World Socialist Web Site

The World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) is the online publication of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), a Trotskyist organization that describes itself as an "online newspaper of the international Trotskyist movement." Founded in 1998, the WSWS has maintained continuous publication for over 25 years, serving as a platform for the ICFI and its affiliated Socialist Equality Parties worldwide. According to the site's own description:

The WSWS is the online publication of the world Trotskyist movement, the International Committee of the Fourth International, and its affiliated sections in the Socialist Equality Parties around the world. It launched publication in February 1998, and has been publishing continuously for the past 23 years.

The 1619 Project

In 2019, the WSWS gained significant attention for its critical analysis of the *New York Times'* *The 1619 Project*, an initiative that sought to reframe American history by centering the legacy of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans. The WSWS characterized the project as part of a broader effort to "inject racial politics into the heart of the 2020 elections and foment divisions among the working class." This critique was highlighted by *The Washington Post* in December 2020, which noted:

On Dec. 16 [2020], Wall Street Journal opinion columnist Elliot Kaufman brought into the mainstream criticisms of the 1619 Project from four historians who had been questioning it for months on the World Socialist website, a fringe news publication founded upon the principles of Trotskyism. Some of what those professors wrote had gained momentum in the Twitterverse and sparked discussion about their analysis of the 1619 Project.

The WSWS' analysis of the project drew responses from both liberal and conservative quarters. Historians such as Gordon S. Wood and James M. McPherson, who contributed to the WSWS' critique, were cited by *The National Review* as "one of the few media outlets examining the 1619 Project in critical detail." Conservative commentator Michael Barone of the *New York Post* also noted the inclusion of historian Sean Wilentz's criticisms in the WSWS. A research director at the American Institute for Economic Research described the collaboration between conservative historians and the WSWS as a "strange alliance," noting that both groups shared a focus on historical analysis grounded in data.

Quotes

The WSWS has published analyses on a range of topics, including critiques of postmodern identity politics and the role of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. One such statement reads:

Postmodern identity politics divides the population into arbitrary, subjective “identities” and pits them against each other, while at the same time functioning as a career vehicle for substantial sections in the upper-middle class who are seeking well-funded positions in academia and the corporate world, as well as in the state and intelligence apparatus.

Notwithstanding efforts to portray it as “left wing,” the institution of DEI is entirely compatible with capitalism, nationalism, imperialism and every form of reaction. This is perhaps best illustrated by the extent to which the Central Intelligence Agency has embraced these same methods and jargon.

External Links

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/05/24/qawh-m24.html https://www.wsws.org/en/topics/socialIssuesCategory/identity-politics https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/06/14/ihjm-j14.html https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2023/05/24/qawh-m24.html https://archive.is/3ubS8 https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2024/11/16/ffel-n16.html https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2021/12/10/stoc-d10.html

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