The freedom chain of socialism

“American Socialist” was a magazine published during the 1950's by the Socialist Union, a group headed by Bert Cochran. The “Cochranites” (as they were nicknamed by their opponents) were the result of a split in the Trotskyist Socialist Workers Party (SWP). They are said to have taken almost the entire labor union base of the SWP with them when they left. “American Socialist” sounds neither particularly Trotskyist nor particularly socialist (except in a broad sense). Nor does it sound particularly workerist or laborite. In fact, the magazine looks like a literary supplement to some liberal daily paper!

This issue carries articles on Freudian psychoanalysis, the paradox of the American intelligentsia, the thaw in the Eastern bloc, nuclear disarmament (or the lack of it), the history of the U.S. Socialist and Communist parties, and the crisis in France which saw Charles de Gaulle take power and abolish the Fourth Republic (the Socialist Union feared that this would lead to another round of fascism and militarism in Europe). There is also an extensive ideological polemic against a group of right-wing libertarian newspapers, the Freedom Chain. A letter to the editor calls on socialists to advocate Keynesianism, since nobody listens to explicitly socialist (or politicized) messages anyway.

“The American Socialist” looks neat, tidy and professional, but I can't stop wondering who was supposed to purchase it? Somehow I doubt that West Virginian coalminers or Alabama share-croppers would be interested!

Perhaps a few right-wing libertarians bought it…