A Hierarchy of Socialist Political Objectives
How we as socialists should evaluate a demand, campaign, or objective. The key question: does it build working-class power?
How we as socialists should evaluate a demand, campaign, or objective. The key question: does it build working-class power?
Twelve months ago, it seemed like an open question if this year would bring an end to the pandemic, a muscular new social-democratic politics, and renewed social struggle. It wasn’t to be.
Decades of abortion rights organizing led to the FDA’s recent decision to loosen regulations on abortion pills. Now we have to organize to protect these gains and fight for more.
To consolidate last night’s victory, Gabriel Boric and the Chilean Left will have to cohere the popular forces behind the 2019 uprising.
Decades-long union democracy fights have just won big in the Teamsters and the United Auto Workers, creating big opportunities for socialists.
DSA must discipline Jamaal Bowman after his vote to support Israeli apartheid and his tour of Israel.
Our greatest strength does not come from how vigilantly we police the boundaries of political discourse and how quick we are to exact punitive discipline. It comes from whether or not we can gain hegemony through education, democratic debate, winning elections, and hard nosed organizing.
DSA’s electoral work has taken big steps forward since 2016. Now at DSA’s 2021 National Convention, delegates have the opportunity to push that project even further in the direction of building a real party.
DSA chapters should prioritize building strong socialist electoral apparatuses. Agitating today for an eventual split from the Democratic Party would stunt our power and make the formation of a mass workers’ party less likely.
We can build a diverse DSA through strong local political organizing in the multiracial working class. But national metrics are potentially counterproductive.