DSA hits 25K members - Largest Socialist group in the country since WWII

[Shadows]

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are holding their bi-annual convention beginning Aug. 3 at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Earlier this week, DSA reached 25,000 members, a goal set at their previous convention. According to DSA, this makes them the largest socialist organization in the United States since World War II. DSA, who also resolved to support the candidacy of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I – Vt., for president, has quadrupled in size since the 2016 election, boasting 177 local groups in 46 states. Several DSA members have been elected to local office, including Chicago Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa.

DSA Momentum would put a “national campaign for Medicare For All” at the heart of its leadership, while also promoting “a rank-and-file labor strategy” to win leadership in unions and withdrawal of DSA from the “moribund” Socialist International.

“DSA should begin to develop stronger relationships with new left parties and movements around the world, from Podemos (Spain) to PSOL (Brazil) to Momentum in Britain, to name a few,” Momentum’s Internationalism plank reads.

http://www.peoplesworld.org/article/democratic-socialists-of-america-hold-convention-in-chicago-this-weekend/

[Beet]

The WWII-era socialists were still saddled by myths that the Moscow Show Trials were right-on and that people like Whittaker Chambers and the Dewery Comission were all red-baiting. In that sense, today's DSA are better off than them, even with a smaller proportional population.

[TheSaint250]

Sad to hear, but political participation is always good

[Badger]

The WWII-era socialists were still saddled by myths that the Moscow Show Trials were right-on and that people like Whittaker Chambers and the Dewery Comission were all red-baiting. In that sense, today's DSA are better off than them, even with a smaller proportional population.

I wondered, and then I saw on their website for the convention their slavish support for the current Venezuelan government, and nearly hurt myself with the force of doing this

[Famous Mortimer]

Big news from the convention so far: DSA has voted to leave the Socialist International.

I have mixed feelings about this.

On a practical level, the SI barely exists anymore, it costs money, and there's no benefit to being a member.

On an ideological level though, I don't like what this represents at all. It represents a rejection of social democracy and a rejection of serious, mainstream politics.

So many of the new DSA members call themselves anarchists or anarcho communists. I wonder why they even joined the DSA at all. The DSA has always existed to promote the creation of a European style social democratic party. If you don't think that's desirable, why not join one of the other more radical parties already in existence like the Party for Socialism and Liberation or the Socialist Party USA (which has better branding anyway).

[Famous Mortimer]

Also, the Jacobin editors threw their support behind the Momentum slate. So I guess I hope Momentum wins.

[Famous Mortimer]

Also also, DSA endorsed BDS.

[Pyro]

Good news!

[Beet]

The WWII-era socialists were still saddled by myths that the Moscow Show Trials were right-on and that people like Whittaker Chambers and the Dewery Comission were all red-baiting. In that sense, today's DSA are better off than them, even with a smaller proportional population.

I wondered, and then I saw on their website for the convention their slavish support for the current Venezuelan government, and nearly hurt myself with the force of doing this

Maduro sucks, but he's not as bad as Stalin. He's just another run-of-the-mill authoritarian and another sign of liberalism in retreat worldwide. That being said, it's a big red flag for the DSA and will seriously limit their support.

[Badger]

Big news from the convention so far: DSA has voted to leave the Socialist International.

I have mixed feelings about this.

On a practical level, the SI barely exists anymore, it costs money, and there's no benefit to being a member.

On an ideological level though, I don't like what this represents at all. It represents a rejection of social democracy and a rejection of serious, mainstream politics.

So many of the new DSA members call themselves anarchists or anarcho communists. I wonder why they even joined the DSA at all. The DSA has always existed to promote the creation of a European style social democratic party. If you don't think that's desirable, why not join one of the other more radical parties already in existence like the Party for Socialism and Liberation or the Socialist Party USA (which has better branding anyway).

Not good for being taken seriously. On anything.

When your leftist  party essentially decides people like Jeremy Corbin are too mainstream to emulate or at least work with, you're fu@×ed.

[Famous Mortimer]

Big news from the convention so far: DSA has voted to leave the Socialist International.

I have mixed feelings about this.

On a practical level, the SI barely exists anymore, it costs money, and there's no benefit to being a member.

On an ideological level though, I don't like what this represents at all. It represents a rejection of social democracy and a rejection of serious, mainstream politics.

So many of the new DSA members call themselves anarchists or anarcho communists. I wonder why they even joined the DSA at all. The DSA has always existed to promote the creation of a European style social democratic party. If you don't think that's desirable, why not join one of the other more radical parties already in existence like the Party for Socialism and Liberation or the Socialist Party USA (which has better branding anyway).

Not good for being taken seriously. On anything.

When your leftist  party essentially decides people like Jeremy Corbin are too mainstream to emulate or at least work with, you're fu@×ed.

In fairness to the DSA, most members are willing to work with people like Corbyn. They just consider him the most right-wing person they would be willing to work with.

[publicunofficial]

Big news from the convention so far: DSA has voted to leave the Socialist International.

I have mixed feelings about this.

On a practical level, the SI barely exists anymore, it costs money, and there's no benefit to being a member.

On an ideological level though, I don't like what this represents at all. It represents a rejection of social democracy and a rejection of serious, mainstream politics.

So many of the new DSA members call themselves anarchists or anarcho communists. I wonder why they even joined the DSA at all. The DSA has always existed to promote the creation of a European style social democratic party. If you don't think that's desirable, why not join one of the other more radical parties already in existence like the Party for Socialism and Liberation or the Socialist Party USA (which has better branding anyway).

Not good for being taken seriously. On anything.

When your leftist  party essentially decides people like Jeremy Corbin are too mainstream to emulate or at least work with, you're fu@×ed.

In fairness to the DSA, most members are willing to work with people like Corbyn. They just consider him the most right-wing person they would be willing to work with.

The convention hall broke into "Oh Jeremy Corbyn" chants multiple times, what the f**K are you talking about?

[Famous Mortimer]

Surprisingly, a resolution condemning the Democratic Party was voted down.

Also, someone who works for a police department got elected to the national political council and now everyone is freaking out because they hate cops.

A very mixed bag of a convention to say the least.

[publicunofficial]

I'm really enjoying all the pundits decrying DSA leaving Socialist International, an organization they skimmed the Wikipedia page of moments beforehand.

[Arturo Belano]

Big news from the convention so far: DSA has voted to leave the Socialist International.

I have mixed feelings about this.

On a practical level, the SI barely exists anymore, it costs money, and there's no benefit to being a member.

On an ideological level though, I don't like what this represents at all. It represents a rejection of social democracy and a rejection of serious, mainstream politics.

A rejection of social democracy? The SI rejected social democracy and leftism in general by having the likes of Papandreou, Mubarak, Flanby, and the PRI within their ranks. Nearly all solidly leftist parties in Europe and Latin America such as Podemos, Die Linke, BdE, PAIS, and MORENA operate outside of the SI.  There exists plenty of potential for socialist internationalism outside of that organization.

[Badger]

Surprisingly, a resolution condemning the Democratic Party was voted down.

Also, someone who works for a police department got elected to the national political council and now everyone is freaking out because they hate cops.

A very mixed bag of a convention to say the least.

Yes, because fighting against working class people like cops is a brilliant idea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twcGwZIBrds (about the Boston Police Strike)

[publicunofficial]

Surprisingly, a resolution condemning the Democratic Party was voted down.

Also, someone who works for a police department got elected to the national political council and now everyone is freaking out because they hate cops.

A very mixed bag of a convention to say the least.

Yes, because fighting against working class people like cops is a brilliant idea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twcGwZIBrds (about the Boston Police Strike)

The member in question went to great lengths to hide his involvement with police unions (He is a prominent leader of the Austin DSA branch, and apparently none of them knew about this either) , something I personally have no problem with but many members do. The cover-up itself is what a lot of people, myself included, would like to see him resign over.

[Famous Mortimer]

I'm hearing conflicting reports a resolution calling for abolition of the police and abolition of prisons was also passed.

Ugh.

[Alabama_Indy10]

I'm hearing conflicting reports a resolution calling for abolition of the police and abolition of prisons was also passed.

Ugh.

This is why socialism is taken seriously. LOL

[Suburbia]

I'm hearing conflicting reports a resolution calling for abolition of the police and abolition of prisons was also passed.

Ugh.

This is why socialism is taken seriously. LOL

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

I'm hearing conflicting reports a resolution calling for abolition of the police and abolition of prisons was also passed.

Ugh.

This is why socialism is taken seriously. LOL

Eventual abolition of state police & the prison system is a pretty reasonable goal, no?

yes, if you want an arachy.

[Famous Mortimer]

Seems like just before the votes on police and prison abolition were taken, all the reasonable people decided to go on a little walk, probably to prevent the vote from having a quorum, rather than debate all the insane people supporting the motions.

[Badger]

I'm hearing conflicting reports a resolution calling for abolition of the police and abolition of prisons was also passed.

Ugh.

This is why socialism is taken seriously. LOL

[Young Conservative]

Horrifying.

[publicunofficial]

I'm hearing conflicting reports a resolution calling for abolition of the police and abolition of prisons was also passed.

Ugh.

This is why socialism is taken seriously. LOL

Go hard or go home.