Workers Strike Back held a public conference on February 22 in Seattle followed by an in-person-only convention for members on February 23: https://www.workersstrikeback.org/
Kshama Sawant has taken the lead in trying to organize a new independent working-class party. She encouraged Greens to participate and our Jill Stein was one of the keynote speakers at the conference. Some Greens were scratching their heads wondering if Kshama wants us to participate in the creation of a party that would figure to compete with us for support and votes. But in her own keynote address she said that WSB is not planning to run candidates for the time being, at least not until reaching a point of critical mass of support. That’s somewhat reminiscent of the last effort to organize a Labor Party, which was led by Tony Mazzocchi thirty years ago. LP also had the intention of building a base before running candidates. Mazzocchi died in 2002 and the initiative terminated soon thereafter.
Kshama Sawant is one of the most dynamic socialist organizers of our times. She has the ability to inspire activists to come out to support electoral campaigns, movement events, and gatherings such as the one last weekend. From observing the livestream, the conference looked very successful. Kshama gave a solid keynote address. I have to wonder if it occurs to her that she’s saying the same thing Eugene Debs said 100 years ago, V. I. Lenin said 120 years ago, and August Bebel said 150 years ago (re: “we the people,” “class struggle,” “working class majority,” “strike against the bosses”). Not only is her What Is To Be Done dated, but it tries to inspire by referencing events that are dated and actually less than inspiring:
- the Paris Commune (1871 … visionary, though it lasted only three months);
- the Bolshevik Revolution (1917 … turned out rather disappointing in the long run);
- the Minneapolis Teamsters Strike (1934 … the Teamsters turned out rather disappointing in the long run);
- the building of the CIO (1936 … turned out rather disappointing in the long run).
She references nothing more recent. I’d say that’s an indication that she, and WSB, are operating under a retrograde ideology and worldview.
Perhaps during the period “until reaching a point of critical mass of support” WSB members will continue to be effective participants in Green Party campaigns as they were last year. If so, kudos to Jill Stein for encouraging and fostering this Red-Green alliance. I’ve joined WSB in order to have input into their strategic discussions. I do believe we’re living in an era of Red-Green alliances. I don’t believe WSB will get to where it wants to go (akin to how the 1990s LP failed). My hope is that gradually, over time, socialists will come to embrace our ecosocialism and see the Greens as the viable vehicle for independent leftist electoralism in this country.
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