File spoon-archives/marxism-international.archive/marxism-international_1996/96-11-09.204, message 62


Subject: M-I: Re: Justin's figures on the US Left
From: jschulman-AT-juno.com (Jason A Schulman)
Date: Thu, 07 Nov 1996 22:00:42 EST



Justin Schwartz  writes:

>The largest left group in the country is the Democratic Socialists of
>America, with maybe 5,000 members, most of them paper members. DSA
>supports progressive Democrats. 

Actually about 12,000 members at this point.  Many of them are activists,
few of them are primarily active *as DSAers.*

We are known to have supported progressives who have not been Democrats,
also -- Bernie Sanders is the most famous, and there have been SP-USA
candidates as well (at least in New Jersey.)

> the Committess of Correspondence, has about 2000 members.

It's down to about 1500 at this point.

> The CP itself has aboutt 1000 members. It claims many more and claims
to be growing. 

The CPUSA is the US Left's most incoherent group.  Some of its members
are social democrats, some are Sendero Luminoso supporters!

> The American affiliate of the Brit SWP, the Cliffite International
Socialist
>Organiaztion, has about 750. 

It's down to about 600, mainly college students.  I know ex-members now
in DSA or Solidarity.

> My group, Solidarity, has about 350. 

I think you broke 400, Justin -- check with Jim Hurd.  The Socialist
Party USA has similar numbers -- around 600.

>The Greens, I don't know. They have been doing respectably for a snmall 
>party out west.

They have a cadre of about 3500 or so, I think.

>There is also a small independent social democratic 
>formation called the New Party that has been doing OK in Wisconsin and a
few 
>other places. Basically the American far left is politically
nonexistent.

Shhh...don't tell the Sparts :-)

-- Jason


     --- from list marxism-international-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---



   

Driftline Main Page

 

Display software: ArchTracker © Malgosia Askanas, 2000-2005