NationStates Jolt Archive

Here's a list of all the political parties in the United States significantly further to the left then the Democratic Party. A majority are socialistic in their goals.

Communist League (US) (2004 – present)
Communist Party USA (1919 – present)
Free People's Movement (2002 – present)
Green Party
Labor Party (1995 – present)
Liberty Union Party (Vermont) (1970 – present)
New Union Party (1974 – present)
Peace and Freedom Party (1967 – present)
Socialist Action (1983 – present)
Socialist Alternative (1986 – present)
Socialist Equality Party (1953 – present)
Socialist Labor Party (1876 – present)
Socialist Party USA (1973 – present)
Socialist Workers Party (1938 – present)
United Citizens Party (1969 – present)
Vermont Progressive Party (1999 – present)
Workers Party, USA
Workers World Party (1959 – present)
Working Families Party (1998 – present)
World Socialist Party of the United States (1916 – present)

Tell me, is there something wrong with this picture? Why do we have 19 seperate political parties all advocating mostly the same thing, at least in the short run? Wouldn't it make much more sense to unite into one vast left wing coalition?

Here's a list of all the political parties in the United States significantly further to the left then the Democratic Party. A majority are socialistic in their goals.



Tell me, is there something wrong with this picture? Why do we have 19 seperate political parties all advocating mostly the same thing, at least in the short run? Wouldn't it make much more sense to unite into one vast left wing coalition?

It wouldn't exactly be all that vast, though. America isn't exactly the "land of the left".

Here's a list of all the political parties in the United States significantly further to the left then the Democratic Party. A majority are socialistic in their goals.

Tell me, is there something wrong with this picture? Why do we have 19 seperate political parties all advocating mostly the same thing, at least in the short run? Wouldn't it make much more sense to unite into one vast left wing coalition?

It's like the "People's Front of Judea" joke. If you don't get it, I can't explain it to you.

It wouldn't exactly be all that vast, though. America isn't exactly the "land of the left".

It would certainly have a greater impact then 19 seperate parties running around blindly poking away.

It's like the "People's Front of Judea" joke. If you don't get it, I can't explain it to you.

Monty Python's Life of Brian. ;) Fun stuff.

Leftists: Fighting against the rules of simple arithmatic.

Tell me, is there something wrong with this picture? Why do we have 19 seperate political parties all advocating mostly the same thing, at least in the short run? Wouldn't it make much more sense to unite into one vast left wing coalition?
At one time, the Democratic party was a vast left wing coalition, and during the Depression era they kicked some ass, but the problem with such a large group is that you have to make a lot of compromises to maintain it, and as the compromises pile-up everything starts to mellow out until you get the lukewarm, conservative party of JFK and Clinton.

Tell me, is there something wrong with this picture? Why do we have 19 seperate political parties all advocating mostly the same thing, at least in the short run? Wouldn't it make much more sense to unite into one vast left wing coalition?

People who are big on ideology will fight over ideology. 'Tis how it works.

At one time, the Democratic party was a vast left wing coalition, and during the Depression era they kicked some ass, but the problem with such a large group is that you have to make a lot of compromises to maintain it, and as the compromises pile-up everything starts to mellow out until you get the lukewarm, conservative party of JFK and Clinton.

Especially when you try to occupy the "center" of American politics in order to get more votes at the Presidential level. Then you end up cloning Republicans.

It's like the "People's Front of Judea" joke. If you don't get it, I can't explain it to you.

Splitters!

Well, there are considerable differences of opinion among some of these parties. For example, the Greens and the assorted Socialist parties tend to be quite different in their environmental views. And, of course, some of these parties are regional in scope, so you may have two parties with different names but the same views in different parts of the country.

However, that doesn't explain the whole litter of them. There are, in general, two factors keeping these parties from uniting:

1. These parties tend to be made up of a small number of fanatics who are unable to compromise on even small points of doctrine. Differ on one thing, and you are mortal enemies who must destroy each other.

2. Even parties that are in complete agreement have trouble merging because of pure human ego. It always comes down to: Which of the former groups will wind up in control of the united group? You wind up with so much infighting that attempts at unification almost always fail.

If it makes you feel better, there are probably just as many obscure right-wing parties as there are obscure left-wing parties.

:p