Submitted by the Political Action Commission of the Communist Party USA. There is a renewed interest in running Communist Party candidates for public office. The why, when and how should be considered in the context of our current overall electoral strategy, and the concrete facts of each particular campaign. When reactionary extremists grabbed control of the Republican Party over 30 years ago, their powerful corporate backers were positioning themselves to...
Submitted by Roberta Wood, Secretary Treasurer of the Communist Party USA. "Justice!" Her face is radiant. "hearing the voices of those who have not been heard," she adds with confidence and pride. My heart swells every time I watch the video of my co-worker and comrade explaining in a voice I wish I could summon, as I wish I could express, why she has joined the movement for social justice,...
Submitted by Tom Connolly, Chair of the Hartford Service Workers Club, Hartford, CT. Though our party looks to increase our members, recruiting new members can be challenging. The party should have a regular exchange of on-going and successful recruiting and club building experiences around the country. Mutual support is always a good idea. It will help us to learn and grow. There are several ways of recruiting for the party,...
Submitted by John Vago of Philadelphia, PA. The following are some comments on what I see as the purpose of the Party, and on some recent proposals. Our full and constructive participation in mass movements is essential, but our role must go beyond that. I see our role as also to educate, advocate, and initiate, when appropriate, and to be more visible doing so. We should not shy away from...
Submitted by Fabian Sneevliet of Houston, TX. A lot of comrades today have been discussing dropping Leninism from 'Marxism-Leninism' and simply calling ourselves Marxists. There has been a lot of opposition to this in the Party. The main problem is that neither those who defend the thesis nor those who attack it have correctly formulated the problem. Sam Webb has been the main proponent of dropping Leninism. He has two...
Submitted by Fabian Sneevliet, Texas.
Submitted by Alvaro C. Rodriguez, Houston, Texas. Many questions face the party for proceeding forward in the 21st Century. Of utmost concern is the issue of growing a broad based coalition while enduring the tyranny of mass media propaganda towards the Left and communists, especially. Some new ideas have been brought forward from the Party leadership in an effort to address these. The majority of the ideas deal with changing...
Submitted by John Case, W. Virginia. "We've never solved one single problem in this country with less democracy. We've never moved forward with less participation." Bill Clinton "What is the character of a party of 21st century socialism?" Answering this question presents a special challenge, even before engaging its substance, to navigate the special vocabulary of 20th century socialist and communist dialog. It is a vocabulary substantially imported from political...
Submitted by Richard F, California.
Submitted by Bruce Bostick, Columbus, Ohio. This upcoming CPUSA Convention comes at a time of grave crisis in the world working class movement. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the socialist nations of Europe strengthened and inspired the forces of world-wide imperialism in a way not seen in recent memory, resulting in massive attacks on working people's gains in every nation. No place has this been more obvious...