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PSL: To Our Comrades (Rhode Island PSL) (shawarmarxist.substack.com)
submitted 1 day ago by to c/chapotraphouse@hexbear.net
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Hello, it's me again

This is another article that's been going around. I talked to some comrades up in Rhode Island and apparently the author of this kind of has some eh stuff going on and was actually kind of a jerk but still here's more kind of evidence of what's going on.

Notably one thing is that they say that the PSL Miami branch is dissolved. I don't know like anything about this.

It kind of feels like live archaeology at this point, just trying to archive and document the kind of discussions that have been going on. I honestly really have incredibly little faith in the party to continue to survive and end up being the party that we need. I think a new party is clearly going to need to form.

If you have any thoughts or additional points of information that can be used to, like, bring together the understanding of what went wrong and what's been going wrong, please put it below.

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[–] 13 points 1 day ago* (9 children)

I think that the number one concern of any communist organization is to excise dangerous criminal and reprehensible actors from harming others in the communist organization, as they create endless liabilities. What the victim wants can fluctuate depending on where they are in their recovery as we can see from Marissa's experience and from my own personal experience. I think as a victim of sexual violence, the ultimate best thing for the victim is to completely separate from the abuser and the geographic location the abuse occurred at. In an ideal world with perfect information, we would simply summarily execute or castrate all sexual abusers or find a way to preempt them.

Can the PSL be considered a feminist organization with leadership that refuses to excise predators immediately? No, they cannot. The PSL central committee also immediately went to attack Marissa rather than staying professional, which shows incompetence.

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  • [–] 13 points 1 day ago (1 child)

    Also, I'm really not trying to deflect here, but I do take issue with the concept of "mandatory castration for sexual predators". I fought hard to be able to receive my gender affirming surgery. I cried (sad) when it was delayed, and I cried (happy) when I woke up and began to process it. I resent the association between sexual predators and a surgical procedure that I have received specifically because I am transgender. Transphobes are already constantly portraying me as a sexual predator simply for existing. If being trans makes me a sexual predator, and it also makes me want to "be castrated", it feels like the implementation of a "castrate sexual predators" policy is casting my gender affirming care as actually being a punishment for the crime of existing while trans.

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  • [–] 8 points 21 hours ago*

    I'm trans too it's nonsense to say bottom surgery and making it difficult for sexual predators to harm others and get enjoyment out of it are the same thing. I want them to have zero nerves at all, bottom surgerys goal is typically to keep nerves intact. But if it's such a gripe of yours I'm fine with just killing them shrug-outta-hecks

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  • [–] 9 points 1 day ago (6 children)

    I ultimately disagree with your characterization, but I do understand and empathize with that position. As a matter of principle, I believe that people are capable of change and growth. I think that is, in fact, critical to my entire belief in the project of building socialism. That includes people who have committed acts of sexual violence. I think it's also true that Eugene's position on the CC made the situation more sensitive. I personally think that his initial resignation should have been accepted. I'm glad he resigned when the issue was re-litigated. But I don't think it's an irredeemable mistake, nor is it tantamount to concealing sexual abuse or protecting a predator, for the party to have chosen a rehabilitative process instead when that is what the affected victim herself declared would be her preference. I think we both understand that the trauma of sexual abuse makes it difficult to advocate for yourself, especially in the immediate aftermath. But isn't it true that if the party's policy was an immediate expulsion (let alone execution/castration) no matter what, that a victim in that scenario would be even more unwilling to come forward? Marissa didn't want him expelled immediately, and the fact that she was empowered to be part of the investigative and disciplinary process made for a safer environment for her to come forward. I believe the disciplinary process that PSL has gives agency to survivors of sexual abuse, and I think that's genuinely important.

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  • [–] 5 points 10 hours ago* (1 child)

    I don't think it's an irredeemable mistake

    It is irredeemable for a role that demands trust.

    SA is a betrayal of trust, not only of the immediate victim, but of every member of the organization.

    You are talking about personal redemption, redemption of a person qua human being. That should not be confused with redemption as leader, nor with the possibility to avoid immediate consequences.

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  • [–] 3 points 9 hours ago

    To be very clear, I'm referring to the response and disciplinary process by the party, which included a suspension from all party activities and public engagements, as well as implementing a rehabilitative accountability process for the offender in consultation with the immediate victim. I do not believe that that decision was a mistake warranting the dismissal of the entire central committee or dismantling of the party.

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  • [–] 14 points 18 hours ago (3 children)

    these people destroy movements. i'm not against the concept of rehabilitative justice, but you don't achieve any kind of justice by keeping them in positions of power. and you definitely don't achieve it by asking that the victims keep quiet and keep civil around people who have victimized them. chauvinists are a liability to the movement and they're dangerous to be around. and the fact that elements of the leadership asked her to cover it up to "protect the party" demonstrates that either their "rehabilitative justice" is just the thin blue line, or that they're not competent enough to lead a movement. given that they didn't discuss it at all with other members of the executive committee, i'm gonna guess it's the former. either way, whoever was responsible or complicit in this catholic shit needs to be out, like, yesterday.

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  • [–] 12 points 17 hours ago (2 children)

    i'm not against the concept of rehabilitative justice

    Rehabilitative justice is for civilians. Cadre discipline is completely different. It's no contradiction to think that civilian handling should be rehabilitative while cadre handling should be punitive. Cadre who fuck up should be made an example of and quickly expelled from the party. A social club is free to expel and bar prospective members from (re)joining their club, so why shouldn't it be any different for a party?

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  • [–] 8 points 11 hours ago

    This is correct. A position of revolutionary leadership requires personal ethical fortitude and behavior in compliance with developed political principals. It is pre requisite for the job and if people do not understand and abide, then they are unsuitable.

    Also, how is being removed from authority or even the party contrary to restorative justice?

    They are not handing him over to police with all the evidence and acting as state witness. Nobody is filing a personal lawsuit. Nor are they taking retribution into their own hands by delivering a beating, incarcerating him themselves, forcing him to pay monetary damages, or knocking him off. He isn't even being socially exiled or shunned. At least from what I have seen on hexbear, no suggestions for any of those.

    In fact all involved have had opportunity for communication and negotiations. A generous dialogue of constructive criticism have been provided to perpetrator and his allies, which they can draw upon in their (potential) efforts to improve themselves and each other.

    Restorative justice isn't only saying "well he's probably sorry, let's move on", but requires addressing dynamics which created the harm. Clearly, this perpetrator and his supporters are not qualified for their positions, and have brought disgrace to the party. There have been errors made in structure, power relationships and accountability and now is the time to attempt correction.

    In regards to the restoration of the individual perpetrator, he will now have more time to engage in such work. He seems to have resources and relationships available to him. Part of that will be learning to live with humility as a regular person who can't exert excess political/interpersonal pressure to satisfy his desires. He can learn now that holding a political position is not his inherent right, but a job undertaken in service of the working class, that comes with obligations. He can decide if he is still interested in contributing to revolutionary work when he doesn't get the same personal rewards as before. And if he wants, he will be able to find a way to do this, while recusing himself from roles that tempt his weaknesses of character.

    There is no obligation on any group to maintain a member, much less leader, while they engage in such growth.

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  • [–] 8 points 17 hours ago

    i think this is a better take. especially for something as serious as molestation, there should be no question of how much tolerance the party has. to use your leadership position to condone, participate in, and cover up this shit is unforgivable.

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