​Defeating Trumpism and Electing Democratic Socialists and Progressives.

Defeating Trumpism and Electing Democratic Socialists and Progressives.
 A proposed priority policy developed by the North Star Caucus. 
Be It  Resolved:
THAT   DSA’s top three priorities for political work over the next two years, until our next national convention in 2021, will be:

1. Defeating Trumpism and Electing Democratic Socialists and Progressives
2. Addressing Climate Change and Promoting the Green New Deal
3. Addressing the Immigration Crisis and Defending Immigrants and Refugees

 

1. Defeating Trumpism and Electing Democratic Socialists and Progressives .

 
Our first priority is the electoral and political defeat of Donald Trump, the Trumpist Republican Party and all of the authoritarian forces aligned with them. The white nationalist authoritarianism of Trumpism poses a‘clear and present danger’ to working people and their unions, to people of color, to women, to LGBTQIA people, to immigrants, to members of minority religious faiths and to democracy itself. Trumpist victories in the 2020 elections would mean the consolidation of an authoritarian state with the most reactionary politics, the expansion of imperial aggression abroad and the collapse of the political space for democratic and left forces at home. The defeat of Trumpism is thus a strategic imperative, the most important political task of our time.
 
Given the central role of racism, white nationalism and bigotry against immigrants and Muslims in the political agenda of Trumpism, and the echoes of the most shameful racist moments of past U.S. history in Trumpian discourse, a failure to prioritize its defeat would be nothing less than the abandonment of the struggle against racism.
 
To be best positioned to defeat Trumpism, the Democratic Party and candidates for office running as Democrats must adopt a progressive platform the breaks decisively with neo-liberal politics and economics, rejecting the policies of austerity, privatization, economic deregulation and ‘race to the bottom’ free trade under corporate hegemony. DSA should promote the development of such a progressive platform, one that places the interests of working people and their unions over corporations and the 1%, that takes on the economic impact of institutional racism and sexism in employment and social services, that addresses increasingly catastrophic climate change, and that promotes the well-being of the great mass of Americans, especially in the provision of fully-funded, universally accessible public goods in health care, education, housing and mass transportation.

​The promotion of such a progressive platform should go, hand in hand, with DSA’s enthusiastic support for progressive elected officials and candidates for office, such as the incoming class of progressive members of the House of Representatives – largely women and of color. Of the utmost importance is vigorous support for publicly avowed democratic socialists such as Senator Bernie Sanders, and DSA members and Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tliab. It is essential that these democratic socialists be defended against efforts to pillory and defeat them, and that the ranks of democratic socialists in office grow. Bernie Sanders’ campaign for President deserves our support precisely because it can advance this progressive platform, even if he is not successful in winning the Democratic Party nomination.
 
DSA’s electoral work is most effective and has the greatest impact when we work cooperatively with other progressive organizations on the left – both organizations of a mass nature, such as unions, civil rights organizations and community groups, and of organizations of a political character, such as Our Revolution, the Working Families Party, and Justice Democrats – and avoid a “go it alone” approach. It was just such a collaborative approach that led to the election of Ocasio-Cortez and Tliab, as well as other DSA members to state and local offices, and it should be maintained.
 
Subsequent posts will develop priorities 2 & 3.
We encourage discussion of this proposal. Discuss here, or on our Google Group, or on the DSA Discussion Board.