The World Socialist Party of the United States (WSPUS) is a

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

political organization A political organization is any organization that involves itself in the political process, including political parties, non-governmental organizations, and special interest advocacy groups. Political organizations are those engaged in poli ...

that was established in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

as the Socialist Party of the United States in 1916 and which operated as the Socialist Educational Society in the 1920s before being renamed the Workers' Socialist Party. The organization reemerged in the 1990s and exists today as the American companion party of the

World Socialist Movement The World Socialist Movement (WSM) is an international organisation of socialist parties created in 1904 with the founding of the Socialist Party of Great Britain (SPGB). The member parties share a common classical Marxist worldview and an adh ...

Political philosophy

The WSPUS maintains that it has been unique in the history of

American socialist American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

and

parties A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will often feature ...

since its inception by maintaining the original conception of

socialism Socialism is a left-wing Economic ideology, economic philosophy and Political movement, movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to Private prop ...

as first propounded by 19th-century theorists such as

Karl Marx Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 ...

Friedrich Engels Friedrich Engels ( ,"Engels"
'' Antonie Pannekoek Antonie “Anton” Pannekoek (; 2 January 1873 – 28 April 1960) was a Dutch astronomer, philosopher, Marxist theorist, and socialist revolutionary. He was one of the main theorists of council communism (Dutch: ''radencommunisme''). Biograph ...

and

William Morris William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, artist, novelist, architectural conservationist, printer, translator and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He ...

. Within this tradition, socialism is defined as a

post-capitalist Post-capitalism is a state in which the economic systems of the world can no longer be described as forms of capitalism. Various individuals and political ideologies have speculated on what would define such a world. According to classical Marx ...

mode of production In the Marxist theory of historical materialism, a mode of production (German: ''Produktionsweise'', "the way of producing") is a specific combination of the: * Productive forces: these include human labour power and means of production (tools, ...

where the

accumulation of capital Capital accumulation is the dynamic that motivates the pursuit of profit, involving the investment of money or any financial asset with the goal of increasing the initial monetary value of said asset as a financial return whether in the form of ...

is no longer the driving force governing production and where production is undertaken to produce goods and services directly for use.

Economics

The WSPUS defines socialism as a moneyless society based on common ownership of the

means of production The means of production is a term which describes land, labor and capital that can be used to produce products (such as goods or services); however, the term can also refer to anything that is used to produce products. It can also be used as an ...

production for use Production for use is a phrase referring to the principle of economic organization and production taken as a defining criterion for a socialist economy. It is held in contrast to production for profit. This criterion is used to distinguish commu ...

and

social relation A social relation or also described as a social interaction or social experience is the fundamental unit of analysis within the social sciences, and describes any voluntary or involuntary interpersonal relationship between two or more individuals ...

s involving cooperative and democratic associations as opposed to bureaucratic hierarchies and companies. Additionally, the WSPUS considers statelessness, classlessness and the abolition of wage labor as components of a socialist society, characteristics that are usually reserved to describe a fully developed

communist society In Marxist thought, a communist society or the communist system is the type of society and economic system postulated to emerge from technological advances in the productive forces, representing the ultimate goal of the political ideology of co ...

, but that both Marx and Engels used to describe interchangeable with the words "socialism" and "

communism Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a ...

". The WSPUS condemns other parties that call themselves "socialist" for supporting causes within

capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, priva ...

(such as the interests of

labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the la ...

within capitalism), which they see as being but one side of the same coin. The WSPUS criticizes them for being

reformist Reformism is a political doctrine advocating the reform of an existing system or institution instead of its abolition and replacement. Within the socialist movement, reformism is the view that gradual changes through existing institutions can ...

and for abandoning the long-term goal of building socialism in favor of maintaining the capitalist mode of production tempered by a

welfare state A welfare state is a form of government in which the state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal opportunity, equita ...

. The World Socialist Movement also criticizes "

democratic socialists Democratic socialism is a left-wing political philosophy that supports political democracy and some form of a socially owned economy, with a particular emphasis on economic democracy, workplace democracy, and workers' self-management within ...

" and labor unionists for coming to define socialism as political struggle within capitalism as opposed to defining it as a system to replace capitalism. For instance, they criticize the

Socialist Party USA The Socialist Party USA, officially the Socialist Party of the United States of America,"The article of this organization shall be the Socialist Party of the United States of America, hereinafter called 'the Party'". Art. I of th"Constitution o ...

for advocating policies like full employment instead of dealing with the structural issues of capitalism like questioning the need to retain wage labor in the first place. The WSPUS also contends that nationalization, state ownership and even decentralized-

public ownership State ownership, also called government ownership and public ownership, is the ownership of an industry, asset, or enterprise by the state or a public body representing a community, as opposed to an individual or private party. Public ownershi ...

of industry is not socialism because capital, monetary relations, exploitation,

wage labor Wage labour (also wage labor in American English), usually referred to as paid work, paid employment, or paid labour, refers to the socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer in which the worker sells their labour power under ...

and bureaucratic hierarchy still exist in such organizations and in most cases state-run organizations are still structured around generating profits. The WSPUS advocates the abolition of all employment, which they argue is a modern form of slavery, as well as its replacement by a society of voluntary labor and free association that produces wealth to be distributed through channels of free and open access.

Politics

Unlike

anarchists Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not necessari ...

, the WSPUS advocates a political revolution because it argues that as the state is the "executive committee" of the capitalist class, it must be captured by the working class to keep the former from using it against the will of the latter. It also condemns the reformist nature of much anarchist activism. The WSPUS maintains that the revolution must be carried out by a willing majority organized without leaders, capturing the state by means of delegates elected solely to carry out the wishes of the majority to destroy the state by replacing it immediately with democratic control of the means of production across the entire country and indeed the entire planet. It has stood against all wars fought since its inception on the grounds that they always represent the economic interests of the owning class and never those of the working class. Unlike much of the left, it does not take sides in wars. For example, it did not call for a victory for the

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

ese against the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. It has opposed the traditional radical opposition to the (usually Republican) incumbent presidents (e.g. anti-Nixonism, anti-Reaganism, or anti-Bushism) arguing that the enemy of the working class is the entire exploitative social system based on ownership of the means of the production, not the presidents elected to run that system efficiently, as such opposition fosters the illusion of "better presidents" rather than an understanding of and opposition to the entire economic system based on an owning minority employing a non-owning majority to produce its profits.

Organizational history

Formation

The Socialist Party of the United States (SPUS)—its name inspired by co-thinkers in the

Socialist Party of Great Britain The Socialist Party of Great Britain (SPGB) is a socialist political party in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1904 as a split from the Social Democratic Federation (SDF), it advocates using the ballot box for revolutionary purposes and oppo ...

(SPGB) and the original (non-WSM)

Socialist Party of Canada The Socialist Party of Canada (SPC) was a political party that existed from 1904 to 1925, led by E. T. Kingsley. It published the socialist newspaper ''Western Clarion''. History Establishment The founding of the Socialist Party of Canada bega ...

(SPC)—was established on July 7, 1916 by 42 defecting members of Local Detroit of the Socialist Party of America (SPA)."A Brief History of the WSPUS" (July 1976). ''The Western Socialist''. Those leaving to found the new organization were encouraged by the rapid growth of the so-called impossibilist movement in Canada and were deeply discouraged by the growing trend towards reformism in the SPA. Many founding members of the WSPUS were employed in the growing Michigan auto industry. The group was initially headed by an immigrant from England named Adolph Kohn, who was later remembered by one factional opponent as a "mild-mannered, blue-eyed man with a vast memory" who was "textually brilliant in Marxist lore".Oakley C. Johnson. "The Early Socialist Party of Michigan: An Assignment in Autobiography". ''The Centennial Review'' (Spring 1966). vol. 10. no. 2. p. 158. Writing under the pseudonym John O'London, Kohn attempted to gather around him others opposed to the World War in Europe who felt that the pursuit of ameliorative reforms only served to bolster the

capitalist Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, priva ...

system. The SPUS participated in the left-socialist circles of the time, especially with the Michigan Socialists expelled from the SPA in 1919 who first helped form the

Communist Party of America The Communist Party USA, officially the Communist Party of the United States of America (CPUSA), is a communist party in the United States which was established in 1919 after a split in the Socialist Party of America following the Russian Revo ...

(CPA) and later formed the

Proletarian Party of America The Proletarian Party of America (PPA) was a small communist political party in the United States, originating in 1920 and terminated in 1971. Originally an offshoot of the Communist Party of America, the group maintained an independent existence ...

. Groups were formed in New York City, Cleveland, Portland and San Francisco. The Proletarian group and the SPUS split apart over support for the Soviet Union. The WSPUS applauded the Bolshevik's withdraw from the first World War, but felt that the new Soviet regime could only be

state capitalist State capitalism is an economic system in which the state undertakes business and commercial (i.e. for-profit) economic activity and where the means of production are nationalized as state-owned enterprises (including the processes of capital ac ...

and hence should not be supported. The Proletarian Party, headed by Scottish emigrant

John Keracher John Keracher (16 January 1880 – 11 January 1958) was a Scottish-born American Marxist politician who founded the Proletarian Party of America in 1920. Biography Early years John Keracher was born on January 16, 1880, in Dundee, Scotland. In ...

, regarded the Soviet Union as a workers' state which needed defending. The WSPUS was given a regular page in the ''

Western Clarion The ''Western Clarion'' was a newspaper launched in January 1903 that became the official organ of the Socialist Party of Canada (SPC). At one time it was the leading left-wing newspaper in Canada. It lost influence after 1910–11 when various gro ...

'', the weekly paper of the original (non-WSM) Socialist Party of Canada, a publication which circulated broadly in

American Left The American Left consists of individuals and groups that have sought egalitarian changes in the economic, political and cultural institutions of the United States. Various subgroups with a national scope are active. Liberals and progressives ...

-socialist circles.

Development

Pressured by the Palmer Raids of January 1920 and threatened with trademark litigation by the SPA, the SPUS in the early 1920s as the Socialist Educational Society (SES). There were three locals in the SES period, located in Boston, Detroit and New York. The New York City local was the most active and events often included Louis Boudin as guest lecturer. In 1927, the SES changed its name again to the Workers' Socialist Party (WSP). The party published an irregular organ during the 1930s, ''The Socialist'', which was launched in November 1929 and continued publication until July 1938. The heyday of the WSP was 1930 and 1940s when it had perhaps 150 members. During that time, WSP members were quite active in the workers' movement, especially the

United Auto Workers The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers (UAW), is an American labor union that represents workers in the United States (including Puerto Rico) ...

union which a number of WSP members helped form. WSP members were also active in the International Ladies Garment Workers Union and the

International Typographical Union The International Typographical Union (ITU) was a US trade union for the printing trade for newspapers and other media. It was founded on May 3, 1852, in the United States as the National Typographical Union, and changed its name to the Interna ...

in New England. Since October 1933, the

had published the ''Western Socialist'' from

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...

. After the outbreak of World War II, the ''Western Socialist'' could not be published in Canada as an anti-war journal. Beginning with Vol. VI whole number 55, October 1939, the periodical was published in Boston and became the official organ of both the SPC and the WSPUS. Its final issue was Vol. XL, whole number 319, 1979–1980. In 1947, the party's name was changed, this time to the present World Socialist Party of the United States. During the 1980s, the party began to publish ''World Socialist Review'', the first issue being dated 1986. ''World Socialist Review'' has been published irregularly since then.

Present

The WSPUS rejuvenated in the mid-1990s due to the emergence of the Internet. As of September 2008, it has members scattered throughout the United States, including local branches in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

and

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

as well as a regional branch in the area encompassing

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

and

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

Notable members

* Taffy Brown – Detroit Labor Journalist for Labor News Agency. * Bill Davenport – founding Director of the United Auto Workers Education Department. * Adolph Kohn – leading party member during the foundation period. * J. A. "Jack" McDonald – former

IWW The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), members of which are commonly termed "Wobblies", is an international labor union that was founded in Chicago in 1905. The origin of the nickname "Wobblies" is uncertain. IWW ideology combines general ...

, ''Industrial Worker'' Editor,

member and owner of McDonald's Books (founded 1926; 48 Turk St., San Francisco); McDonald (sometimes spelled "MacDonald") published a periodical entitled ''On the Record''. * Frank Marquart – helped found the

UAW The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers (UAW), is an American Labor unions in the United States, labor union that represents workers in the Un ...

, Education Director of the Briggs Local 313, Dissident against the Reuthers, author of ''An Auto Workers' Journal''. * Samuel Orner – former IWW Organizer, organized the 1934 New York Taxi Strike, served as the inspiration for Lefty in ''

Waiting for Lefty ''Waiting for Lefty'' is a 1935 play by the American playwright Clifford Odets; it was his first play to be produced. Consisting of a series of related vignettes, the entire play is framed by a meeting of cab drivers who are planning a labor ...

''. * Bill Pritchard – former SPC member, Dockworker, founding member of the

One Big Union (Canada) The One Big Union (OBU) was a Canadian syndicalist trade union active primarily in the Western Canada, western part of the country. It was initiated formally in Calgary on June 4, 1919, but lost most of its members by 1922. It finally merged in ...

, Defendant in the Winnipeg General Strike Trial, Mayor of

Burnaby, BC Burnaby is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the centre of the Burrard Peninsula, it neighbours the City of Vancouver to the west, the District of North Vancouver across the confluence of the Burrard I ...

.''Labour/Le Travail''. No. 30. * Issac Rab – active in Typographers Union as well as in Detroit and Boston socialist politics for 60 years.

Publications

* ''The Socialist'' (1929–1938) () * ''Western Socialist Journal'' (1–40; 1939–1980) * ''World Socialist Review No. 1'' (1986) * ''World Socialist Review No. 2'' (1986) * ''World Socialist Review No. 3'' (1987) * ''World Socialist Review No. 4'' (1987) * ''World Socialist Review No. 5'' (1988) * ''World Socialist Review No. 6'' (1989) * ''World Socialist Review No. 7'' (1991) * ''World Socialist Review No. 8'' (1992) * ''World Socialist Review No. 9'' (1992) * ''World Socialist Review No. 10'' (1993) * ''World Socialist Review No. 11'' (1994) * ''World Socialist Review No. 12'' (1995) * ''World Socialist Review No. 13'' (1997) * ''World Socialist Review No. 14'' (1998) * ''World Socialist Review No. 15'' (1999) * ''World Socialist Review No. 16'' (2001) * ''World Socialist Review No. 17'' (2002) * ''World Socialist Review No. 18'' (2003) * ''World Socialist Review No. 19'' (2004) * ''World Socialist Review No. 20'' (2005) * ''World Socialist Review No. 21'' (2007) * ''World Socialist Review No. 22'' (2011) * ''Role-Modeling Socialist Behavior: The Life and Letters of Isaac Rab by Karla Doris Rab'' (2011) *''World Socialist Pamphlets'': **''How the drive for profit devastated our environment'' (2019) **''Employment a form of Slavery?'' (2019) ** Schauerte, Michael.''Reflections of the American Way of Life'' (2019)

References

External links

*
Archive of scanned issues of World Socialist Review

''The Western Socialist'' #4 1966; Vol. 33 #252.
Contains important sources for early party history.
''The Western Socialist'' #Vol. VI #57 Dec. 1939
First issue of the organ after its move to the United States. {{Authority control Far-left politics in the United States Political parties established in 1916 Classical Marxist parties in the United States Companion Parties of the World Socialist Movement Democratic socialist parties in the United States 1916 establishments in Michigan