This post examines Corbyn’s abrupt transformation from “unelectable terrorist sympathizer” to most likely to follow May as Prime Minister. The post also includes excerpts from a fascinating Truthout article on how a post-capitalist world could evolve. Good stuff.
It is becoming clear that grassroots organizing is the key to securing justice. For an opportunity to participate, come to our Kickoff to Support Equity Summer, June 25, 3-5 pm, 1420 Cerrillos Rd, Santa Fe. Click here for details on the campaign and what you will learn. RSVP at the Facebook page by clicking “Going,” or by emailing paul@retakeourdemocracy.org. This will be a transformational process for participants and for our City.
Evidence of Growing Impact of Local Grassroots Organizing. Recently progressive House candidates lost narrowly to GOP candidates in strongly GOP dominated districts. That each of those races ended in narrow losses speaks volumes about the progress being made and what it foretells in 2018. From a recent Huffington Post article: “Sanders followers acknowledge that high-profile, national electoral victories are often the end result of long-term organizing. A big reason Ellison came as close as he did to becoming DNC chair is because of progressive takeovers of state Democratic parties whose leaders can participate in the chairmanship election.” Rather than despair over narrow losses, we should exult in the many wins in races that are not GOP strongholds: “Sanders delegate Christine Pellegrino won a seat in the New York state assembly by flipping a district Trump had won by 23 percentage points. A week before, in Philadelphia, Sanders supporter Larry Krasner won the Democratic nomination for district attorney ― all but ensuring a general election win in the heavily blue area ― on a solidly progressive platform of criminal justice reform. Other pickups include a mayoralty in Jackson, Mississippi, and city council wins in nearby Meridian and South Fulton, Georgia.” Click here for the Huffington Post article.
What the Dems Must Learn from Jeremy Corbyn. Another Huffington Post article describes what the Democratic Party must learn from what just happened in England. “Corbyn made significant gains where nearly every political expert in Europe expected him to march off an electoral cliff. He did so by abandoning dyed-in-the-wool aristocratic Tory voters, energizing new, young Labour voters with policy, and making a direct psychological challenge to authoritarian appeals. There’s a lesson there for the Democratic Party. It can be the party of the Good Aristocrats, or it can be the Anti-Authoritarian Party. But it can’t be both.” He points to the Democratic Party’s failure to capture the enthusiasm of young progressives due to its ties to the Authoritarians (corporate America/Wall St.). Click here for the full report.
A Way Forward to the New Economy. A previous post pointed to a key cause of gentrification: most property is held privately, so private profit is the primary goal in developing that property. “More precisely, inasmuch as the predatory regime of corporate capitalism is founded on the privatization of resources (of production, profit, the natural environment, etc.), a more just and stable society will have to be grounded in the public production and distribution of resources, and in relatively democratic and cooperative economic structures.” This Truthout article speaks of how public banking and cooperative work structures will be the vanguard of the new economy, developed locally and expanding as the inevitable failure of neoliberalism and the greed of capitalism encounter economic and environmental crisis. “Rather, the long-drawn-out political revolutions will occur step-by-step as society, in particular the economy, gradually and organically evolves new, more democratic institutions, precisely to the degree that the old economy descends into crisis.” It is an excellent article with an optimistic message: work locally to achieve equity and justice.
In closing, thank-you to the many supporters who offered policy suggestions for the NM Democratic Party Platform. To read the post and see the suggestions made, click here. Retake will share them with our Platform Committee member, Thomas Leatherwood.
In Solidarity,
Roxanne & Paul
Categories: Economic justice
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