[[{“value”:”

By Ben Cabral

Donald Trump will be the 47th President of the United States. This is a result that will no doubt carry major ramifications for oppressed working class people all over the US. We can expect to see increased attacks against our LGBTQ+ communities, our black and brown communities, the bodily autonomy of women, and the safety and security of the working class as a whole.

Democrats and corporate media pundits will begin their usual commentary on how the left cost the Democrats this election, but socialists know better. Donald Trump was reelected because Democrats are either unable or unwilling to take the fight to him. Their strategy of courting neo-conservatives like Dick Cheney in order to chase a mythical moderate republican voter that no longer exists was doomed to fail from the start. 

So the question becomes where do we go from here? The answer is clear, the left, and the labor movement must detach itself from the Democrats and form our own independent mass workers party. This is a long term goal that socialists and communists and anyone else on the broader left must start working towards. DSA is well positioned to be that mass workers party, but this can only be achieved through a struggle within DSA for a clean break from the Democrats and become a fully independent political entity running our own third party ballot line. 

The Democrats Don’t Care About the Left or the Working Class

During the 2024 election cycle the Democrats made it clear that they are a party of the 1% and represent a different faction within the 1% than the GOP. The top spender in the 2024 election cycle was a hybrid PAC, also known as a Carey Committee, called Future Forward USA PAC, who has spent about $517.1 million primarily on ads attacking Trump. 

A top contributor to this PAC is LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman. However, the largest contributor to Future Forward USA PAC is a nonprofit called Future Forward USA Action who, because of their status as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, is not required to disclose their contributors. This phenomenon, known as dark money, was the primary driver of a record breaking $4.5 billion of outside spending in this election cycle. 

While we don’t know all the contributors, a New York Times report shows that media mogul billionaire Mike Bloomberg gave $50 million to Future Forward USA Action, and the super PAC Democracy PAC, funded by billionaire George Soros and gains on invested money, gave $10 million to the nonprofit as well. 

  So what does this information tell us? It might offer an explanation as to why Kamala Harris sprinted so far to the right that she started to look like a member of the early 2000s Republican Party. In 2020 Harris entered the Democratic primaries running on Medicare for All, ending fracking, etc and yet in 2024 we didn’t hear her say a word about Medicare for all and instead actually came out in favor of fracking. One of her most memorable campaign promises was that, unlike Joe Biden, she would include a Republican in her Cabinet.

Harris would not even firmly support the right of trans people to access gender affirming care, instead saying in an NBC News interview that we should just “follow the law.” Meanwhile we have seen a number of states enact horrific anti-trans legislation aimed at denying trans people their right to exist.

Harris also refused to endorse an arms embargo against Israel, as they commit a genocide against the Palestinians, even though polling data showed that in multiple swing states it would’ve increased the amount of people likely to vote for her. This became clear in the state of Michigan, which Harris lost by about 80,000 votes.

Clearly, the interests of the 1% and American imperialism – which serves the needs of the 1% as well – were more of a priority for Kamala Harris than her own voter base. So it should not come as a shock to anyone that fewer democrats came out to vote in 2024 as compared to 2020. 

But don’t just take my word for it, Bernie Sanders, in a statement on the 2024 election results, said “It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them.”

Harris and the Democrats made it clear to the working class that they would not support our freedom, our rights, and our ability to live comfortably, so it’s time for the working class to move on from the Democratic Party.

We Need an Independent Mass Working Class Party

It’s time for the labor movement to have our own independent political party that is able to effectively organize our economic power and use it to make meaningful political change. 

The labor movement in the United States has been long dormant in the aftermath of the neo-liberal counter-offensive which began in the late 1970s as a response to the falling rate of profit that had been accelerated by a vibrant labor movement. Large scale attacks on union power, such as the Taft-Hartley Act, the emergence and influence of pro-capitalist think tanks like the Heritage Foundation, and the administrations of Reagan, the Bushes, Clinton, etc. characterized a large scale coordinated effort of the 1% to strip away the gains that the labor movement had made. For example, the Reagan Administration gave massive tax cuts to the wealthy, reducing their tax burden by half and resulted in the beginning of a redistribution of wealth towards the wealthiest Americans. Reagan also famously fired over 11,000 air traffic controllers who had been striking in protest of long work hours and mandatory overtime, and even jailed strike leaders which ultimately disbanded their union. In a team effort by the George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton presidencies, the North Atlantic Free Trade Association (NAFTA) was signed into law by Clinton, which allowed the free flow of  capital out of the US and cost the country 100,000s of working class jobs. 

This has resulted in a major weakening of the labor movement, culminating in a historic low in union membership of 10.1% recorded in 2022, down from 20.1% in 1983, as well as the rapid deterioration of the living standards for working class people. That being said, we have seen something of a resurgence in union militancy with multiple high profile strikes in recent years, such as the UAW strike from 2023, the ILA strike back in September, and the Boeing strike, which just ended recently, just to name a few. 

Workers are beginning to see the direct economic benefits that are won through militant labor unions, and we can see this through the massive shift in the public perception of unions. According to a Gallup poll from 2022, 71% of Americans hold a favorable view of labor unions, which is the highest since 1965 and is up significantly from 48% in 2009. The NLRB also reported a 57% increase in union election petitions filed during the first 6 months of fiscal year 2021.  

A mass workers party would be able to take this positive momentum and channel it into coordinated actions. The party would be able to more effectively generate organized mass movement to fight for reforms, such as card check, to transform the widespread positive opinion on unions into more unionized workers. Political education efforts undertaken by the party could give workers the political knowledge they need to not only organize their workplaces, but also to understand the class antagonisms of capitalism and the importance of organized labor beyond the immediate material improvements for workers. Spontaneous action from unions is not enough to end capitalism, the workers must also understand that the political and economic power of the 1% is used to further their accumulation of profit at the expense of the working class. And that the only chance of preventing the further deterioration of, and achieving prosperity for, the working class, is for us to band together and use our collective economic and political power to remove capitalism and implement socialism.    

The key to the success of a party like this is independence from the Democrats. The Democrats only serve to funnel grassroots energy back into the election process and drain our movements of their power. The George Floyd Uprisings of 2020 are a very recent example of this, and the promised police reforms never materialized in any meaningful way, evidenced by the fact that in 2023 police killed more people than any other year on record. In recognizing that the 1% is the enemy of the working class, we must also recognize that this includes the Democratic Party, who is fully funded by, and receives their power because of, the support of the 1%. 

DSA Must Break Away from the Democrats

DSA is the largest socialist organization in the United States, with 60,000 members nationwide and with chapters based in all 50 states. DSA members are already active in labor unions, and grassroots political movements advocating for a free Palestine, Medicare4All, reproductive rights, black liberation, immigrants rights, and so many other important movements. 

And while DSA doesn’t style itself a Leninist vanguard party like some other socialist parties do, this is not what the United States needs at this moment. Right now the United States needs a mass workers party that can reignite the fight against the 1%. A Leninist vanguard party requires a dedicated cadre of professional revolutionaries who are the most class conscious of the working class, have rigorously studied and applied Marxist theory, and are deeply experienced in class struggle. The United States has been lacking a militant labor movement and needs to develop experienced leadership rooted in marxist theory before an effective Leninist vanguard party could be created.

So how does DSA become this mass workers party that we so desperately need? 

DSA must break away from the Democrats. Any connection to the Democrats will only hamper our efforts to rebuild a militant labor movement. As was mentioned before, the Democrats function as a party of the 1% is to funnel mass movement energy from the working class back into electoral politics. While there may be some Democrats who are supportive of the labor movement, the party bosses understand that their power is enabled by the support they receive from the 1%. The economic interests of the capitalist class are in direct contradiction to the interests of the working class, therefore it is extremely unlikely that the Democratic Party could be used to create any real power for the labor movement. It also creates a real danger that DSA could inadvertently lead the working class into the arms of the Democratic Party, and the 1%, instead of away from the 1%. This isn’t to say that our party should ignore electoral politics, but it should not be the main thrust of our efforts, and it should be done independent of the 1% and their political organizations. 

More and more people are becoming disillusioned with capitalism every day. Incumbent administrations have lost elections all over the world this year in response to high levels of inflation making it harder for people to make ends meet. For these people, they may not see that it is the capitalist system itself that is the source of their pain, so we must be there to reveal how capitalism is their true enemy and help them get organized to fight back. DSA must continue to do mutual aid work, and organize around popular pro working class reforms, such as medicare for all, raising minimum wage, the PRO Act, etc and prove to the working class that DSA will fight for their interests. If DSA continues to be seen as a faction within the Democratic Party, it will be much more difficult for workers to believe that DSA supports their interests when they clearly do not believe that the Democratic Party does.

The labor movement can’t delay this task any longer. Quality of life in the United States and around the world is declining, capitalism is rapidly deteriorating right in front of our eyes, and we have a climate crisis which poses an existential threat to humanity. These problems can’t be solved under the domination of the 1%. The only way to defeat this threat is to cast capitalism aside and move into a socialist society designed for the benefit of the workers, and that begins with an independent mass workers party.

Photo Credits:

“You Can’t Fix Crazy” by Thomas Hawk is licensed under CC By-NC 2.0 You Can’t Fix Crazy | Thomas Hawk | Flickr , Thomas Hawk | Flickr , Deed – Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic – Creative Commons

“}]] 

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not represent the official position of Working Mass.

By Ben Cabral

Donald Trump will be the 47th President of the United States. This is a result that will no doubt carry major ramifications for oppressed working class people all over the US. We can expect to see increased attacks against our LGBTQ+ communities, our black and brown communities, the bodily autonomy of women, and the safety and security of the working class as a whole.

Democrats and corporate media pundits will begin their usual commentary on how the left cost the Democrats this election, but socialists know better. Donald Trump was reelected because Democrats are either unable or unwilling to take the fight to him. Their strategy of courting neo-conservatives like Dick Cheney in order to chase a mythical moderate republican voter that no longer exists was doomed to fail from the start. 

So the question becomes where do we go from here? The answer is clear, the left, and the labor movement must detach itself from the Democrats and form our own independent mass workers party. This is a long term goal that socialists and communists and anyone else on the broader left must start working towards. DSA is well positioned to be that mass workers party, but this can only be achieved through a struggle within DSA for a clean break from the Democrats and become a fully independent political entity running our own third party ballot line. 

The Democrats Don’t Care About the Left or the Working Class

During the 2024 election cycle the Democrats made it clear that they are a party of the 1% and represent a different faction within the 1% than the GOP. The top spender in the 2024 election cycle was a hybrid PAC, also known as a Carey Committee, called Future Forward USA PAC, who has spent about $517.1 million primarily on ads attacking Trump. 

A top contributor to this PAC is LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman. However, the largest contributor to Future Forward USA PAC is a nonprofit called Future Forward USA Action who, because of their status as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, is not required to disclose their contributors. This phenomenon, known as dark money, was the primary driver of a record breaking $4.5 billion of outside spending in this election cycle. 

While we don’t know all the contributors, a New York Times report shows that media mogul billionaire Mike Bloomberg gave $50 million to Future Forward USA Action, and the super PAC Democracy PAC, funded by billionaire George Soros and gains on invested money, gave $10 million to the nonprofit as well. 

  So what does this information tell us? It might offer an explanation as to why Kamala Harris sprinted so far to the right that she started to look like a member of the early 2000s Republican Party. In 2020 Harris entered the Democratic primaries running on Medicare for All, ending fracking, etc and yet in 2024 we didn’t hear her say a word about Medicare for all and instead actually came out in favor of fracking. One of her most memorable campaign promises was that, unlike Joe Biden, she would include a Republican in her Cabinet.

Harris would not even firmly support the right of trans people to access gender affirming care, instead saying in an NBC News interview that we should just “follow the law.” Meanwhile we have seen a number of states enact horrific anti-trans legislation aimed at denying trans people their right to exist.

Harris also refused to endorse an arms embargo against Israel, as they commit a genocide against the Palestinians, even though polling data showed that in multiple swing states it would’ve increased the amount of people likely to vote for her. This became clear in the state of Michigan, which Harris lost by about 80,000 votes.

Clearly, the interests of the 1% and American imperialism – which serves the needs of the 1% as well – were more of a priority for Kamala Harris than her own voter base. So it should not come as a shock to anyone that fewer democrats came out to vote in 2024 as compared to 2020. 

But don’t just take my word for it, Bernie Sanders, in a statement on the 2024 election results, said “It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them.”

Harris and the Democrats made it clear to the working class that they would not support our freedom, our rights, and our ability to live comfortably, so it’s time for the working class to move on from the Democratic Party.

We Need an Independent Mass Working Class Party

It’s time for the labor movement to have our own independent political party that is able to effectively organize our economic power and use it to make meaningful political change. 

The labor movement in the United States has been long dormant in the aftermath of the neo-liberal counter-offensive which began in the late 1970s as a response to the falling rate of profit that had been accelerated by a vibrant labor movement. Large scale attacks on union power, such as the Taft-Hartley Act, the emergence and influence of pro-capitalist think tanks like the Heritage Foundation, and the administrations of Reagan, the Bushes, Clinton, etc. characterized a large scale coordinated effort of the 1% to strip away the gains that the labor movement had made. For example, the Reagan Administration gave massive tax cuts to the wealthy, reducing their tax burden by half and resulted in the beginning of a redistribution of wealth towards the wealthiest Americans. Reagan also famously fired over 11,000 air traffic controllers who had been striking in protest of long work hours and mandatory overtime, and even jailed strike leaders which ultimately disbanded their union. In a team effort by the George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton presidencies, the North Atlantic Free Trade Association (NAFTA) was signed into law by Clinton, which allowed the free flow of  capital out of the US and cost the country 100,000s of working class jobs. 

This has resulted in a major weakening of the labor movement, culminating in a historic low in union membership of 10.1% recorded in 2022, down from 20.1% in 1983, as well as the rapid deterioration of the living standards for working class people. That being said, we have seen something of a resurgence in union militancy with multiple high profile strikes in recent years, such as the UAW strike from 2023, the ILA strike back in September, and the Boeing strike, which just ended recently, just to name a few. 

Workers are beginning to see the direct economic benefits that are won through militant labor unions, and we can see this through the massive shift in the public perception of unions. According to a Gallup poll from 2022, 71% of Americans hold a favorable view of labor unions, which is the highest since 1965 and is up significantly from 48% in 2009. The NLRB also reported a 57% increase in union election petitions filed during the first 6 months of fiscal year 2021.  

A mass workers party would be able to take this positive momentum and channel it into coordinated actions. The party would be able to more effectively generate organized mass movement to fight for reforms, such as card check, to transform the widespread positive opinion on unions into more unionized workers. Political education efforts undertaken by the party could give workers the political knowledge they need to not only organize their workplaces, but also to understand the class antagonisms of capitalism and the importance of organized labor beyond the immediate material improvements for workers. Spontaneous action from unions is not enough to end capitalism, the workers must also understand that the political and economic power of the 1% is used to further their accumulation of profit at the expense of the working class. And that the only chance of preventing the further deterioration of, and achieving prosperity for, the working class, is for us to band together and use our collective economic and political power to remove capitalism and implement socialism.    

The key to the success of a party like this is independence from the Democrats. The Democrats only serve to funnel grassroots energy back into the election process and drain our movements of their power. The George Floyd Uprisings of 2020 are a very recent example of this, and the promised police reforms never materialized in any meaningful way, evidenced by the fact that in 2023 police killed more people than any other year on record. In recognizing that the 1% is the enemy of the working class, we must also recognize that this includes the Democratic Party, who is fully funded by, and receives their power because of, the support of the 1%. 

DSA Must Break Away from the Democrats

DSA is the largest socialist organization in the United States, with 60,000 members nationwide and with chapters based in all 50 states. DSA members are already active in labor unions, and grassroots political movements advocating for a free Palestine, Medicare4All, reproductive rights, black liberation, immigrants rights, and so many other important movements. 

And while DSA doesn’t style itself a Leninist vanguard party like some other socialist parties do, this is not what the United States needs at this moment. Right now the United States needs a mass workers party that can reignite the fight against the 1%. A Leninist vanguard party requires a dedicated cadre of professional revolutionaries who are the most class conscious of the working class, have rigorously studied and applied Marxist theory, and are deeply experienced in class struggle. The United States has been lacking a militant labor movement and needs to develop experienced leadership rooted in marxist theory before an effective Leninist vanguard party could be created.

So how does DSA become this mass workers party that we so desperately need? 

DSA must break away from the Democrats. Any connection to the Democrats will only hamper our efforts to rebuild a militant labor movement. As was mentioned before, the Democrats function as a party of the 1% is to funnel mass movement energy from the working class back into electoral politics. While there may be some Democrats who are supportive of the labor movement, the party bosses understand that their power is enabled by the support they receive from the 1%. The economic interests of the capitalist class are in direct contradiction to the interests of the working class, therefore it is extremely unlikely that the Democratic Party could be used to create any real power for the labor movement. It also creates a real danger that DSA could inadvertently lead the working class into the arms of the Democratic Party, and the 1%, instead of away from the 1%. This isn’t to say that our party should ignore electoral politics, but it should not be the main thrust of our efforts, and it should be done independent of the 1% and their political organizations. 

More and more people are becoming disillusioned with capitalism every day. Incumbent administrations have lost elections all over the world this year in response to high levels of inflation making it harder for people to make ends meet. For these people, they may not see that it is the capitalist system itself that is the source of their pain, so we must be there to reveal how capitalism is their true enemy and help them get organized to fight back. DSA must continue to do mutual aid work, and organize around popular pro working class reforms, such as medicare for all, raising minimum wage, the PRO Act, etc and prove to the working class that DSA will fight for their interests. If DSA continues to be seen as a faction within the Democratic Party, it will be much more difficult for workers to believe that DSA supports their interests when they clearly do not believe that the Democratic Party does.

The labor movement can’t delay this task any longer. Quality of life in the United States and around the world is declining, capitalism is rapidly deteriorating right in front of our eyes, and we have a climate crisis which poses an existential threat to humanity. These problems can’t be solved under the domination of the 1%. The only way to defeat this threat is to cast capitalism aside and move into a socialist society designed for the benefit of the workers, and that begins with an independent mass workers party.

Ben Cabral is a member of Boston DSA and contributor to Working Mass.

Photo Credits: You Can’t Fix Crazy | Thomas Hawk | Flickr under CC BY-NC 2.0

In the abject chaos of the aftermath of the 2024 election, there is one extremely stark contrast from 2016: The liberal response to the results. There were very few election night mass protests, if any. The events that went forward the day after were smaller than in 2016, and organized almost exclusively by left-wing groups. For now, the mass liberal revolt against Trump appears to be a thing of the past.

The fact that Trump’s victory was decisive, with mass rightward shifts across all regions including blue-state metropolitan areas, might be one factor. You can claim that 2016 was an aberration. But to be honest in looking at 2024, you have to be honest that Trump is popular and voters overwhelmingly chose him. This fact exists alongside the successes of socialist candidates and left policies, including multiple ballot initiatives that protected abortion access in red states.

Across social media, I’m seeing many well-meaning liberals and progressives state their desire to become “internal émigrés,” a term for a person living under a repressive government who chooses to disconnect from politics altogether. Many Americans have already chosen to “check out,” to focus on themselves and their families. There is little interest in #resisting this time around. People got what they wanted and they deserve what they’re going to get.

This, frankly, is an unacceptable attitude that will get people killed.

People simply do not have the luxury of checking out right now. Trump is promising mass deportations on Day 1 of his second term. Biden is refusing to use the expansive new powers granted him by our rogue Supreme Court to commit “official” acts as President to delay and complicate the transfer of power. You cannot claim your opponent is a fascist and then send a congratulatory call and aid and abet his transition. This means that Biden either doesn’t believe Trump is a fascist or he thinks fascism is good and normal. Every guardrail is broken. Everything is up to us.

Trans people scrambling to figure out HRT access during a Trump administration do not have the luxury of “checking out.” Working parents with trans children desperately trying to make the math work on a sudden move to a sanctuary state don’t have the luxury of “checking out.” 

Immigrants of all statuses do not have the luxury of “checking out”. Yes, that includes the ones who voted for Trump who are going to be targeted by his policies.

Teenage girls subjected to pro-rape taunts from right-wing Gen Z boys do not have the luxury of “checking out.”

Palestinians across the world do not have the luxury of “checking out.”

Parents with disabled students who rely on the IDEA Act do not have the luxury of “checking out.”

“Authoritarian regimes rely heavily on
self censorship and popular demobilization
to exercise control over society.“

Anyone engaging in public-facing left organizing does not have the luxury of “checking out.” Because guess what, folks? We’re targets, too. Take Trump’s threats to go after political enemies seriously.

It is important to prevent burnout, know your boundaries, and be selective in what battles you choose to fight in order to preserve yourself. But that is profoundly different than retreating to false pastoralism because it finally dawned on you that right wing politics has mass appeal. I saw this attitude firsthand growing up in a conservative town during the Bush years. Instead of retreating into apathy, I used that experience to change minds and dedicate my life to fighting for people I don’t know.

Authoritarian regimes rely heavily on self-censorship and popular demobilization to exercise control over society. One person is easy to single out for harassment, arrest, or worse. Such tactics are logistically impossible to use against a million people standing together. The far right wants us to cede the political sphere to them. Conscious disengagement from struggle to preserve oneself is a gift to the fascists. Uniting to protect one another, to defend our democracy, and ultimately to win the world we deserve is the only way forward.

The answer to this crisis isn’t unilateral disarmament. The answer is organizing together to throw every bit of sand into the gears to keep as many people safe as possible. It means having very awkward water cooler conversations with your coworkers who aren’t convinced that Trump will do all the bad things he says he’ll do. It means telling your daughters and nieces that they should beat up any boy that taunts them – and having their back when they face punishment for doing so. It means not throwing trans people under the bus in order to score midterm victories. It means mass meetings and making phone calls and writing postcards and thinking seriously about the fights we pick at the ballot box–and organizing to win those fights. It means meetings with legislators and making demands. It means sharing Know Your Rights information around ICE and CBP. It means all of the unglamorous and tedious work that goes into resisting fascism.

And above all, it means doing this without flinching and apologizing for our politics. Now is not the time to rationalize anti-trans rhetoric as legitimate concern about equity in school sports. Nor is it the time to be border hawks. If immigration and trans rights are unpopular, our task is to make them popular through constant education and agitation. 

In 2004, a number of gay men and women made the case for marriage equality on Fox News and in conservative media. While this strategy involved a great deal of respectability politics, it worked. People understood that gay people were in fact just like them, and people explaining in plain language about all the ways not having access to marriage impacted their daily lives to mass audiences did in fact move the needle and built popular support for marriage equality. There has not been any recent attempt to publicly identify asylum seekers, immigrants, or trans people as people simply seeking dignified lives without government scrutiny in the US. And the liberal “resistance” movement has zero interest in doing so. Likewise, when Hurricane Katrina destroyed the Gulf Coast there was no gloating that residents “got what they voted for”. There was mass outrage and efforts to save lives and fight a deliberately incompetent FEMA.  Both of these examples, from Bush’s second term, show that mass action and constant agitprop do force change in a politically hostile environment.

This time around, the organizations I see immediately moving to host mass meetings, rallies, skillshares, and logistical planning events are all socialist or firmly to the left of the Democratic Party. It will be up to us to lead the resistance, to absorb both the disaffected people who did not vote (mainly in “safe” blue and red states), and the people who do want to polish off their knitted beanies and get back to work. The path ahead starts with fighting a return to isolation and a mentality of “protecting me and mine.” And it starts now. 

The post You Do Not Have the Luxury of Checking Out appeared first on Midwest Socialist.

A Statement from the CA DSA State Committee about the 2024 election

Donald Trump, Republicans, and their billionaire backers have won the presidency and control of Congress along with it. Though we woke up Wednesday morning to this terrible news, these results were not decided overnight.

Trump and Republicans across the country have run disgusting campaigns marked by fascism, racism, misogyny, and placing the blame for our suffering on immigrants, trans people, and workers.

In turn, the Democratic establishment thought it wise to pivot to the right, chasing an imaginary constituent at the expense of people’s lives and livelihoods.

In California, our statewide election results were also not what we’d hope for or worked towards. Our statewide organization endorsed and campaigned for Prop 5, which would make building public infrastructure and housing easier, and Prop 33, which would have removed California’s strict limits on rent control. 

Just like in our federal elections, billionaires, landlords, and developers spent hundreds of millions of dollars across the state to lie to voters about these measures, and both failed. Though this is the case, as democratic socialists, we are more committed than ever to continue fighting for justice for tenants and workers. 

Amid all this news, it is understandable to be overwhelmed. But, as Dr. King reminds us, “Revolution, though born of despair, cannot long be sustained by despair.” In these moments, for the sake of our communities and our planet, we are called to keep hope alive, and work like hell to turn things around. And there is reason to be hopeful.

Across California, where our members came together, organized, and knocked on doors, working class champions won. We took on moneyed interests and won seats on city councils, school boards, and other offices. That work matters and will make a material impact on many lives.

We have to keep methodically organizing in our cities and towns toward larger and larger victories. We must also act immediately upon Trump’s return to the White House to protect our community members he has demonized and put at risk. Every life we save will be worth it.

It is our responsibility to move forward thoughtfully and with nothing less than solidarity.

California DSA will soon be hosting an introductory lesson to democratic socialism and how it is the solution to our current crisis. It will be open to anyone who is interested in or new to our organization. We’ll also be announcing plans for our statewide organization moving forward. Stay tuned.

We can and must push forward; our futures depend on it.  

Sign up for our California DSA 101

Boston Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is proud to announce that we have raised $3,239 to donate to Pink Haven Coalition and $2,274 to donate to Operation Olive Branch.

Operation Olive Branch is a grassroots organization supporting Palestinians’ critical needs, including but not limited to mutual aid requests. At a time when bipartisan consensus in the federal government is genocide, any donation is not enough, but to those moved by this mission, please donate to Operation Olive Branch.

Pink Haven Coalition is a lifesaving organization helping trans people in hostile states access medical care. Trump and Republicans campaigned on stripping the rights of trans people, especially trans immigrants and incarcerated people, while Democrats like Seth Moulton lay the blame for their election loss on trans people—the latest in a long line of betrayals by the Democratic Party on trans rights. To those moved by this mission, please donate to Pink Haven Coalition.

We are proud of DSA’s work for a free Palestine and to protect our LGBTQ+ siblings.

DSA supports ceasefire, arms embargo, and divestment resolutions in our cities and unions across the country, working in coalition with Palestinian, Muslim, and Jewish community and advocacy organizations.

Our members protected Somerville Central Library from the far-right menacing of a drag queen story hour. Our endorsed Somerville City Councilors Willie Burnley Jr. and J.T. Scott helped lead the fight to make Massachusetts a safe haven for gender-affirming medical care. We work in the Mass-Care coalition for Medicare for All, including gender-affirming care and abortion on demand and without apology.

In the face of exterminationist Republicans and indifferent Democrats, Boston DSA will always stand with Palestine and trans people.

JOIN BOSTON DSA: bdsa.us/JoinUs

POST-ELECTION MASS MEETING: bdsa.us/NovGM

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, November 13 (6:45 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.): November General Meeting (In person at 2973 16th St, Suite 300)

Thursday, November 14 (6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.): Palestine Solidarity and Anti-Imperialist Working Group (Zoom and in person at 1916 McAllister)

Friday, November 15 (12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.): Office Hours (In person at 1916 McAllister)

Saturday, November 16 (11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.): Tabling with Palestine Solidarity Working Group at Ferry Building Farmer’s Market (In person at 1 Ferry Building)

Saturday, November 16 (12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.): Organizing Against State Repression of the Palestine Solidarity Movement (Zoom and in person at Alliance for Social and Economic Justice, 2973 16th St, Suite 300)

Monday, November 18 (7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.): DSA Maker Monday w/ Labor (In person at 1916 McAllister)

Monday, November 18 (7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.): Labor Board Meeting (Zoom)

Wednesday, November 20 (6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.): What is DSA? (In person, location TBA)

Thursday, November 21 (6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.): Ecosocialist Monthly Meeting (In person at 1916 McAllister)

Monday, November 25 (6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.): Homelessness Working Group Meeting (Zoom and in person at 1916 McAllister)

Monday, November 25 (6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.): Tenderloin Healing Circle (In person at 220 Golden Gate)

Check out https://dsasf.org/events for more events and updates.

Events & Actions

Organizing Against State Repression of the Palestine Solidarity Movement

This Saturday, coalition partners with Bay Area Popular Convention for Palestine are hosting a discussion and analysis of how state repression of the Palestine solidarity movement is impacting student, community, and labor groups. What are ways we can can support each other within and across these sectors? RSVP to join the discussion of this and other vital questions. This will be a hybrid event on Zoom and in person at the Alliance for Social and Economic Justice at 2973 16th St., Suite 300 on Saturday, November 16, 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.

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Maker Monday with Labor Group

The Tenderloin Healing Circle and Labor Group are getting crafty on Monday, November 18 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m at 1916 McAllister. We’ll be crafting buttons and flyers with lino prints, markers, and more. Come make art with us!

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Tenderloin Healing Circle

We’d like to invite you (yes, you!) to join the Tenderloin Healing Circle every 2nd and 4th Monday of the month! We serve food right before the meeting at 6:00 p.m., and meet from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at 220 Golden Gate Avenue.

This is a free healing circle for the neighborhood. Join other Tenderloin folks for support, hope, and food. All are welcome. The venue is wheelchair accessible, bathrooms are available, and masks are encouraged.

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No Appetite for Apartheid in SF!

Inspired by long-standing Palestinian boycott tactics and the BDS call, the Palestine Solidarity Anti-Imperialist Working Group are canvassing local stores and asking them to pledge to become Apartheid-Free by dropping products from companies complicit in the genocide of Palestinians and colonization of Palestine. It’s time to turn up the heat on this apartheid regime and take apartheid off our plates!

Want to show your support? Sign our Apartheid-Free Pledge so business owners know how popular this movement is with their local customers. After signing the pledge, we would love to see you at any of our upcoming campaign strategy sessions and canvassing days. Check dsasf.org/events for updates.

Behind the Scenes

The Chapter Coordination Committee (CCC) regularly rotates duties among chapter members. This allows us to train new members in key duties that help keep the chapter running like organizing chapter meetings, keeping records updated, office cleanup, updating the DSA SF website and newsletter, etc. Members can view current CCC rotations.

To help with the day-to-day tasks that keep the chapter running, fill out the CCC help form.

This is our third and final installment in our mini-series on Norman Wallace Lermond, famed socialist and naturalist from Maine. In this episode, we look deeper at Lermond’s hand in forming the Maine Socialist Party. His position as Party Secretary, his failed campaign for Governor, and his life outside of political organizing. Please listen and share!

The post A Maine Socialist – Norman Wallace Lermond, pt. 3 appeared first on Pine & Roses.

In early October, the Twin Cities DSA Steering Committee voted to adopt this resolution, which calls on the chapter to use its resources to support the passage of the congressional Joint Resolutions of Disapproval recently introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders. This group of six resolutions, put before both houses of Congress, would block over $20 […]

How do we fight Trump? With a united front of working class organizations.

On November 5, Donald Trump was elected, again. How did this happen? At the heart of the disaster is the failure of the Democratic Party. For decades, Democrats have operated as just another party of big business, corporate policies, and the status quo.

While corporate Democrats fell to crushing defeat, socialists won elections across the country. Portland was a bright spot. We elected two endorsed city councilors after an incredible campaign of door-knocking and organizing — and voted in four democratic socialists to city council. Five of the twelve winners signed our Renters’ Bill of Rights.

But our victories exist against the context of a wider victory for the right-wing. What to do now? In Portland DSA we passed an emergency election response with a clear goal: build a coalition to fight for left-wing policies in Portland, and to oppose Trump, and the hard right, conservative, capitalist policies of the Republican Party.

To build a strong coalition, we will invite unions, Palestine solidarity organizations, sympathetic local and state officeholders, and labor solidarity groups to an activist conference to discuss our strategy.

This plan is unified around a set of demands: No abortion ban, no genocide, no deportations. DSA chapters across the country are already making these demands. In Portland, we are also looking ahead to a socialist vision for city council: A Green New Deal for Portland, a Renters’ Bill of Rights, and a jobs program for Portland.

Together, we will work with a coalition of Left organizations to plan a joint forum on the strategy for Portland’s Left, an inauguration day protest, and a longer term left-wing, anti-Trump coalition.

Portland DSA is calling on other chapters to pass the same resolution! We are experiencing an enormous moment of opportunity, as liberals and progressives question their approach of the last 8 years. The strategy of lesser-evilism, and running within the two-party paradigm has left us without a clear response to Trumpist populism. As people begin to question the role of the Democratic Party, it is the job of socialists to convince them of the need for a new party for the working class.

Our chapter is asking DSA to convene the same sort of coalition nationally. The Left is growing, workers deserve more, and together we can build a party and defeat the Right!