Join the new world

...is a catchy song and dance! Am I right?!

---

Greetings folks,

In a week we head back to the polls, this time to elect ourselves some new Party Presidents for the coming month.

Many have already begun the nomination process, and looking around, it seems evident that most of the major parties will be in good hands.

Over the past few weeks, I've been reflecting on what I want in a party. Thinking about what makes a party great and the kind of environment that should exist to have true success. With these thoughts in mind, I can say that I do not feel the USWP is a great party.

Let me explain.

---

Activity

Obvious statement is obvious, but activity is key. Not just from the rank and file, but from the leadership as well. Let there be no mistake, I said activity, not presence. Many in the USWP and elsewhere seem to confuse those two.

It is not enough just to be logged into IRC, we should strive to be actually conversing with our fellow players. It means nothing to have forum access if you never actually use it. Finally, if you hold any position of responsibility, it is not unreasonable to expect you to do the job in a timely manner. If that can't be done, a replacement should be found.

A great party gives its members reason to be active. Not necessarily prizes and rewards, but good conversation, a positive environment, and meaning. All of these can be accomplished at very little cost, yet more often than not we choose not to do them. If we stop moving we die, and the USWP has been slowing down for a long time.



Vision

It is hard to move forward when you don't know where you are going. There was a time when this party stood for something, when it had goals in mind and set out to achieve them. Nowadays, if there is a vision, it is clouded in my eyes. Blocked out by self-referential zombie humor, paranoia, and a seeming belief that as long as we remain #2 to the Feds, all is well.

A great party needs vision. A great party needs, from top to bottom, to be instilled with a belief that if we continuously work for it, we can do great things for the eUS. If one needs a reason for the lack of active leadership, I would point to that above all. Newfriend and vet alike, the modern USWP does little to foster a sense of loyalty or duty. Why put in the work to boost the party when you don't believe in it?



Progress

The United States Workers Party has a history, that much is evident. Read any document on why one should join, generally the first thing you'll see is that we've produced a lot of important national figures.



Pride in past accomplishments is all well and good, but when you are pitching someone on something, that should not be the focus. For too long our minds have been on the past, resting on our laurels, content to have a solid history while doing little to add to it.

Progress can not be made in this way. New leaders can not be cultivated in this way. The USWP of Summer 2013 is not the USWP of old. As long as we continue to act as if we somehow are, all we will ever be is a cheap imitation. A knock off you give to that annoying cousin you don't particularly like.

What the USWP needs is a realignment. We need to cast off the past and instead cloak ourselves in what is and what can be. It may not feel as good in the moment, but they pay off down the road will be much sweeter.

---

None of the criticisms here are meant to be directed at any one individual. If you can't believe that, those are your own issues to deal with. These stem from a culmination of many months of neglect and poor management by many different players, myself most definitely included.

Nor does this mean that all has been bad. There have been bright spots, glimpses of the party as it should be.

If you are USWP, ask yourself what you want from your party, and then demand it of your leaders. They work for you, not the other way around.

If you are non-USWP, I'd wager many of these apply to some degree. Never be afraid to call for change, to demand improvement. This may be a game, but that just means there is no reason why you shouldn't have the best experience possible.



Thanks for your time,

-Ludonarr