Socialist Alternative knows: To really see the potential for an independent left campaign that can take on the two parties of corporate power, Bernie Sanders should, as Socialist Alternative has previously raised, convene a conference of all those interested in his campaign and left politics. This could bring together union activists, forces from social movements, Greens, socialists and current candidates challenging the 1% and the political establishment. Such a conference would get a massive echo if prepared in connection to struggles of working people. . . . More left candidates than in recent memory are running and gaining momentum, from Socialist Alternative’s Jess Spear in Washington State to Green Party member and union activist Howie Hawkins in New York. If prominent figures like Bernie Sanders and Karen Lewis stepped forward to organize a conference, then it would give further momentum to left political action and deepen the debate about the role of the Democrats. Avoid the Dead End Bernie Sanders appears genuinely unsure if campaigning as an independent will energize a campaign or if it will leave him marginalized. One thing is for sure: he has absolutely zero chance of winning a Democratic primary against the literally hundreds of millions of dollars that Hillary Clinton will spend. Left candidates running in the Presidential primaries only serve to bring workers, youth and people of color who are upset with mainstream Democrats into the fold of politics acceptable to the 1%. The candidate with the most money, almost without exception, always wins the Democratic primary. Bernie should steer clear of this trap, and Karen Lewis should run more clearly as an independent as well. The best way to test the mood about political independence is to have an organized discussion with activists from across the country with roots in the struggles of working people. A conference called by Bernie Sanders in early 2015, planned beginning now, could bring these forces together and debate what type of platform can mobilize people into action. Within this discussion, Socialist Alternative would argue for political independence from the Democrats, a critique of capitalism and a program to provide a real alternative to this decaying system. socialistalternative.org/2014/09/28/nyc-climate-forum-steps-left-politics/
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 06:45:55 +0000
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