JULY/AUGUSTl 996 VOLUME XXV NUMBER 4 Sl . 50~.,o,_o_ - ... , DEMOCRATIC ,., , . ~ 6 AMA11.~ , ·X 523 1 06 1 PUBLISHED BY THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA -."" M 'Y . E D T 0 R A L DSA's Perspective on the 1996 Elections A STATEMENT FROM DSA's NATIONAL PouncAL COMMITTEE he key goal for progre.ssives an~ socialms in_t~e 1996 elec­ • supporting civil rights by defeating the California Civil T tions is to defeat the Republican right. To do thtS involv~ three Rights Initiative (which would actually take away key rights important usks: for people of color and women); • defeat Bob Dole; • advancing the principle of health care for all by support • retake Congre.ss from the Republicans; and for iniuatives on HMOs; and • enlarge and strengthen the Progressive Caucus in • strengthening the principle of a living wage for all by sup­ Congress. pon for the initiative rai~ing the minimum wage. To most of us on the le.ft the 1996 Presidential race offers little In addttion, the Progress Caucus has developed a •progressive in the way of hope for positive social and economic change. Polls today Prom1~e to America• which includes eleven agenda items from corporate suggest that President Clinton has a commanding lead. But it's far to early responsibility to a living wage to downsizing the military budget. In Wash­ to declare victory. And of course a Ointon victory would be a partial one ington, DSA has been working ~-ith the Caucus and the Committee on at best. Econoffilc Insecunty to develop public bearing~ on issues related w this Four years ago, Clinton won the Presidential election by fo­ agenda. These heanngs will focu.s on themes such as rebuilding communi­ cusing on the economy and it seems likely to be a key issue in this ties, fiscal policy and full empJ, •vment, women's economic empowerment election as well. Four years ago, however, 'the economy' meant simply and 'who really runs the US ccunomy.' These bearings, along with DSA's economic growth; today, it's broader - it's corporate responsibility, in­ own bearings project, form the bas.is for advancing a real progressive agenda ternational trade and economic insecurity. Economic growth over the in the next Congress - if it'~ a Coll£~' controlled by the Democrats and last few years hasn't resulted in more jobs or bener-paying jobs for the with a strong Progressive Caucus. American worker, but only higher CEO salaries and corporate profits. To achieve these goals, DSA is working hard to elect progres­ These are issues that Clinton isn't addressmg. sive candidates. The June meeting of DSA PAC voted to endorse mem­ Clinton's signing of the Republican welfare bill once more bers of the Progrc..ssive Caucus and some insurgent progressive challeng­ demonstrates that he bas abandoned some of the basic tenetS of Demo­ ers (a list of the endo~d candidates L' on page 21). In targeted races local cratic liberalism. His position can only be seen as a further retreat from volunteers from DSA will be helping candidates raise money, contact vot­ economic justice. The vote in the House on the final version of the bill ers and get out the vote. We'll also be working to educate voters on how - which pascd 328-101 - also shows the deep divisioru within the Demo­ their economic security is impacted by these elections. An organizing cratic Party, divLsions that amount to a class strut;glc. Almost as many manual is available from the n01tional office for locals and individual aetiv­ Democrats voted for the Republican bill as voted against it. istS with suggesuom about bow economic insecunty can be made a pow­ Today·the sole force operating 10 Congrc.s.s that could clearly erful election issue for progressive.\. have a positive effect on the left's agenda is the Progrc.~sive Caucus. Of The elections demonmate the ru-cngtb and weakness of the those 101 votes against the welfare bill, ~5 came from the Progressive American electoral system. Election campaigns provide one of the few Caucus. Underfunded and understaffed, it remains the only political forums in which we can discuss the irnponant political choices factng us, group speaking out with a constructive and compelling agenda. A strength­ but that discussion is often sidetracked by '.l<>und bites, attack ads and spe­ ened Progressive Caucus with 100, rather than its current 52 members, cious polling data. And most of the time the left, and in panicular DSA, is would be a fon:e to be reckoned with. h would be a fon:e that could move simply not a pan of the discussion at all. To change America -to achieve the the Democratic leadership and the party away from the ~-<Jut policies of thorough tnnsformation of our economy and 'O<"iety that we strive for - the Democratic Leadership Council. To make that happen, November's means changing American politics in a fundamental way. We must recreate election will have to result in new progressive members being elected to the possibility of true political interaction among Americans and between Congress and current progressives being re-elected. voters and candidates. We need to rebuild a leh and recharge social move­ The last two years have ~hown how much damage can be done ments '.I<> that we have a long term qraiegy for change that forms the basis when reactionaries control Congress and a weak Democrauc president for our immediate campaigns. allows himself to be pushed around. The liberal left in Washington is DSA won't be able to do all that in the course of the 1996 elec­ only now emerging from its shock at the Gingrich victory. It is begin­ uon. However, we can lay the groundwork for it. The reelection of ning to recognize the need not just to fight against the worst of the Cltnt0n, regaining Democratic control of Congress and election of a stron­ GOP proposals, but to set its own agenda. In ~ome states, notably in ger Progressive Caucus would not be a complete victory for the left, but it California, key parts of this agenda are also on the ballot: would provide the opening to make an authentically left. agenda happen . Dt•ocratlc Left• July/August 1996 • , ••• 2 DEMOCRATIC National Director Alan Charney cover: Unite.I Nacions Building, New York, NY; &ire of the 1996 Production meeting of the Sociafu1 lntemacional. Pholo by Margie Burns & Michele Rossi Clui.stopber Smit.h/lmpaet Visuals. Editorial Committee DSA's Perspective on the Joanne Barkan, 1996 Eledions: Dorothee Benz, AStatement from DSA's NPC Suzanne Crowell, David Glenn, Jeff Gold, Sherri Levine, Reising the Rose Lantern Steve Max, Maxine Phillips by Bogdon Denltch Founding Editor Michael Harrington (1928-1989) To Intensify Democracy by Pierre Schori Democratic Socialists of America share a vision of a humane interna­ tiomtl social order based on equitable distribution of resources, meaningful Constructing Global Labor Solidarity work, a healthy environment, sustain- able growth, gender and racial by Paul Garver equality, and non-oppressive relation­ ships. Equality, solidarity, and democracy can only be achieved through international political and Power to Win: The Struggle for social cooperation aimed at ensuring the NYC Uving Wage Bl that economic institutions benefit all people. We are dedicated to building by Miriam Bensman truly international social movements- of unionists, environmentalists, feminists, and people of color-which DSA Launches Center for together can elevate global justice Democratic Valves over brutalizing global competition. by Rick Perlstein http://www.dsausa.org/dsa Dernocr<1tic Ltft (ISSN 016403207) it publithed bimonthly at I SO DSAdlon Varick Street, New York, NY 10014. Second-duo postage p•id at New York, NY (Publication No. 0701-9602). Sub.criptiont: $8 re.:ular, Sl5 insmutional. Postmut<r. Send ,.Jdre,. change• to 180 Varick SLJ'Cet, New York, NY 10014. Democrl1lic ufi is publi•bed by the Democratic Socialim o( America, 180 Varick Strttt, New York, NY 10014. (212) 727-8610.Sig...,dAnicksncpms Present Progressive rh• opi ..ions of1he11utlJOY$d>1d run necl!SJl<ri~ rJ,_ ofth•orgam'zdt,,,.,,, by Alan Charney Democratic Left• July/August 1996 •page 3 Raising the Rose Lantern The Socialist International in Perspective BY B OGDAN DENITCH he Socialist International, as well as its pre­ THE END OF THE "COMMUNIST' decessors and rivals, has always been a fair INTERNATIONAL T representation of the state of the politically organized world left. This was the case with the The Cominform began to disintegrate even be­ premature First International, which Marx and fore the coll~pse of the Soviet Union as the state "social­ Engels set up in 1884, before there were any sub­ ist" Communist regimes in Eastern Europe. The larger stantial workers' and socialist parties, and before Communist parties ofltaly, Spain, France, and Great Brit­ there was any mass suffrage, so the issue of parlia­ ain began a painful evolution, then labelled mentary reformism was an abstract theoretical "Eurocommunist," from parties which were primarily proposition. pro-Soviet to workers' parties which The Second International, founded in 1889, were evolving into de facto social­ accurately represented the strengths and weaknesses democrattc parties. They committed The present Sodalist of the German Social Democratic Party, clearly the themselves to taking power democrati­ International has the leading mass social democratic party at the time. In cally throug~ parliamentary elec­ chance to become the those days before the first World War and the tions and defending "bourgeois" clearing house and Russian revolution there was no distinction made democratic rights. networking center for the between social-democratic and socialist pames-that This process, .which was to difference was a later Communist invention.