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Tristan Sloughter wrote: "I do not understand how selecting the Democrat when voting today, in a race with the only options being the candidates on the ballot in anyway harm the argument. "Accepting the options given at this specific time is just accepting reality and working with it. I just don't see how leaving it blank improves the argument that we need a party of the working class." Presumably, he knows in advance that he's going to vote for Democrat X. Probably well in advance. In that case, as a political activist, he is obligated to advocate that others vote for "X" also. He also asks what are the specific steps that I advocate that would be blocked by advocating voting for a Democrat (which as I pointed out, he is obligated to do and, in fact, is doing already in this exchange). I have written about this and repeated this so many times, I'm getting bored writing it, but here goes again: In the last year, DSA could have and should have put up its own candidates for local office - city council, board of education, etc. Such candidates could have run on the basis of openly being real socialists and workers' representatives, rather than the lie that they represent "all" the people. They could have explained how the local issues and the role of the local politicians shows that these politicians and their parties are simply the representatives of big business. (In many cities that is more specific - they are the representatives of the real estate industry.) They could explain that the "progressive"/liberal Democrats are purely the bait for the trap. These working class, socialist candidates could then explain that part of the purpose of running is to build a campaign for an alternative to these parties of big business, including to its liberal wing. I have always specified running for local office, because on that level I think we could actually register on the radar screens of millions of workers. The problem with campaigning in this way is that you cannot then turn around and then say, "but, while I think that the liberal Democrat "X" is simply bait for the trap, that she/he is playing that role to prevent you, sister or brother worker, from organizing independently and building your own party - while I believe that, I still think that you should support and vote for Democrat "X"." Workers simply will not take you seriously if you take that road. And the leadership of DSA (as well as of the unions) know this perfectly well. Which is why they have been unwilling to even *discuss* taking the road I advocate. Now, we are expected to reward their refusal to act in the interests of the working class by at the end of the day accepting their strategy and goal, which is to kick the can even further down the road regarding building a working class alternative to the Democrats in the hopes that we never will actually act on it. Our task #1 at this point is to clearly explain their role in undercutting the working class, clearly explaining their collaboration with the capitalist class. Again, it makes it all the harder to do this while at the same time advocating accepting the lack of an option that they have foisted on us. (And, as I said, if you vote Democrat you have to advocate voting Democrat.) We are now facing a new situation from six months ago. Where does that leave us? I already posted this article to this list (I think), but I'm reposting it again. It puts forward what I believe socialists should be advocating at this time. https://oaklandsocialist.com/2018/07/24/progressive-democrats-learning-from-the-past/ John Reimann -- *“In politics, abstract terms conceal treachery.” *from "The Black Jacobins" by C. L. R. James Check out:https:http://oaklandsocialist.com also on Facebook _________________________________________________________ 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
