Base and Superstructure

Alienation, autonomy, and ideology

Category: Activism (Page 21 of 30)

These are posts on activism from the blog Base and Superstructure. This takes many forms. The focus here is on political activism, above all on activist organizing and base-building. One concern is how to build effective movements. There’s also a need to create solidarity with fellow members and build coalitions with other groups. The main aim of good movements is to work together to advance material interests. This section also includes critiques of electoral work, and discussion of how and when to use elections to advance activist goals. Navigating the balance between grassroots work and electoral work is difficult for everyone.

building the dsa

Building the DSA?

July 29, 2021 /

Leftists spend a lot of time talking about building an organization. More recently, we see this with discussion around the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). But, in fact, it’s an ancient set of debates. From the struggles of Marx and Bakunin around the First International to division and upheaval in the Socialist Party of America in the 1920s and 1960s, we love arguing about what the “party” should look like.

I’m not sure how much new I have to say about an old debate like this one. But I did recently read an article in Current Affairs by Matt Hartman on his experience as a DSA chair in North Carolina. I thought that article raised some issues worth thinking about.

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NGOism

NGOism and Local Government

July 22, 2021 /

I read an article recently in Catalyst on the phenomenon of ‘NGOism.’ Here’s the basic idea: NGOs and other non-profit organizations tend to increase the influence of the private sector on social welfare systems. In addition, the internal logic of NGO orgs (501c3 status, funding methods, et al.) prevent them from seriously challenging the capitalist system. It also pushes them toward endorsing technocratic approaches to problems and prevents them from treating politics as the playing out of conflicts over class interests.

There’s not a lot here that’s new. NGOism sounds pretty familiar. People have criticized them many times along these linkes. And we know some of the other problems related to NGOism: low pay in the sector, and so on.

But after reading the article, I thought about local implications. Here’s one way NGOism plays out in my city. I serve on our city Housing and Community Development Commission. Among other tasks, we award lots of money to NGOs and non-profits.

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Social Democracy or Socialist Democracy?

July 19, 2021 /

socialist democracy

Sometimes I’m a bit fixated on the distinction between social democracy and socialism (or socialist democracy). And I approach the topic from many angles. We might tell one from the other in terms of how they build programs, how (and whether) they oppose capitalism, who makes up their base, how (and whether) they engage in class struggle, and whether morality drives their politics. And we even find that language (and/or inflation thereof) plays a role.

Furthermore, this stands out as no mere academic debate. It drives movement and electoral strategy, as well as how leftist orgs grow.

A book I was just reading reminded me of another approach to it. That approach concerns creativity, democracy, and innovation. Let’s take a look.

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