Democrats: Graveyard of Social Movements
READINGS
Lance Selfa, The Democrats: A Critical History (Haymarket Books), Chapter 4, p.87-125.
Shaun Harkin, “Facing the anti-immigrant crackdown,” ISR, Issue 52.
Ashley Smith, “Which way forward for the antiwar movement?,” ISR, Issue 60.
Join the ISO summer education series on building an alternative to the two-party system. The election of socialist Kasama Sawant to the Seattle city council and the recent victory there of a $15-an-hour minimum wage has re-raised the issue of socialist participation in elections for a new generation. The upcoming campaigns of Howie Hawkins and Brian Jones in New York and others across the country means that it is a pressing question for radicals and socialists. Join us for a discussion of why we need an alternative to the two-party system, of the relationship between elections and grassroots struggle, and how revolutionaries should view participation in electoral campaigns.
Study groups will be held in uptown Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn. See below for times and locations. Readings are available from your local branch of the ISO or can be downloaded here.
Sessions
SESSION I: July 9th (July 16th for Queens)
Marxism & Elections
Paul D’Amato, “Marxists and Elections,” ISR, Issue 13.
Jennifer Roesch, “Electoral Strategy for the Left,” Jacobin, June 19, 2014.
Editorial, “Declaring independence from the 1 Percent,” Socialist Worker, May 21, 2014.
SESSION II: July 30th
Democrats: The 2nd Most Enthusiastic Party of Capital
Lance Selfa, The Democrats: A Critical History (Haymarket Books), Chapter 1, p.11-39.
Available at all study sessions or from Haymarket Books.
SESSION III: August 20th
United Front v. Popular Front: Marxist Strategy & Tactics
Leon Trotsky on the United Front, ISR, Issue 17.
Chalie Post, “The Popular Front: Rethinking CPUSA History,” ATC, Issue 63.
SESSION IV: September 10th
Democrats: Graveyard of Social Movements
Lance Selfa, The Democrats: A Critical History (Haymarket Books), Chapter 4, p.87-125.
Shaun Harkin, “Facing the anti-immigrant crackdown,” ISR, Issue 52.
Ashley Smith, “Which way forward for the antiwar movement?,” ISR, Issue 60.
SESSION V: October 1st
Can the Left Take Over the Democratic Party?
Lance Selfa, The Democrats: A Critical History (Haymarket Books), Chapter 6, p.159-176.
Ari Paul, “The rise and fall of the Working Families Party,” Jacobin, November 15, 2013.
Sarah Jaffe, “Will Cuomo keep his promises?,” In These Times, June 2, 2014.
Study Group Locations
Brooklyn Branch
Wednesdays at 7pm
Brooklyn Free School
372 Clinton Ave
For more info: iso-bklyn@nycsocialist.org
Uptown Branch
Wednesdays at 6:30pm
Sinergia Inc., 4th Floor
2082 Lexington Ave (btw. 125th & 126th)
For more info: iso-uptown@nycsocialist.org
Queens Branch
Wednesdays at 7pm
Jackson Heights
For info: westernqueensiso@gmail.com