EDIT: The original article I posted kinda sucked. I'll keep it here for posterity if people want to read it, but I'll replace it with a link @RedWizard posted with original resignation letter and the PSL internal response. If you want to read just the resignation letter with the PSL criticisms without any preamble, it is here.
EDIT 2: Here is the leaked PSL internal response.
Comment by @chana in the general thread: (Sorry to copy your comment here but it's the only comment I've seen so far on this and it's a good way to start off the discussion, along with summer discussion questions I'll add below)
Comment text
Notable resignation and letter from PSL Central Committee member and related fomenting split in Brooklyn over PSL being run as a bureaucratic clique (which many will already be aware of from speaking with various PSL members trying to do more than participate in protests). PSL is good at specific local levels despite the national level dysfunction, and the vast majority of its membership good comrades. But the criticisms certainly ring true to me and are reasonable to cite as existential flaws. There is a bit of clown nonsense from the top on a regular basis (like the call for a general strike, cited in the resignation letter, lmao that is baby liberal idealism stuff).
If you're currently unorganized don't let this stop you from joining, it is more important to be active and learn locally from any non-abusive left space than to do nothing organized.
Discussion Questions:
- There's a lot of PSL fans or members here so what do you think? Like overall on this news?
- Do the complaints have merit, or not? Do some do, and some don't? Which ones? -- If so, what does this mean for the left in the US? What are the solutions and what is the path from here? -- If not, why don't you think so? And what does it mean for the left in terms of factionalism and splitting?
- Do you still recommend the PSL as an organization to join? What about the DSA? Join the Democratic Party? FRSO?
He is omitting that the congress elected to create the bylaw committee, that he was a part of it, and that he participated but refused to put forward his real position and refused to offer open criticism. (ostensibly because he would be marginalized, which seems moot now that he marginalized himself)
edit: it also wasn’t to preclude discussion, or his opinions. it was because the bylaw process was getting unwieldy as the party grew, as any member can put forward a change in language
Ah. Sounds like a lot of it came down to him having separate opinions on political strategy of the party and not saying it out loud because he knew he was being out voted anyway. At least, he did that long enough to build up a separate faction that did believe in this other political strategy, one I'm still not completely sure what the difference is (since PSL does do base building and community organizing as well - I guess it's just a matter of priorities?).
It's kind of annoying, but I guess if you can't handle Democratic Centralism, that's what you need to do. Splitting is a time honored tradition in leftist orgs, after all. I just wish it wouldn't be so messy.
After reading both it seems the leadership feel base building should funnel to socialist education and PSL more directly (i.e. support party building) and the faction felt base building should be the heavy focus with little or no direct tying to party building. If true i side with the PSL leadership, Base building should support party building otherwise it’s not really revolutionizing.
The bit i know about the Colorado people’s center seems to support that but that could also be due to the split and I don’t know enough to confidently say how it runs.
Rest seems to be a lot of word twisting and omitting for what seems like org issues they’ve already acknowledged and seem to be understandable for a communist org in the imperial core having growth but also facing pressure from the state.
Think overall if people are in any doubts it’s best to still try to join PSL or any org in your area and feel it out yourself. Reading responses online can only inform you so much about the actual workings of orgs.