NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #27/NN_1992_27.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/8536

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From: "RHODNEY WARD, [phone]W/336-4829H" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Birth Pangs of the U.S. Third-Party Movement
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Dear All,

Following is one of several articles I will be forwarding to ACTIV-L from
Left Turn, a publication of Solidarity.  A description of Solidarity
follows this article.  Comments and questions are welcomed at:

[e-mail] or [e-mail]



%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
[From Left Turn, Fall 1992 Issue]

(Published before the election)

Birth Pangs of the U.S. Third-Party Movement

by Chris Gaal and Stuart Ross

    As the election nears, many activists are finding the
slogan "choose or lose," which is intended to get out the
vote, to ring increasingly hollow.  With the choice being so
limited, perhaps it would be more appropriate to say choose
AND lose.  Still, while many will undoubtedly grit their
teeth and vote for the dubious "lesser of two evils" come
November, the initiative to form third-party alternatives to
the Democrats is gathering momentum.

    Traditionally, many activists have focused their
attention on the Democrats.  The image of the Democratic
Party as the "party of the common people" and as an
instrument of progressive social change has been firmly
embedded in the minds of many on the left, despite evidence
to the contrary. Activists have made continuous attempts to
promote progressive agendas within the party, such as the
Rainbow Coalition of 1988, only to find their cries have
fallen on deaf ears. Now, however, new strategies are
gaining popularity and varying degrees of independence from
the Democratic Party are being explored. Several new third
party initiatives with their sights set on 1992 and beyond
are gaining recognition. The "lesser evilism" politics
that has plagued left/progressive movements for so long is
showing signs of weakening. The current wave of rebellions
against the Democratic Party, despite some shortcomings,
open up some very exciting possibilities for progressives.

    From the labor movement, an organization called Labor
Party Advocates has emerged. Declaring that, " The bosses
have two parties. We should have at least one," LPA members
are trying to lay the foundation for a labor party in the
U.S. By agitating for a new economic, social and political
agenda for working people and by organizing a labor party,
Labor Party Advocates hope to revitalize the trade union
movement and make it a strong force in American politics
once again. The national leadership of LPA, however, has
adopted a "go-slow" approach which in many ways inhibits
the growth and organization of LPA. There is also resistance
to developing an explicit political platform for the
organization while its membership is so low. Still, since
labor involvement in independent political action is
essential for its success, Labor Party Advocates is one of
the more important initiatives on the horizon.

    The Greens / Green Party USA is the third largest party
in the U.S., with over 150,000 members nationally (over
100,000 of those in California!), and has organizing
committees in all 50 states. Over 40 Greens have been
elected to municipal and county office in 13 states, and
they have permanent ballot status in 5 states (Alaska,
Hawaii, California, Arizona and New Mexico).  They stress
grassroots democracy, both political and economic. There is
general agreement that the environment has been horribly
degraded by "industrialization," but while some Greens
explicitly link this to capitalism, many do not.  They have
also taken a strong stand for independent political action,
and against working in the Republican or Democratic parties.
They consistently criticize Al Gore, the "environmentalist
" politician, for being a big supporter of both the
military and industry, the biggest consumers of CFC s,
leading to ozone depletion, the destruction of
phytoplankton, etc.  Still, this stand is somewhat loose in
practice, at least in California, where they sometimes
support so-called "good Democrats."

    Recently a small group of dedicated activists formed
the "New Party." The politics of the New Party are a lot
like the politics of a very left-leaning progressive
Democrat. Although it has no program as of yet, the New
Party does have a set of basic principles that it uses for
guidelines in its political action, and it has been endorsed
and is supported by ACORN (The Association of Community
Organizers for Reform Now). One thing that sets the New
Party apart from other third party initiatives is its
reliance on various electoral strategies. To avoid
"wasting" supporters  votes on a candidate with "no
chance of winning," they put a strong emphasis on the
cross-endorsement of New Party candidates. This is an
example of what is called an "inside/outside" strategy and
in this case it allows candidates to appear on the ballot
for both the New Party and (most likely) the Democratic
Party. The price of "inside/outside" strategies, however,
is that they sacrifice one s independence from the
Democratic Party.  No Democratic Party politician is likely
to feel threatened by a third party knowing that it will
endosre him in the end.

    The continued assault on women s rights, particularly
the right to choose, has prompted the National Organization
for Women (NOW) to create the 21st Century Party-the
Nation's Equality Party. Standing on an initial platform
called the Expanded Bill of Rights for the 21st Century, the
party advocates constitutional guarantees against
discrimination of all kinds: the right of a woman to funded
and available birth control, abortion and pregnancy care;
the right to housing, health care and education; the right
to a clean and protected environment; and the right to
freedom from violence. This platform was expanded at the
21st Century Party s founding meeting last August. Although
the 21st Century Party lacks a clear understanding of race,
class, and the burden that U.S. imperialism places on third-
world peoples, this initiative is slowly moving toward the
left and away from an "inside/outside" strategy.

    One of the most exciting initiatives for socialists has
been Ron Daniel s Campaign for a New Tomorrow. This is one
of the most radical and anti-capitalist of the third party
efforts and is the only one actually running a presidential
candidate this year. Ron Daniels is a long-time activist and
the former deputy campaign manager for Jesse Jackson s 1988
presidential bid. Drawing lessons from his experiences with
the Jackson campaign and the Rainbow Coalition, Daniels has
set out to create a mass-based, democratic, independent and
progressive movement that competes for power to govern in
the interests of the vast majority of Americans abandoned by
the two party system. He has chosen a Native-American woman,
Asiba Tupahache, as his running mate, and talks about
forming a progressive "shadow cabinet" made up of various
well-known radicals. The Campaign for a New Tomorrow has
been endorsed by the Greens, the Labor Farm Party of
Wisconsin, the Consumer Party of Pennsylvania, the
California Peace and Freedom Party, and could very well have
Daniels on the ballot in several states.

    At the end of August, the Campaign for a New Tomorrow
sponsored a national convention in Ypsilanti, Michigan,
entitled the "People s Progressive Convention." The
conference was to provide an opportunity for those who
oppose both the Democratic and Republican parties to get
together after the major party conventions. Many activists
involved in the third party efforts mentioned here were able
to attend the convention. New ways of working together were
discussed and a "People s Progressive Network" was the
result of these important discussions. The network will
facilitate an ongoing dialogue between various third party
initiatives and numerous progressive organizations around
the country, promoting the idea of independent political
action in a coordinated and unified manner. This network can
only help third party efforts in the future.

    Today it has become more and more obvious to people
that we are in desperate need of change. In light of this
realization, the significance of all these steps toward
independent political initiative cannot be underestimated.
Of course, electing even the best politicians cannot bring
about serious social change.  They have to play within the
framework of the capitalist system, or corporate pressure on
them increases manifold.  Besides, the body of people
elected to a legislature is not nearly enough to
democratically run all of society.  Decisions made in the
workplace, the classroom, and the community also involve
power, and require their own form of elected government for
society to be truly democratic.  While having better people
in office may make a small difference, the real potential of
independent political action reaches much further because of
its ability to provide a direct political voice for mass
movements and struggles.

    Although some of these third-party initiatives do not
represent a complete break from the Democratic Party and
most aim to "fix what s broken" instead of  "building
something new" (with the possible exception of Daniels),
their very existence and their growing support lets us know
that the days of  "lesser evilism" politics are slowly
fading. People are coming to terms with the fact that change
will not come from the Democrats. By moving beyond simply
criticizing the Democratic Party and moving into opposition
to it, these independent initiatives no longer become just
pressure groups that can be easily contained and then
conservatized or defeated. Independent political action
opens us up to some tremendous possibilities for real
change. Now more than ever we should be educating activists
on the need for independent politics and on the strengths
and weaknesses of some of these third party efforts.


%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%


                  WHAT IS SOLIDARITY?

      Solidarity is an independent socialist organization dedicated to
forming a broad regrouping of the U.S. left.  We include activists from
many long-standing socialist traditions, as well as younger members from
newer movements.  We do not attempt to put forward a monolithic
platform which we all have adapted to; rather we rely on the richness of
our traditions and the creativity and newer experiences of our younger
members to foster and develop a forward-looking socialist thought.

      Solidarity was founded in 1986 by revolutionary socialists who
stand for "socialism from below," the self-organization of the working
class and oppressed peoples.  We are feminist, anti-racist, and democratic.
Within our group, we are trying to foster cultural diversity, flexible
practice, and straight-forward socialist politics.

      We are activists in many grassroots movements.  We are members
of unions, where we oppose corporations as well as bureaucratic "business
unionism."  We are involved in solidarity with the people of Central
America, South Africa and Palestine, and many other countries, where we
fight against U.S. aggression and imperialism.  We work for reproductive
rights and other feminist demands.  We fight for an ecological society.
We are gay, lesbian, or bisexual activists.  We are activists of color or
work in solidarity with people of color fighting for dignity and power.

      In these movements, we try to build broad coalitions, organize the
unorganized, activate the apathetic, develop ties between movements, and
strengthen rank-and-file democracy.  We argue against participation in the
Democratic Party, which has been the graveyard of radical movements, and
promote the idea of a new independent political party.

      We see Solidarity as a contribution to a new U.S. left, one neither
sectarian nor reformist.  We advocate a new, creative politics with an
attitude of openness and collaboration.

      Obviously, we can't create a new society by ourselves.  If you or
your group are interested in working with or joining Solidarity, or if you
would simply like more information about us, please contact us.  Let's get
together - for a change.

[Transcribed from the back of Left Turn, a publication of Solidarity]

For more information, contact our national office at:
Solidarity, 7012 Michigan Ave., Detroit, MI 48210, [phone]
or send email to:
[e-mail] or [e-mail]