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What the Socialist Party Believes
The SP USA
membership handbook is a constanly updated and amended pamphlet. If you
would like to read more on the Party's principles and rules,
we'd suggest you read the Socialism As Radical Democrary or the SP USA constitution.
The SP believes in
political democracy and defines itself as a
democratic socialist organization. This means that we are committed to
the democratic process and its extension to the economy.
Socialists have also been in the forefront of those supporting civil
liberties for all, for two reasons: we recognize that if unpopular
views are allowed to be quashed, those in power use those laws against
those who threaten the status quo, (of which Socialists will be high on
the list); and because civil liberties are necessary for a functioning
democracy. Choices can’t be made adequately if all views are not
allowed to be aired.
Political democracy also involves secularism, or advocacy of separation
of church and state. Socialists believe that people should be free to
believe whatever religious doctrines to which their consciences lead
them, or to not believe in the super-natural, without state
interference. Likewise, no religion has a right to special preference
by the state.
We also apply our principles of economic democracy to other countries
that call themselves socialist. If they have tried to enforce equality
at the expense of political democracy, we disagree with attaching the
label “Socialist.” Indeed, it is a contradiction to speak of “enforcing
equality,” as that implies someone who is “more equal” is doing the
enforcing.
We may disagree amongst ourselves as to how to designate the previous
Communist Party controlled states, whether bureaucratic, collectivist,
state capitalist, or a class society or a new type. In our foreign
policy we withhold support for such governments, as we do for
capitalist governments.
Economic Democracy
Working Class Unity
Class Consciousness
Internationalism
Socialist Feminism
Ecology
A Multi-tendency
Organization
Defining
Democratic Socialism
Strategies for
Transition to Socialism
Tactics/Organizing
Socialist Party
History
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