It seems that when it comes to faction fights inside their organisation, the American International Socialist Organisation takes a dim view of their poorer members paying "low membership dues".
The case of Vanessa B is bought to our attention by the Renewal Faction in their External Bulletin which is helpfully published on line for "leftist train spotters" .
Vanessa B is a Black woman with disabilities who clearly has trouble making ends meet. I don't know anything about the US Benefits system, but even living on disability benefits in the UK must be a struggle. I'd expect so called "socialists" to understand the problems such people have, but no. Factional interests come before natural justice. The External Bulletin explains:
On the afternoon of Tuesday, November 12, SC member Keeanga T provoked a confrontation with Vanessa online, attacking Vanessa in the most personal and uncomradely manner; eg, “I don’t really care what you’re a member of beyond the triflin’ ass bullshit committee.” (The full Facebook exchange, now deleted, is reproduced below as Appendix A.) This followed a number of interactions online in which Keeanga was, in our view, needlessly hostile to Vanessa.
Within half an hour of the November 12 exchange, Vanessa received a message from Tristan B of the DC Branch Committee informing her that she was no longer a member in good standing per an email from…Keeanga. She was instructed to contact Ahmed for details, which she did right away. (The message from Tristan B to Vanessa is reproduced below as Appendix B.)
Two days later (November 14), Ahmed replied, writing: “The reason we (at the National Office) don’t consider you a member in good standing is because we have no record of you paying dues. If I am mistaken, please inform me.”
He was mistaken, and Vanessa informed him that she had paid dues for October, in cash directly to the branch treasurer. Ahmed then replied, “if you are referring to the $6 you paid in October that’s not paying anything close to scale.”
Yet as Vanessa pointed out, how could Ahmed know if her dues were “close to scale” without knowing her income or personal circumstances? As Vanessa explained, “I am on disability so my income is extremely low"
It seems membership of the ISO is only for the better off, can't have poor people in it can we comrades?
Revolution is and always has been a rich man's game!
No wonder all Marxist revolutions end up corrupted beyond belief.
Just ask the Great Larder in North Korea.
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