International Socialist Organization
This article is about the International Socialist Organization in the United States. See also the International Socialist Organisation (Australia) or the International Socialist Organization (New Zealand).
The International Socialist Organisation (ISO), claims to be the largest revolutionary socialist group in the United States, was formed in 1977 by members of the International Socialists (a group that descended from the the left Shachtmanites by refusing to follow Max Shachtman fully into support for the cold war) who became convinced of the British Socialist Workers Party (SWP/UK) theoretical position that the Soviet Union was neither more progressive nor more reactionary than the western capitalist states and indeed consituted a form of "state capitalism". Specifically, there are three fundamental aspects in ISO/SWP political theory,
- A state capitalist analysis of Russia and the Eastern bloc, developed by British socialist Tony Cliff and extended by Chris Harman. This led the "Cliffists" to adopt the slogan "Neither Washington nor Moscow, but International Socialism" and led them to oppose both sides in the Cold War.
- The theory of the permanent arms economy, developed by British socialist Mike Kidron. The theory argued that high arms spending fuelled the long post-war boom. This helped the group avoid perpetual forecasts that the collapse of capitalism was just around the corner, when living standards in the UK were clearly rising.
- The theory of deflected permanent revolution, developed by Tony Cliff. The theory attempts to build on Trotsky's theory of Permanent Revolution, and to explain why workers had not taken power in various Third World revolutions.
The ISO orients on organizing students at university campuses and claims to have grown to over 1,000 members. They also publish a newspaper (Socialist Worker) which is now weekly, and a magazine, the International Socialist Review.
In 2000, they split from the International Socialist Tendency on an unclear basis, and currently seem to have no international connections. In 2001, members of the ISO who supported the International Socialist Tendency were expelled and formed a group called Left Turn. However, in 2003 Left Turn also severed its connections with the International Socialist Tendency. Thus the IST currently has no affiliates in the United States.
See also
