Sam Webb

For other people named Sam Webb, see Sam Webb (disambiguation).
Sam Webb
Chairman of the Communist Party USA
In office
2000–2014
Preceded by Gus Hall
Succeeded by John Bachtell
Personal details
Born Samuel Webb
(1945-07-16) July 16, 1945
Maine
Political party Communist Party
Alma mater

St. Francis Xavier University, (B.A., Economics)

University of Connecticut, (M.A., Economics)
Website www.cpusa.org

Samuel "Sam" Webb (born July 22, 1945) is an American Communist activist and political leader, who served as the Chairman of the Communist Party USA from 2000 to 2014, succeeding the party's longest running leader Gus Hall. Webb did not accept nomination to be reelected as chairman at the 30th National Convention in 2014, at which John Bachtell was elected the party's new chairman. Webb continues to serve on the party's National Committee.

Biography

Samuel Webb was born in Maine and graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia in 1967. He holds an M.A. in economics from the University of Connecticut.[1] He worked as a Communist Party organizer in Michigan from 1978-1988.[1]

Webb led the CPUSA when it made the decision to support some Democratic candidates in the 2004 presidential election. While the Party regards both major parties as two capitalist entities in a collaborative dictatorship for established financial institutions, it believes that rule by the Democrats is preferable to rule by the Republicans, arguing that the latter puts the interests of working people in considerable danger.[2] During the 2008 election, Webb called President Obama a "people's advocate" and said that some of his early decisions, in reversing some of President George W. Bush's policies, were praiseworthy.[3]

Webb wrote Reflections on Socialism, a paper reflecting ideas that Webb first presented at the 2005 Left Forum in New York City. This paper points out that socialism is once again being discussed in the trade union and student movements, in popular magazines and certainly in the halls of power worldwide.[4]

Webb has traveled to China,[5] Britain, Cuba,[6] and Vietnam,[5] in order to meet communist and socialist leaders.

In 2014, Webb did not seek reelection as the National Committee's chairman and thus stepped down from office. At the 30th National Convention of the Communist Party USA, John Bachtell was elected as the new Chairman of the National Committee therein ending Webb's 14 years as the party's leader.

Controversy

On February 4, 2011 Webb published an essay in the Communist Party magazine Political Affairs, "A Party of Socialism in the 21st Century: What It Looks Like, What It Says, and What It Does" setting forth positions which have come under sharp criticism from Communist Parties across the world as well as a portion of CPUSA members for his views which are considered by some to be revisionist, social democratic, and anti-Communist. These parties include the Communist Parties of Canada,[7] Mexico,[8] Germany[8] and Greece[9] as well as the CPUSA Houston club,[10] the Austin Hogan Transit Club of NYC,[11] the CPUSA Tucson Club,[12] the LA Metro Club,[13] the Communist Party of San Francisco, and the Communist Party of Oklahoma.[14]

References

  1. 1 2 Hoffmann, Leah (2006-02-14). "The Communist: Sam Webb". Forbes. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
  2. ↑ Webb, Sam (2008-09-28). "Finances and the Current Crisis: How did we get here and what is the way out?". Political Affairs Magazine. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
  3. ↑ "Honoring Ohio's unsung heroes of 2008 elections". People's Weekly World. 2009-12-02. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
  4. ↑ Reflections on Socialism, Communist Party USA, June 4, 2005.
  5. 1 2 Margolis, Dan. "CPUSA Delegation returns from China, Vietnam". People's Weekly World. December 22, 2006; retrieved December 14, 2011 at CPUSA website
  6. ↑ Musa, Arnaldo (June 2004). "U.S. leader highlights combative spirit of the Cuban Five". Granma International. Archived from the original on 2007-08-14. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
  7. ↑ http://savethecpusa.blogspot.ca/2012/08/from-communist-party-of-canada-lessons.html
  8. 1 2 http://marxistupdate.blogspot.com/2011/10/critiques-of-sam-webbs-cpusa.html
  9. ↑ http://inter.kke.gr/News/news2011/2011-04-13-kke-to-cpusa
  10. ↑ http://houstoncommunistparty.com/
  11. ↑ http://houstoncommunistparty.com/time-to-change-the-line/
  12. ↑ http://toilerstruggle.wordpress.com/2013/03/06/where-to-begin-the-communist-party-usa-and-the-present-crisis/
  13. ↑ http://houstoncommunistparty.com/houston-we-have-a-problem/
  14. ↑ http://cpok.us/2012/11/28/response-to-sam-webbs-main-report-to-the-communist-party-usa-national-committee-november-17-2012%E2%80%B3/
Party political offices
Preceded by
Gus Hall		 Chair of Communist Party USA
2000 – 2014 		Succeeded by
John Bachtell
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