Party for Socialism and Liberation



The Party for Socialism and Liberation (or PSL) is a revolutionary Marcyite socialist/communist political organization based out of San Francisco, which split from the Workers World Party. The Party for Socialism and Liberation believes that the only solution to the deepening crisis of capitalism is the transformation to socialism. The PSL also believes that capitalism is on a collision course with the people of the world and the planet itself and must be stopped.

The Party for Socialism and Liberation was formed in 2004. Its members are active in a wide range of progressive movements and anti-police brutality movements such as Black Lives Matter. It has also been closely tied to the progressive ANSWER Coalition. The party's goal is to lead a revolution paving the way towards socialism, under which a "workers' government" would be formed, The PSL proposes many radical changes to be implemented by this government. "All public officials, without exception, would be elected" i.e. no appointed officials, "subject to recall at any time" by the electorate, and unable to engage in lobbying. Freedom of speech would be universal but the PSL's definition would exclude bigotry and endorsement of capitalism.

The party also wants to achieve fully developed socialism and then open the way to communism and the end of class society. The PSL would, among other measures, prohibit the exploitation of labor for private profit, implement a working week of 30 hours, introduce "a guaranteed living income for any worker who is not able to find or hold a job," ensure "paid parental and family leave for up to two years," provide "paid sick and disability leave," require "a minimum of one month’s paid vacation," outlaw renting and selling land, provide free healthcare and education to all U.S. residents (citizens or otherwise), and eliminate "all fossil fuel and nuclear energy use."

The PSL would grant the right of self-determination to what it considers oppressed nations of the United States, including "African American[s], Native, Puerto Rican and other Latino national minorities, the Hawai'ian nation, Asian, Pacific Islander, Arab, and other oppressed peoples who have experienced oppression as a whole people under capitalism." It would grant independence and reparations to Puerto Rico, and is open to granting the same to American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and the Mariana Islands; it considers all overseas territories colonies. In the Leninist tradition, the PSL supports the right of nations to self-determination. It has been outspoken in condemning Israel and its role in the Middle East. The PSL led demonstrations against the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in July 2006 and supports the right of return for Palestinians. The PSL voiced solidarity with Nepal upon the overthrow of the monarchy and the election of Pushpa Kamal Dahal in 2008.

Moonbattery
PSL is very anti-imperialist (in its capitalist incarnation), and like many left-wing parties it goes to the extremes to support anti-American interests. PSL upholds Castro and defends the Soviet Union, especially Stalinism, Mao Zedong, North Korea, and Assad. The PSL also have a very strong pro-Putin stance and fully condones the Russian invasion of Ukraine under the ideal of reconstituting the Soviet Union and places nearly all of the blame on the US and NATO. Their solution is to disband NATO and let Russia annex Ukraine and other neighboring countries. The PSL also proudly promote Uyghur genocide denial.

Candidates
ran for president under the PSL in 2016 and did quite well, getting almost 75,000 votes (7th place), the most for any explicitly communist presidential candidate in the US in the 21st century. The main reason for this is the support of the, one of California's more powerful third-parties. She did about as well in 2020, receiving slightly under 68,000 votes and earning 6th place. She has run for vice-president four times, president four times, governor of California three times, and mayor of San Francisco once. She hasn't won yet, but we'll keep you posted.

In the 2018 California elections, Natalie Hrizi, their candidate for Insurance Commissioner, running on the Peace and Freedom ticket, won 316,149 votes, getting about 5%.