Socialist Action Information Bulletin, 1984

In its first year Socialist Action published six numbers of an Information Bulletin beside the paper. In the words of its September 1984 advertisement, they held “the founding documents of Socialist Action, a public faction of the Socialist Workers Party, as well as other theoretical contributions seeking to clarify and defend the program and heritage of the SWP and Fourth International”: the resolutions the National Committee opposition put to the SWP in 1982–83, before its leaders were suspended and its supporters expelled, and the polemics against the SWP leadership's revision of permanent revolution.

We have found no copy of the bulletin online. The contents below are read from the covers, with page numbers as printed; the Socialist Action, San Francisco, address is on every number. No. 6 is not among the covers seen, and is listed from the paper's advertisement. Each item links to a text of it elsewhere where one was found: most of the opposition's resolutions are on the Encyclopedia of Trotskyism On-Line, in The Struggle Inside the Socialist Workers Party. A text found elsewhere may differ in detail from the one the bulletin printed.

Vol. 1, No. 1 · January 1984

45 pages · An introduction on the recent wave of expulsions from the SWP.

• A Platform to Overcome the Crisis in the PartyOpposition Bloc · p. 8 · via ETOLSubmitted to the SWP National Committee plenum of May 1983; on ETOL as “Platform to Overcome the Party Crisis”.
• 28 Theses on the American Socialist Revolution and the Building of the Revolutionary PartyOpposition Bloc · p. 20 · via ETOLSubmitted to the May 1983 plenum.
• New Norms vs. Old: The Erosion of Proletarian DemocracySteve Bloom, Frank Lovell, Nat Weinstein and Lynn Henderson · p. 32 · via ETOLDraft resolution for the August 1983 plenum.
• Sound the AlarmSteve Bloom, Lynn Henderson, Frank Lovell and Nat Weinstein · p. 43 · via ETOLStatement of 7 September 1983 by the four suspended National Committee members.

Vol. 1, No. 2 · February 1984

$2.00 · labor donated

• The Party’s Default in the Struggle Against Imperialist WarLynn Henderson and Nat Weinstein · p. 1 · not found online
• Socialist Strategy for Class Struggle Transformation of the UnionsFrank Lovell and Steve Bloom · p. 20 · not found online
• Trade Union ResolutionLynn Henderson and Nat Weinstein · p. 34 · not found online
• If Ever You Surrender Your Right to Criticism, You’re Dead!Tom Kerry · p. 45 · via ETOLRemarks of 1979; on ETOL as “… Right to Criticize …”.

Vol. 1, No. 3 (Part I) · 1984 (Part II is dated April)

• Resolving the International Crisis of Revolutionary LeadershipSteve Bloom, Frank Lovell, Lynn Henderson and Nat Weinstein · via ETOLDraft resolution for the August 1983 plenum; on ETOL with “Today” added to the title.
• The Iranian Revolution Four Years AfterAndré Duret? · via Part 2, IV 28 · also IIRE catalogueProbably the report adopted by the United Secretariat in January 1983, printed in International Viewpoint 27 and 28 as “The Iranian Revolution Four Years after the February 1979 Insurrection”. Identified by title only. IV 27, with part 1, is not on the IV archive site.
• The Iranian Revolution and the Dangers that Threaten ItFourth Internationalist Caucus · via ETOLResolution submitted to the February–March 1982 plenum.

Vol. 1, No. 3 (Part II) · April 1984

$2.00 · labor donated · Introductory note.

• The Cuban Revolution, the Castroist Current and the Fourth InternationalInternational Executive Committee of the Fourth International · p. 46 · via IIRE catalogueResolution of May 1981, first published in Intercontinental Press, 19 October 1981. No text found online.
• Revolution and Counter-revolution in PolandInternational Executive Committee of the Fourth International · p. 56 · via IV 11 · also Steve Bloom’s report on it, ETOLResolution of May 1982, in International Viewpoint 11, 19 July 1982. Probably the text reprinted; not checked against the bulletin.

Vol. 1, No. 4 · May 1984

$1.50 · labor donated · Introduction by Sean Flynn.

• Carlos Rafael Rodriguez’ “Contribution” to Marxist TheoryPaul Siegel · p. 4 · not found online
• Behind Shafik Jorge Handal’s “Self-Criticism”Alan Benjamin · p. 14 · not found online

Vol. 1, No. 5 · July 1984

$1.50 · labor donated · Introduction by Sean Flynn.

• Lenin and the Theory of “Democratic Dictatorship”Les Evans · p. 1 · via ETOLA reply to Doug Jenness in the International Socialist Review, November 1981.
• The Debate over the Character and Goals of the Russian RevolutionErnest Mandel · p. 13 · via MIAAlso a reply to Jenness; first in English in the International Socialist Review, April 1982.
• The Need for a Revolutionary InternationalErnest Mandel and John Ross · p. 21 · via Portuguese, MIAFirst in International Marxist Review, Vol. 1, No. 1, spring 1982. No English text found online.

Vol. 1, No. 6 · 1984 (announced August)

• A Challenge to Trotsky’s Theory of Permanent RevolutionLes Evans · not found onlineThe whole number. Reviewed by Sean Flynn in the August 1984 paper, which calls it “the July issue”.

In the paper

Where Socialist Action announced or reviewed the bulletin.

• January 1984: No. 1scan, p. 6
• February 1984: No. 2, “just off the press”scan, p. 4
• April 1984: “Our programmatic heritage”, on Nos. 1–3scan, p. 2 · the article here
• June 1984: a review of No. 4scan, p. 2
• July 1984: No. 5scan, p. 2
• August 1984: Sean Flynn on No. 6scan, p. 8 · the article here
• September 1984: the six numbers at a special pricescan, p. 14 · the article here