Communist League (US)

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The Communist League, often referred to simply as "the League", is a recently formed clandestine communist organization, based in the United States, but also having members in other countries, that works for the overthrow of capitalism and the capitalist state, and the establishment of a workers' republic (or working people's republic) as the first step toward communism.

One unique view of the League is the division of the historical progression of America into the "First Republic" (founded with the adoption of the constitution), "Second Republic" (beginning with post-Civil War reconstruction), and the "Third Republic" of the future (which is described as a workers' republic).^[1] In the view of the league, the Second Republic, the most recently perished, was terminated with the victory of the regime of George W. Bush.^[2]

The Communist League was formed in November 2004 at a Provisional Convention held in an undisclosed location in the United States^[3]. The impetus for the formation of the League was the aftermath of the 2004 election in the US, which they contend was a second coup d'etat by the Bush regime^[4]. Though it does not formally recognize itself as such, the Communist League is guided by principles and theories associated with Marxism.^[5] However, the Communist League does not associate itself with any of the 20th century's Marxist trends, such as Leninism, Trotskyism, Maoism or the "official" Communist parties, though it does accept members of these tendencies.^[6]

The Communist League has three central publications, The Worker [Communist], Working People's Advocate and Workers' Republic. The Worker [Communist] is a biweekly bulletin containing articles and commentary from the League. Working People's Advocate is a bimonthly tabloid newspaper, the "voice of the Central Committee of the Communist League". Workers' Republic is a quarterly "political journal" containing programmatic statements from the League, called Bulletins, and longer analytical and theoretical articles. The Communist League also produces other literature, including leaflets, pamphlets and books.

Because of its clandestine character, the names of its members, and its total membership, are kept secret. The only known name of a member of the Communist League is Henry "Hank" Miles, who is the editor of Workers' Republic and a public spokesperson for the organization.^[7]

The Communist League is an organizational affiliate of the International Working People's Association, which is a public organization, and its members participate in the IWPA's local bodies.^[8]

The Communist League has no relation to, and should not be confused with, groups outside of the United States that go by the name "Communist League", which are affiliated with the Pathfinder tendency and led by the Socialist Workers Party (United States).