- 17 Mar 2004 02:50
#127438
Lately, I have been doing research into the radical left in the USA, and, I have a few questions concerning the nature of the Young People's Socialist League (YPSL) and the Socialist party.
Some time ago, I read Seymour Martin Lipset's Why Socialism failed in the United States, and its critique of the Socialist Party and the internal politics of the party; despite their infighting over theory, the Party did exceptionally well in local, state and federal elections; has anyone on this board ever come across an explanation why they fell so far? Why did a party which generally received more than 5 million votes in the early 20th Century turn into a 'nothing party'? Can this be chalked up to Cold-War politics or is/was there something else to blame for their decline.
Also, does anyone here know anything about the nature of YPSL. From reading their website ( http://ypsl.org ) I have learned that they joined the Socialist Party as their youth-wing in 1989; did they exist, as a Party, before this? Their constitution and 'aims' section is pretty pedantic. Can anyone shed some light onto their political background?
Some time ago, I read Seymour Martin Lipset's Why Socialism failed in the United States, and its critique of the Socialist Party and the internal politics of the party; despite their infighting over theory, the Party did exceptionally well in local, state and federal elections; has anyone on this board ever come across an explanation why they fell so far? Why did a party which generally received more than 5 million votes in the early 20th Century turn into a 'nothing party'? Can this be chalked up to Cold-War politics or is/was there something else to blame for their decline.
Also, does anyone here know anything about the nature of YPSL. From reading their website ( http://ypsl.org ) I have learned that they joined the Socialist Party as their youth-wing in 1989; did they exist, as a Party, before this? Their constitution and 'aims' section is pretty pedantic. Can anyone shed some light onto their political background?