I will agree with the previous comments...great article! I'm thankful that you have the courage to say what needs to be said and hope that you've inspired others to wake up. Many thanks!!
"The so called socialists in Congress have abandoned the people. Every single one of them voted for the $40 billion Ukraine bill. That included $3.5 billion more in weapons than even Biden had requested. Jamaal Bowman takes the lead as the worst of these fake socialists with his vote to send $1 billion in military funding to Israel. But they are all complicit in their support of the corrupt capitalist Democratic Party.
You can’t support cutting the military budget at the same time as voting for sending money to the military industrial complex in order to arm neo-Nazi battalions in Ukraine. Progressives have lost the last vestiges of credibility they had remaining."
What's missing from the article is that
- AOC and the others said nothing to justify their vote for the war spending. (It seems they hoped we won't notice.)
- Sanders candidacy in 2016 and 2020 was always meant to keep opposition within the Democratic party and bring it behind the eventual candidate. Sanders openly stated this at one point. His attitude to 2024 is thus not new.
- The quotes from Eugene Debs are useful but he doesn't call out the DSA for falsely claiming the legacy of Debs. [SEE BELOW]
The struggle for a party of the working class requires a struggle against all forms of political opportunism (i.e. the interests of the ruling class) within the working class.
It says "we should be angry". Anger isn't enough and it can never replace the historically and scientifically grounded perspective that is really needed and provided by the WSWS.
QUOTE
... In mid-May, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) congressional slate voted unanimously for a $40 billion bill endorsing the US-led proxy war against Russia. No member of the DSA delegation issued a public statement explaining their vote, and none even so much as tweeted to defend their actions. The DSA evidently hoped that nobody would notice: an article in the DSA-affiliated Jacobin Magazine reported on the passage of the bill but did not mention the votes cast by the DSA’s own members.
On Monday, Jacobin magazine republished a 1916 article by American socialist Eugene Debs opposing the First World War and attacking those who attempt to reconcile “socialism” with support for imperialism. In a written introduction, Jacobin presents itself as the inheritor of Debs’ socialist, anti-war tradition: “This Memorial Day, we should rededicate ourselves to fighting the horrors of war. So here’s a 1916 Eugene Debs piece about why internationalism is at the heart of socialist politics.”
The DSA is not fighting the horrors of war, it is funding them, and Debs’ article is a devastating exposure of the DSA itself.
WSWS thrives on attacking other organizations and taking an ultra leftist position which at times leads them pretty far astray from actually fighting for the working class. They do not link to the Jacobin article they mention because that would prove that they are incorrectly portraying it:
"Despite all of this, Democrats decided unanimously in both the House and Senate to approve the bill. All the opposing votes came from Republicans. Not even Bernie Sanders opposed the measure."
It did in fact mention that all of the Democrats voted for it.
To say that Jacobin is DSA affiliate is also incorrect, though several of their contributors are members, Jacobin itself is not associated with DSA.
Much of what WSWS has to say is correct, but as usual, they skew things to be more divisive. This won't help with building socialism. They make statements like "The DSA has also voted to fund the production of Javelin missiles, which are produced through a joint venture by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin." That a few DSA members in congress voted for it is not "The DSA." Very misleading and poor journalism. They continue along that line with the entire article.
Of course DSA has its own issues and should call out their members in congress for these votes. But to put the blame on the entire DSA for the votes is very disingenuous.
- I said "What's missing from the article is that AOC and the others said nothing to justify their vote for the war spending. (It seems they hoped we won't notice.)"
- You say "DSA needs to address their more prominent members".
You obviously agree with Jacobin Magazine not pointing out the DSA congressional members voted for war and its not discussing the significance of this because you didn't and don't see any need to either.
The WSWS said Jacobin Magazine is "DSA-affiliated" which is different from being a "DSA affiliate".
The WSWS said Jacobin Magazine "did not mention the votes cast by the DSA’s own members." If you are satisfied that because it their vote is implied by "Democrats decided unanimously" then you must prefer not discuss it. I'm sorry I wasted your time and I won't bother you again.
The struggle for socialism requires the exposure of political opportunism in the working class, including that of the DSA and Jacobin Magazine. Workers need to grasp the necessity of this principle, first clarified by Lenin 120 years ago, for without it they cannot build their own party.
Lenin’s Theory of Socialist Consciousness: The Origins of Bolshevism and What Is To Be Done?
It's true they said nothing, which is what I pointed out. I've pointed out that the DSA members voted for war, but I also point out that DSA itself has a better stance and needs to address their members in congress. You're not accurately portraying what I've said. Jacobin specifically pointed out Bernie Sanders and said the entire Democratic party did vote for it, that implication is pretty clear. It was a very short article, they pointed out the most prominent "Democratic socialist" in Bernie and the others were implied. Like I said, WSWS has a tendency to try to create division, which isn't helpful at all.
Excellent article! Thank you!
Well written. Well sourced.
Thanks! It's a real shame no one in congress will stand up to the MIC or speak out for system change.
Most of our comrades won't either. We have to educate.
I will agree with the previous comments...great article! I'm thankful that you have the courage to say what needs to be said and hope that you've inspired others to wake up. Many thanks!!
This is correct:
"The so called socialists in Congress have abandoned the people. Every single one of them voted for the $40 billion Ukraine bill. That included $3.5 billion more in weapons than even Biden had requested. Jamaal Bowman takes the lead as the worst of these fake socialists with his vote to send $1 billion in military funding to Israel. But they are all complicit in their support of the corrupt capitalist Democratic Party.
You can’t support cutting the military budget at the same time as voting for sending money to the military industrial complex in order to arm neo-Nazi battalions in Ukraine. Progressives have lost the last vestiges of credibility they had remaining."
What's missing from the article is that
- AOC and the others said nothing to justify their vote for the war spending. (It seems they hoped we won't notice.)
- Sanders candidacy in 2016 and 2020 was always meant to keep opposition within the Democratic party and bring it behind the eventual candidate. Sanders openly stated this at one point. His attitude to 2024 is thus not new.
- The quotes from Eugene Debs are useful but he doesn't call out the DSA for falsely claiming the legacy of Debs. [SEE BELOW]
The struggle for a party of the working class requires a struggle against all forms of political opportunism (i.e. the interests of the ruling class) within the working class.
It says "we should be angry". Anger isn't enough and it can never replace the historically and scientifically grounded perspective that is really needed and provided by the WSWS.
QUOTE
... In mid-May, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) congressional slate voted unanimously for a $40 billion bill endorsing the US-led proxy war against Russia. No member of the DSA delegation issued a public statement explaining their vote, and none even so much as tweeted to defend their actions. The DSA evidently hoped that nobody would notice: an article in the DSA-affiliated Jacobin Magazine reported on the passage of the bill but did not mention the votes cast by the DSA’s own members.
On Monday, Jacobin magazine republished a 1916 article by American socialist Eugene Debs opposing the First World War and attacking those who attempt to reconcile “socialism” with support for imperialism. In a written introduction, Jacobin presents itself as the inheritor of Debs’ socialist, anti-war tradition: “This Memorial Day, we should rededicate ourselves to fighting the horrors of war. So here’s a 1916 Eugene Debs piece about why internationalism is at the heart of socialist politics.”
The DSA is not fighting the horrors of war, it is funding them, and Debs’ article is a devastating exposure of the DSA itself.
...
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/05/31/kswd-m31.html
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-war-no-nato-in-ukraine-w-onyesonwu-chatoyer-and/id1482834485?i=1000553132416 I would encourage you to listen to this podcast with the Red Nation, one of the guests is from DSA.
DSA needs to address their more prominent members, but their actual position isn't so bad:
https://international.dsausa.org/statements/dsa-says-no-to-nato/
They lack nuance and understanding of the situation in Donbas, but generally it's a correct line:
https://www.dsausa.org/statements/on-russias-invasion-of-ukraine/
WSWS thrives on attacking other organizations and taking an ultra leftist position which at times leads them pretty far astray from actually fighting for the working class. They do not link to the Jacobin article they mention because that would prove that they are incorrectly portraying it:
https://jacobin.com/2022/05/ukraine-aid-bill-congress-biden-military-health
"Despite all of this, Democrats decided unanimously in both the House and Senate to approve the bill. All the opposing votes came from Republicans. Not even Bernie Sanders opposed the measure."
It did in fact mention that all of the Democrats voted for it.
To say that Jacobin is DSA affiliate is also incorrect, though several of their contributors are members, Jacobin itself is not associated with DSA.
Much of what WSWS has to say is correct, but as usual, they skew things to be more divisive. This won't help with building socialism. They make statements like "The DSA has also voted to fund the production of Javelin missiles, which are produced through a joint venture by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin." That a few DSA members in congress voted for it is not "The DSA." Very misleading and poor journalism. They continue along that line with the entire article.
Of course DSA has its own issues and should call out their members in congress for these votes. But to put the blame on the entire DSA for the votes is very disingenuous.
- I said "What's missing from the article is that AOC and the others said nothing to justify their vote for the war spending. (It seems they hoped we won't notice.)"
- You say "DSA needs to address their more prominent members".
You obviously agree with Jacobin Magazine not pointing out the DSA congressional members voted for war and its not discussing the significance of this because you didn't and don't see any need to either.
The WSWS said Jacobin Magazine is "DSA-affiliated" which is different from being a "DSA affiliate".
The WSWS said Jacobin Magazine "did not mention the votes cast by the DSA’s own members." If you are satisfied that because it their vote is implied by "Democrats decided unanimously" then you must prefer not discuss it. I'm sorry I wasted your time and I won't bother you again.
The struggle for socialism requires the exposure of political opportunism in the working class, including that of the DSA and Jacobin Magazine. Workers need to grasp the necessity of this principle, first clarified by Lenin 120 years ago, for without it they cannot build their own party.
Lenin’s Theory of Socialist Consciousness: The Origins of Bolshevism and What Is To Be Done?
https://www.wsws.org/en/special/library/russian-revolution-unfinished-twentieth-century/08.html
It's true they said nothing, which is what I pointed out. I've pointed out that the DSA members voted for war, but I also point out that DSA itself has a better stance and needs to address their members in congress. You're not accurately portraying what I've said. Jacobin specifically pointed out Bernie Sanders and said the entire Democratic party did vote for it, that implication is pretty clear. It was a very short article, they pointed out the most prominent "Democratic socialist" in Bernie and the others were implied. Like I said, WSWS has a tendency to try to create division, which isn't helpful at all.