Talk:Revolutionary Communist Party, USA

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Contents

[edit] Publications and periodicals

This whole section needs to be fixed up. This is just an index of a library's collection in New York, but is not systematic or updated. Much of this is related to historical files from the 1970s and doesn't include their recent output or seminal works.

The list is not taken from a particular archive, but is meant to be an indication of what the RCP was producing at in its formative period. In the future, rather than wholesale deletions of sections that you'd like to rework, either do the work, or move the section to this Talk page for discussion. DJ Silverfish 16:00, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

This list is not representitive, rather it is a repost of the archives at NYU's labor library archives -- an entirely partial list of one 2-year period. Most of these publications were short-lived local papers before national consolidation, over 25 years ago... That was my thinking, and it would make much more sense to list relevent national publications, maybe with a note that they once ran localized editions... but the ettiquette is understood...

I've removed the 30-year old pamphlets. Currently the RCP prints Revolution, but the other stuff is just clutter.Bandit alley (talk) 18:24, 4 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit]

Hi ender,

I have removed the bit about SL's terrorist label in this article not because I don't think it's true, but because this is the wrong context for that information. That information belongs on the page for Shining Path (and I believe it is there). But having it here seems to me just like an attempt to label RCP, USA as a terrorist group by association, because they are in the same Maoist league as SL & the Nepalese maoists. We already say that RCP, USA advocates revolutionary Maoist warfare in the US; there's no reason to include tangential information to try to force inferences on the reader.

DanKeshet


[edit]

I restored the article to a previous edit. Someone changed the article to remove any negative point of view and only show a positive point of view.

SonofRage

[edit]

I have removed two links which are now defunct.

[edit] Page moved

The comma is used at rwor.org, so we'll use it here (instead of parenthesis). --Jiang 22:10, 15 Jan 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Ending for article

The last sentence sounds kind of terse: "The document also puts forward Bob Avakian as a great leader." Also the article seems to focus on some perceived negative aspects of the RCP's work and ideology, such as the only part of the new programme of the party that was mentioned being the change of line on homosexuality. The article also does not mention at all the party's newspaper except for a link; I think it should be mentioned at least in a paragraph because it is one of the main parts of the party that's known to people. Also the work that the party does in the projects should be mentioned.

[edit] Refuse and Resist

I removed the new paragraph and links on Refuse and Resist to this page for discussion. I tried to remove the POV from the text in the article itself. Claiming unanimity of opinion is overstating the case. Horowitz is pretty out there. RCP members or supporters may be leaders in some chapters and not in others. I will cite this if possible and add it to the article.

POV: RCP is thought to maintain a front group called Refuse & Resist! (RnR). RnR does not articulate clearly Maoist viewpoints. RnR acts on behalf of many anarchist and left-wing causes like the anti-war movement and the case for Mumia Abu-Jamal. RnR has been known to covertly fundraise through its Youth Network on behalf of the RCP. Both the radical right and the radical left seem united in this theory of RnR being a front group for the RCP. Below are links to an anarchist infoshop website, and an article by Michelle Goldberg from a conservative magazine that both that acknowledge the connection. The conservative ex-Marxist, David Horowitz, edits FrontPage Magazine that published Michelle Goldberg’s article.

Refuse & Resist! an RCP Front?

DJ Silverfish 15:49, 15 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Thanks for your help, i am newly registered and am really digging the whole process, anyway, I really appreciated your changes, they were deft.
in peace
Fluid~axiom 08:42, 17 Apr 2005 (UTC)

[edit] POV and Avakian

I removed the following update by anonymous one-time user 68.83.161.128:

Although the RCP puts forth a Socialist agnda they are isolated from many Socialists and Communists in the United States and abroad due to the Authoritarian way the RCP is run by Avakian. Many expect the RCP to die off with the death of Avakian and his cult of personality.

I removed it for POV and foretelling the future, but I'm placing it here because it raises the issue of the centrality of Avakian to the RCP. DJ Silverfish 14:50, 17 May 2005 (UTC)

Many believe the truth expounded by Avakian and RCP will live on after the former dies.


[edit] Plain Dealer article

The Plain Dealer article is gone now. Here's the URL in case the archives ever become accessible:

DJ Silverfish 20:57, 19 May 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Cleveland PD article

I can still get this from http://www.cleveland.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/sunday_mag/1113768936271860.xml - if that doesn't work for you it's definitely still on Google's cache. It's the printer-friendly version that includes the article in the entirety, someone should save it and upload it to an independent website for archival.

I used the URL for the print page and restored the link. The Google cache link would be too long, but if somebody objects to the print window, then we could use that. DJ Silverfish 18:33, 31 May 2005 (UTC)


[edit] Venceremos

There's recently been some controversy on the H. Bruce Franklin article about various issues, so I e-mailed Franklin to ask for his side of things. This article's depiction of Venceremos seems to contradict Franklin's own account in several ways. I've tried to summarize the various points of view on the split in the Franklin article, and I think the RCP article, in its present state, is either wrong or unbalanced.--Bcrowell 20:34, 14 August 2005 (UTC)

Somebody should mention the fact that the RCP doesnt have a very clear organization, and the fact that it is extremely difficult to enter into the official party ranks. The RCP, does in fact patronize minority groups into joining its viewpoint, but not the party. There's also a very elusive command structure, the lack of appearance by the actual Chairman himself, and the unclear and oft-sounding Utopian idealist program for the future isn't well-established. The RCP is a very large and sloppy party, with muddled ideas and a defenite cult of personalty. And I know people would say it was POV, thats why i posted here. I am an active member in various groups in the LA region of the party, and I can tell you the aforementioned from experience with this group and on my word.(UTC)

Check out the muddled ideas in the draft programme of the RCP, 130 pages of vision that doesn't miss a word: http://rwor.org/margorp/progtoc-e.htm . The accusation that Avakian patronizes minorities is a bald-faced lie.

[edit] external links embeded in the main text

I've removed an external link to the October 22 Coalition which was embedded in the main text. I've replaced it to an internal link, in the hopes that some one will create the article. The previous edit to this section had replaced the link to the actual Oct 22 page, to one that was critical. An internal link to a article specifically on the Oct 22 Coalition would avoid such point scoring. Here are the two links, for reference on the new page.

Official:

Oppositional:

DJ Silverfish 01:35, 6 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] all the criticism

The criticism section is in danger of overwhelming the article with POV. Rather than simply dividing and supplementing recounted counter-polemics at the bottom of the page, why not incorporate instructive, and controversial, portions of the RCP history into the chronology of the article. The experience of Vietnam Veterans Against the War deserves an NPOV section, for example. DJ Silverfish 00:06, 18 May 2006 (UTC)

Criticism is also contention over their basic orientation. Much of it is guided by partisan anti-communism, other by partisanship for the organization if critical. Motivated adherents of these and other opposing viewpoints seem intent of making the discussion fit their assessment.

The whole discussion needs considerably more history, in terms of events and the group's orientation -- and a lot less judgement as history. I have begun filling this entry out, others should also add as well. The idea that a criticism subsection should overwhelm the basic entry is skewed, as there are plenty of such venues already in existence.

HI sorry but the basic facts are that the RCP is a completely bs organization who indoctrinates everyone and tries to make Bob Avakian into a god. A criticisms section must exist, if not in a different article —Preceding unsigned comment added by ImmortalTech (talk • contribs) 07:08, August 26, 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Internal Contradiction?

The introduction says that the RCPUSA views the Soviet Union under Stalin as inherently socialist, but the Contentious Issues section has them as denouncing the Soviet Union as state capitalist. So which is it? The first view sounds like a deformed worker's state, but that's explicitly ruled out. Do they view post-Stalin Russia as state capitalist? Someone with more knowledge should check this out. Supersheep 09:39, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

the rcp usa views the soviet union in stalin's time as *essentially* NOT 'inherently' socialist. they date the resotration of capitalist with kruschev. they believe that class struggle continues under socialism, with the state and it's leading heights as a fulcrum of this struggle. they do not hold views, such as the 'deformed' or 'degenerate' workers's states, that are associated with traditional trotskyism -- but they are sharply critical of stalin's legacy not just in the former soviet union, but internationally -- see avakian's writings. In the Stacks

[edit] Boston busing

I don't know enough about the subject to add it, but I think a it would also be good to discuss, in an NPOV fashion of course, the RCP's support of those who opposed busing to acheive school integration in Boston in the mid-seventies. At the time, many on the left summed this up as "right opportunism" and I suspect that the RCP itself might say the same thing today (although I could be wrong). --Midnite Critic 22:18, 26 September 2006 (UTC)



[edit] Vandalism, harrassment

There is a dispute over the placement of an anonymous external link by an ideologically motivated person. Efforts to impose anonymous rumors as external links, particularly those false from start to finish, will be blocked. This user is on record as Chuck0. His history of edits is clearly aimed to spread animosity through anonymous attack ads, not published and reasonable criticism, which it should be noted is included in the basic entry here without dispute. This Talk page will also not serve as a bully board. Anonymous, unsourced articles are by their very nature not "verifiable."In the Stacks

I'm wasting my time at this point, but In the Stacks has removed my comments from this page several times today. Chuck0 23:59, 8 October 2006 (UTC)

You shouldn't remove things either though. You are both out of line here. Ungovernable ForceGot something to say? 07:22, 9 October 2006 (UTC)
absolutely -- Chuck is throwing names around with no basis, which is why his links and harrassment are being removed. He has attempted to jack this talk page to use as another source of planting rumors. Noted, dealt with. In the Stacks
So have you. You're both pissing me off. Ungovernable ForceGot something to say? 15:07, 9 October 2006 (UTC)
I'm really sorry. I don't want to piss you off. I just want to add links and contribute to Wikipedia. Chuck0 18:18, 9 October 2006 (UTC)

all personal attacks and notes are being removed to end this fake dispute. Anonymous, unsourced political hit pieces will not be linked here. Criticism in in the main body and other SOURCED and signed links. The issue here is verifiable info and a clear campaign by one individual with helpers to post disinformation that cannot be verified.In the Stacks

There is nobody helping me. You can keep pulling stuff out of your ass all day long, but in the end you are wrong to censor links and bad-mouth people who are trying to play by Wikipedia's rules. Chuck0 18:18, 9 October 2006 (UTC)
User Chuck0 is attempting to talk nice here, but a cursory review of his editing history, prior issues with Wikipedia and comments on the editorial history show the plain truth. He is attempting to insert an anonymous, unverifiable slander piece from his personal website. It makes allegations that are not factually correct about the legal relationship between various oragnizations. They are false. But the general issue is already discussed in the entry. This user's harrassment of individuals and attempt to jack the Talk page is why the conversation has been moved into the history, available to interested parties in both the Talk and entry pages. User Chuck0 is also attempting to force the issue through a revert lock. In the event of such an instance, the unverifiable and false link should not be included. Unsigned, anonymous, unsourced = unverifiable.In the Stacks

I put some very non-controversial and widespread criticism in and User: In the Stacks edited it off and replaced it with a defensive message about FBI tactics. I think this move was inappropriate. If he doesn't agree with the criticism, then fine, but it exists nonetheless and should be mentioned. I didn't not state that the individual points criticism are fact, simply that the existence of the criticism is a fact and clearly belong in this article. If User:In The Stacks would like to challenge me on whether or not such criticism can be verified, wonderful, that is easy to confirm, but simply removing it is inappropriate.Sarsnic 23:03, 11 December 2006 (UTC)

I would say in good faith that it's charming to admit you aren't posting something factually true, then getting bent out of shape when it is removed. Front Group, as a term, derives from J. Edgar Hoover to describe any organization in which communists play a role, particularly an influential and leading one. Post factual materials, not NPOV violations and there won't be an issue. Since what you post is not verifiable (and certainly not true), you should find a better use of your time like exposing the how "some critics allege the Freemasons are behind the Federal Reserve Board" or "Some critics allege that people from the richest zipcode in America are often impressed with their own opinions."In the Stacks 02:43, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
If you compare the criticisms that you keep deleting (which you did several times without even discussing, and I am glad you are finally engaging the discussion) you will find them to be truly much more widespread than the ones in the paragraph before which pass your standards for some reason. There is nothing wrong with the full range of criticisms to be included on this page. I think in the interests of wikipedia you should step back a bit here and consider making a good encyclopedia instead of a promo piece for the RCP that doesn't include the full range of criticisms. Wikipedia has a neutral point of view, which means we strive for articles that advocate no single point of view. Wikipedia has a code of conduct: Respect your fellow Wikipedians even when you may not agree with them. Be civil. Avoid making personal attacks or sweeping generalizations. Stay cool when the editing gets hot; avoid edit wars by following the three-revert rule; remember that there are 1,530,543 articles on the English Wikipedia to work on and discuss. Act in good faith, never disrupt Wikipedia to illustrate a point, and assume good faith on the part of others. Be open and welcoming. Sarsnic 08:07, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

Now for proof that the criticism, right or wrong is widespread, a few references out of the hundreds: http://www.wcw-nyc.blogspot.com/ (a chapter of WCW defends itself from charges of being a front group) http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2006/09/346766.shtml http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20051028142252927 www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1715515/posts http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/184896.php http://www.mediamouse.org/briefs/110305world.php http://www.discoverthenetworks.com/groupProfile.asp?grpid=7213 http://www.inblogs.net/indymediawatch/2005/11/tired-of-waiting.html http://hammeringsparksfromtheanvil.blogspot.com/2005/11/world-cant-wait-to-celebrate-one-year.html http://thedefeatists.typepad.com/apoplectic/2005/10/when_government.html http://www.americanprotest.net/columns/09082006.ph http://www.floppingaces.net/2006/05/29/world-cant-wait-other-communis/ I hope this makes it clear that the charge is very widespread and belongs in the wikipedia. The criticism is shared by a wide array of political groups. Sarsnic 08:31, 13 December 2006 (UTC)

As your post is not properly about the RCP, but rather a coalition in which it is involved, and is fatuous, I don't see the debate. "Front group" as a term has NO MEANING, save that communists are involved, and as mentioned derives from J. Edgar Hoover to force socialists and communists out of political life in America. The legal implication is that activists involved alongside communists are their "dupes" or "stooges" and that LEGALLY those involved are taking direction from "seditious" organizations. While you may feel comfortable making these allegations, and linking to right-wing disinformation blogs, that does not mean this "criticism" has the slightest merit beyond the note that public supporters of the RCP did, in fact, help initiate this larger movement. It should be noted here that for your talk of decency, you actively attempt to jacket activists as communist stooges while not even pretending that such claims are VERIFIABLE. Should I post all the links I can find from "critics" that Freemasons control the Federal Reserve Board? I know I can find more than 10. From browsing the links above, not ONE contains any factual information to the effect that RCP members "control" World Can't Wait... because there is none, because it is factually incorrect and BY NATURE unverifiable. Penind such information, I will continue to remove NPOV violations. (and will note that this discussion is taking place under "Vandalism, Harrassment")In the Stacks 18:21, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
You say that the term front group has no meaning but then continue to say that it involves communists. Brilliant! The term front group is a commonly used term by people familiar with politics as well as leftists. As for the RCP controlling WCW, I think that is pretty obvious. I even found C. Clark Kissinger, a prominent spokesperson for the RCP, as the owner of their web domain. Perhaps the connections are so obvious that WCW shouldn't be considered a front group of the RCP, rather a satellite organization or a special project of the RCP. Chuck0 18:54, 13 December 2006 (UTC)
Regardless of if the accusations are true, they are common enough and notable enough to deserve mention. Ungovernable ForceGot something to say? 05:27, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
You lack of concern for what is true is genuinely charming. Of note, C. Clark Kissinger is not a spokesperson for the RCP. That is just factually incorrect... Also of note: User Chuck0 has been attempting to stir up additional vandalism on a number of entries regarding left-wing organizations on various listserves. One linke: http://lists.anarchylist.org/pipermail/anarchy-list-anarchylist.org/2006-November/000346.html. This is his perogative, but it should be noted here. Sidenote: as with the disputes about the unverifiable materials he has attempted to insert, his narrative is – to put it kindly – unreliable.In the Stacks 17:22, 22 December 2006 (UTC)
User In The Stacks is not a reliable source for anything. They are an anonymous troll with a long history of vandalizing entries, shit-talking other Wikipedians, and otherwise being a dick to anybody who blocks his agenda. People at least can figure out who I am. Anonymity takes away your credibility.
People should also note that In the Stacks uses the word "vandalism" as a weasel word. He is attempting to conflate edits that he dislikes with "vandalism." User In the Stacks has proclaimed on more than one occasion that he will not allow the addition of my links to these entries. This attitude spits on the spirit of Wikipedia, where people colloborate to create and edit entries. In the Stacks is censoring links to legitimate pages of criticsim of these organizations. What is the point of having external links on entries? In the Stacks has failed in his arguments against these links. Chuck0 02:23, 24 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Note

Please also see Talk:The World Can't Wait where the same poor excuse for a debate is taking place. Ungovernable ForceGot something to say? 04:32, 9 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Membership Numbers

I was wondering if anyone can find membership numbers on the RCP? It would certainly be good information to have in the article. Topkai22 19:54, 12 October 2006 (UTC)

It indeed would, but is probably not information the RCP makes public, which is not unusual for such groups. Generally, membership numbers are therefore based on SWAG's (scientific wild-ass guesses). --Midnite Critic 22:14, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Cleanup

Against my better judgement, I've started a clean up of this page. As of today, I've reformated the publications and the links using the citation templates found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Template_messages/Sources_of_articles/Generic_citations.

The next step will be to reorder the language of the article, removing all the duplications and POV language. I plan to stick to a narrative of linear development within a template that is typical for political parties: Origins, History, Theory, Criticism. Sentences will be anchored with footnotes in a new Reference section.

Additionally, I think we should spin off the Revolutionary Union into a separate article. The Criticism section has become a place to develop arguments agains the RCP, taking over the article.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated, left in this space. DJ Silverfish 22:52, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Absolutely, the (Bay Area) Revolutionary Union was a distinct organization that was very telling in its time. All of those suggestions are right on. There's very little discussion of the industrial organizing in the 1970s, and day-to-day organizing efforts later on. The whole treatment is very ideological, which makes sense – but leaves out the muscle for the bone. In the Stacks
It has taken longer to finish this rewrite than I planned, but I am still working on it. DJ Silverfish 22:37, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

Can someone please update this page to reflect current activities and publications? I will attempt to do this when I have time. Peopleriseup (talk) 09:46, 14 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Archive or censorship?

I am preparing to archive all the "back door" commentary and libel.In the Stacks 21:28, 12 January 2007 (UTC)

I believe that Wikipedia policy prohibits deletion of content from talk pages. If you don't like the content that has been posted to these pages, then perhaps you shouldn't have gotten involved. Chuck0 01:54, 13 January 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia is not your personal website or a discussion forum. As the attempt to insert unsourced, unverifiable rumors and libelous material through a link to your website has generated more talk than actual content, there is no reason to use the Talk page as a vandal's sandbox. I will not be deleting the talk here, but archiving it.In the Stacks 15:40, 13 January 2007 (UTC)

No, you won't. This page is not long enough for an archive and there is absolutely no need beyond you trying to scorch the earth of all criticisms of the RCP made by Chuck. Archiving isn't some selective process where you remove the things you don't like. And you yourself engaged in libel or near-libel just as much as Chuck, so don't whine about it like you are some innocent victim. And I may remind you that you have still yet to give any good reason as to why we shouldn't link to infoshop. It is a high-traffic website and one of, if not, the most well-known anarchist website. It is definitely a notable site and is a good external site for someone interested in an anarchist critique of the group. It may or may not be accurate, but that doesn't matter as it is an external link meant to show a particular point of view regarding the subject, true or not. Ungovernable ForceGot something to say? 06:48, 15 January 2007 (UTC)
I just realized that you did "archive" all that stuff, so I'm adding it back. Moving comments to the memory hole is not archiving. My comment about selective "archiving" is all the more appropriate in retrospect. Ungovernable ForceGot something to say? 06:55, 15 January 2007 (UTC)
UGF: what is the means to seek mediation of this issue? I believe the attempt to post libelous material, that has no basis in fact, should not clutter up entries on Wikipedia. As you and Chuck have communicated in the past on this matter seeking reinforcement, as Chuck has posted this to numerous blogs and listserves catering to self-identified anarchists – I think it's clear he's attempting to use Wikipedia as a "forum" to spread disinformation on groups he is not ideologically disposed to support. The link isn't going up to a libelous piece without basis in fact that collects various other anarchist disinformation rants. They are untrue, and unverifiable. So – as this back and forth is literally longer than the entry, it should be archived unless someone has something new to add. Otherwise I would like user Chuck0's behavior to be mediated so the issue is resolved definitively.In the Stacks 16:12, 15 January 2007 (UTC)
Your speculation about my motivations and outside activities are irrelevant here. You continue to censor links to Infoshop pages that contain criticism of groups like the RCP. You have failed to give a reason to support your cenroship that has any basis in Wikipedia policies. Your stated reasoning, if it were based in Wikipedia policy, would invalidate most external links from Wikipedia entries. If you insist on this, why don't you remove the link from the Crimethinc entry to your review of one of their books? If critical opinions are "unsourced and unverifiable," by your reasoning there should be no links to any of your articles or blogs. It's time that you stopped your censorship. Chuck0 16:32, 15 January 2007 (UTC)

I would appreciate if user Chuck0 ceased his personal attacks and efforts to insert intentional disinformation on entries related to various left-wing organizations. The previous talk includes all the relevant issues here.In the Stacks 17:09, 15 January 2007 (UTC)

Well, I'd appreciate it if you stopped being hypocritical with regards to the critical external links that are allowed in your opinion and the ones that aren't. As Chuck said, you seem perfectly happy to add criticism of crimethinc. As he also said, your stated reasons so far for not inlcuding links to infoshop would lead to the removal of a large number of external links on wikipedia. You have yet to address the points we have made regarding this but have instead just continued to repeat your claim that it is untrue and "libel". I have already said that it is irrelevant (although it is no where near a legal definition of libel). You still have yet to address that point. I really don't know how to seek mediation because I don't do it that often. Look it up. As for the talk page being longer than the article, a lot of talk pages are like that, especially for controversial issues. This talk page is no where near the level of long enough for an archive though, and it would definitely be bad form to archive a current discussion. As for Chuck's behavior off of wikipedia, I had nothing to do with it so that's on him. I'm still here and I have done nothing of the sort. Ungovernable ForceGot something to say? 06:51, 16 January 2007 (UTC)
Nevermind about the crimethinc thing, that was User:Dtasripin who was adding crimethinc criticism while removing criticism of the RCP. You have edited one of the critical links on the crimethinc page to update it though. Ungovernable ForceGot something to say? 07:27, 16 January 2007 (UTC)
I am not inserting intentional disinformation anywhere on Wikipedia. This dispute concerns the censorship of links to Infoshop pages which contain critical information on various left-wing groups. These pages doucment criticism that has been made about these groups by anarchists and other people. Wikipedia entries frequently include external links to outside websites which contain criticism of the subject. If a link is not going to be made to the Infoshop page about the RCP, then I will insist that a paragraph be added to this entry that summarizes anarchist criticism of the RCP. Chuck0 01:55, 19 January 2007 (UTC)
You are inserting links to your own website where such disinformation is hosted. Though I'm not a lawyer, I can't help noticing the devil in your details. Libel is not encyclopedic in nature. Original research posted to your website doesn't turn disinformation into "criticism" through the magic of the world wide web.In the Stacks 19:34, 19 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Persian|Farsi

A World To Win magazine prints in four languages, including Farsi. The political issues behind it's naming as Farsi, rather than Persian are not something I'm familiar with. But to the writers, editors and translators – they list the language they print in as Farsi.

Yeah, but "Farsi" redirects to "Persian language" here on wikipedia, so we should use "Persian." AFAIK there are no political issues involved, but there could be. It's like saying they print in espanol instead of spanish. It's a native name. Ungovernable ForceGot something to say? 06:38, 15 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Link

Whats the deal with the link here? - Francis Tyers · 14:12, 16 January 2007 (UTC)

I'm wondering the same thing. It appears User:In the Stacks things the infoshop link should be removed, calling it unverifiable. If it is unverifiable, it shouldn't be used as a reference for the article. However, it isn't being used as a reference; it's being used as a source for what some critics think. I'm not sure I understand the grounds for removing it. Owen 20:58, 16 January 2007 (UTC)
Exactly the point. Which is why I keep asking them to explain why it isn't suitable as an external link. They seem to have ignored all of my and Chuck's requests 2 sections up and in edit summaries, continuing instead with the same line about it being unverifiable. I take it it's safe to revert this again since everyone who has weighed in doesn't seem to see a problem. Ungovernable ForceGot something to say? 05:27, 17 January 2007 (UTC)
This factually incorrect, libelous, slander sheet without the courage of a signed name is not criticism, it is disinformation. The site owner and political compatriot, whose very sign-in page includes images of an RCP-related "flag" in flames. This is not a "good faith" discussion. It is creepy. Wikipedia is not a forum, it is an encyclopia or it is nothing at all. Unsigned, unsourced, factually incorrect does not equal relevant, verifiable or even such a dignified thing as criticism. It is disinformtion and an ideological hatchet job. I will remove it every time it goes up.In the Stacks 07:43, 17 January 2007 (UTC)
I suggest we consult Wikipedia:External links for guidelines, and see how it matches up. - Francis Tyers · 13:51, 17 January 2007 (UTC)
Ok, personally I think there are already too many external links for this page. So I wouldn't be opposed to trimming them all, maybe leave 3 or 4 at the most. We shouldn't, in choosing these links give "undue weight on particular points of view", so we should have the appropriate criticism (from relevant sides) included. I'll single out the Eric Gordon article in Communist Voice as a good example of this. However, it doesn't represent the anarchist criticism. The infoshop link is less of a problem that the other mass of links. - Francis Tyers · 13:59, 17 January 2007 (UTC)
Eric Gordon's piece is signed criticism. Whether is has "weight" is a whole can of worms, but it is not disinformation from an anonymous crank hiding behind a self-declared political identity. Unsigned and unsourced materials defines disinformation, and for purposes here is inherently unverifiable. Any yahoo can post any nonsense to any self-operated website. Including within the Infoshop link (which is owned and operated by user Chuck0), are numerous factual inaccuracies and distortions. This is different in kind from "criticism," and is of the "when did you stop beating your wife" ilk. Intentionally constructed disinformation has no place on an encyclopedic entry. There is no serious discussion to be had beyond what has already been gone over (and over) here. If some mediative process is necessary, I am confident that this kind of libelous material has no place here.In the Stacks 19:46, 17 January 2007 (UTC)
In the Stacks is simply not a credible source of information. He whines about unsourced and anonymous external pages, but fails to establiush who HE is. Once again he has reposted this nonsense about Infoshop.org being "owned and operated" by myself. In the Stacks knows that Infoshop is run by a collective and non-profit, which includes two members in his city. He keeps throwing this nonsense around to deflect attention from his continued censorship of links to notable Infoshop pages. In the Stacks erroneously believes that he can serve as a gatekeeper to criticism of these groups. Chuck0 01:50, 19 January 2007 (UTC)
How do you feel about trimming the rest of the links? - Francis Tyers · 09:43, 18 January 2007 (UTC)
I'm always for more links, not less. It doesn't waste any paper to add more links. We're just talking about bits here. I think that providing more links is always more useful to the reader. I think any limit on the number of links should relate to existing Wikipedia polices. And I think that the links section shouldn't be larger than the main text entry. Chuck0 18:54, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

Disinformation and made up libel, from authors who will not take responsibility – posted to user Chuck0's owner/operated website are not "criticism." Criticism refers to an object that exists in the world, not the ideological imposition, distortion and literal fiction that is here at issue. Regarding trimming the "rest of the links" – I think signed, sourced criticism has every right to be included – no matter the poltiical perspective. Libel enjoys no such right. Regarding a "paragraph" on anarchist criticsm, I think there is more than enough already. What anarchists think about communists is not the point of this entry. It is not a forum. If anti-communism is such an important part of Chuck0 and UGF's self-described anarchist worldview, then it should be included in the appropriate anarchist entries. Though, of note, libel such as the piece user Chuck0 has attempted to insert here has no place anywhere on wikipedia. The point here is not to score points, but to develop a better understanding of the world. Disinformation (known, intentional, fictional) does not serve that purpose. I will also refuse to engage in personal or ad hominum attacks of the kind continually being introduced here. And, this who thread should be archived, at this point it is just harassment and back-door vandalism on the talk page.In the Stacks 16:44, 19 January 2007 (UTC)

Is that a 'yes'? - Francis Tyers · 17:29, 19 January 2007 (UTC)
As a general rule, criticism seems to have a place here on Wikipedia. Subject to dispute, no doubt – but I think we should err on the side of inclusion for links. Of course that doesn't mean including disinformation, libel, unsigned hatchet-jobs or the like.In the Stacks 19:35, 19 January 2007 (UTC)
Your opinions about "libel" are irrelevant here. So is your continued fantasy that Infoshop is "owned/operated" by myself. You know that Infoshop is run by a collective and a large number of volunteers. For somebody so concerned about accuracy, you don't let your own agenda get in the way of posting lies and disinformation here about the Infoshop project. You finally admit that criticism has a place here on Wikipedia. If that's the case, you need to act like an adult and accept that there is criticism out there about things that you like. There are links on Wikipedia to criticism you've published about anarchist projects. I could easily respond that your criticism is lebilous and unsourced.
The criticism at Infoshop IS sourced! If there isn't a listed author for a piece, then the author is the corporate author, which is Infoshop. I would hope that somebody who works in an archives would understand the concept of corporate authorship. You don't need a professional librarian such as myself to give you a lecture about bibliographic classification. You've removed links to Infoshop pages that contain analysis and opinion about groups like the ISO and RCP. In the case of the ISO page, that page has been online since the 1990s and is pretty notable. It contains a range of anarchist responses to the ISO. The RCP pages contains anarchist opinion and analysis about the RCP. It doesn't matter if you disagree with the content, but you have no right to prevent people from visiting the page via a link. Chuck0 18:54, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] How big is the party?

How many members has the party? It's in fact the only interesting info about it. Plus to that, it would be interesting to learn about public perception of it in the U.S., perhaps this could be based on some independent public opinion polls. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 193.233.36.12 (talk) 17:35, 2 April 2007 (UTC).

Most Americans don't know it exists. If you were to conduct a public opinion poll, most people would either say they had never heard of it, or say they were against it just because it is communist even though they don't know anything about it. Only people active in progressive and radical movements would really have a strong chance of knowing about them. I have no idea how big it is, but it's a pretty small third party. I'd be surprised if it had more than a few thousand official members. They have a lot of recognition in the left here though because they have strong visibility (for a communist group in the US). This is mainly because of the wide distribution of their newspaper and of their various front groups. Ungovernable ForcePoll: Which religious text should I read? 07:53, 11 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Verifiability

I've had to take out a few things from this entry. I wanted to note that before adding or restoring info to any entry on Wikipedia, users should read Wikipedia:V and Wikipedia:Biographies_of_living_persons. Specifically, the quote from Jimmy Wales in WP:V: "I can NOT emphasize this enough. There seems to be a terrible bias among some editors that some sort of random speculative 'I heard it somewhere' pseudo information is to be tagged with a 'needs a cite' tag. Wrong. It should be removed, aggressively, unless it can be sourced. This is true of all information, but it is particularly true of negative information about living persons." It's bad enough that a lot of this entry is unsourced (and has been left like that, even added to with more unsourced content, but no one has bothered to go back and source anything for what seems to be years), but things that are contentious and with no sources need to be removed immediately - and not restored with claims of improving the entry. If you wanna improve the entry, to start off with: you can find some sources for what's already on it. (Other weird things too: user In The Stacks adds a bunch of unsourced claims, then removes a link to the RCP's youth group from the list saying that "it's been dissolved." I then click on the link and said youth group's website lists some events it is apparently hosting later this month...doesn't seem to be dissolved. Again where are the sources?) BandieraRossa (talk) 15:39, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

BR – I would encourage you to investigate the expectations of editors on Wikipedia. I have viewed your edit history and it would appear that you are making edits only on entries related to the RCP and Bob Avakian. This is an encyclopedia, not a debate board. Regarding the RCYB's dispersal, several former members of the RCYB have written in several fora about the transition from the RCYB to the Revolution Clubs. The website in Atlanta that you reference has not been updated for over a year, and the event listed is not sponsored by the RCYB. If you are aware of any events sponsored by the RCYB anywhere in the country in the last year, please note them.In the Stacks (talk) 20:09, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

I think that, in most instances, people are capable of deciding which entries they'd like to edit, and this case is no exception - as long as encyclopedic standards are used it shouldn't matter. My last edit combined the section headed Avakian and the Cult of Personality into the already-existing Contentious Issues section, and removed two sentences (which seemed to be restatements of the following, which is still in the article: "Those opposing this have argued that promotion of leaders is wrong on principle, or that they disagree with Avakian's positions and do not think the RCP worthy of support"). BandieraRossa (talk) 20:37, 4 June 2008 (UTC)

The RCP has plainly stated that they embrace and promote as one of their "two mainstays" the "appreciation, promotion and popularization of Bob Avakian". Considering the amount of effort and stress they lay on this person, it not only deserves a subhead – but should likely be mentioned in the opening paragraph. The whole "contentious issues" subhead should be removed, and the defining ideas and practice of the organization (both historically and in its current incarnation) can then be explicated. Contentious Issues as a term says nothing about an organization that has the word Revolutionary in its very name. lol. So, let's avoid an edit war. The RCP has repeatedly and aggressively promoted a cult of personality around Bob Avakian. BandieraRossa – since you are familiar with the organization, could you post some of the references? Avakian discussed his desire for a cult of personality in his memoir. The Engage campaign has been covered in the media (see Boston Globe article) and the recent split from the RCP promoted some polemical exchanges on this issue. There doesn't seem to be any dispute that the RCP is a cult of personality. So there shouldn't be much of a dispute here. BR, you are also correct that people may edit whatever they want on wikipedia - but be aware that neither organizational minders nor vociferous critics are allowed to construct entries as they see fit.Bandit alley (talk) 16:13, 6 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] RCYB exists?

Does anyone know if the RCYB is still in existence? They have no contact information, e.g. a phone number or national office. There are no publications, nor publically listed events of any kind for at least a year. The last public RCYB event that was covered was the attendence of a few Brigaders at Sean Bell's funeral (covered on NYC Indymedia). There is currently no listed leadership anywhere, etc. Some reports (on RevLeft) stated that the RCYB was disbanded and superceded by the Revolution Clubs, which was the case in NYC. Does anyone have verfiable reports or public documents on this?In the Stacks (talk) 21:41, 13 May 2008 (UTC)

  • Looks like they're still actve in Atlanta:

http://rcyb.info/atlanta/

--Midnite Critic (talk) 03:11, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Political Cartoon in "Critical Opinions"

This image was removed from the RCP page by an RCP supporter because it was supposedly "infantile". This cartoon is both popular and politically accurate. I believe it should remain in the article. 24.19.34.190 (talk) 23:48, 31 May 2008 (UTC) Ben Seattle

This is a partisan political attack, and is unpublished aside from by its original author on the internet (and most likely here). It is highly unconventional to post these types of mockery on the entries for any political party I've seen on Wikipedia. It is inappropriate. There are other forums for such things. And, if you are the author of the image it would be wrong to engage in attempts to impose it on those grounds alone.Bandit alley (talk) 00:58, 1 June 2008 (UTC)
Rather than to simply get into an "edit war" with someone who appears to be a supporter of the RCP--I will ask others for their opinions. To reply to Bandit Alley: the cartoon was published in "A cartoon Guide to the Left in Seattle" (a leaflet filled with cartoons) and more than a thousand copies were distributed in Seattle in September and October 2005. The cartoons were highly popular. The cartoon series is also posted on the web at: http://struggle.net/ben/2005/cartoon.htm. As far as being a "partisan political attack", the same could easily be said for every article posted in the "Critical Opinions" section. If the cartoon was posted elsewhere in the article--then the complaint about being "partisan" might be valid--but the critical opinions section is about exactly that. As far as being "unconventional" -- as bandwidth increases, the use of graphics will be increasing also. The cartoon is posted in a very reduced size: readers would have to click on it in order to read it. I would like to see other opinions that are by people who are not RCP supporters. 24.19.34.190 (talk) 14:51, 1 June 2008 (UTC) Ben Seattle
This was a self-published cartoon. Nothing wrong with that, and I've got no real thoughts on the content of this image. It overwhelms the entry, was never published (or received commentary as its own item. An entry on the Democratic Party wouldn't have an Ann Coulter commentary all over it. Or Ted Rall's depiction of Bush. This isn't about how anyone views an organization, but what is of encyclopedic value. So yes let's ask other people and I suspect it's not worth the argument. If you don't want to get into an edit war, please don't presume what other people think.Bandit alley (talk) 15:31, 1 June 2008 (UTC)