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Two different aspects of the question of support or otherwise for Ocasio-Cortez have been raised: First is whether or not she will "stray" from her program. In other words, capitulate. In the first place, her program itself is rather vague. But anyway, that's not so much the point since even if she were to be more concrete about a program for jobs and housing for all, for Medicare for all, and for support for Palestine, there's no way she will accomplish any of that through the Democratic Party. But in any case, the main point is that what's really key is building an independent movement of, by and for the working class. When that starts to happen, and only then, will we start to see reforms as a by product. We all know what that means - the beginnings of the development of a working class party. We should not see such a party as being simply an electoral vehicle. Look at the Republicans and Democrats. They organize the capitalist class and advocate the views of that class to the rest of society. They also tend to gather the most conscious elements of their class to help lead the rest of their class. That's what a working class party would do for its class. Of course, there are some huge differences also, partly stemming from the fact that the working class is the majority, or at least a large plurality and it represents the interests of the overwhelming majority. Another difference is that the working class cannot capture the capitalist state, so some of its methods must differ from those of the capitalist class. These include strikes, mass demonstrations, and defiance of the state. Finally, since the working class is the oppressed class, it tends to be less conscious than the capitalist class. The creation of a working class party would gather together all the most conscious and fearless elements within our class. It would mean a huge increase in their influence in the rest of the class and also a huge leap in their/our own consciousness. Even the very beginnings of a mass working class party will not be built according to some "blueprint" (as Ackerman put it); it will develop out of an elemental movement, you could even say a vomiting up of all the old crap that we're fed every day. Anybody who says there's no difference between the Republicans and the Democrats - even before Trump took over the Republicans - simply doesn't know what they're talking about. The two parties play different roles. The key task of the Democrats is to side-track any tendency for a working class party to develop. In this task, the liberal/"progressive" wing is absolutely essential. It is indispensable. There may be some very honest and sincere individuals within that wing. Ocasio-Cortez may be one of them. It doesn't matter. In this period, when the working class hardly exists as a political force in the US, when everything cries out for even just the beginnings of the development of a working class party, and when the liberal/"progressive" wing of the Democrats is such a powerful magnet, I think real socialists have to be really vigilant in resisting the pull of the Democrats. How can we explain all this, how can we call for independent, working class candidates - even at the local level - candidates who link up the local issues with this necessity for a working class party - while at the same time supporting some Democrats, ANY Democrats? The contradiction is too great. DSA is proving in the realm of action that it cannot be done. John Reimann _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
