Social Activism in the Age of Trump: What To Do and What We Are Doing

I really appreciate Ackerman contending with the realities of first past the post voting and the degree to which the two parties have a structurally enforced monopoly on power at the federal level--not enough people who think about the viability of "third parties" take these structural problems into account. I also think he's right that we need a party-like structure, but I'm with Refoundation in believing it's got to be a party in the "mass" sense of the term; what he describes here for his (uh) party-like sounds more like Corbyn's Momentum or even Bernie's Our Rev, a membership org with a line whose main political gesture is working to hold its ostensible elected champions to account. As my gf likes to say "that's what Our Rev is for."

Do you know of any existing models to base such a party on (or at least derive inspiration)?

The Labor Party in the US provides an interesting and relatively recent example:

https://socialistrevolution.org/the-fight-for-socialism-and-the-lessons-of-the-labor-party

Ultimately what I think is to be done is build an organization capable of doing what Ackerman describes _along with_ a primary capacity of mass action, study, agitation, and organizing--which is to say, something like a fusion of DSA and Our Rev, whether through a strategic popular front alliance or a literal fusion.

Also a good historical dive on the distinctions between the two here: https://rtuc.wordpress.com/2010/02/25/the-concept-of-a-mass-party/

oh duh also Syriza

they and others are favorably cited here: http://socialistnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Socialists-and-the-Mass-Organisations-Ver-2.pdf

cheers HOOS

Last pushes?

Really shocked to canvass for Max Rose yesterday in Bay Ridge and see literally zero Donovan canvassers in the area (and heard that it was similar in Staten Island), and equally as shocked to get so many enthusiastic responses while textbanking for Indiana today.

Have to say, textbanking has been really gratifying, esp. as someone who haaaaaaates phonebanking and generally talking on the phone to strangers. Folks have been really responsive, and have already had a few long texts helping random people figure out where they need to be or what they'll need.

The GOTV push will not end until Tuesday evening, so if you can contact a local campaign you support, they ought to be able to slot you in still.

This year has been too crazy at home to do any volunteering. We did increase our donations to nine different politically active organizations in 2017 and maintained that level again this year. We also gave $100 to the Blue Wave PAC founded by Sen. Merkeley and another $100 to the Oregon's Democratic governor's campaign. It's what we could do.

We went out (with kids!) to Tracy, CA (~1.5hrs from our home in SF) to support Josh Harder for the House yesterday. The volunteer office was buzzing, I saw a former co-worker. We went to a Democrat-friendly neighborhood in Tracy proper. Probably didn't help that much but good to do something.

In retrospect I wish we had driven further and gone to help out Jessica Morse, who we also like but who has less of a supply of volunteers to draw from.

VOTE HARDER

Contacting Iowa Dems this morning out of pure spite, very encouraging amount of responses. Less than a day left to vengefully GOTV!

I recommend this program to support people in ICE detention, if you're in California:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MOIfwwLrGcgJf15sv_eqW_38FCKfv4Pgdq4UOhA2Fnk/edit#

in light of recent Border Patrol/ICE coordination threat, worth bearing in mind:

Many ICE agents say their jobs have become increasingly difficult, three years into Trump’s presidency, because of robust campaigns by immigrant advocacy organizations seeking to safeguard immigrants living in the country illegally by educating them on the legal limitations that ICE officers face. As a result, in many communities where immigrants living in the country illegally reside, when ICE agents are spotted, people now turn immediately to their phones to alert neighbors that they should stay inside.

support/participate in these types of activities, people

Gee, ICE agents say their jobs are more "difficult" when immigrants know the "legal limitations ICE officers face". Fuck them. Fuck them royally, for being nostalgic for when they were more easily able to exceed their fucking legal limitations.

as far as I can tell a lot of those limitations are because they are enforcing *civil* infractions with these sweeps, which places significant restraints on what level of force/tactics they are allowed to use

did some canvassing for jessica cisneros again (progressive house candidate running against conservative dem henry cuellar) and her stafffer told me today that their polls show a tied race, so here's hoping she pulls off the upset

So - admitting I'm far too much of a coward to throw myself in front of bullets - what can be done to fight the inherent dead-ender shitstorm that's coming this week?