Democratic Socialists of America: Sanders and 2020.

Teachers and Educators. A new workers movement is rising. 

by John (Sean) Throne.

I am a member of Democratic Socialists Of America  (DSA) However due to age and health I cannot be very active other than writing and exchanging views and writing on this Blog, Facts For Working People.   I would like to contribute my view on DSA and the elections in 2020.

I believe that DSA is making a very serious mistake in backing Sanders. He wants to regulate capitalism. If that is what DSA wanted then Warren has a more serious approach. However I am a socialist and DSA is a socialist organization. 

After Wednesday's debate where Sander's was explaining how unequal is US capitalist society, something just about everybody knows, he made little impact. By the way, credit where credit is due, it was not Sanders who made the idea of the 1% part of the mass consciousness in US society. It was the Occupy Movement and its direct action tactics. 

As to how Sanders would get his policies implemented, he repeated the same old story that it would take millions on the streets. But where is Sanders leading millions on the streets?  Where has he ever led millions on the streets or even hinted he would do so? This is a way to put the responsibility on his supporters for when if elected he would be unable to implement his policies. 

I appeal to my DSA Comrades to consider if Sanders would win the nomination and get elected president. In the coming economic plunge, most likely a slump, he would seek to deal with this inside the confines of capitalism. As usual, the working class would pay and the capitalist class would hold on to their wealth and power. And if DSA continues to endorse Sanders we would have to take the blame for this. 

I have shared before my view that DSA with its 60,000 plus members should reject both the Democrats and the Republicans and reach out to the rank and file of the union locals, the teachers and educators movements, the workers in the workplaces, the specially oppressed racial and gender minorities, women, the climate change movement, the environmental movement, and build a coalition which can put forward a socialist candidate for the working class in 2020. If we continue to support Sanders this will come back to haunt us.  

It is a serious mistake to think that US political life has not fundamentally changed.  The two party capitalist monopoly of the Republicans and the Democrats over US politics is in the process of breaking up. It is very likely that there will be a number of major candidates in 2020. 57% in opinion polls want an alternative to the Democrats and the Republicans. 100 million people did not vote in the last presidential election. They could see no point in supporting either the Republican or the Democratic candidate. Look internationally and see how the most unlikely of individuals and new parties, and existing parties thought long dead such as the British Labor Party, are gaining support. We are in a new era. Continuing to support the Democratic Party threatens to leave DSA on the wrong side of history. 

Back to Sanders. See where he refers to FDR as an example to be followed. What was FDR? FDR himself explained that his policies were to save capitalism from itself. This capitalist politician that Sanders mentions as an example also interned Japanese Americans by executive order. Similarities to the children in cages under Trump. 

It is important that we campaign in DSA for the decision to endorse Sanders to be set aside and a proper discussion on what to do for 2020 be established.