News

June Dispatch — What to do when the system is rigged

June 10, 2021

Enjoy your June Dispatch! This month we have labor and electoral calls, Convention updates, and your member survey link!

FROM MARIA: WHAT TO DO WHEN THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED

Are you surprised to hear that billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk use perfectly legal tricks to avoid paying taxes on their astronomical wealth? According to a treasure trove (no pun intended) of IRS data obtained by ProPublica, the working class bears a double burden of subsidizing the owning class — with our labor, and by paying higher tax rates. Shocking!

Or is it? We already know that the owning class structures the entire economy to squeeze the rest of us, like how Republicans in half the country are ending pandemic unemployment benefits. Since the bipartisan handling of COVID-19 has killed nearly 600,000 people in the U.S., according to the CDC, and University of Washington researchers say the numbers are closer to 900,000. That means there are fewer workers to fill jobs, which puts each of us in a stronger negotiating position to demand better wages and working conditions. The bosses can’t have that!

That’s why DSA needs YOU. We see what’s happening, and we know nothing will change unless WE make it change. We’re not the only ones who know the system is stacked against us, but we are the ones with a vision of taking on the billionaire class and grassroots chapters across the country to do it.

Look to our comrades in Peru for inspiration! Using the simple slogan “no more poor people in a rich country,” left wing teacher and union leader Pedro Castillo won more votes for president than the powerful daughter of a right-wing political dynasty who is out on bail pending a money-laundering investigation.

The capitalist class everywhere rigs the political and the economic systems for their own profit. But the working class can fight back, and we can win.

TUESDAY 6/15 — JOIN OUR SOCIALISM AND ELECTORAL POLITICS CALL

From Bernie Sanders to AOC and dozens of local elected officials, socialism is popular at the polls. Over 100 DSA members have been elected since 2017, and chapters have used their campaigns to build power and organize the working class. Join our National Political Education Committee Tuesday, 6/15 at 8:30pm ET/7:30pm CT/6:30pm MT/5:30pm PT for our Socialism and Electoral Politics call! Speakers will include members of the National Electoral Committee, who will present on DSA’s successes and challenges in the last few years as well as our official electoral strategy. Multiple resolutions about electoral politics were submitted to be debated at this summer’s convention. This call will give an overview of DSA’s electoral work — why elections matter and how to use them.

DSA ALL-MEMBER SURVEY — DEADLINE THURSDAY 6/24

Have you filled out your member survey yet? We want to hear from you! Your participation will help our Growth and Development Committee expand the work of recruiting, retaining, training and mentoring new leaders, and give delegates important insight as they make key decisions at our upcoming Convention. Your views are important!

For your privacy, our membership survey report will be aggregated, and will not include individual information. While your chapter and email address are required, this will only be used to help us track survey completion progress.

The deadline to complete the survey is Thursday 6/24, but please fill out this survey as soon as possible. You can find the survey here.

CONVENTION UPDATES: PROPOSAL AND CONSTITUTION BYLAWS SECONDARY AMENDMENTS, PLATFORM DRAFT AMENDMENTS

As a reminder, secondary amendments to resolutions and constitution/bylaws changes are due no later than Tuesday, 6/15. Resolution amendments require 100 signatures from members in good standing. Constitution/bylaws changes require 250 signatures from members in good standing. You can find the full political resolutions and constitution/bylaws compendium and the secondary amendment submission form here.

There was a lot of helpful feedback regarding the first draft of the platform, so we’re taking additional time to review and incorporate it. The second draft of the platform will now be released on Wednesday, 6/16, and the deadline for amendments to the platform will be Thursday, 7/15.

Want more on the Convention in your inbox? DSA members in good standing who want email updates, including Convention-specific email as well as Dispatches and NPC Newsletters with Convention updates, can sign up here. All members will continue to receive Convention updates in the Dispatch and NPC Newsletter.

SUBMIT YOUR CONVENTION SOLIDARITY JOURNAL AD BY FRIDAY, 6/25!

Hello DSAers! The National Convention is right around the corner and we’re excited to open submissions for ads in our Solidarity Journal (the National Convention program)! You, your chapter, working group, or committee can place an ad in the Solidarity Journal to send a message of solidarity or of celebration to your chapter, work, or comrades. The deadline to purchase an ad is Friday, 6/25.

Please note that Solidarity Journal messages advocating for or against any convention proposal, NPC candidate, slate, or DSA caucus will not be accepted.

Journal space is available in three sizes. Ads should be sent as PNG files, color or black and white. Ad sizes and costs are:

  • Full Page (9×6 inches): $250
  • Half Page (4.5×6 inches): $125
  • Quarter Page (4.5×3 inches): $50

RSVP FOR DSA’S LABOR STRATEGY: ORGANIZING WORKER POWER FOR A SOCIALIST FUTURE, SUNDAY 6/27

Please join the National Political Education Committee for a special pre-convention event focused on building our labor plan and supporting strategic, multiracial workplace organizing in every red, blue and purple corner of the country. We’ll be talking with resolution authors and union member leaders on organizing at Amazon, in the South, among Black and Latino workers, in solidarity across industries, and for democratic unions that can fight and win. The call will be held on Sunday, June 27th at 6pm ET/5pm CT/4pm MT/3pm PT. Join us!

SUPPORT MYANMAR LABOR ACTIVISTS SOLIDARITY FUNDRAISER

The CTUM trade federation in Myanmar is still collecting funds for labor and street activists who are fighting a military takeover of civilian government in Myanmar. Money is hard to come by, and activists need support to do things like pay for internet and phone bills to communicate with each other and the outside world. Critical updates are received from activists in this manner. The military has been capturing and torturing dissidents, and the situation is very serious. The Labor Sub Committee of the DSA International Committee is asking that you as a DSA member consider making a contribution, however small, to the support of the CTUM and also share this link with interested people. Thank you.

ANTIFASCIST WORKING GROUP LAUNCH — SIGN UP TODAY!

The DSA Antifascist Working Group is now open and onboarding new comrades! The National Antifascist Working Group (AFWG) is DSA’s main conduit for fighting the far right at a national and local level. You can find more information about the AFWG here.

NEW ISSUE OF SOCIALIST FORUM OUT NOW!

The Spring 2021 issue of Socialist Forum, DSA’s quarterly long form publication, is now live. This issue of Socialist Forum tackles a broad array of topics, from the current state of domestic politics, to reflections on the legacy of late AFL-CIO president John Sweeney, to the historical relationship between sexuality and capitalist development. We also call readers’ attention to two illuminating interviews, one with three current members of DSA’s National Political Committee, and one with two members of Milwaukee DSA on their recent experiences in the electoral arena. As always, we invite readers to submit responses to any of these articles to our inbox at [email protected].