Democratic Socialist of America 2019 Convention

[Ichthyosaurus]

The Democratic Socialists of America had a convention. For those who don't know the DSA are, here's a rundown. At the con they've done things like voting on internal resolutions and elections.

Here's a breakdown of what happened at the con.

There have been some developments regarding their convention which has caused conflicts within the group.

These are the factions involved:

Existing caucuses going into convention are (in no particular order):

• Bread & Roses (B&R): Formerly "Spring", an explicitly Marxist caucus descended from last Convention's "Momentum" slate. B&R probably has the most articulated idea of what they want DSA to be, which is a group that can create a mass workers' party largely through a combination of labor organizing and socialist electoralism. They tend to see the National organization's purpose as creating a united and coherent organization. "We oppose horizontalist practices that distort democracy into a series of endless meetings, replace accountable leadership with the tyranny of structurelessness, and drain decisions of consequences. We must make decisions about priorities and then commit to carrying them out."
• Build: The original "not-caucus" caucus. Descended from Praxis, the other big slate in 2017. Somewhat apolitical in their outlook, they publish a zine about what chapters are doing on the ground and have a vision of "base-building" that is much more local. "We believe that most of the national organization's troubles are the direct result of escalating factionalism, personal attacks, and a zero-sum approach to internal political differences." They generally favor decentralization/dispersement and distrust the national organization to accomplish tasks.
• Socialist Majority Caucus (SMC): Comprised largely of chapter leaders, national working group leaders and former DSA staff, they largely want to stay the course but improve upon old structures that haven't worked particularly well with the growth of the organization. They also house some members of the smaller "North Star" caucus of old guard DSA. "We believe DSA should be a national organization governed democratically and openly from the bottom up."
• Collective Power Network (CPN): Another formation that says it isn't a caucus but accomplishes basically the same goal. CPN similarly comprises some former DSA staffers, with supporters based largely in DC and New Orleans. CPN argues that DSA is limited in its appeal until it addresses organizational challenges. They have a federated vision for DSA, a stratified form of organization between local, regional and national. "The broad goal of building a mass organization of workers fighting for a democratic socialist society is seriously undermined by our current membership composition and lack of diversity."
• Libertarian Socialist Caucus (LSC): Anarchists, council communists and autonomist Marxists. Argues for abolishing the National Political Committee and shifting dues from National to locals. "…the Libertarian Socialist Caucus is suspicious of centralized forms of governance and decision making…Instead, we wish to promote the ability of individuals and communities to set their own priorities, both inside and outside the DSA. Governing authority is illegitimate in itself and can only be justified if it is delegated by and subordinated to a democratic assembly."

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These are the resolutions the DSA are voting on:

Resolutions involving electoral politics can be subdivided as follows: prioritizing elections, 2020 election-related, and endorsement criteria. Given the role elections have played in bringing people into DSA, it's no surprise that there are multiple resolutions reaffirming DSA's commitment to running socialist candidates, again with perspectives by B&R (#31 "Class Struggle Elections"), SMC (#82 "DSA National Election Priority") and an old guard-type resolution (#13 "Defeating Trumpism and Electing Democratic Socialists and Progressives").

#13 "Defeating Trumpism" effectively argues for an 'Anyone But Trump' perspective, hoping to push the Democrats to the left, but supporting them against the Right regardless. SMC's #82 "National Election Priority" articulates the center position of being involved in electoral activity, prioritizing coalition work, having left aspirations but leaving it up to chapters to decide what minimum program is acceptable. #31 "Class Struggle Elections" (B&R) stakes out a left pole for electoral politics, putting forward a perspective of running as open socialists, using the office to build movements, and trying to build a "party within a party" to prepare along the lines of a "dirty break" – a strategy for building a new political party in the U.S. by operating in the Democratic Party and eventually taking gathered forces and 'breaking them off' to form the new party.

Apart from electoral strategy, #48 "Candidate Litmus Test" sets up a questionnaire that candidates must affirm completely for them to get a DSA endorsement, which is by far the most restrictive, but in its attachment to specific bills in Congress, I suspect it'll have too many limitations to pass. #52 "Not One Penny" sets a pledge that candidates for U.S. Congress must vote against militarism and all foreign military operations; I don't know the viability of this considering how the military is woven into nearly all federal budgets. No resolutions explicitly call for a break with the Democratic Party.

Two resolutions are aimed at DSA's orientation to Sanders. My own #15 is essentially a "Bernie or Bust" resolution, which accepts the decision DSA has already made in endorsing Sanders but rejects any other candidate should he lose. #39 "Petition Bernie Sanders for a People's Foreign Policy Platform" might be called the "No Tankies" resolution, aiming for DSA to try and push Sanders to have better international policies – importantly this contains language for solidarity with Palestine and Venezuela.

In sum: Elections? Yes. How should DSA do them? Within the Democratic Party. The minimums are going to have to be negotiated.

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Here is a detailed summary of the DSA resolutions which were approved.

https://www.dsausa.org/files/2019/06/2019-Resolutions-Approved.pdf

Individual resolutions:

In the event of a Sanders Loss

Not One Penny: Anti-militarist Discipline and Candidates Endorsements

Support for decriminalisation of sex work

Decolonisation, self determination, anti-imperialism

Support for Open Borders

Massive Strike for Reproductive Justice

And more.

Resolution analysis

Reports on what's going on inside the DSA and the internal struggles it faces in the world of Donald Trump.

https://medium.com/@jer.gong/dsa-is-at-a-crossroads-60de6a4c84b6

and a rebuttal.

https://medium.com/@seanmduffy/inwards-and-outwards-dsa-in-conflict-7650b55e226d

What say you, ERA? What's your opinion on what the DSA are doing at their convention.

 

[FoneBone]

this op is incredibly sloppy

your "breakdown of what happened at the con" is an article from a month before it happened

the list of "resolutions which were approved" is from back in June; it's a list of resolutions approved to be voted on at the con, not the actual results of those votes

the articles you posted about "what's going on inside the DSA and the internal struggles it faces" are both over a year old

 

[SEBattleship]

There is a video going around on Twitter that makes this convention look like a joke.

 

[kittens]

I recently read the Dual Power zine put out by the DSA's Libertarian Socialist Caucus and really appreciated it, it got me curious about how the DSA is doing these days. I'll have to look into convention happenings when I have time.

 

[RedMercury]

There is a video going around on Twitter that makes this convention look like a joke.

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Ignore it, people will take a couple minutes and try to smear everyone with it, and I'll take some people doing their best to make it an inclusive space over nazis or centrists or even a lot of liberals who don't give a shit about doing that or actively work against it.

 

[amusix]

There is a video going around on Twitter that makes this convention look like a joke.

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This one?
Mod Edit: Video from Inappropriate Source Removed

 

[RedMercury]

This one?
Mod Edit: Video from Inappropriate Source Removed

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I don't think we need to platform Andy Ngo

 

[Spirit of Jazz]

Ichthyosaurus making a DSA thread? Clearly this is going to be in good faith and isn't yet another example of why they're toxic to discourse on these forums!

 

[Shy]

Ichthyosaurus making a DSA thread? Clearly this is going to be in good faith and isn't yet another example of why they're toxic to discourse on these forums!

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🤔

 

[fauxtrot]

Ah I see now... Ichthyosaurus wanted to post the video linked above to make fun of DSA but he didn't want to get in trouble for linking to whatever far right account he'd have get it from so he made a thread with super outdated links and absolutely no opinion of his own about the org or its goals, knowing someone would do his dirty work for him. Very cool!

 

[Harry Potter Obama]

Ichthyosaurus making a DSA thread? Clearly this is going to be in good faith and isn't yet another example of why they're toxic to discourse on these forums!

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I mean, the OP is pretty normal and inoffensive. I don't expect the rest of the thread to be, but give credit where credit is due.

I don't think we need to platform Andy Ngo

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While I agree, it's not like the video is fake or anything, right? (Can't watch now) And if it's the same one I saw on Twitter it does look a little ridiculous. I'm not so sure people outside of the left's sphere took DSA very seriously to begin with, but it doesn't really help.

 

[RedMercury]

Ichthyosaurus making a DSA thread? Clearly this is going to be in good faith and isn't yet another example of why they're toxic to discourse on these forums!

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The timing may be a bit suspect given the right has latched onto a couple minutes and that is dominating the conversation, and to not mention it outright seems like purposefully burying a lede, but there's no way to really prove it.

While I agree, it's not like the video is fake or anything, right? (Can't watch now) And if it's the same one I saw on Twitter it does look a little ridiculous. I'm not so sure people outside of the left's sphere took DSA very seriously to begin with, but it doesn't really help.

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Nah it's not fake, I dunno if there's like a source that isn't Andy Ngo so people aren't giving him clicks.

 

[KamalaHarris]

This one?
Mod Edit: Video from Inappropriate Source Removed

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everyone on Twitter is making fun of this

 

[Mona]

This one?
Mod Edit: Video from Inappropriate Source Removed

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I literally thought they were trolling the convention with those remarks

I was almost positive

 

[Spirit of Jazz]

I mean, the OP is pretty normal and inoffensive. I don't expect the rest of the thread to be, but give credit where credit is due.

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Their whole history on this forums is based around on shitting on anything remotely left of centre, FoneBone's already pointed out why this is in bad faith, the 'horrific' video of somebody pointing out they were sensitive to sensory overload is posted. Maybe I'm just being delicate because I'm on the spectrum and that kind of shit is a big deal to me, but you have to be born yesterday if you think Ichthyosaurus made this thread for any reason other than to make fun of that. I'll be surprised if this doesn't devolve into fake Bernie or Bust bullshit at some point.

 

[Harry Potter Obama]

Their whole history on this forums is based around on shitting on anything remotely left of centre, FoneBone's already pointed out why this is in bad faith, the 'horrific' video of somebody pointing out they were sensitive to sensory overload is posted. Maybe I'm just being delicate because I'm on the spectrum and that kind of shit is a big deal to me, but you have to be born yesterday if you think Ichthyosaurus made this thread for any reason other than to make fun of that. I'll be surprised if this doesn't devolve into fake Bernie or Bust bullshit at some point.

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Trust me I know his posting history, it just didn't strike me as being particularly offensive when I read it is all.

 

[Shy]

Ah I see now... Ichthyosaurus wanted to post the video linked above to make fun of DSA but he didn't want to get in trouble for linking to whatever far right account he'd have get it from so he made a thread with super outdated links and absolutely no opinion of his own about the org or its goals, knowing someone would do his dirty work for him. Very cool!

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[Spirit of Jazz]

Trust me I know his posting history, it just didn't strike me as being particularly offensive when I read it is all.

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Okay, but if me illustrating has somebody pointing out how they're sensitive to sensory overload and it being taken seriously is a good thing isn't enough then...

Ah I see now... Ichthyosaurus wanted to post the video linked above to make fun of DSA but he didn't want to get in trouble for linking to whatever far right account he'd have get it from so he made a thread with super outdated links and absolutely no opinion of his own about the org or its goals, knowing someone would do his dirty work for him. Very cool!

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This nails it on the head.

 

[phazedplasma]

Ah I see now... Ichthyosaurus wanted to post the video linked above to make fun of DSA but he didn't want to get in trouble for linking to whatever far right account he'd have get it from so he made a thread with super outdated links and absolutely no opinion of his own about the org or its goals, knowing someone would do his dirty work for him. Very cool!

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so much this^

one of the most thinly veiled OPs I've seen on here.

 

[Deleted member 4346]

Bad faith actor posting a thread about the DSA? Cool. Why is this allowed?

 

[Surfinn]

Ah I see now... Ichthyosaurus wanted to post the video linked above to make fun of DSA but he didn't want to get in trouble for linking to whatever far right account he'd have get it from so he made a thread with super outdated links and absolutely no opinion of his own about the org or its goals, knowing someone would do his dirty work for him. Very cool!

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I can't believe it!

 

[B-Dubs]

This thread does not appear to be made in good faith and has been locked. If anyone else wants to make a thread on the event, and there is new news to discuss, feel free.