Stop the fraudulent use of the SPUSA name and banner

We, dues paying members of SPUSA, unite in expressing our desire to end the deliberate misrepresentation of our party by the unauthorized "Socialist Party USA: America's Voice for Democratic Socialism" Facebook page , a page that is and has been administered by disgruntled former members and others hostile to the candidates, leadership, and political heritage of SPUSA.   The purpose of this page has been to divert comrades from multiple tendencies interested in SPUSA and to divert them to single tendency organizations or drive them from the party listed on the page by the lack “basic civility” tolerated on the page by its administrators.

 

The page as a long history of “false accusations of malicious intent and impersonation” tolerated or initiated by its administrators, one who has been banned from the party’s listserve due to his lack of civility.  While the” Facebook group has consistently acknowledge that it is not officially recognized by the SPUSA,” those signing onto the page are not aware they are signing on to an opposition page.  While Facebook did not allow a change in name, nothing keeps the administrators of the page from starting a new one with a new name except the fact that that those not active on the page will not follow the administrators to a new page and the new page will not be able to claim an inflated membership on non-active participants.  

 

The so-called elected administrators “to moderate the discussion and enforce rules of civility” include those who have been disciplined themselves for lack of cavity in other party forums.   Election of administrators has been fraudulent by including names of persons who long ago severed their relationship with the page.   “Civility is always ,a challenge in large forums,” especially when administered by those notorious for trolling, attacking the rights of others to define themselves as socialists, and fraudulently representing SPUSA members while acting as administrators.  While not all current and past administrators of this page have not engaged in unethical practices, those presently serving as administrators have clearly and publicly decided to associate with those who have. 

 

“Those of us who are members of the Socialist Party USA defend” the freedom to members to criticize our candidates and leadership with nonmembers or whoever they choose, but not under our banner.   In fact, in a recent poll on the site, only 21 of the 1,200 were actually members of the SP.  Of those actually in the party or are former members, they are dominated by a sectarian minority who have constantly failed to convince the party’s majority to remove the party’s ban on dual membership with democratic centralist (authoritarian Leninist) organizations and openly opposed with the party’s century old political heritage that began with the party of Eugene Debs was rejecting rejection Lenin’s 21 Conditions in 1920 (demanding democratic centralism).   The page has recently openly promoted Stalin and Gaddafi as socialist heroes.   While claiming freedom of speech for their sect, the page includes not only ex-SP members who attack the organization, but current members of other organizations - PSL, CP...- who engage in sectarian attacks against the SP, groups ideological opposed to the existence of sects, so-called tendencies, or caucuses in their organization.  

 

While “Facebook offers a unique forum where socialists can easily reach massive numbers of people,” it can be also be used as a weapon to undermine unity” and “the Socialist Party ought to welcome and participate in exchanges with non-members, and former members, without fear.”   That that is not the record of this page as party members who have chosen not to participate on the page have been slandered to the point where it compromises employment opportunities.  This has even led to a long time party member being suspended by his local for the personal slanders on a fellow local member facilitated by the administrators of this page.   Administrators of this page have even refused to recognize the right of party members to freely dissociate from this page.  Freedom association is impossible without the freedom to di-associate.  Active posters are overwhelmingly male, aggressive and scoff at even the notion of feminist process. 

 

“The Socialist Party USA facebook community has become a political football between diverging tendencies in the SPUSA,”  if in fact the game of football is a game in which only one team is on the field.  Most members in disagreement with the page do not participate (but may check it occasionally to see recent personal attacks on their character).  In fact, it is this page as for too long “escalated internal conflict and created a terrible distraction from our important political work”  We, dues paying members of SPUSA, ask the NC to support the NAC resolution and exercise their fiduciary duty to stop the misrepresentation of our name and banner. 

 

This petition was not an initiative of any faction, so-called tendency, or caucus.  Only dues paying members are welcome to sign