[Marxism] An analysis of the DP convention that works better

[Mark Lause]

There is no entry possible in a something that isn't really a
membership party.  The nature of the American parties as "caucus
parties" leaves power in the hands of officeholders, the committees
they appoint, etc.   This is not the same as branch parties in which
you have membership.

The idea of being a "Democrat" in the US essentially means that you
vote Democratic.  You have no voice in the party.  And no mechanism
through which to express your opinion on much of anything.  This isn't
to say that both major parties don't have various kinds of primary
meetings, etc. in which ordinary citizens can participate, but only an
infinitessimal portion of the electorate does so, largely because what
these bodies do will just get set aside when they are inconvenient to
the real party.  There are also groups like the Progressive Democrats
of America which exist not to influence the party--which it really
doesn't--but to keep progressives identifying with the party.

The only thing "entry" into the Democratic party can mean is to vote
for it.  That is, you can be a consumer of what the party's peddling
but that doesn't make you a "member."  Maybe more like being a fan of
a particular sports team.

Btw, I keep saying that American civic culture has generally declined
for a variety of sound materialist reasons, not the least of which is
the way technology has changed the way Americans think of community
and function within the community. It has generally become much more
of a spectator sport.

However, even in the best of times, the major political parties, were
never in the hands of the people, the only possible poor
exception--and this only on some very limited questions--was the
Republican Party when it still had some of the attributes of its third
party, insurgent origins.

ML