The Bolsheviks developed out of “The Russian Social Democratic Labor Party,” and organization where Lenin had a prominent position - because explicitly communist parties were illegal and repressed, so for a time everyone just called themselves social democrats. As for Lenin, he was a bit like Luthen from Andor, he kept his circles tight and did what he could to rigorously vet their ideology.
Something similar happened in China, though not by choice - the Long March was so deadly that those few who survived it proved that they were genuinely committed to the cause. The fact that Deng Xiaoping was there from the start is part of why Mao was indecisive about him, purging him and then letting him back in several times.
I believe there’s sometimes been a strategy of having a nonthreatening, public facing organization, which aids and provides cover for a more radical, underground group. I don’t have a source for that, but that’s how I’ve heard American communists functioned before they were stamped out.
It’s actually cool and good to join the working families party and try to pull them away from corporate donors, and away from the Democratic party in general. If you are successful, you’ll create a place where more radical people can find each other.
I don’t organize this way, but I think it’s just fine to build the DSA or whatever, even if you know a better way.
The Bolsheviks developed out of “The Russian Social Democratic Labor Party,” and organization where Lenin had a prominent position - because explicitly communist parties were illegal and repressed, so for a time everyone just called themselves social democrats. As for Lenin, he was a bit like Luthen from Andor, he kept his circles tight and did what he could to rigorously vet their ideology.
Something similar happened in China, though not by choice - the Long March was so deadly that those few who survived it proved that they were genuinely committed to the cause. The fact that Deng Xiaoping was there from the start is part of why Mao was indecisive about him, purging him and then letting him back in several times.
I believe there’s sometimes been a strategy of having a nonthreatening, public facing organization, which aids and provides cover for a more radical, underground group. I don’t have a source for that, but that’s how I’ve heard American communists functioned before they were stamped out.
It’s actually cool and good to join the working families party and try to pull them away from corporate donors, and away from the Democratic party in general. If you are successful, you’ll create a place where more radical people can find each other.
I don’t organize this way, but I think it’s just fine to build the DSA or whatever, even if you know a better way.