I worked with my local IMT chapter for almost a year starting Nov 2020. Taking a break now since I don’t have the energy to attend the meetings every week, but looking to get back into it in January. They’re a brand new chapter, especially given that we’re in a MAJOR city, with less than 10 people last time I counted. THey’ve all been great, especially for theory reading groups, and the meetings covered a lot of current events from a Marxist perspective. I don’t like that the organization is explicitly all like “we reject Stalinist style communism,” I’m not comfortable with that even though I don’t know a ton about Stalin, but I have nothing but good things to say about our little local group here.
Yes I’ve been to IMT meetings myself! Lovely people. I was still 100% a lib last time I went, so a bunch of old communists coming up to talk to me was slightly terrifying. But in retrospect they were super cool and welcoming.
As for Stalin stuff, I’m not comfortable with that mindset either. As a lib–> commie convert you slowly start to realize everything you’ve learned is wrong, which makes me take any Stalin criticism with a pinch of salt. That said, I take Stalin worship with the same pinch of salt. I’m just not knowledgable enough to consider it a sticking point and appreciate both perspectives.
People should remember that local groups can be good even if the national leadership is less good. My local CPUSA chapter is pretty good.
