School Scope: When Political Labels Don’t Quite Fit - Norm in The WAVE

Submitted for print publication August 3, 2018 at www.rockawave.com

School Scope: When Political Labels Don’t Quite Fit
By Norm Scott

I’ve been called a leftist, a socialist, a pro-capitalist, a commie, a liberal, libertarian, a progressive, a Democrat and a general nuisance. About the only label I have not worn is that of a Republican or a right winger. Right now the overall term being used for the left is “progressive” as opposed to more centrist people. But there are so many nuances to these terms which I don’t have room for this week. That de Blasio, not exactly one of my faves, and I would be viewed as fellow “progressives” makes me squeamish.

It is funny, but I often find it easier to talk to people on the right than some of my fellow progressives. Like I don’t think I could have a conversation with the mayor or even Obama that would make me comfortable. But really, what do people mean when they use the term “left” when the NY Times gets that label from the right while being mocked as centrist and a tool of capitalists by many on the left? Confusion reigns.

This column recently has been addressing the various divides in the Democratic Party between so-called progressives and centrists while also using this space to try to sort out the many facets of the “left.”

On the surface, people view liberals as being the left when in fact the anti-capitalist left is as critical of liberals as is the right.

Since socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary for his congressional seat the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) have been getting a lot of notice. Her victory has gotten enormous nation-wide attention as the shock of someone declaring themselves a socialist and winning is reverberating around the political world. In the 1930s and 40s there were actually people getting elected who were socialists. Then came the Red Scare of the late 40s and 50s and even changes in election rules to more firmly entrench the two-party system which has left so many of us having to hold our noses when we have such limited options. Fundamental political reform is needed.

Take the election for governor. I despise Cuomo who is leading by 30 points over Cynthia Nixon. Do I love her? No, though she is one of the few people running for anything who has been a firm supporter of real education reform, while so many others run for the hills when faced with exposing the scams of education reform. Nixon was one of the few to support Ocasio-Cortez and since she won has also declared herself a member of DSA. DSA/NYC has endorsed her and her running mate for Lt. Governor, Jumaane Williams, city councilman representing East Flatbush, Flatbush, Flatlands, Marine Park and Midwood. Recently he was caught up in a campaign donation snafu where Glenwood Masonry gave him donations exceeding the legal limit. Duhhhh! I’m shocked. I don’t hold that against him since I pretty much expect all politicians to engage in fuzzy fund-raising. From what I’ve seen he lands on the side I favor most of the time. And my friends in his district like him.

Neither of them will beat Cuomo and Nixon’s recent praise for Bloomberg, who ran public housing into the ground and helped set up the homeless crisis while undermining public education, is disconcerting, I’m voting for Nixon/Williams because the higher vote totals they get the better the chance to keep the god-awful Cuomo tacking left, even if it’s phony.

Unknown Zephyr Teachout’s 37% the last time Cuomo ran was a shock, so even if you know you can’t win, so getting a decent opposition vote can be worthwhile.

Norm has so much to say about politics and education (and other stuff) he is going to ask editor Mark Healey for an entire edition of The WAVE to spew his venom. While Mark is mulling this over Norm can be found spewing at https://ednotesonline.blogspot.com.

Lessons from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez win

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's victory is a shot across the bow of the Democratic machine. Here's how it happened.

https://jacobinmag.com/2018/06/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-election-crowley-democratic-socialists

The left is a very wide place, from liberal/left to the many varieties of Marxist_Leninists, Stalinists, Trotskyists, anarchists, social democrats (like Bernie). The DSA is a wide tent and its future is always going to be threatened by sectarianism.

This Jacobin piece makes many interesting points. I haven't joined or participated in Democratic Socialists of America events yet but given the Bernie politics I fundamentally support, I guess this is where I am at politically. DSA is attracting a wide-spread range of people who consider themselves socialists, or anti-capitalists. There is much debate on the left as to how much to align with the Democratic Party -- ie - can it be reformed or should it be used to build something else. I'm thinking things through with this victory over Crowley -- the wing of the Dem party our own beloved UFT hangs out with. Never forget that the UFT/Unity party was born out of an anti-left bias and has always tacked center of the road along with alliances with neocons.

So within the UFT itself, will we see a left surge? Knowing some of the left in the UFT, including some members of DSA, I don't see that happening, but if the energy that went into the Ocasio-Cortez victory were translated to the UFT, who knows?

Why Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Won

By

Michael Kinnucan

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's victory is a shot across the bow of the Democratic machine. Here's how it happened.

DSA (Democratic Socialists) Is At A Crossroads – Jeremy Gong – Medium

Our choice: we can maintain a tiny navel-gazing subculture, or build a vibrant mass movement for socialism. Let’s build a mass movement.... Jeremy Gong, DSA (Democratic Socialists of America)

Michael Fiorillo:

Interesting piece from a DSA insider: you will all be shocked, shocked to read what the author says is the divergence within the group ...

At the ICEUFT meeting on Friday, one of the founders, John Lawhead, said that any labor movement must speak to all members, not a select few. Otherwise it becomes a club of like thinking members, clearly a contrast to what is occurring in so many teacher movements in red states. Something some people on the left, who want to aim their appeals at a narrow group of people, are glossing over.

I described some of the tensions within MORE on Friday when we were facing ICE and MORE meetings less than 24 hours apart. Exploring Caucus Fault Lines: ICEUFT Meets Friday, MORE Meets Saturday. I will delve into what happened when I sort everything out.
 

I'm Rephrasing Gong's comment:

Our choice: we can maintain a tiny navel-gazing subculture or build a vibrant mass movement inside the UFT to challenge Unity Caucus. Let’s build a mass movement.. 

Gong:

We are a “big tent” organization and a democracy, meaning there is no party line we must adhere to, no cabal of leaders deciding our direction. We have to sort out among ourselves what kind of organization we want DSA to be. I see two paths forward emerging for us.

Over the decades in the UFT opposition movements people with the "big tent" idea of challenging Unity across the UFT have been frustrated as the potential of big tents with a wide range of views shrinks to the size of an igloo. Then along come the party liners - not only on the left - Unity is a party liner.

Gong:

They would rather be big fish in a small pond, posturing with their correct answers, than part of a millions-strong movement that can actually change the world.

Oh boy does this sound familiar.

Michael F. has come up with an interesting piece on DSA. MORE has had an influx of DSA people - I don't know enough to say which wing of DSA - but they seem to have aligned themselves with the ISO and Labor Notes view, people who want to build a safe space in MORE comfortable for young, activist oriented teachers, many of whom are connected to groups like DSA. On the surface this makes a lot of sense. But aiming at what is a relatively small segment of the UFT does not lead to a broad tent. I see a lot of party liners who want caucus discipline alla Unity.

What some people don't understand it that both ICE and MORE were basically founded by people who view themselves as socialists. I've always been in the edge -- never a Marxist though most of the people who influenced me were Marxists -- I'm too leftarian for that -- I'm more social democrat like Bernie with some belief that Marx was right about so much.

Gong gets to the core that boils things down to the essence of the internal battles in many movements bordering on the left.

On the one hand are those of us who are tired of both the useless compromise politics of the liberal center and the dead-end wheel-spinning of the activist left. We know that while it’s incredible and historic that 30,000 people have joined a socialist organization, we are still a tiny fraction of the US population. We have to grow many times over and consolidate the democratic socialist movement into an effective weapon against capitalists and elites before we can really transform our society. This is the DSA that reaches out into the non-DSA world to fight class enemies and bring in thousands of new members.

On the other hand are those who are not interested in the millions of working people who are not yet active socialists. Instead, they fixate on the purity and homogeneity of their own in-group and attack other members of DSA for not meeting their standards. This is the DSA that looks inward and fights with itself, disappointing and exhausting activists who joined DSA in order to change the world, and scaring off those not in DSA from joining.

I was looking to join the DSA myself but don't want to get into the same wars we have been fighting in the UFT over so many decades.
Gong begins by describing two DSAs. We are seeing that there are also two MOREs with some very parallel threads.

DSA Is At A Crossroads

Jeremy Gong 

Two DSAs
https://medium.com/@jer.gong/dsa-is-at-a-crossroads-60de6a4c84b6