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Socialist Progressives
Related: About this forumCapitalism is a “dirty word”: America’s new socialist council member talks to Salon
Excerpt interview with Kshama Sawant
...Snip~
Q: After the 2008 financial crash, were you disappointed that there wasnt more of a left turn in U.S. policy at the national level?
A: I think its been its been demoralizing for the left for a while. But at the same time, I think what were seeing is a slow but steady change, and the Occupy movement was a really significant expression of the disenchantment from the system that we knew that everybody was feeling
In the absence of movements, especially mass movements, people tend to feel atomized, and everybody is privately thinking that the system is not working for me. The Occupy movement, what it did was it ended that silence and people were more openly talking about the economic crisis, the fact that the banks got bailed out and the rest of us were left with unemployment, low-wage jobs, and an epidemic of foreclosures and evictions. So I think, contrary to what people thought Its really been a period where newer, small but new movements are starting to rise up. Theres been the Occupy Homes campaign in Minnesota, which has actually prevented several foreclosures And theres been sort of initial eruptions of the environmental movement.
Now, what [the] Left has to do is to recognize that there is an opening here, there is a hunger among people in the United States, especially young people, young working people In reality, what has become a dirty word is capitalism. Young people can see that the system does not offer any solutions. They can see that a two-party system is not working for them. But what is the alternative? We have to provide the alternative
The full interview at: http://www.salon.com/2013/11/18/capitalism_is_a_dirty_word_meet_the_nations_new_socialist_councilmember/A: I think its been its been demoralizing for the left for a while. But at the same time, I think what were seeing is a slow but steady change, and the Occupy movement was a really significant expression of the disenchantment from the system that we knew that everybody was feeling
In the absence of movements, especially mass movements, people tend to feel atomized, and everybody is privately thinking that the system is not working for me. The Occupy movement, what it did was it ended that silence and people were more openly talking about the economic crisis, the fact that the banks got bailed out and the rest of us were left with unemployment, low-wage jobs, and an epidemic of foreclosures and evictions. So I think, contrary to what people thought Its really been a period where newer, small but new movements are starting to rise up. Theres been the Occupy Homes campaign in Minnesota, which has actually prevented several foreclosures And theres been sort of initial eruptions of the environmental movement.
Now, what [the] Left has to do is to recognize that there is an opening here, there is a hunger among people in the United States, especially young people, young working people In reality, what has become a dirty word is capitalism. Young people can see that the system does not offer any solutions. They can see that a two-party system is not working for them. But what is the alternative? We have to provide the alternative
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Capitalism is a “dirty word”: America’s new socialist council member talks to Salon (Original Post)
Joe Shlabotnik
Nov 2013
OP
TBF
(32,090 posts)1. What we need to do is proudly take over the word "socialism"
and make it work for us. We need to threaten the wealthy with strikes - we need to use words like increase the minimum wage, unions, organize, and TAX. We need to organize and fight back. The alternative is that we either raise taxes and the minimum wage or we start seizing like they are in Venezuela.
We need to be strong and stick together.
socialist_n_TN
(11,481 posts)2. She does talk the talk........
She even used a quote from Trotsky there. Now let's see if she walks the walk.
Oakenshield
(614 posts)3. She's rather inspirational.
Kudos to her for taking a firm stand for the 99%.