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Party of Communists USA | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chairperson | Chris B. |
| General Secretary | Angelo D'Angelo |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Headquarters | Staten Island, New York, United States |
| Newspaper | The Worker (newspaper) The Communist (theoretical journal) Red Patriot (youth newspaper) |
| Youth wing | League of Young Communists USA |
| Political orientation | Marxism–Leninism (claimed) Revisionism (de facto) Patriotic socialism[1] |
| Website | |
| https://partyofcommunistsusa.org/ | |
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The Party of Communists USA (PCUSA) is a communist and "patriotic socialist" party[1] in the United States of America. The PCUSA claims to be the Marxist–Leninist continuation of the Communist Party USA. The PCUSA defends the Soviet Union and the leadership and legacy of Joseph Stalin. The PCUSA's 1st Congress was held in April 2016.[2] In August 2022, members of the PCUSA split from the party to form the American Council of Bolsheviks.[3] After the split, the PCUSA degenerated into a front organization for the wider patriotic "socialist" movement and the LaRouche cult.
Program
In its party programme, the PCUSA supports the following points:
- Raising the federal minimum wage to $15/hour.
- Building the World Federation of Trade Unions in North America.
- Repealing the Taft–Hartley Act, which restricts trade union activities.
- Free education from kindergarten through college.
- Socialized medicine and a national program for training physicians, nurses, and other medical professionals.
- Guaranteed pensions for elderly and disabled people.
- At least four years of paid parental leave for mothers, free childcare, and financial assistance for housework.
- Free contraception and abortion.
- An Equal Rights Amendment in the US Constitution that would guarantee equal rights for women.
- Reduction of rent to 15% or less of total income and a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures.
- Creation of a construction program to build public housing and retrofit older houses to save energy. [4]
Positions
Foreign policy
A day after the Russian military entered Ukraine, the PCUSA published an official statement supporting the operation as anti-imperialist and anti-fascist.[5] An editorial in the Red Patriot, a former publication of PCUSA, stated that the Special Military Operation was a practical means of defeating imperialism, and that opposition to the operation means "opposing the only practical ways for defeating imperialism that exist at this stage."[6]
Membership
The PCUSA has three membership levels as well as one non-member status:[7]
- Supporters pay dues to the party but have not officially applied to join the party.
- Associate members are members who pay dues and are non-voting members of mass movements.
- Candidate members are active members who undergo 12 months of training before applying for cadre status.
- Cadres are active members of the party that can hold leadership positions in the party.
Structure
The PCUSA is, de jure, organized into four districts: Eastern, Southern, Midwestern, and Pacific. These districts are divided into local units called cells or clubs. After the split, most cells remain inactive.[citation needed]
The national congress of the PCUSA elects a Central Committee, Politburo, and Council of Secretaries to serve between congresses. The Central Committee meets at least twice a year.[7] The Politburo of the PCUSA contains eight officers (including a General Secretary), four district organizers (Eastern, Southern, Midwestern, and Pacific), and three other members. The Politburo meets at least once a week except during the holiday season from late November to early January.[7]
The General Secretary presides over meeting of the Politburo and Central Committee but cannot make a unilateral action without a majority vote of the Politburo. If the General Secretary is incapacitated, the National Chair acts as General Secretary until the Central Committee elects a new General Secretary, however, despite questions over the lucidity of the incumbent, such a clause has never been enacted.[7][8]
Party affiliations
In an official capacity, the PCUSA maintains the organization US Friends of the Soviet People.[9] It is represented legally by the company "Ideological Fightback, Inc."[citation needed]
The featured articles on the many front websites maintained by the PCUSA suggest the party's leadership is, to some capacity, affiliated with the "patriotic socialist" movement and the Center for Political Innovation.[8]
Elections
| Year | Candidate | Alliance | Votes | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Christopher Helali | None | 3432 | 5th[10] |
Controversies
Lack of internal democracy
The ACB, which split from the PCUSA in August 2022, accused General Secretary Angelo D'Angelo of violating democratic centralism.[citation needed] According to the ACB, he attempted to appoint the Politburo of the LYC instead of letting the LYC Central Committee elect it[citation needed] and violated the PCUSA's own constitution which forbids unilateral actions by the General Secretary.[citation needed] Another party member, Christian L., used the party's Twitter account to make posts about the Russo-Ukrainian conflict that did not reflect the membership's views.[11]
Protection of alleged rapist and pedophile
On 12/17/2019, the Politburo of the PCUSA (at that time) had setup an inquiry committee to investigate allegations of pedophilia committed by one of its members. The inquiry committee’s results established the final offense as statutory rape of a minor and was provided to the PCUSA Politburo for a final decision. Ultimately, it was motioned that this member “step down,” and this was subsequently passed. No later than 01/29/2020, this member was already back inside the PCUSA. This information was kept hidden from both the rank-and-file membership, as well as other Party leaders. The exact motion that applied Party discipline to this member on 12/17/2019 states that they were “found guilty of the alleged charge of statutory rape [of a minor] and the inquiry concluded [that this person] should seek therapy and will be asked to step down from PCUSA making [this person] no longer a party member (can still attend PSMLS).” While multiple members had heard rumors of this, and tried extensively to gather information and expel this person from the PCUSA, these attempts were constantly denied, mainly by the General Secretary of the PCUSA. As of September 2022, this person is a Central Committee member and a club chair of the PCUSA.
Anti-science
Central Committee member Christian L. made anti-vaccine statements and was never criticized for his views.[11]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 “This tradition, history, and heroic struggle are sorely needed to provide a clear path for the American people and youth out of the present ruin in our homeland today. For it is our organizations and revolutionary youth whom we represent, who are the true patriots of America.”
Executive Committee (2022). Dear comrades of the League of Young Communists USA. - ↑ Letters of greetings, founding congress of the PCUSA
- ↑ People's School For Marxist-Leninist Studies (2022-08-15). "Declaration of the ACB To The Workers In The PCUSA" Twitter. Archived from the original on 2022-08-15. Retrieved 2022-09-05.
- ↑ "Party Program". Party of Communists USA. Archived from the original on 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2022-06-26.
- ↑ "Party of Communists USA Statement on Russian Military Operation in Ukraine" (2022-02-25). PCUSA.
- ↑ Red Patriot. "Restoring U.S. Hegemony Isn't Possible" The Worker.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Party of Communists USA (2014). Statutes of the Party of Communists USA.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "When Communists Sue Communists". The Socialist.
- ↑ https://usfriendsofthesovietpeople.org
- ↑ "Christopher Helali". Ballotpedia.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "The Birth of the American Council of Bolsheviks" (2023-02-07). New Spark. Archived from the original on 2023-02-18. Retrieved 2023-02-26.