor" at one point in time.[45]
PCUSA Symbols
[edit]The PCUSA logo is based off the Worker and Kolkhoz Woman statue from the Soviet Union. PCUSA members employ the red flag at events, a throwback to the time US Communists were known as "Reds."[46]
PCUSA members call each other comrade.
References
[edit]- ^ "The voice of American Communists: PCUSA on Trump, Cuba-US relations and opportunism". In Defense of Communism. February 7, 2017.
- ^ "A new organization that is working to develop a genuine Marxist-Leninist party in the U.S. is the Party of Communists, USA". ML Translations.
- ^ Kuhlenbeck, Mike (January 27, 2016). "The Greanville Post Journal Interview with a PCUSA Member". The Greanville Post.
- ^ Singh, Vijay (November 26, 2016). "Revolutionary Democracy Journal Reprinting PCUSA Statement on the Death of Fidel Castro". Revolutionary Democracy Journal.
- ^ "Open letter by comrades of Party of Communists USA". Editorial Board, Other Aspect. May 31, 2014.
- ^ "CPUSA NY District Expels Austin Hogan Transit Workers Club". Houston Communist Party. April 9, 2014.
- ^ Blinova, Ekaterina (December 21, 2015). "Sputnik News Interview with a PCUSA Member". Sputnik News.
- ^ "Marxism-Leninism Today Reprinting a LYCUSA Member's Report on the Odigitis Festival in Greece". Marxism-Leninism Today. January 2017.
- ^ Hansen, Elizabeth (May 6, 2016). "Miami Student Newspaper Interview with a LYCUSA member". The Miami Student Newspaper.
- ^ "Thank You For Supporting The YCL". Communist Party USA. December 2015.
- ^ Martin, Redmenace (May 16, 2016). "Letters of greetings".
- ^ Ross, Chuck (May 1, 2016). "Federally Funded Groups Take Part In Anti-Trump May Day Rallies". The Daily Caller.
- ^ Tarpley, Webster (February 15, 2016). "Sanders and "Political Revolution" / Syria". World Crisis Radio.
- ^ "PCUSA Southern District". Facebook.
- ^ "PCUSA Pacific District". Facebook.
- ^ "PCUSA Eastern District". Facebook.
- ^ "PCUSA Midwest District". Facebook.
- ^ "US Friends of the Soviet People".
- ^ "Red Star Publishers".
- ^ "League of Young Communists USA".
- ^ Marv Gettleman, "Jefferson School of Social Science," in Mari Jo Buhle, Paul Buhle, and Dan Georgakas (eds.), Encyclopedia of the American Left. First Edition. New York: Garland Publishing Co., 1990; pp. 389-390.
- ^ "People's School for Marxist-Leninist Studies".
- ^ "Jefferson School of Social Science Records and Indexes". Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archive. 1931–1958.
- ^ "The Crisis in the CPUSA and Its Aftermath, 1990–94" (PDF).
- ^ "History of the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism". Archived from the original on 2007-03-11.
- ^ "Statements against Sam Webb from the Communist Party of Mexico, the Communist Party of Greece, the Communist Party of Canada and the German Communist Party". Marxism-Leninism Today. Communist Party of Mexico, Communist Party of Greece, the Communist Party of Canada, German Communist Party. 2011.
- ^ Matthews, Karen (October 17, 2000). "Gus Hall, U.S. Communist Party head, dies at 90". The Seattle Times.
- ^ "Sam Webb's CPUSA Election Dates". Communist Party USA. April 22, 2011.
- ^ Wojcik, John (June 18, 2014). "CPUSA's 30th National Convention examines challenges facing the nation".
- ^ "Confirmation of Sam Webb's Resignation". Houston Communist Party. CPUSA. February 19, 2017.
- ^ "Save the CPUSA BlogSpot, a collection of some CPUSA supporters' posts". Communist Party USA.
- ^ "Thanks for being a supporter of political affairs". Communist Party USA.
- ^ Loudon, Trevor (November 24, 2014). "One of Trevor Loudon's Articles on a PCUSA Member, Referencing the NCCUSA".
- ^ Loudon, Trevor (December 10, 2014). "Trevor Loudon's Party of Communists USA Database".
- ^ Owens, Eric (January 29, 2015). "Communist Party USA Chairman Vows Cooperation With Democratic Party". The Dailer Caller.
- ^ Bachtell, John (June 15, 2015). "Tactics and the 2016 elections".
- ^ Bachtell, John (January 29, 2016). "Taking a sober look at the 2016 election".
- ^ ""Clinton makes History": CPUSA's opportunist transformation". June 9, 2016.
- ^ "LYCUSA Member Peter Korman wins 1% of the Zionsville Community School Board". The Time Sentinel. November 3, 2015.
- ^ "Peter Korman wins 1% of the Zionsville Community School Board". Indiana State Teachers Association. November 5, 2015.
- ^ "The Importance of Communist Activism".
- ^ "PCUSA Commissions page".
- ^ Clendinen, Dudley (October 25, 2002). "Harry Hay, Early Proponent of Gay Rights, Dies at 90". The New York Times.
- ^ "International Communist Review".
- ^ "Vermont State News Referencing the Party of Communists USA and the American Party of Labor". Vermont State News. March 30, 2015.
- ^ Trehan, Raj (Feb 11, 2007). "Why are Communists called 'reds'?". Times of India.
Category:Communist parties in the United States
Category:Party of Communusts USA Category:PCUSA Category:League of Young Communists USA