For those who consider the Democratic Socialists of America too moderate, an alternative is rising in Portland. It’s called the Party for Socialism and Liberation, a nationwide organization with nearly 100 chapters, according to its website.
Drawn by a poster declaring “Oregon Says No to Data Centers” and inviting all to a gathering at Wallace Park on Saturday night, I dropped in to hear a series of speakers repeating the theme of billionaire greed to an audience of about 20.
This is the group that tables by the Portland Farmers Market in the South Park Blocks, proclaiming, “For the planet to live, capitalism must end.”
A web search provided more details about this organization.
According to an AI overview:
“PSL states that it relies on member dues, individual contributions and annual fundraising drives … rather than corporate or major foundation money. However, investigative reports and critics note significant financial and organizational overlap with front groups and non-profits backed by wealthy donors, notably American millionaire Neville Roy Singham, a Shanghai-based businessman [who has] funneled millions into far-left media projects and organizations tied closely to PSL leadership.”
The Anti-Defamation League calls PSL “a U.S. political party based on socialist and ‘anti-imperialist’ ideals that runs candidates in local and national elections. It incorporates extreme anti-Zionism as part of its organizing platform [and] justified the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel as a “bold counter-offensive” and has sponsored or co-sponsored over 1,700 anti-Israel rallies since then.”
I left a message at the Portland PSL headquarters Monday but have not gotten a response.
Correction: This is not the group that tables by the Portland Farmers Market. That group identifies itself as communist.
I hope they enjoyed their meeting in a public park paid for by property taxes with additional support from a volunteer group. Maybe they could help out the next time there is a "clean-up the park" day and give back to the community.
The last sentence describes perfectly what one can expect from the utopian future promised by this youthful ignorance:
"I left a message at the Portland PSL headquarters Monday, but have not gotten a response."