Reply To: Status of World Socialist Party (US)
I basically go along with what you say Dave but with two qualifications in the case of WSPUS
- That the SPGB should continue for the time being to take on the responsibility of processing new application for membership from the US because of the absence of an adequate means of doing this in the US at the moment
- That the SPGB should play a key role in assisting the US with a significant advertising campaign in the US in the near future once the necessary support infrastructure has been put in place (see my earlier post) which we are working on right now
The problems that the SPGB faces, which you rightly touched on, such as falling branch attendances etc are of course greatly magnified in the case of the US because of the large size of the country and the small numbers of socialists. But in both cases I suggest the key variable to focus on is the level of connectivity in the organisaton.
I am more and more convinced that the only way we can begin to effectively tackle this problem is to significantly diversify and expand the different ways in which members (and sympathisers) connect with each other. Frankly, we need to adopt a much more holistic approach to this whole issue.
I repeat: isolation is THE great killer of socialist activity. Find new and imaginative ways of overcoming this problem and we WILL see progress. Of that I am certain. Maybe foolishly so but certain I am….