EDIT: The original article I posted kinda sucked. I’ll keep it here for posterity if people want to read it, but I’ll replace it with a link @RedWizard posted with original resignation letter and the PSL internal response. If you want to read just the resignation letter with the PSL criticisms without any preamble, it is here.
EDIT 2: Here is the leaked PSL internal response.
Comment by @chana in the general thread: (Sorry to copy your comment here but it’s the only comment I’ve seen so far on this and it’s a good way to start off the discussion, along with summer discussion questions I’ll add below)
Comment text
Notable resignation and letter from PSL Central Committee member and related fomenting split in Brooklyn over PSL being run as a bureaucratic clique (which many will already be aware of from speaking with various PSL members trying to do more than participate in protests). PSL is good at specific local levels despite the national level dysfunction, and the vast majority of its membership good comrades. But the criticisms certainly ring true to me and are reasonable to cite as existential flaws. There is a bit of clown nonsense from the top on a regular basis (like the call for a general strike, cited in the resignation letter, lmao that is baby liberal idealism stuff).
If you’re currently unorganized don’t let this stop you from joining, it is more important to be active and learn locally from any non-abusive left space than to do nothing organized.
Discussion Questions:
- There’s a lot of PSL fans or members here so what do you think? Like overall on this news?
- Do the complaints have merit, or not? Do some do, and some don’t? Which ones? – If so, what does this mean for the left in the US? What are the solutions and what is the path from here? – If not, why don’t you think so? And what does it mean for the left in terms of factionalism and splitting?
- Do you still recommend the PSL as an organization to join? What about the DSA? Join the Democratic Party? FRSO?
Full disclosure I read the full letter, I did not read OP article. I think it’s a far cry from most of the PSL resignation letters you see out there, which seem like fed shit, seem to harden both nonsensical anarchist cases against them, & PSL members against structural criticism based on the history + financial of orgs descending from the Worker’s World Party network. From what I know about Brian Becker it rings true. My question is, what does this base-building in Brooklyn look like? Is this an old man bullshitting & crying because his nonprofit is getting turned into the DSA, or is it the fabled “actually doing something” PSL stans seem to imply will occur after years of No Kings rallies + Twitter clapback quotas met being shut down by built-in failsafes
Also OP, FRSO leadership has weird connections to US congress & let black activists rot in prison but was willing to pull those strings for some students. Please just leave the United States when possible
I think that’s the thing. I’d like to know more about these base building projects that are getting sabotaged by the PSL leadership.
Can you elaborate or point me to someone who has?
Yes I just need a minute since Wayback Machine is going really slow now that I loaded like 15 articles in a row to ctrl-f (all near misses related to other parts of antiwar movement cointelpro history grr), otherwise I will just go through my bookmarks
If there is a large delay in followup (switching IPs is not helping the pages load ???) I will try to hurry up on a full post about this & ping you, I’ve been frustrated with this for a long time! I sent this same piece to a prospective FRSO member on Discord like a year ago maybe I track him down ffs
I will add that there is plenty of other shit, I mean the whole thing of prisoner advocacy that serves to prevent prison riots and never actually frees anyone goes back decades. FRSO is connected to Liz Warren. But no fuck that I need THIS ARTICLE NOW
Thanks!
Unrelated, but there was also this put up like 6 months ago, which levies a lot of criticism at FRSO leadership. Idk how on point it is, but the author seemed to come by their position honestly.
Curious what this means! I’m having trouble understanding it.
Also their leadership are anti-Indigenous settlers who reject the notion of settler colonialism and think tribal nations should be erased