Kentucky Workers League?

That was my impression, Trots of some sorts. But I have no working knowledge of them.

that wonderful intersection of Trotskyism and Social-Democracy.

fnbrilll

that wonderful intersection of Trotskyism and Social-Democracy.

I'm no mathematician but I don't believe you can have an intersection of something with itself.

iexist

fnbrilll

that wonderful intersection of Trotskyism and Social-Democracy.

I kind of like them

water finds its own level :P

iexist

fnbrilll

that wonderful intersection of Trotskyism and Social-Democracy.

I kind of like them

I've always been curious iexist; is your seemingly warm feelings toward some trot (and their ilk) groups more based on a sincere consideration of the kind of organizing projects they're involved with (I like X because they organize Y) or is it an ideological softness towards the state?

Asked respectfully -

Lexis wrote: "I'm pro party and pro workers semi state..."

Might I ask which party your're for and what you mean by workers semi state?

iexist

boozemonarchy

iexist

fnbrilll

that wonderful intersection of Trotskyism and Social-Democracy.

I kind of like them

I've always been curious iexist; is your seemingly warm feelings toward some trot (and their ilk) groups more based on a sincere consideration of the kind of organizing projects they're involved with (I like X because they organize Y) or is it an ideological softness towards the state?

Asked respectfully -

I have no ideological softness for the bourgeois state, I'm pro party and pro workers semi state but thats a separate issue. Philly Socialists is doing organizing among tenants that is really badass, and most of them seem to be doing the important institution and movement building that needs to happen to rebuild the left.

I'm James Turner just fyi

I know your J.T man. I was earnestly just curious. You've been posting for awhile and your politics have seemingly been developing* this whole time and was just wondering where you're at nowadays.

For what its worth - I'm sympathetic to the idea of liking a group whose organizing you respect even if you're not 100% down with the program. Though I don't share your concern with rebuilding the 'left' as it were.

* My politics are continually developing as well, just not as fast as they did when I was your age. I went from a liberal friend of labor with a streak of constitutionalism to a communist (with shit politics and a shit mouth) pretty quick.

Sike

Thank you iexist for the especially informative replies. Also a thanks to syndicalist for being the first to reply.

You're welcome!

I know that when Prolecat was active in Kentucky in the early 2000s he had a hard time finding any class struggle anarchists but did find one or two trots that he worked with in the local Earth First. Maybe it's some of the same people?

I have a softness towards trots who organize in uncool, Southern cities.

from some parts of the vocabulary ("oppressed peoples", "serve the people"), I would guess that there is some inspiration drawn from the BPP and the softer Maoist scene (FRSO?), Trotskyists generally avoid "the people" ;-)

Entdinglichung: I've heard FRSO (soft) and Solidarity (Trotskyism - Lite) occasionally work together.

I've talked with a few Maoists who do stuff with KWL, they're not a "front group," I mean it's not a secret - you can just, like, talk to them and they'll tell you about it. I was living in Tennessee for a minute and made more connections around the region mostly to anarchist enviro justice folks. My (limited) experience with them has been pretty good.

Now they're supporting this strike/campaign
(but aren't the initiators of it)
http://www.wtvq.com/2016/03/01/uaw-on-strike-at-trane-in-lexington/

The same company had people going on strike in Jersey last year
http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2015/06/trane_employees_reject_contract_and_vote_to_strike.html

Just found this thread after google-ing something about us; I'm a member of KWL and was the state-wide organizer for the solidarity campaign against Lexmark (which we just had a major victory in). I'd say the stronger tendency amongst a lot of the core-members is Maoist (and the organization is heavily influenced by Black Panther politics and tactics) but the organization itself is largely non-sectarian and makes room for broad anti-capitalist leanings (I tend towards anarcho-communism). The main strategic focus though is on building working-class power by applying social movement and social-networking theory to our actual organizing, which can be summed up in a sort of third mantra after "Serve the People" and "Fight the Power": "Organize the Unorganized". i.e. don't run around to the same small network of leftist activists/organizers that seem to be doing everything, start hitting the streets and figure out how to get people involved that aren't involved. Most of the working class unorganized in Kentucky's context know nothing about the various leftist sects, but definitely are able to tell when we go to bat for them to keep them from getting evicted, losing their jobs, etc. The organizational model and organizing models are heavily derived from the Philly Socialists and a wider federation is forming under the banner of the Mid-Atlantic/Appalachian Regional Committee of Socialists (MAARCS) with the Philly Socialists and KWL being the current two strongest member organizations.

Just a brief run-down!

-Jordan