Inside: Michael Lighty on Socialist Vision and DSA's Mission
PUBLISHED BY THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS Of AMERICA OCRATIC
Winning the Peace
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• Prospects for the Israeli left • • The Arab world after the accords • INSIDE DEMOCRATIC LEFT
Is An Israeli Left Being Born? Meet DSA's New National Director... 10 by Eric Lee. .. 3 Socialist Vision and DSA's Mission The Arab World After the Handshake: by Michael Lighty. . . 11 An lnteNiew with Mitchell Cohen by Joanne Barkan. . .6 On the Left by Harry Fleischman. . 14 DSAction.. .9 Jimmy Higgins Reports. . . 16 cover photo courtesy of Americans for Peace Now
near, it looks as though we might tal's power can onJy come from a EDITORIAL succeed in defeating the agreement. renewed and internationalized left. Many congressional representatives, The left-wing anh-N AFT A move reacting mostly to widespread fear of ment, including progressi\·e unions NAFTAAND job losses in the U.S., have decided and environmental and community recently to oppose NAFTA. Presi organizations, has taken ~mall but dent Clinton has acknowledged that significant steps toward the left's of OUR FUTURE he does not have the votes to pass it. ten-preached but rarely-practiced Yet what appears to be a victory may dream -- global solidarity. We must BY GINNY COUGHLIN not be. continue to work ilcross borders with For the past year I've been trav A victory in Congress would be labor unions, environmentalists,. tu elling around the country talking to only a first step in the fight against dents, Latino-led groups, and com students about the campaign to de NAFTA. Over the long haul, we'll be munity orgarnzations to build a feat the North American Free Trade successful only insofar as we pro grassroots movement to demand a Agreement, and why this campaign mote a truly progressive vision. We democratic, equitable, and interna is so important for the future of the must demand a democratic, anti-rac tional future. ~ U.S., Canada, and Mexico. ist, feminist alternative economic Aided by new production and and social integration of North Gi1111y Co11gl1/i11 is tl1e OS:\ Youth Or- communications technologies, cor America. As .things stand now, if ga111zer. porations are locating factories all NAFTA is defeated in Congress, it over the world and forcing workers won't be this progressive vision that • to choose low wages, long hours, and makes the headlines. The media will horrendous working conditions -- or probably interpret a NAFTA defeat DEMOCRATIC LEFT no job at all. NAFTA makes it easier as a victory for old-fashioned protec Ma11ngi11g Editor for North American companies to tionism -- or, worse, as a victory for Michael Lighty move production facilities to areas the racist demands of Pat Buchanan with the cheapest labor and most lax and the far right of the Republican l'rod11dio11 environmental protection, forcing Party. If that happens, our victory in David Glenn down wages and working conditions Congress will be a defeat for our E1fiturial Committu everywhere. movement. Joanne Barkan, Dorothee Benz, I've encouraged DSA Youth Sec But it need only be a temporary Howard Croft, Mitch Horowitz. tion chapters to make the campaign defeat. The struggle against interna Sherri Levine, Maxine Phillips against NAFTA a first step towards tional corporate control will not end Fo1111di11g Editor building an international movement with the vote on NAFT A. Transna Michael Harrington (1928-1989) to counter transnational corporate tional capital will steadily gain . control over our lives with demands power, with or without NAFfA, and D•mo
2 DrM BY ERIC LEE nan article published in these pages a few tiation ahead. There might even be a little war months ago, I argued that "neither side" with Syria ahead of us. But the fact remains that in the Middle East conflict "is in any the Middle East is finally resolving a conflict I hurry to reach a peace agreement." It which has lasted for three generations. turned out that both sides were actually in quite This should be cause for celebration in the a hurry. Israeli left and peace movement, and it is. To emphasize the snail's pace at which the Within days of the good news of an Israeli-PLO peace process then appeared to be moving, I peace accord, Peace Now organized a very large came up with what seemed to be, at the time, a demonstration in Tel Aviv's biggest square. funny scenario. I suggested that the next excuse The right answered with a series of violent for delay might be local elections in Norway. clashes with the police in Jerusalem. What could be further removed from the Since then, most of the left has been busy Middle East than Norway? congratulating Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin It would tum out that Oslo was where the and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres on their breakthrough finally came. courage and initiative. I saw this right here at My predictive powers having been amply home the other day when Rabin paid a visit to demonstrated, I have now been asked to write our kibbutz factory. A spokesman for the kib about recent developments in the peace process butz hailed Rabin as a "man of peace," and the and especially the Israeli left's reaction. Consid prime minister was greeted with a standing ering my track record as a prophet, I hope ovation. readers will forgive me if I limit the discussion At any other time in 1993 such a reception at to what is actually happening, and not what will a left-wing kibbutz would not have been imag happen next. inable. When Rabin deported four hundred All the obstacles I pointed to on the Israeli Hamas activists to Lebanon, he was widely and Palestinian sides were really there; but they criticized by the Israeli left. When he closed off were all overcome. There is now genuine reason the flow of Palestinian workers in an attempt to for optimism. There will besomed ifficult nego- stop the wave of knife-wielding terror, he was Nov£MElER/D£CFMElE:R 1993 3 coalition. The point is that withoutMeretz, without its public and private pressure, Rabin and Peres would probably never have taken the step of talking with Arafat. The Labor Party doves who fought for the PLO recognition and the compro mise on Gaza and Jericho fought as allies of Meretz. Alone, they were not able to get the Labor Party to move beyond the talk of "territo rial compromise" and a "Jordanian option." Behind the scenes and in public as well, Meretz promoted the change in Israeli policy. This is exactly what Environment Minister Yosi Sarid declared when Meretz launched its 1992 elec tion campaign: Meretz would lead the way for the Rabin government. Every leader of the Israeli right now says this is what happened. Rabin has abandoned his traditional position and adopted Meretz's line. Does this mean that the need for an inde pendent left has diminished or disappeared? Yes and no. Now that Labor has embraced what was once Mapam's (and later Meretz's) unique position of talking with Palestinians who recog nize Israel and repudiate terror, it's arguable that there is no longer a need to build a left party Tens of also attacked by the peace camp. Finally, when in order to pressure Labor to make conce:.sions. thousands he launched "Operation Accountability" -- the What was once Mapam's heresy is now Labor's came to a recent air and artillery war against Lebanon - policy. rally called by even government ministers from the Meretz On the other hand, it is not only the issue of Peace Nowln bloc (comprised of the socialist Mapam party peace that has separated Meretz (and Mapam in Tel Aviv In and its two liberal partners) were outspoken in particular) from Labor. A whole range of issues early -- economic, social, and cultural -- divide Israeli September. their condemnation of Rabin's brutality and inhumanity. Until early September, it was actu- society, and on these the Labor Party and the ally not a very good year between Rabin and the Left do not always agree. Israeli left. Israel's political formations will need to In the wake of the accord with the PLO, the learn again how to talk about these i:.:.ues Since Israeli left has taken an attitude of forgive and the 1967 Six Day War, Israeli politic:. has been sterile. Author Amos Oz has often pointed out Do the accords mean that the that the constant discussion about borders has diverted attention from the real issues. No one need for an independent Israeli has talked for a generation or more about the kind of society we want to have here in the left has disappeared? Yes and no. Jewish homeland. The traditional left and nght have largely disappeared in the debate over a forget toward Rabin, choosing to rally behind solution to the Palestinian problem. And the him in the face of the danger of a Rightist inti ideological left has vanished without a trace. fada. Some commentators have taken the oppor This environment has left hraeli progres tunity to ask what we need Meretz for at all. sives groping for new strategies. In Haifa, Is Labor seems to have stolen the Left's thunder. rael's third-largest city, Mapam has chosen to Not exactly. A few months ago Meretz's break with its liberal partners in Meretz and join Cabinet members pushed hard, and openly, for in a first-ever electoral bloc with the mostly lsra~l to begin direct talks with the PLO. Rabin Arab Communist party. (The Communists call seamed them, and Peres, surprisingly, backed themselves the "Democratic Front for Peace Rabin. Later, Meretz leader ShuJamith Aloni and Equality," and have a long tradition, never declared that if progress were not made in the broken, of loyalty to the Leninist-Stalinist re peace talks, Meretz would leave the governing gimes.) No Israeli party has ever joined in a 4 DEMOCRATIC LEFT coalition with the Communists, who have al that Meretz's time is past. Mapam leaders are ways been isolated. already talking about a post-Meretz future for Haifa's democratic socialists reached the Israel's democratic left. conclusion that with peace almost at hand, class The emerging post-war reality has even issues have become more important than those managed to awaken the sleeping giant, Israel's which once divided hawks and doves. The powerful Histadrut trade union federation. alliance between Jewish industrial workers and After decades of slumber, some of the bureau Haifa's poor Arab minority (about 10 percent of crats in the Histadrut's imposing Stalin-era the city's poJ?ulation) is unprecedented in Israeli headquarters have begun muttering demands political history. to somehow be involved in the talks between Upcoming municipal elections have high Israel and the PLO. For a quarter century, the lighted the problematic nature of Israeli politics Histadrut has done practically nothing for Pal in the wake of the Oslo accord. In Tel Aviv, the estinian workers. It would be nice to have a Likud candidate is an outspoken supporter of the revived trade union movement, and direct elec accord and a proponent of Israeli withdrawal tions to the Histadrut leadership, scheduled to from Gaza. The Labor candidate is a well take place in a few months, will liven things up known hawk and a leader of the struggle to keep a bit. the Golan Heights in Israeli hands. What we have here is a peace movement If one reads their advertisements in the congratulating the government and itself; a newspapers, it is clear that the only difference complete absence of class politics after a genera between them is that the Likud supports an tion of siege warfare; an interesting experiment underground metro for the city while Labor is in one city in socialist-Stalinist coalition politics; backing an above-ground light rail network. and the possibility of an awakened labor move Both candidates are :-unning advertisements ment. with imaginary maps of future mass transit What the shape of Israeli politics will be in systems. the years to come -- we cannot know. But we are In a recent article for the daily newspaper already seeing things that have never been seen Hadashot, Tel Aviv Mapam activist (and, when before. Whatever will be, will be different. he lived in the U.S., an active DSA member) Finally, after decades of arguing about borders, Alex Spinrad argued for the revival of ideologi we are going to have some real politics. We cal debate and class politics at the municipal might even get a real left out of this too. &l! level. Issues like unemployment, health care, education and mass transit should be the focal points of right-left confrontation. Spinrad, like Eric Lee, a member of Kibbutz Ei11 Dor, is author of many others in Mapam, has been critical of the Saigon to Jerusalem: Conversations with Is Meretz bloc with its coalition between socialists rael's Vietnam Veterans and Mole: Stalin and the and free-market liberals based upon support for Okhrana. He is a former member of Mapam's Cen peace with the Palestinians. Now it appears tral Committee. <-His song "Paper Moon," Yip Harburg said, was really about systemic mystification. His smash hit musical, Finian's Rainbow, was an attack not just on racism but on the fetish of commodities. His not-so-smash hit musical, Flahooley, dealt in farcical terms with capitalism's inherent tendency toward overproduction and underconsumption. •>Which is to say, Yip Harburg-- lyricist of"Over the Rainbow" and all the other Wizard of Oz songs -- was not just a brilliant (and brilllantly funny) lyricist. He was an avowed socialist. And this is the story of his life and work. Who Put the Rainbow in the Wizard of Oz? Yip Harburg, Lyricist by Harold Meyerson (DSA Vice Chair and Dissent editor) and Ernie Harburg New from University of Michigan Press. Special discount price to readers of Democratic Left; $18.00 (postage included) Write to: Paper Moon Company 2 Washington Square Village #l3A New York, NY 10012 (NY atate reaidenta' price ia $19.23 to include sales tax) NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1993 5 INTERVIEW The Arab World After the Handshake A Talk with Mitchell Cohen transition, and a great deal of uncertainty. While most Arab regimes have been stable for the past two and a half decades, many of the signposts of the past are gone, with a broaden ing but also a limiting of political options. The end of the Cold War in the Middle East has enormous ramifications simply because it was such an essential dimension of regional politics. Syria, Iraq, and the PLO lost Moscow as a re source and as a force they could play off of Washington. Soviet-American rivalry used Arab states against one another, but Arab states also used Moscow and Washington for their own purposes, for their rivalries within the region. This can no longer be done. This has happened just as the ideological I NTERVIEW BY JOANNE B ARKAN forces that dominated the Arab world since the alestinia11 leader Ynsir Arafat clasps tJie early 1950s -- radical nationalism, Pan-Arabism hand of Israeli Pmne Mi11ister Yitzlrak -- have unravelled. This nationalism began to Rabin--and nerve endings throughout the take hold with Nasser, had its ups and downs, P Arab world (and elsewlrere, too) throb. but was punctured by Iraq's defeat in the Gulf The old arrangements are collapsing. What can be War. With the defeat of radical nationalism in said about new ones for the Arab nations? Demo the region and the loss of the Soviet Union as an cratic Left asked Professor Mitchell Cohen of the external player -- and I'll add, with the inability City University of New York to consider the signifi of Mubarak's pro-Western regime to address cance of tile Israeli-Palestinian accord for the Arab satisfactorily Egypt's disastrous economy - world Cohen, a longtime DSA member, is co-editor there'sa huge ideological void. That's one of the of Dissent magazine and author of Zion and State: major reasons for the rise of radical Islamic Nation, Class, and the Shaping of Modern Israel groups. and The Wager of Lucien Goldmann (forthcom Combine all these other factors - together ing). with the fact that Egypt, the Arab world's most important player, made peace with the Israelis Joanne Barkan: The accord between Pales back in 1979 -- and you begin to see why the tinians and Israelis comes at a moment of tran overall situation in the Arab world is conducive sition for the Arab world. Can you describe this to resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict. That you context for us? have a Labor Party government in Jerusalem Mitchell Cohen: It's a moment of fluidity, committed to compromise is also crucial. 6 D EMOCRATIC Lr.rr JB: What significance did the Palestinian Israeli conflict have for the Arnb world as a whole, up to the point of the accord? MC: Israel played both symbolic and prac tical roles in Arab politic~. When fsrael was born in 1948, it was also a moment of transition in the Middle East, when the traditional impe rial powers in the region, the British and French, were on tbeir way out, and the Arabs were asserting their own independence. TI1ey con sidered Israel a foreign implant imposed by the West. TI1is was false, but it was the symbolism that mattered. On another level, Israel became a means by which Arab regimes distracted their citizens away from their own domestic problems. This was convenient because these regimes had no solutions to the problems. Israel became a type of lightning rod, the devilish, conspiring entity that could be blamed for every problem in the area. Peace between Israel and the Arabs will force the Arab world to confront many of its own difficult problems. by the fact that the Kmg 1s ill. PLO chair Another matter to keep in mind is that he Yaslr Arafat JB: Given that general context, let's look at has to keep a watchful eye on lslamicfundamen some of the countries most directly affected by talists in Jordan. Elections are due in Novem the move toward peace between the Palestini ber, and Hussein has manipulated some things ans and the Israelis. What about Jordan? to moderate their influence and strength. MC: Jordan will be most immediately af fected. First of all, there 1s considerable talk JB: And Egypt? about a future Palestinian-Jordanian confedern MC: The Egyptian leaders undoubtedly tion. Also, one has to keep in mind that U1e feel that the accord demonstrates how Justified population of Jordan proper is roughly 60 per Sadat was 1n making peace with Israel. One has cent Palestinian. There's a new constellation to remember that after Egypt signed its peace emerging for King Hussein -- although one treaty with Israel, Cairo was ostracized in the should recall that back in U1e early 1970s, the Arab world. In the past decade, regional politics Jordanian King advocated a type of Palestinian - and especially the Iran-Iraq War -- led to Jordanian confederation. Hussein has met se Cairo's return to the center of Arab politics. It's cretly with the Israelis for years and is anxious to now evident, save to fanatics, that Sadat fol put an end to the conflict. Immediately after the lowed the smartest political path. There is one PLO-Israeli agreement, Amman reached sev major caveat, however. Sadat hoped that peace eral accords with Jerusalem-- but fur Jordan, the with Israel would allow Egypt to address its domestic picture is crucial. catastrophic economic situation. Dut nobody Jordan's relationship to the Palestinians per has come up with an intelligent way to do this. se has always been complicated. After the 1948- Despite American aid, Egypt is in very dire 49 war, the West Dank, which was supposed to straits, which is one reason why radical Islamic be part of a Palestinian state, was annexed by groups have been thriving. The Egyptian state Jordan. Amman pursued a policy of subordi is strong-- it rests primarily on the military-- but nating it to the benefit of the East Bank until the Egyptian society has mounting problems, and territory was lost in the Six Day War. In "Black the government doesn't seem to be able to come September" 1970, Hussein killed more Pales up wiU1 a reasonable program to address them. tinians than Israel ever did in order to secure his rule. Hussein today is faced with a situation in JB: What about Syria and, by extension, v·:hich, with or without a confederation, the Lebanon? majority of people in his kingdom are Palestini MC: Syria ha~ an immediate, direct issue ans, and he is concerned about the future rule of with Israel Israel sees the Golan Heights as a his family, the Hashemites. This is complicated major security concern, and Damascus sees the Novi.,wrR/DrcrMRrR 1993 7 Heights in terms of Arab honor and Syrian thing that the Syrians don't want. There is, how sovereignty. Assad is very astute and adroit. ever, a wild card in Lebanon, which is the radi He understands changing relations of power. cal Islamic groups. One of the things he's most fearful of is that after the Palestinian-Israeli accord, he could be out in JB: And what about the Palestinians? the culd. He's angry at Arafat, but they've been MC: The Palestinians have fit into the pic hostile for a long time. However, because of the ture in different ways at different times. They nature of his own political posture and the na have been greatly dependent on the Arab world, ture of his regime, Assad doesn't want it to and it's often forgotten that the PLO was created appear that he's being dragged into an agree in 1964, at an Arab League summit conference, ment in difficult circumstances. In the short run, largely at Nasser's behest. There's been a con he's a loser because of the PLO-Israeli accord. stant struggle by Palestinians to make inde Yet I think that some type of agreement between pendent decisions without being under the the Israelis and the Syrians is very possible. And thumb of Arab governments-- this is one source I base that in part on a story I can relate to you. of the long-term problems between Arafat and I interviewed Yitzhak Rabin about ten years Assad, by the way. ago. At one point, we began discussing his The 1967 war was a watershed in this re negotiations with Syria, through Kissinger, after gard. The Arab states had boasted often that the 1973 war. Rabin said that Assad was one of they would reclaim Palestine by force. But they the biggest bastards he'd ever dealt with, but, were defeated, and very rapidly. This led to a nonetheless, virtually everything that Assad reassertion of Palestinian nationalism, and said he would do, he did. Throughout the last within two years of the defeat, the PLO was twenty years there's been almost no violence taken over by Arafat, who represented a more across the Israeli-Syrian frontier. Lebanon is independent Palestinian leadership. another story. So this was Assad's way of telling The Palestinians have been a very potent the Israelis, "I am someone with whom you can symbol for Arab nationalism, and a resolution deal, even if you don't find me a very pleasant of the Israeli-Palestinian problem a ta time when person." There's no moral difference between radical Arabism has been punctured allows the him and Saddam Hussein, but there's a big Arab states to come to grips with Israel. But political difference: Assad keeps agreements, keep in mind that the problem hasn't been re and Saddam almost never does. I think Rabin solved yet. What you have is a number of very understands all this clearly. But an lsraelt important first steps. There's still a long, very Syrian deal won't be easy. bumpy road to go. BJ Israeli-Lebanese relations will be a function of Israeli-Syrian relations. The Syrian army sits foamze Barkan, a New York writer, is executive in Lebanon, and Beirut isn't going to do any- editor of Dissent magazine. Agree with or dissent from (flqlntJ -- but don't be without it. For four decades Dissent has been a strong voice on the democratic left. The Utne Reader says, "Politics, economics and culture come together in every article, giving the entire pullca tion a balance most political journals lack." But don't take their word for it ...or ours. Try it for yourself. In the Fortieth Anniversary Winter 1994 issue. you'll find: reflections on Dissent's role at 40 by Joanne Barkan, Paul Berman. Lewis Coser, Todd Gitlin, Martin Kilson, Ann Snitow, Cornel West, and Sean Wilentz; articles on politics in Israel, Czechoslovakia, Brazil, Great Britain, Bosnia, and Poland by Marshall Berman. Bogdan Denitch, Jonathan Frankel, Erazim KohAk, Tadeusz Kowalik, and Tom Nairn; articles by Anna Coote, David Brody, Rashi Fein, Agnes Heller, Paul Hirst, Deborah Meier, and many more. 0 Subscription: $22/year: $40/two years. 0 Students: $15/year. Make check payable to;. 0 Institutions: $30/year: $50/two years. 0 Single copy: $6 Dissent 521 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10017 8 DEMOCRATIC Lr.FT DSAction--- momenand Onternational Politics News: Mexico +The DSA Women and Politics Project will be +Incoming DSA National Director Alan Char kicked off the weekend of December 11 with a ney traveled to Mexico City during the weekend forum on Women and Sustainable Develop of October 16-17 to attend the nominating con ment. It will be held in conjunction with the vention of the Party of the Democratic Revolu executive meeting of Socialist International tion (PRO). Cuahtemoc Cardenas was nomi Women in Washington, D.C. Speakers at the nated as presidential candidate for the 1994 forum will include Birgitta Dahl and Audrey elections, which will be held in August. Carde Mclaughlin. Dahl is the Vice Chair of the UN nas is widely believed to have been the legiti Secretary General's High Level Advisory Board mate winner of Mexico's 1988 elections, which on Sustainable Development and the Former were allegedly stolen by the Institutional Revo Minister of the Environment for Sweden. She is lutionary Party (PRI), which has dominated also a leader of the SI Committee on Environ Mexican politics for over half a century. ment and Development. McLaughlin is the Charney met with a number of the PRD's leader of the Nev.. · Democratic Party of Canada leaders at the convention, which was held in a and a leading Canadian spokesperson on women sports arena and attended by over thirty thou and the environment. sand Mexican citizens. Charney reports that he The executive committee of SI Women in was impressed by the diversity of the conven cludes members of parliament from Denmark, tion, which included poor rural Mexicans as Britain, Venezuela, Japan and Austria, cabinet well as urban leftists. Despite this diversity, members from Tunisia, Turkey and Senegal and there was a palpable sense of unity and purpose. leaders of women's orh>anizations from other The focus throughout the weekend was on the countries. The executive will meet on Saturday, need for a radical democratization of Mexico's December 11 in the U.S. Senate office buildings. political structures -- specifically, on the need to Members of the executive will also be meeting break the PRI's long-standing domination. The with representatives of U.S. women's organiza PRO stresses that social and economic transfor tions and with DSA members. mation of Mexico will only become possible For more information about these events, after true democracy is established. contact the DSA Feminist Commission at 5123 Fifth Street NW, Washington, DC 20011. + Sacramento Conference on NAFTA and Human Rights Sacramento DSA and the DSA Latino Commission held a successful conference on "NAFTA and Human Rights" October 20 and 21. Over four hundred people attended the event, which was held on the campus of California State University Sacramento. Topics included labor rights in North America, U.S. press coverage of Mexico and Mexican-Americans, and the new immigration hysteria. Speakers in cluded Arnoldo Garcia of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and Eileen Rafael of the Center for Ethics and Economic Policy. There were also some oppositional voices -- Myles Frechette, the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, ad dressed the conference with a pro-NAFTA message via videotape. N OVEMllER/D I:C£MBF R 1993 9 STAFF NOTES Meet DSA's New National Director Alan Charney brings to DSA a broad range ofskills and organiz- ing experience and a vision of socialist renewal. SA has a new national director, taught Charney both fundraising and mass Alan Charney. Hired by the Na organizing -- skills that he hopes to use in his tional Political Committee m Sep work with DSA. "Ten years ago I couldn't have D tember, Charney began work on done this DSA job effectively. The Citizen Ac November 1. Charney replaces Michael Lighty, tion years taught me that effective fundraising nationaldirectorsincemid-1990, who is moving and effective organizing go hand in hand. If you to Oakland, California in order to benearhissix sit around thinking 'If only we had the money.. month-old daughter. .,'you've got it exactly wrong. When you have Charney brings a broad range of energy and the organizational ca pa city to carry out a project experience to the job. After graduating from well, then you also have the capacity to raise Columbia University in 1970, he became a funds for it." leader of the New American Movement(NAM}, ln 1989, during his period of political which was one of DSA's predecessor organiza doubts, Charney decided to leave Citizen Ac tions. He worked as a union organizer for tion. "Call it a sort of left-wing midlifo crisis." several years, and then spent most of the 1980s Since then he has worked as a politJCal consult as director of New York Citizen Action. The ant to progressive candidates and non-profit organization grew to a membership of 70,000 organizations. He believes his work with pro during his tenure and undertook campaigns on gressive candidates both inside and out:.ide the health care, toxic wastes, utility rates, and other Democratic Party should provide him with a grassroots issues. broad perspective on DSA's electoral work. Charney is "returning to the fold" after an Charney lays great weight on the impor absence from ideological left politics. Like tance of building DSA as a multiracial organiza many people, he suffered a crisis of political tion. "We need to do whatever it takes to faith around the time the Cold War ended. "l achieve diversity," he says. "We're m a new went through a period of deep skepticism about historical period, and it's no longer acceptable the socialist project," he says. "But I emerged to organize different racial group~ along differ with a new sense of hope. With the Cold War ent tracks." behind us, all the old categories have been Another major goal for Charney b building wiped out. Although were starting from a low DSA's youth section. He's found the enthusi level of activity and organization, it's possible to asm and dedication of youth section leaders envision that, with the proper energy and en encouraging. "Polling trends show that first thusiasm, we can help give birth to a viable new year college students are moving decidedly to socialist project. In a certain sense the socialist the left," says Charney. "ll1ere's a ~preading vision is more urgent than ever: Under global base for our politics, and there'!> rea::.on to hope ized capitalism, international solidarity isn't that the current youth section leader::.hip has the JUSt a nice dream -- it's a necessity." strengths to flourish in this environment" rm The experience of shepherding New York Citizen Action through its formative years -- David Glenn 10 DEMOCRATIC Lr.FT Socialist Vision and DSA's Mission As he prepares to leave after over three years on the job, DSA Na- tional Director Michael Lighty re- fleets on the state of the 1nove1nent. BY MICHAEL LIGHTY year ago we helped to change what's confrontation, civil wars and "nation-building" possible in American politics. Bill define international relations. Clinton's election represented an This new troubled world needs a socialist A end to the stining reign of a conser vision and perspective, and we are working to vatism running out of gas at the end of the Cold build a movement that addresses that need with War. DSA seized that opportunity to send hvo effective political action. We must abo articu thousand messages to the new president and to late wily we are socialists. During three years as congressional leaders, demanding action on re national director of DSA, l met hundreds of productive rights, the North American Free activists around the country and with :;ocialists Trade Agreement, labor law reform, gays in the around the world who feel passionately about military, and national health care reform. No certain i:;sues, and who can connect these is:;ues other organization in the United States pre into a coherent analysis, but who also share a sented such a comprehensive agenda to the vision of human possibility that goes beyond Democratic leadership. any single i:;sue. What makes us socialists is our A year later, we've been disappointed on values and vi:;ion. Our moral stance rejects many issues, we've seen only ambiguous prog domination in any form, and particularly the ress on health care, and yet we remain con oppression of women, cultural and economic. vinced that our agenda provides the best way to We contribute not only hard work but an ana confront the post-Cold War world. Every day lytical understanding of the capitalist system. we see that in a global economy corporate These are not my profound, unique insights; just profit-making requires "down-sizing," moving the opposite. They come from people's experi production to low-wage areas, and limiting ences of what keeps us involved and committed environmental regulation. We live in a world to socialism. where the hatreds of nationalism and racism bum through the social fabrics of nations and Confronting the Market's Flaws neighborhoods. In this world women experi DSA must do some of what other activists ence the brunt of these hardships -- women do, but we must do it differently. At the heart of work under the most hazardous conditions for our difference i:; a critique of the market. We the lowest wages, and suffer rape and other have been too busy figuring out the mechanics forms of degradation. Instead of superpower of u'ing the market in a :;ocialist economy and NOVE.\1111 R/DfCE.\IBER 1993 11 too timid in criticizing the effects of the capitalist and financial elites grows? Even if some of these market. Some who call themselves social demo problems are cyclical or (in the case of Eastern crats say that democracy depends upon a mar Europe) a result of the transition from com ket economy. We argue that democracy de mand economies, we still face the quandary that pends on opening up economic decision-mak technological advances, increasing capital ing to popular control, that the social domi mobility, and the expansion of the low-wage nance of a market controlled by powerful pri service sector mean increasing inequality, fewer vate interests undermines democracy. Funda jobs, and lower salaries for most people. With mental to the socialist vision is the belief that out strong unions, these problems intensify. As ordinary people should make the economic the AFL-CIO recognized at their recent conven decisions that govern their lives. This vision of tion, not even restoring the rights of unions to a radical democracy contrasts sharply with a organize, not even creating meaningful power narrow attempt to reconcile state regulation and at the bargaining table will be enough to over corporate prerogatives. come structural problems. We must redefine Looking for new efficiencies in social policy work; specifically, we'll need a shorter work through private market mechanisms often week to create more jobs. compounds inequality. For example, we reject As socialists, we must go even further, and Hte application of market mechanisms to reform fight for expanded public investment and job health care, since it is the market that distributes creation. Capital is not committed to a high care according to wealth. Moreover, the market wage, job-expanding economic development distributes other social goods (housing, food, strategy, and so the burden falls upon popularly education) and social evils (pollution and un controlled governmental and community insti safe workplaces) according to income, and this, tutions. But we also question the assumption too, undermines well-being. The struggle for that a job defines one's life work. Productivity national health care assumes that activist gov advances and shifts in employment opportuni ernment can solve social problems and meet ties can create new possibilities for leisure, for human needs. In other words, popular, demo personal and social development. Life choices cratic government is better than the mcHket. for the vast majority can change only if produc Our critique of the market also includes a tive investment is managed democratically for the benefit of all. This sounds utopian, and it is. But that's what socialism needs -- both a pro Our vision of a radical democracy gram to address the immediate cnsis and some utopian imagination. contrasts sharply with a narrow at Anti-Racism and DSA's Work tempt to reconcile state regulation Ours is a multiracial vision that n~quires a truly multicultural movement and organiza tion. We need to fulfill this commitment politi and corporate prerogatives. cally and organizationally. Among other things, we must address the collapse of Demo vision of how market relations distort human cratic liberalism in our cities. Regrettably, activ relations. The commodification of culture, the ists committed to economic justice and social determination of self-worth and social value renewal have not yet forged progressive move according to what you own is the opposite of ments to respond to the corporate elites that socialist values. We should promote a moral have seized power from "rainbow" constituen vision of equality and justice that enables people cies. to experience intellectual and emotional free I am convinced that the "Breaking Bread" dom, rather than the empty freedom to "shop model (dialogue and organizing around a his till you drop" -- 1f you have the money. torical and political analysis rooted in Corne! How can we expect to base economic West's "politics of conversion") can work for growth - let alone a meaningful life -- on jobs us. This approach links racism to sexism, homo and mass consumption at a time when unem phobia, and economic injustice, and confronts ployment in European countries averages these oppressions in order to change the way we above 10 percent; standards of living for work talk about experiences, live our lives, and build ing people are declining in sub-Saharan Africa, political alliances. Eastern Europe, and throughout the Americas; This effort goes beyond the paradigm of and the share of wealth belonging to corporate black-white relations in order to create a truly 12 DEMOCRATIC LfFT multiracial understanding and pro gram. In many cases, the issues con fronting different communities -- Afri can-Americans, Korean-Americans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Chicanos, Native Americans -- are similar. But their histories and experiences vary. The purpose of Breaking Bread is to ex plore common issues from unique per spectives in order to devise solutions to the urban crisis that transcend narrow I nationalisms, while holding the prom ise of real social and economic justice. I Developing DSA From the Ground Up f DSA is building the movement from the ground up with strong local organizations. We have an active pres ence in new places -- for example, Boulder, educational discussions They do all this with Members ot Colorado, where Front Range DSA is leading out paid staff. When it had a part-time organ Rochester the fight for single-payer national health care. izer, Los Angeles DSA initiated the first West DSA Other locals are organizing labor, Latino/a, and Coast Socialist Scholars Conference. They are participate environmental activists around a pro-democ maintaining the project with strong voluntary In an antl racy and workers' rights approach to global leadership. We can, in fact, be most proud of the NAFTA economic integration. International solidarity is commitment of volunteers throughout DSA to action In no longer a mere slogan or theory -- it is by the sustain our activity. Insofar as DSA exists on the Niagara Falls only way to challenge global capitalism. Sacra ground, it is because of volunteer leadership In October. mento DSA has put together a conference on and organizing. immigration and NAITA, Rochester DSA par A moral vision sustains us, but we also need ticipated in a trinational action in Niagara Falls skills and, eventually, paid staff, to realize our against NAITA, and the DSA Latino Commis mission to make socialism relevant to American sion has established strong ties to the Party of politics. Local activism on the streets, however, the Democratic revolution (PRO) in Mexico. is not sufficient; neglecting our intellectual work Some of DSA's best anti-NAITA work has or the utopian imagination would be fatal. been done by youth section activists. By linking Can we be all things? Yes, but not without labor and environmental networks with stu more resources. At the 1991 convention I pro dents committed to building sustained political posed a goal of twenty thousand members na alliances, DSA has filled an important niche. tionally, and paid staff inat least six major cities, When the Youth Section organized a tour to the by the end of the 1990s. We have laid some Matamoros maquiladoras region in Mexico, the groundwork, but we need to take the next steps: value of international solidarity became tan more direct mail recruitment, a plan to target gible. Although many activists and policy locals for leadership development and skills makers visit maquiladoras, DSA Youth Section building, expanded local fundraising, integrat activists have been uniquely able to articulate to ing youth section acbv1sts into the larger life of other young people an alternative vision of the organization, sponsoring educational con economic integration based on human rights ferences to bring together policy-makers and and democracy, as well as the right to organize socialist thinkers, and integrating national proj unions and win higher minimum wages. Given ects with local activity. These are concrete ways the negative attitude toward government to build the new institutions we need to confront among many young radicals (and among of our new world. We know what's at stake: Americans in general), we can use NAITA to nothing less than the shape of our future. 1:11 press the point that a democratic state is neces sary to constrain corporate power. Big city locals like New York City and Bos I would like to thank the many DSA leaders and ton take on their corporate elites by playing members who helped to make the past three and a half pivotal roles in local campaigns and organizing years so e11joyable a11d rewarding. -- ML NovcMBCR/Dccu.1Br.R 1993 13 Front Range DSA sponsored a suc MASSACHUSE'ITS cessful forum on progressiw city government on October 6. Forty Boston DSA held a member ship meeting November 7 to discuss people attended to hear discussions of the experience of Burlington, Ver DSA's mission and other themes for mont. Speakers included two activ their delegates to consider at the National Convention. Members of ists from Burlington -- City Council member Jane Knodell and housing the local are considering establishing by Harry Fleischman activistTed Wimpe. In August, Front a support/discussion group for so Range DSAers were a major presence cialist parents and families. ata town meeting held by U.S. Repre And the local finally achieved a CALIFORNIA sentative David Skaggs; they chal long-awaited triumph this summer: After several years of near misses, The activists in Los Angeles lenged him aggressively about his Boston DSA's team (the DSOX) cap DSA have been working extremely pro-NAFTA stance. The local has tured the Boston Independent Soft hard on arrangements for the DSA also been active in the campaign for a ball League title. The championship National Convention, to be held state single-payer health care system November 11-14. In particular, they in Colorado. game's score was DSA 6, Peace Ac have been preparing the November tion 3. 12 Breaking Bread event featuring INDIANA Comel West and a number of South NEW YORK Central Indiana DSA has been ern California activists of color, and active in a number of struggles, in New York City DSA has the November 13 Debs-Thomas Din cluding support for imprisoned launched an Environmental Task ner, which will honor Hotel and Res American Indian Movement activist Force, which plans to address the sit taurant Employees Union leader Leonard Peltier, the United Farm ing of hazardous facilities in the Maria Elena Durazo, Los Angeles Worker grape boycott, and the fight city's poorest communities, espe City Council member Jackie Gold against NAFTA. Activists from the cially communities of color. The task berg, and longtime activist Donna local traveled to Terre Haute for the force will work to educate city activ Wilkinson. Bravo for all of L.A.'s Debs Foundation's annual Debs Din ists about the potential environ efforts! ner on November 6. This year's din mental effects of N AFT A. Sacramento DSA helped or ner honorees were DSAers Ed Asner The local has also launched two ganize a September 24 protest at very successful weekly educational and Dolores Huerta. which California Governor Pete courses. DSA Vice Chair Jim Chapin Wilson was confronted about his pro 1s leading a course entitled "Intro posed anti-immigrant legislation. ILLINOIS duction to Democratic Socialism," The local also helped to organize a Chicago DSA helped to organ and leaders of the local's task force on major anti-NAFTA rally in Sacra ize this year's Midwest Radical Schol economics are teaching "The Eco mento and put together an October ars Conference, which was held Oc nomics of Socialism." conference entitled "NAFfA and Hu tober 29-31. Speakers included DSA Ithaca DSA activists worked man Rights" (see page 9). Vice Chair Bogdan Denitch and Cen for the re-election campaign of Mayor San Diego DSA held a fun tral Ohio DSA activist Bob Fitrakis. Ben Nichols, a DSA member. They draiser October 16 featuring folk Members of the local also traveled to also hosted DSA Youth Organizer singers Peggy Watson, Sam Hinton, Indiana for the Debs dinner Novem Ginny Coughlin October 27, and par Ross Hinton, and Ernie McCray. ber 6. ticipated in an anti-NAFTA rally No Proceeds were donated to the cam Members of the West Subur vember 5. paign to defeat the state's school ban branch of Chicago DSA continue Rochester DSA has been very voucher initiative. The local has also to work tirelessly on behalf of the active m the city's Coalition for Af been a participant in the Support locked-out members of the Allied fordable Health Care. Two of the Committee for Maquiladora Work Industrial Workers at the A.E. Staley eight board members of the coalition ers, an organization that raises funds plant in Decatur. They have walked a re DSAers. They report that Roches and logistical support for Mexican the picket lines, organized donations ter's unique health care system, trade union organizers. of food and clothing, and helped to which is often touted by managed educate other Chicago activists about competition fans, is hardly a model COLORADO the struggle. for us: sixty thousand people in the The education committee of county remain uninsured. 14 DrMOCRATIC Lur Activists from Rochester DSA Blessed Are The Peacemakers and Ithaca DSA also particip<1ted in a trinational anti-NA FfA action at -- Our Chaverim! Niagara Falls in October (see page Americans for Progressive Israel ISRAEL HORIZONS 13). 0 Individuals - $25 0 Couples - $40 Membership (Please check one) Not8 Th8s8 cat11gon11s include 11 subscnpt1on to Israel Horilons and other AP/ mailings OHIO 0 I am enclosing a tax-deductible contribution of$__ to further the activities of API. 0 I would like to subscribe to Israel Horizons. Enclosed please find a check for $15. Leaders of Athens DSA host a made payable to Americans for Progressive Israel. biweekly cable-acces::- television show called The DemocratLC Socialist NAME(S)·------Review. The local b abo doing sup A~DRESS:..,._ .,....---.,....,...,....~,------~ Please &end this form with vour check to API: port work for the United Mine Work 224 West 35th Street, Suite 403 ers and the A.E. Staley strikers in New York, NY 10001 Illinois and fighting a proposed medical wa~te incinerator On October 20an anti NAFfA rally was held in front of the Mercer •!• DSA Youth Section•!• County courthou::.e m Celina, a small town in northwe::.t Oht0. The rally, which included large numbers of Winter Conference trade unionbb, wa::. organized in part by DSAers Cheryl D,w1s and Roger Wilson, both Celina residents. March 4-6, 1994 •New York City invited speakers include: PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia DSA held a Corne/ West membership retreat November 7 at which they discussed health care, NAFfA, and DSA's mission. The Barbara Ehrenreich local was active in the movement opposed Philadelphia mayor Ed Noam Chomsky Rendell's proposed revisions to the city charter, which would serve to for more information, call restrict the rights of city unions. Ginny Coughlin at 212/962-0390 VIRGINIA Our newest local is Charlot CLASSIFIEDS------tesville DSA. In September they held their first annual Labor Day Dar-B-Q ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE AMERI DEA TH ROW JNMA TE 15 yrs CAN LEFT, now in PAPERBACK, and Sing-Along. The local will co needs friends, Ron Spivey, Box 970 pp, dozens of entries on and/ sponsor a lecture series at the Univer 3877G4104, Jackson, GA 30233 or by DSAers. 529.95 from Univer sity of Virginia entitled "Building sity of Illinois Press. Ask your SHORT Community: Race, Gender, and Cul bookstore to stc>ck it! "A APPREHENSIVE His tural Difference." tory of the World" Humorous, Jeft And there's a new DSA organ COMMUNITY JOBS, socially re ish, outrageous. 192 pp., ill. $10.00 izing committee in Richmond. This sponsible job opportunities. Sub Softcover, $16.00 Hardcover. Post age paid. Write to Brainerd Books, group, which has been meeting regu scribe to the only nationwide list larly, participated in an anti-NA FfA ing covt!ring organizing, disarma rally at an AT&T production facility ment, labor, environment, and more. CL1ssijied adt>ertisi11g mies are $2 per li11e, $50 per colu11111 inch. Payment in adoo11ce. on October 21. 53.50/..ample. $12/6 issues. Box 051516 P St., NW, Washington, There is a 20% disaiu nt if ad(s) run two or more times. We reserve tl1e riJ{ht to re;ect ads. DC 20005. Nov£MBER/DF.c r.MBER 1993 15 Jimmy Higgins Reports SAME LOOT, members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (JAM) traveled to Tijuana that IF YOU KNOW day to observe labor and environmental conditions. While parked in front of a maquiladora plant, Plasticos WHERE TO LOOK Baja Cal, their bus was boarded by Mexican immigration Roughly a year ago, you may recall, officials, who detained the workers for over three hours. the mass media went into one of their oc The officials at first refused to say why they were detain casional bursts of socialist (or at least ing the delegation, but finally said that traveling to populist) fury, and the airwaves were Mexico in order to "discuss internal working conditions suddenly full of denunciations of U.S. with the Mexican workers" was illegal. They later corporate executives' astronomical sala relented, saying that the delegation's mission was not ries. Did any of this public outrage have any effect? illegal -- merely "irregular." And they let slip that they Well, yes and no. Corporations are still rewarding their were acting at the behest of the managers of the maquila leaders with salaries over fifty times greater than those dora plant. of the average worker, but they're hiding these salaries better. In fiscal year 1993, the two hundred largest U.S. corporations allocated a record 9.11 percent of their FRANK BACK IN THE TA. rK? shares outstanding to "management stock option pro Earlier this year we celebrated when an administra grams." So while executive salaries themselves may not tive law judge refused to allow notorious union-buster be rising so quickly, CEO's have still found a way to put Frank Lorenzo to launch a new airline, citing Lorenzo's extra butter on their bread. historic "pattern of non-compliance." But the victory isn't quite sealed yet-- Lorenzo, the Butcher of Continen THE GULAG OF TIJUANA tal and Eastern, is now appealing the decision. Write to On September 21 some U.S. trade unionists got a Transportation Secretary Federico Pena (400 Seventh frightening first-hand glimpse into the true human Street SW, Washington, DC 20590), and urge him to rights situation in Mexico. A busload of rank-and-file uphold the judge's recommendation. Deinocratic Socialists of Ainerica -----Join ·us! Members of the Democratic Socialists of America work in immediate struggles for justice - as we build a movement for long-term social change. We bring to our work a strategy for building alliances among social movements and a vision of a more just and equitable society. Join DSA and become a card-carrying member of the largest and most exciting democratic socialist organization in the U.S.! 0 Send me more information about DSA. NAME.~---~-~--~-~~----~ 0 Enclosed are my dues! ADDRESS~-----~~-~~-----~ 0 $50 sustainer 0 $35 regular CITY /STATE/Zrr ______0 $15 low-income/student PHONE~------~-~~~-- UNION/5cHOOL/0RGANIZATION ______0 Enclosed is $8 for a subscription to Democratic Left 0 Enclosed is a contribution of$__ Mnke d1ecks pnynble to DSA, n11d return to DSA: to help DSA's activism. 15 D11td1 St., #500, NY, NY 10038. (212) 962-0390