Liberation Road

Liberation Road is the continuation of Freedom Road Socialist Organization. The name was changed to Liberation Road at the group's national congress in April 2019.

Capitalism is racism

Replacing the Democrats

Carl Davidson quoted on Portside:

Note to Howie, et al. We're already building a new party under your nose and in plain sight. It's the left pole under the Dem tent. In addition to Team Bernie, it includes much of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Our Revolution, WFP, PDA. DSA. CCDS, Liberation Road, the pro-Bernie people in the CPUSA and more. We need more unity and greater strength and to grow. The onus for any split or purge will be on our adversaries, but the end result will be a new First Party, not a third party, as happened with the fall of the Whigs. The hard part tactically is to avoid helping the right in the process. But join in. It's never too crowded on the front lines of this project. History doesn't always move the way you imagine. It zigs and zags, and this is a case in point.

Merger with CCDS?

CCDS National Coordinating Committee Meeting Sunday, January 26, 2020.

Report from merger committee made by Rafael Pizarro.

The discussions are ongoing with Liberation Road and within the CCDS committee doing the discussions. The committee is talking about also reaching out to other left organizations, e.g., DSA.

Harry reported that already in the works is our miniconference on Imperialism, which is jointly sponsored by CCDS P&S committee, and Liberation Road.

Pat asked what "merger" means - is it both groups disband and form a new organization? Or do we just recommend that our remaining membership join LR and we disband CCDS? Rafael says not the latter, that we come together as equals. Carl agrees with Rafael, adds that it make no sense to "merge" with DSA - they are an organization of 55,000 people and we are an organization of 250 people. Paul: we are not rushing into this.

Pro-Vietnam

Posted January 18 2021:

To the Communist Party of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam:

The National Executive Committee of Liberation Road, a socialist organization in the U.S., is honored to send revolutionary greetings to your 13th Congress. The Communist Party of Vietnam has inspired us and socialists the world over with your leadership through vicious wars waged by two imperialist powers, through the rebuilding of national infrastructure devastated by bombing and chemical weapons, and now in the all-sided and self-determined development of industry, agriculture and human resources.

We are inspired by the Communist Party’s commitment to improving the living standards of the working class and rural masses in an equitable and ecologically sustainable way; your advancement of the democratic rights and economic betterment of women and minority nationalities, and the input of all sectors of the population into planning and decision-making. Vietnam’s development teaches us many lessons and offers a stirring example as we in the U.S. struggle against white supremacy, and for greater democracy and, eventually, a transition to socialism.

Most recently we have been awed by Vietnam’s capacity to limit the deaths and illnesses from COVID—in a manner unparalleled by far wealthier countries—through a society-wide public health infrastructure trusted by the masses, encompassing party units at all levels, with local governments and mass organizations.

We in Liberation Road pledge to continue pressing for reparations for the human and ecological devastation caused by our government’s criminal use of Agent Orange, and for deeper cooperative relations between our governments and peoples–efforts which we hope will be more successful with the newly elected U.S. Congress.

We look forward with great anticipation to hearing about the decisions and accomplishments of the 13th Congress of the Communist Party of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

In solidarity,

Liberation Road (USA)

Pro-China

The Main Liberación Political Reportof Liberation Road/El Camino ParaLa Drafted September 1 2021. Amended and Adopted May 1 2022.

U.S. - China Relations

U.S. - China Relations Without a doubt one of the biggest developments in this period has been China’s rise as an economic and political competitor and alternative to the United States (alternative as in different- more analysis is needed to determine in what ways it might be better or not). China has presented an alternative model of how global capitalism can be conducted and organized, marked by its use of science and empirical data to guide medium to long-term planning and the idea that state intervention at all levels of society can have positive results. This is not to assert that China is perfect or wade into the debate about the contradictions and shortfalls of the Chinese state and economy. A great deal of analysis has been done of China’s integration into global capitalism and the development of a Chinese capitalist class fraction consisting of more billionaires than those in the U.S. and India combined; there is also a great deal of debate about the implications of these developments for China’s socialist prospects. 

At the same time, there are clear examples of China’s presentation of an alternative to the Global North in general and the U.S. in particular. Once China acknowledged the dangers of COVID 19, the Chinese government began providing vaccines at scale and providing medical personnel and resources to address the pandemic to countries whose needs were ignored by the U.S., Britain, and Canada. China’s deep investment in technological developments and acquisition of patents have gained international notice. Finally, China has established and now administers global 6finance institutional alternatives to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that offer countries in the global South better terms relative to private U.S. lenders and the IMF.

Defending China

Biden has pulled back from Trumpov’s overtly demonizing and racist rhetoric such as calling Covid-19 “The China Virus” or “The Kung Flu." At the same time, his administration’s constant emphasis on China as an expansive rival, the persistent legacy of anti-Asian racism, and the fact that U.S. workers have been fed a misplaced resentment of China for job loss over the past 40 years all fuel a cold war against China and more racist attacks on Asian Americans. Combating this is a key task of US leftists, as is stemming U.S. global hegemony.

Communist Influences

From their website:

"We learn from many revolutionaries and we idolize none.

"Among the things we draw from Marx: the analysis of how capitalism works and why it is a dynamic but irrational system; and of class struggle as the motor force of history. Marx and Engels believed that working people are capable of overturning capitalism and creating a society based on human need not profit. They learned from the rise and smashing of the Paris Commune that workers could create incredible democratic governance forms but must be prepared to defend them with weapons against exploiters grabbing back power.

"From Lenin: an understanding of imperialism — of the revolutionary potential unleashed when oppressed nations struggle for self-determination, and of the tendency of socialists in imperialist countries to fall into reformism and support their own bourgeoisies in imperialist wars. Lenin also emphasized that the capitalist state must be completely destroyed and he made breakthroughs in building a revolutionary party — for which there is definitely no everlasting formula!

"From Mao, the methods of the mass line and the united front — how to learn from the experiences and insights of workers and broad masses to formulate demands and build struggles that are as broad and inclusive as possible yet also really challenge the system; and the insight that the transitional relations of production under the socialist state generate new exploiters who must be prevented from restoring capitalism.

"We have many friends who are Trotskyists.

The FAQs continues to cite additional revolutionaries:

"Amilcar Cabral on the role of culture in revolutionary process, Antonio Gramsci’s theory of hegemony, Ella Baker’s promotion of organization-centered leaders rather than leader-centered organizations, Ted Allen’s analysis of the invention of the white race and white privilege, Marta Harnecker’s call to Latin American socialists to bridge what she calls the party left and the social movement left, Robert Biel’s analysis of the new imperialism, Audre Lorde’s pioneering work on the intersection of oppressions, Paulo Freire’s pedagogy of the oppressed, Richard Levins on imperialism, ecology and public health, Kjersti Ericsson of Norway’s Workers Communist Party on women’s oppression in society and how that gets reflected — and can be fought — inside communist organizations.

Prominent members and supporters

• Aaron Jamal Bryant
• Agustin Arreola
• Allison Peters
• Anca Stefan
• Anne Lewis
• Ben Allen
• Bennett Carpenter
• Bill Gallegos
• Bruce Hobson
• Bryan Proffitt
• Carl Davidson
• Dennis O'Neil
• Doug Monica
• Eli Ryn Brown
• Elly Leary
• Garret Virchick
• James Higgins
• Jared Story
• Jeff Crosby
• Jerry Harris
• John McCarthy
• Jon Liss
• Jonathon Feinberg
• Jay Jayakumar
• Jeff Crosby
• Jim Branson
• Kim Diehl
• Martin Eder
• Mary Jo Connelly
• Meizhu Lui
• Michelle Foy
• Michelle O'Brien
• Nzinga Amani
• Pedro Hernandez
• Rebecca Hornstein
• Salma Mirza
• Sarah Jarmon
• Steve McClure
• Thomas Wayne Walker
• Tom Goodkind
• Whitney Maxey
• Zara Jemuel
• Zeke Perkins

New name/new plan

From Liberation Road website June 2019.

WHAT’S IN A NAME: LIBERATION GETS US TO FREEDOM

Today, at a critical juncture—not just for us in Freedom Road Socialist Organization, but for the whole socialist and movement Left—we are excited to announce that we are changing our name to Liberation Road.

Over the past 34 years, our organization has maintained a consistent commitment to opposing racial capitalism and fighting for socialism and self-determination. At the same time, we have prided ourselves on remaining highly adaptable based on ever changing internal and external conditions. Recognizing the dynamic nature of the world, ideas, and organizational forms, we have not been afraid to embrace change by refining and redefining key aspects of our political and strategic line, drawing on diverse thinkers from all over the world.

In relation to our organizational history, our new name conveys both continuity and change.

OUR PATH FROM FREEDOM ROAD TO LIBERATION ROAD

Our organization began in 1985 with a merger of two organizations – and later several more – that came out of the New Communist Movement of the late 1970s/early 1980s. Responding both to ultra-left errors, and to an inattention to the key role that white supremacy played in undergirding racial capitalism, our new organization cohered around four core principles:

That we needed to be a non-sectarian – indeed anti-sectarian – revolutionary socialist organization that is determinedly non-dogmatic.

• That white supremacy, national oppression, and genocide are integral and inseparable components of (racial) capitalism, thus necessitating the need to build the strategic alliance[1] of those forces in the quest to build socialism in the United States.
• That we must take an uncompromising stand against male supremacy and hetero-sexism, and build an inclusive organization and movement, and
• That we are committed to building towards the ultimate formation of a mass-based party for socialism because we know that our organization alone will not be that party.

Since then our organization has grown, merged, split, and changed, but those core principles have remained the same. The fall of the Berlin Wall, the events in Tiananmen Square, and the collapse of the USSR (1989 – 1991) raised sharp questions about the successes and failures of 20th-century socialism. This led to an internal debate that created two camps within the organization, each with very different answers to those questions. Those differences became sharper and deeper. The two camps differed about with whom we should ally not only internationally, but domestically, and what principles we should follow. These differences were also felt keenly at the mass/base level: how to build workplace and community organizations and develop new leaders. It led to an organizational split in 1999.

The majority of our organization began to critically re-evaluate the history of historical and existing socialist projects, taking lessons from their successes and failures, applying them to our own work with an eye to improve upon future socialist projects in the 21st century. We sought to unite with other left forces around a new vision to refound the Left.

Since 2016, our organization has formally consolidated around a national strategy that focuses on building the independent political power of the strategic alliance through the creation of and support for mass independent political organizations (IPOs) as a part of a broader front to defeat the New Confederacy.

Central to this strategic orientation is using the electoral arena as a tool and terrain that helps left/progressive forces to build political power. This political power should not be confused with the gaining of state power by workers and the oppressed. It refers to a progressive realignment within the context of so-called democratic capitalism. This is not the final objective, of course. Our analysis is that this realignment of left/progressive forces, the building of mass independent political organizations operating both inside and outside the Democratic Party and the electoral arena, is crucial at this juncture. In embarking on this path, we have found considerable, though admittedly modest success in the building of IPOs in the South, which has been a geographic and strategic focus of our organization from its inception because of its unique role in the development of US racial capitalism.

Now, in 2019, we are changing our name to Liberation Road. In part, that choice was pragmatic—motivated by the need to differentiate ourselves from the splinter group who continue to operate under our old name. But the change also reflects exciting new developments, including our commitment to 21st-century socialism, Left Refoundation and, especially, our national strategy of building independent political organization.

LIBERATION AS THE ROAD TO FREEDOM

More broadly, our name change reflects the fact that, if freedom is our goal, liberation is the path and the process. Freedom is the destination we are headed to, a state of being. “Liberation” is the active, ongoing struggle of getting free, it is our path to freedom. In the words of Frederick Douglass, “the mission of the war was the liberation of the slaves as well as the salvation of the Union.” That’s why we have spoken of national liberation movements, the women’s liberation movement, the gay liberation movement, and indeed liberation theology. We can be free in our minds while still living in chains, but liberation is the breaking of the chains.

In this new period of our organization and under our new name, we are excited to continue with others the process of building a party for socialism, while equally engaging with the broader progressive movement—globally and domestically—in the struggles to save the planet from environmental catastrophe and defeat both neo-liberal globalization and right-wing populism. Together, we look forward to working with others to create a vision and reality of fundamental social transformation that will move us down the liberation road.

[1] This is an alliance that needs to be constructed between oppressed nationality movements and the multi-national working class movements

[2] The New Confederacy is the white united front that, building up over the past 40 years, has used white supremacy, cisheteropatriarchy, and austerity to rally sectors of the white middle strata and white workers around the leadership of the most reactionary forces of capital. The Republican Party is its political instrument.

Mexican connection

Liberation Road September 6 2019·

Folks in Boston and Los Angeles will have opportunities in the next few weeks to share food and dialogue with Prof. Javier Bravo, a representative of Mexico's MORENA Party (the party that elected AMLO, a left-progressive President of Mexico). Liberation Road, the Committee in Solidarity with the People of Mexico and and other local co-sponsoring groups are delighted to be able to support Prof. Bravo's U.S. tour. Both events will be in Spanish and English.

BOSTON: The event will be held on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019 from 4-6pm at 50 Maverick Square, 2nd floor, East Boston. LOS ANGELES: The event will be held on Sunday

September 22, 2019 from noon-3:00 PM at CASA 0101 2102 E. 1st St. Los Ángeles 90033.

It's a great opportunity to hear what's happening in Mexico with the astounding election of progressive Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO), and to talk about what we can do on both sides of the border. For the left-electoral geeks among us, there's a lot to learn from AMLO and MORENA experience. Don't miss it!