Memberships in Democratic Socialist of America chapters around the country have surged in the past eight weeks, reports The Atlantic.
An estimated 10,000 people have joined since March, bringing the group’s total membership to roughly 66,000, according to internal figures.
Leaders of the DSA attribute some of this recent growth to Senator Bernie Sanders suspending his presidential campaign in early April, which sent his supporters seeking another outlet for their organizing energies. But current economic and public-health conditions have sparked anger nationwide—and the present moment seems especially ripe for socialist outrage, according to the magazine.
“People are really starting to just look around and say, ‘Man, capitalism isn’t working,’” said the co-chair of the Detroit DSA chapter, who requested to be quoted anonymously for fear of professional repercussions, reports Atlantic's Elaine Godfrey. “If the markets can’t even produce hand sanitizer or toilet paper or masks during a plague—what good is this system?", he asked.
Of course, the problem with the shortages of hand sanitizer and toilet paper are not the result of capitalism but the lack of free-market capitalism, as I explained back in March, here: There is Plenty of Toilet Paper.
Right now, the DSA is emphasizing recruitment, framing their efforts as giving struggling workers “a way to fight back,” the DSA Denver labor chair, Mariah Wood said. "It’s a good time to be a socialist,” she added.
According to the article, "the DSA is interested in recruiting higher-income workers on the front lines of the crisis, too. Through word of mouth, the Twin Cities chapter has reached out to health-care employees who feel like their workplace conditions are unsafe."
Keep in mind, socialists are very clever operators. They will use any crisis, including the lockdown which is closer to socialist central planning than anything else, to promote their very shallow understanding of economics and societal organization.
They do, however, understand organizing to gain power, because power-seeking and the desire to rule over others is what they are all about.
-RW
Nothing to worry about.
ReplyDeleteIf we could only counter it with mass immigration with all those 'natural libertarians' from poopy turd world countries as libertarians like to believe.
From the article: "Keep in mind, socialists are very clever operators. They will use any crisis, including the lockdown which is closer to socialist central planning than anything else, to promote their very shallow understanding of economics and societal organization."
ReplyDeleteDon't make me laugh. The only socialism going on is for big business and big banks. Billions being freely handed out on demand again every 8 to 10 years. Oil and gas companies? Lobbyists, Chamber of Commerce? Health insurance companies? Private jet companies? Real estate investors? You name it. All of them have their hands out.
What has actually been done for the people? $1200 per person one time for lower income individuals. Wow! How extravagant!
Socialists have better idea of how the real economy and society work than you do. Our central planning does not appear to be much of a threat to capitalists but it makes for good theater. Have you seen the lines at food banks? They are running out of food. Wouldn't want hungry families to get a handout without working for it or they might expect in the future, if there is one for poor people.
I guess no one in the USA gives a rat's ass for what happens to neighboring Mexico (you know, Mexico, that Third World country that stubbornly exists on the southern border of the great USA) Just WHAT is happening in sleepy Mexico? For your information, in spite of the fact that you don't give a rat's ass for knowing about Mexico: Mexico is going SOCIALIST! And you can expect the USA to go Socialist, as well!
ReplyDeleteSo the USA will have a lovely chance to wage WAR and kill a lot of folks, with little danger to itself, in order to make the world FREE FOR DEMOCRACY. or something - and handily, the war will be right next door and covered by the Evening News for the entertainment of all good Americans.