10h ago

U.S. Comrades: Thoughts on FRSO?

I've been trying to find an organization to get involved in but a lot of the bigger Leftist orgs in America have some kind of controversy related to them and that's a bit off-putting.

Freedom Road Socialist Organization is the only one I've heard of that doesn't appear to have any stains on it and that's piqued my interest. Does anyone have any experience with them? Are they a good org?

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FRSO are settlers who reject the theory that the US is settler colonial. A comrade joined and their chapter recently organized for a local liberal political candidate, this plus their org's line on decolonialism was enough for the comrade to leave.
If they are the only ML group in your area, might be fine to try, but I would choose PSL over them if they were both options.
- That is troubling, but it could just be a chapter issue rather than the org as a whole.
  I was interested in PSL for a while - especially during the election when they first came to my attention - but I've worrisome stories about senior members abusing their authority to sexually harass female members. As a woman myself that makes me hesitant to throw in with them.
  
  The anti settler colonial issue is their national position written by their thought leader, the liberal local politician could certainly just be a local chapter issue but also a good national org would know about it and push back on why the local chapter is using resources that way instead of in another manner. It's a ML org not DSA, there should be more oversight over these things.
  Yes I am familiar with the PSL issues you are describing and they were also a primary reason why I never joined. I was lucky enough to have a local org option that worked for me. I will say that I haven't heard of new cases of this happening in years and hopefully it was resolved quietly by the organization with the individual problematic members. For an org as big as PSL, there hasn't been enough cases to suggest it's really a widespread issue, although I think the way the specific cases were handled should have been better. It's a valid criticism and reason to be wary but it would also be chapter dependent. I know a lot of non-men organize in PSL although I'd love some hard data on these things
I met a group of people from FRSO on a trip recently. Solid people with knowledgeable and agreeable things to say. From what I looked into after meeting them is that its a good org with a good understanding of theory, I prefer them over PSL. If there was a chapter in my city I would join since they are specifically ML.
I've heard good things as well. Basically the only reason I didn't join them was their small size in my local area. Curious to see what other people have to say about them as well.
Orgs in the west in general are just not that great. Frso rejects the settler colonial character of the USA as per J sykes essay on it, and they've been a pre-party formation for over 30 years now. The few Frso members I've interacted with online were very keen on recruiting new members which is not where priorities should lie for an org. Members will come if you do good work you shouldn't have to be doing recruitment drives.
- Our party is having this period in which it is more of a MLM scheme than a party because all they keep asking for is new members or signing petitions and it is wearing me out really. What if we, you know, actually did something? Set up a local inititative or whatever? But nobody seems to really listen.
i've heard nothing but bad things about frso, for whatever that's worth. i had a friend who was in it for a little while and she was always a little bit embarrassed to talk about it
- What bad things have you heard?
  
  i think i heard they were class reductionists? i'm not entirely sure; i just remember thinking i was never gonna join frso lol
If you are not blinded by identitarism, id suggest you try to know PCO
- I'm not familiar with this acronym; who are they? Can you tell me anything about them?
- Who is pco?

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