Social Democrats USA
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- For the earlier political party, see the Social Democratic Party (USA).
| Social Democrats USA | |
|---|---|
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| Party Chairman | |
| Senate Leader | None |
| House Leader | None |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Headquarters | 815 15th Street, NW, Suite 921 Washington, DC 20005 |
| Political ideology | Social democracy |
| Political position | Fiscal: Left-wing, Soft left Social: Left-wing, Soft left |
| International affiliation | Socialist International (lapsed) |
| Colour(s) | Red |
| Website | Social Democrats USA |
Social Democrats USA (SD USA), one of the successors of the Socialist Party of America, is a small coalition of intellectuals and trade unionists.
SD USA was one of three organizations to emerge from a split of the Socialist Party of America in 1972-1973. In 1972, the leadership of the SPA around Max Shachtman, believing that the Vietnam War was a necessary struggle against totalitarianism, endorsed Scoop Jackson for President and refused to oppose Richard Nixon after Jackson was defeated in the Democratic primaries. In response, two groups broke off: the Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee, which supported anti-war Democrat George McGovern, and the Union for Democratic Socialism, which backed People's Party anti-war candidate Benjamin Spock. The DSOC later became the Democratic Socialists of America and the UDS later became the Socialist Party USA. Following the split, the Shachtmanites who remained in the SPA changed the name of the party to "Social Democrats USA." This name selection is notable, as the European social democratic political parties were uniformly opposed[citation needed] to the very war which the Shachtmanites vocally endorsed.
Although most of SD USA's members are Democrats[citation needed], the organization has maintained ties with both major political parties[citation needed] and has, in the past, supported a strongly interventionist foreign policy.[1] It has been unwavering in its support for Israel, strongly supported the 2003 war in Iraq, and has come to generally favor the international policies of the United States under George W. Bush[citation needed], a stance which is also at odds with the views of the Continental European social democratic parties.[2]
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[edit] Cold War
In the 1970s and 1980s, members of SD USA were sometimes referred to as "State Department socialists"[citation needed] by other left-wing activists[citation needed] due to their support of hard-line Cold War policies. Prominent SD USA members served in the Reagan Administration[citation needed] on the staff of the State Department, Labor Department and on Jeane Kirkpatrick's staff[citation needed] when she was US Ambassador to the United Nations. SD USA members have long been prominent at the National Endowment for Democracy[citation needed] and Freedom House[citation needed].
[edit] Influence on Neoconservative movement
Although some former members are now neoconservatives,[3], SD USA as an organization holds many positions that are different from those of most neoconservatives[citation needed]. For instance, they strongly support workers' rights at home and overseas and oppose many of the Bush administration's domestic policies[citation needed]. In the 1980s, the SD USA was perhaps best known for its support of Poland's Solidarity trade union.
One of its leading members was the late civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, though by the 1980s he was not active in the organization and focused most of his energies on the issue of gay rights[citation needed]. Other notable members have included Ben Wattenberg[citation needed], Sandra Feldman[citation needed], and Ronald Radosh[citation needed].
[edit] History since 2005
There was much speculation[citation needed] that the death of the group's long time leader Penn Kemble would be SD USA's demise. This tone was strongly felt in the January, 2006 reminiscences of SD veteran Joshua Muravchik in Commentary Magazine.[3] The SD USA website has not been updated since 2005, in 2007 the organization's membership in the Socialist International lapsed,[4] and the two telephone numbers and one fax number listed on the official website have been disconnected.
[edit] References
- ^ Letter advocating the removal of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq
- ^ Socialist International: for official positions of the SI
- ^ a b Joshua Muravchik, "Comrades", Commentary Magazine, January 2006 (accessed 15 June 2007).
- ^ Socialist International: North American Member Parties
[edit] See also
- Preliminary Inventory of the Social Democrats, USA Records, 1937-1994
- Letter advocating the removal of Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq
[edit] External links
- Social Democrats USA (the site has not been updated since November 25, 2005)
