Marv Gandall asks about my "views of Kshama Sawant's uniquely successful runs for city council in Seattle, also a Democratic stronghold. In what respects did your campaign resemble and/or differ from hers, and how would you explain the different outcomes?" I have debated with, talked with and written extensively about Sawant. I donated to her first campaign, did not for her second and did so for her third after she actually came out and helped mobilize support for a rank and file rebellion against the bureaucracy in the carpenters union (about two and a half years years ago).
Sawant had an extremely efficient and well funded machine running her first campaign for office. Similar to Ocasio Cortez's first campaign, the local capitalist machine was not paying attention to her campaign and that gave her a huge advantage. (I know. I was a founding member of the predecessor to S. Alt. and I know how they operate from the inside out.) Once in office, it was not so easy to oust her. Also, I believe S.Alt. was not prepared for her victory and had not thought through her relationship to the union bureaucracy, which is quite powerful in a city like Seattle. As a result, she and S. Alt. made fundamental concessions to that bureaucracy, including through their signal campaign - the campaign for a $15/hour minimum wage. (A comrade of mine and I went to their major national convention on that issue.) She and S. Alt. refused to back any rank and file rebellions - of which there were only one or two - during her time in office, until the carpenters rebellion. In that one she had to since they had a member in the building trades who had had to get involved. She did play a very positive role in that instance. As I said, I am quite familiar with her. I visited Seattle numerous times at one stage and had extensive discussions with various socialists and union members there. I was an active participant in the carpenters rebellion up there and have written a lot <https://oaklandsocialist.com/?s=Seattle+carpenters> about it too. (So much for Baugher's implication that I'm just some sort of keyboard warrior.) I have written extensively about Sawant on my blog. Here is the link <https://oaklandsocialist.com/page/3/?s=Kshama+Sawant>to a number of articles. I have also participated in (to a limited degree since I live in Oakland), studied, and written a lot <https://oaklandsocialist.com/?s=Seattle+%2415+an+hour+minimum+wage> about their campaign for a $15/hour minimum wage. Here is a video <https://oaklandsocialist.com/2014/05/03/15-now-conference-debate-about-union-exclusion-clause/> around a debate at their $15/hour convention. The presentation of myself - the keyboard warrior - starts around 8:15 minutes in. I'm sure it will provide grist for the mill of those who so much admire the "national labor experts". For a more in depth view of the situation there, I suggest reading some of those articles. John Reimann -- *“Science and socialism go hand-in-hand.” *Felicity Dowling Check out:https:http://oaklandsocialist.com also on Facebook -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#29103): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/29103 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/104479559/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/8674936/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
