The arguments on the list on the merits or otherwise of supporting the "Democratic Party" will go on notwithstanding any piece that list participants would write. In their prior form, I do not wish to add more at this stage.
Nevertheless, it may be of interest to peruse some aspects of a new piece (to be found at: https://mlrg.online/politics/the-usa-2024-presidential-elections-should-socialists-advocate-election-boycott/ There are some aspects in this piece, that have received thus far on this list at any rate - I think it would be fair to say - very little to no - discussions. These are considerations on underlying changes in USA economic structures. A little probe into this is started in this piece in sections 4-5. I disclaim any pretence at a 'final' analysis of this somewhat vast theme, especially from a non-economist as myself. But I will maintain that some of that content merits consideration. In any case, an "abstract" for the new piece is provided below: " Abstract: Once again as the USA presidential elections take place, conflicting views on the left have erupted. These discussions concern the political nature of the leadership of the world’s number one imperialists. Hence perforce, they concern the peoples of the entire world. As the elections in the USA for President loom, some socialists argue vehemently against participation in these elections. They argue that the working people should abstain. Arguments used by those left-wing parties and individuals that advise workers to abstain from the election are based on two main claims: i) Democracy has been fully exposed, and that Lenin’s analysis is hence out of date. ii) There is no difference between the two wings of main capitalist class as represented by the Republican or the Democratic Party. While this has been a recurrent claim, it has taken special resonance in the middle of a brutal war of annihilation being waged upon the Palestinian people and their neighbours. Since Lenin’s time, in recent years his advice to participate in bourgeois democracy is regularly mocked by some socialists. For them, the ruling parties of the capitalist class have been long exposed and no can could fail to see this. In this they argue exactly as the Ultra-leftists did in the1920’s. Overall there is very little objective difference between the “Democratic Party”(whose candidates are for President Kamala Harris and for Vice-President Timothy Walz) and the “Republican Party” (whose candidate for president is Donald Trump and whose candidate for Vice-President is J.D.Vance). Fundamentally both parties and candidates are aligned on the analysis of capitalism and socialism. But “very little objective difference” – is not the same as “no difference”. We will detail more on both arguments, in particular on the current differences and similarities between the “Democratic Party” and the “Republican Party”. This therefore also demands a consideration of changes in the USA economy, which is examined in part 5 below. We will argue that on foreign policy there is now virtually no difference between the two main parties in the USA. But that in internal domestic policies there is light to be seen between the two. This is different enough between the two parties to warrant socialists to advise workers in the USA not to abstain and vote for the “Democratic Party”. Votes for alternative parties are understandable but the major ones do not clearly embrace socialism. Moreover there remains space for the capitalist class to rule by means of bourgeois democracy. As a whole it is not in favour of fascism. We define this following precedents below. Moreover we will argue that while Trump is not a fascist, he is undoubtedly likely to facilitate the path for fascism if he were elected. Finally we argue that the main energy of socialists should be directed at forming a united single Marxist-Leninist party directed at the socialist revolution. But this party needs to work with united fronts and evolving ‘alternatives’ to build a broad Red Front. Marxists and socialists understand that they must work within the class, wherever the people are struggling." https://mlrg.online/politics/the-usa-2024-presidential-elections-should-socialists-advocate-election-boycott/ -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#33211): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/33211 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/109273759/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
