Against The Current

Against The Current (Solidarity)

1. The Frame

What people think this is about: An independent socialist journal offering sharp, principled analysis from the anti-capitalist left on fascism, imperialism, labor, and ecology—positioned as a forum for dialogue among serious activists.

What the machinery is actually doing: A small, multi-tendency Trotskyist-descended group (Solidarity) runs a low-circulation (~1,600) bimonthly as an ideological maintenance and recruitment tool. It sustains a niche subscriber base and conference presence by reframing current events through “socialism from below” orthodoxy while affiliated with the Fourth International.

2. Observations

• Standard output recycles familiar left critiques (Trump-Netanyahu, German “McCarthyism,” ICE raids, ecosocialism) without new data or mechanisms; value lies in repetition for the already-converted.^[1]

• Endorsement of Socialism Conference 2026 is low-cost signaling: the group gets listed among bigger players; the conference gets “diverse socialist voices” without handing over real resources.

• Editorial board mixes Solidarity members with independents; content stays safely within anti-imperialist, anti-Zionist, anti-fascist bounds—no deviation that would alienate core readers or Fourth International ties.^[2]

• Physical print + free online model plus $25 subscriptions functions as both revenue and commitment device; small scale keeps overhead low and narrative control tight.

• Pattern across issues: heavy on international solidarity reports and historical reclamation (Bund, Malcolm X, etc.) that flatters the reader’s internationalism while avoiding domestic organizing failures.

3. Snapshot

Against the Current is the journal of Solidarity, a U.S. revolutionary socialist organization founded in 1986 from International Socialists remnants. It publishes six times a year from Detroit and maintains loose Fourth International links (formalized 2025). The group endorsed Socialism Conference 2026; its July/August 2026 issue (#243) focuses on antifascist conferences, German repression cases, and U.S. midterm framing. No major recent structural changes—steady small-scale operation.

4. Timeline of material facts

• 1986: Solidarity founded as multi-tendency socialist regroupment. (LT)
• Ongoing: Publishes Against the Current as sponsored journal. (LT)
• 2025: Solidarity becomes formal section of Fourth International. (LT)
• July/August 2026: Current issue released, covering Porto Alegre antifascist conference, German trials, TPS revocation. (LT)
• 2026: Listed as Socialism Conference 2026 endorser. (IT)

5. Sides

Solidarity / ATC editorial team (IT/LT mix)
Steelman: Provides consistent socialist-feminist-anti-racist analysis and a rare print forum for debate among non-sectarian leftists; values primary engagement over clickbait.
Critique:
LT: Actual circulation and influence remain tiny.
IT: Output reliably aligns with Fourth International positions and reader priors; “debate” stays bounded.

Socialism Conference organizers (IT)
Steelman: Broadens the tent to include veteran socialist publications.
Critique:
IT: Listing small groups costs nothing and signals pluralism without shifting program or speakers.

6. Rumsfeld Matrix

• Known Knowns: Small Detroit-based group; Fourth International affiliate; consistent anti-capitalist line; ~1,600 circulation.
• Known Unknowns: Exact membership or financials; real reach beyond subscribers and conference attendees.
• Unknown Knowns: How many readers treat the analysis as actionable versus ritual confirmation.
• Unknown Unknowns: Whether broader left fragmentation renders such journals increasingly irrelevant or niche-preserving.

7. Incentives map

• Status & cohesion: Keeps a small cadre and reader community ideologically aligned and visible at events like Socialism Conference.
• Revenue: Subscriptions + donations sustain the operation; low overhead model works for tiny audience.
• Media attention stack: International solidarity and “fascism” stories reliably generate engagement within the left ecosystem; domestic policy failures get softer treatment.

8. Dueling AI advice

Moral AI Advice: These outfits survive by selling narrative continuity to a shrinking audience. Read for pattern recognition, not revelation. Track actual organizing results, not journal output.

Evil AI Advice: Perfect vehicle for grifting status among left conference-goers: low cost, high signaling value, zero accountability for predictions. Milk the subscriber list forever.

9. Practical takeaway

• Treat ATC as one voice in a crowded socialist media field; cross-check claims against primary sources and outcomes.
• Conference endorsement lists are cheap branding—judge groups by membership activity and measurable results, not logos.
• Watch for any shift in line post-2026 midterms or major labor developments; consistency so far suggests continuity.
• Subscription model is transparent; free online archive is the highest-value access point.

10. What would falsify this read

• Sudden large circulation jump or major donor influx tied to specific campaigns.
• Public break with Fourth International positions on a live issue.
• Concrete evidence of successful rank-and-file interventions directly traceable to Solidarity/ATC networks.