AMERICAN LEFT HISTORY

This space is dedicated to the proposition that we need to know the history of the struggles on the left and of earlier progressive movements here and world-wide. If we can learn from the mistakes made in the past (as well as what went right) we can move forward in the future to create a more just and equitable society. We will be reviewing books, CDs, and movies we believe everyone needs to read, hear and look at as well as making commentary from time to time. Greg Green, site manager

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Socialism Rising Socialist Alternative

Socialist Alternative<newsletter@socialistalternative.org>

2:12 PM

To alfredjohnson34@comcast.net

"A new politics is rising, and it holds out the promise of a new America. This is an exciting time and there is much to be said of the remarkable women who have brought this new politics to Washington DC. But it is important to remember where the next politics first began to be recognized. It was in Seattle, in 2013, with the election of Kshama Sawant to the city council. She ran and won as a proud socialist, and in office she has boldly advanced the cause of economic and social and racial justice. Kshama Sawant has been, and remains, a North Star figure — shining out from Seattle to the whole of the United States." — John Nichols, Journalist and Author

Kshama Sawant was first elected to the Seattle City Council in 2013 with over 90,000 votes, running as a proud member of Socialist Alternative back before “Bernie” and “AOC” were household names. Kshama used her 2013 election campaign to advocate strongly for the $15 minimum wage when no prominent elected officials were talking about it despite ongoing fast-food worker strikes. Kshama’s election victory, and the united movement of labor, workers, and socialists made Seattle the first major city to win the $15 minimum wage.

The $15 movement in Seattle overcame fierce opposition from the corporate establishment, but after the victory in Seattle, $15 legislation spread like wildfire across the country. Kshama’s 2013 election was also the first big breakthrough for socialists at the ballot box, giving confidence to other left activists that they could defeat corporate power and the political establishment; this was reinforced through Sawant’s re-election in 2015.

But to win gains for workers, young people and the oppressed, elections are not enough. Political office must be used by socialists to build movements and increase working-class consciousness to change society, and Kshama Sawant and Socialist Alternative in Seattle have been a shining example of how this can be done.

As theorist, activist, and author Noam Chomsky put it: “I am very pleased to endorse Kshama Sawant’s campaign for City Council in Seattle. Her accomplishments and plans are a model for what the country badly needs.”

Please donate today to re-elect Kshama Sawant and defend a seat of struggle for working people.

Countless victories, many previously thought to be impossible, have been won in Seattle over the past five years. Working-class activists have gained confidence, a voice in City Hall, and an invaluable organizing resource with Kshama in office. Landmark renters’ rights laws, the establishment of Indigenous People’s Day, blocking the building of a monumental police bunker – these are only a handful of examples.

Right now, Kshama’s re-election campaign is fighting for rent control and taxing big business to fund a major expansion of quality social housing. If we can win universal rent control in Seattle – just like with the $15 movement – this could open the floodgates for struggles and legislation in cities across the country where working people face a deep housing crisis.

Big business interests know this too. They have seen how effective our socialist City Council seat has been. That’s why a record-breaking flood of corporate cash has been pouring into the Seattle City Council elections. Corporate PACs have already amassed over $1 million with a #1 priority of “anybody but Kshama Sawant” for Seattle’s District 3 seat. PAC donors include some of the country’s most notorious corporations like Amazon and Comcast, as well as big for-profit developers like Vulcan, which is determined to stop our movement for rent control.

Kshama Sawant is not for sale. Our campaign is funded entirely by grassroots donations from working people. We’re proud to have nearly twice as many donors from District 3 as any other campaign. At the same time, we’re proud that people across the country have been inspired by our struggles like 15 Now, the Tax Amazon movement, and our fight for rent control.

More and more self-identified socialists are being elected to office and running campaigns across the country. This has sparked debate on the left about a key question: How can socialists effectively use elected office under a capitalist system? Some argue we should lower our socialist profile only run on Democratic Party ballot lines. But Kshama’s victories are an example of the possibilities for popularizing socialist ideas, running independent campaigns, and building movements to win victories. Keeping this seat of struggle for ordinary people in Seattle can be a beacon for the left nationally in the debate about how to win far-reaching victories for the working class, to take bold action on the climate crisis, and to change society.

We need to cancel out the recent $80,000 PAC donation from Vulcan by the rapidly approaching primary election on August 6, to stop big business from buying this election. Please donate $15, $50, or $100 today to this trendsetting campaign.

Donate today

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