From a list on Socialist Party history. Most of the members of the list have SP backgrounds going back some decades. As far back as the 50's. When you say Carl Gershman, Joshua Muravchik, Tom Kahn, Bayard Rustin to the old Socialists on the list they know/knew them personally. The split in the SP in '72/'73 from which SDUSA emerged isn't just a dry footnote to these folks.
On the SDUSA website there is a narrative by Kirkpatrick on her brief foray into collegiate Socialism, http://www.socialdemocrats.org/MayDayTranscript.html#kirkpatrick when she was studying under Franz Neumann. Her husband, Evron, an APSA heavy once, had a much more extensive background in Minnesota Socialist circles fighting the Communists in the DFL. See, http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/cup_detail.taf?ti_id=3874
From: "Stuart Elliott" <stuart323 at sbcglobal.net> Reply-To: SPHistory at yahoogroups.com Date: Tue, 20 Sep 2005 08:29:05 -0500 To: <SPHistory at yahoogroups.com> Subject: Re: [SPHistory] Fwd: Look who wrote an article for Dissent. Another old friend
Ben Ross's article on the Shachtmanites and Straussians is excellent. I have very serious doubts, however, about the wiki-pedia articles on Wolfowitz and Social Democrats USA.
It is claimed that from 1970-72, Wolfowitz was "a regular speaker at Social Democrats USA <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Democrats_USA> conferences alongside so-called Shachtmanites <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shachtmanites> such as Irving Kristol <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Kristol> and Jeane Kirkpatrick <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeane_Kirkpatrick> ." The article on SDUSA goes even further stating that "a number of former members of the SDUSA serve in the current administration of George W. Bush <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W._Bush> including Paul Wolfowitz <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Wolfowitz> ."
Jeanne Kirkpatrick was never so far as I know a Shachtmanite. She did speak at SDUSA events. I don't think Kristol ever did. Nor do I think that Wolfowitz ever spoke at SDUSA events. Nor do I think that any reliable source has ever stated that he was a member of SDUSA.
Correct me if I am wrong.
Stuart Elliott http://newappeal.blogspot.com/ www.ksworkbeat.org <http://www.ksworkbeat.org>
-- Michael Pugliese