Griscom Stream @ 3 CT!
Added 2022-04-26 17:41:39 +0000 UTCCome by and ask questions in the chat!
Comments
Yup I know exactly what you mean. And yes I have way more patience for BDS activists within the organization, even though I have my disagreements about their strategic decisions, than I do for those on the outside who are even a few steps removed from the internal BDS work. You are exactly right. I only wanted to offer some Austin-specific context to the Casar thing because a lot of member really respect him despite disagreeing with him on BDS. I count myself among them on both counts.
Michael
2022-04-26 23:50:32 +0000 UTCI definitely appreciate this and there’s a lot of debate about the best way to handle it all. I have seen people really cynically use bds in a wrecker way - I think those principles are important but definitely have seen how they can be used in cynical ways. Idk, I have a lot of thoughts on all this but what I really just cannot stand anymore is how certain outside groups have portrayed everything from bowman to Casar as proof that DSA is some pro-imperialist group. Lord in heaven watching the ex red guard groups and that guy looking for media clout at the AOC GND movement was genuinely infuriating.
David Griscom
2022-04-26 23:40:37 +0000 UTCAs an Austin DSA member since the first Bernie campaign, who saw all of the dedicated and careful strategic and coalition work that went into putting soon-to-be Rep. Casar in a position so strong that he demolished the competition in the primary, I have to say that the supposed “BDS” tendency drives me crazy. There is some context that is often overlooked in how that happened. The BDS folks tried to stir up opposition to Casar before the initial endorsement vote. Despite debating democratically and making all of the points that their side thought were good, Casar was endorsed by over 90% of voting DSA members. In other words, DSA democratically weighed pros and cons and decided overwhelmingly to endorse Casar despite knowing that he did not fully align with the BDS position. Then about a month later, a right wing rag leaks his letter to a Rabbi in which Casar makes it clear what was known before: that he is not aligned with the BDS position. Instead of standing by their endorsed candidate, some on the LC decided to hold open the possibility of a second endorsement vote while they loudly denounced Casar within the org. Bottom line, they didn’t respect the democratic will and the decision of our chapter. I could see issuing a critical statement. I would have supported that. I think it was strategically amateur hour to act like the informed endorsement vote was somehow uninformed. Casar withdrew his endorsement application rather than put the org through a grueling internal fight. There was never a vote to unendorse in Austin. Look, I support BDS. But within DSA, I have seen very very little organizing on that issue directed toward building support in the *outside* community. All I see is internal DSA line-drawing. It is very silly to hold our electoral candidates to a line we haven’t even bothered to organize around in the community. Again, I would consider joining those outward-facing organizing efforts if they existed. They don’t, though. There hasn’t been one BDS related organizing project that has happened since they got their wish with Casar’s scalp. I need to see more strategic organizing before I consider those efforts anything but sectarianism masquerading as principle.
Michael
2022-04-26 23:25:06 +0000 UTC
