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Vol. 2 No. 2Summer 2010

National Coordinating Committee Meets and Discusses the
2010 Election, and Saving the Progressive Majority

Meeting July 31 - August 1, 2010

The NCC met in a video conference July 31 and August 1. The first point was the upcoming national election. Ted Pearson opened with a PowerPoint presentation on “Can the Progressive Majority be Saved?” Jean Hardisty and Deepak Bhargava said in The Nation, “Eighteen months into the Obama era, the progressive movement is experiencing malaise, based on disappointment about what has been accomplished so far and confusion about the path forward”. This problem was reflected in many of the local chapter reports, also. The report laid out a strategy of mass actions that can help progressives reshape the national agenda, especially the Oct. 2 “One Nation-One Dream” march on Washington called by the NAACP and endorsed by the AFL-CIO.

A video of Van Jones speaking in July to the Netroots Nation was shown. Jones called on the Netroots Nation to keep going. We thought we’d crossed the finish line on Election Day, 2008, he said, but actually we’ve just got to the starting line.

Key battle ground states for CCDS in the Senate and Congress races were identified: Illinois, New York, California, Pennsylvania , Kentucky, and Ohio.

This was followed by a good and frank discussion. What should our approach to the Blue Dogs be? How to support Obama when his policies are contrary to the progressive agenda? How to respond to attacks such as that on ACORN. The importance of discussing race and racism, support for immigrant rights with white workers. “Local mass struggles are key.” There will be Jobs with Justice actions on August 6th and August 28th (in Detroit) followed by a JWJ National Day of Action on September 15th.

(Read entire article)


Jack O’Dell’s Climbin’ Jacob’s Ladder and the
Future of the Democracy Charter

by Brandon Wallace

Jack O’ Dell’s Climbin’ Jacob’s Ladder makes a succinct case for the perseverance of progressive struggle in the face of open hostility from social, political, and economic forces in the United States. O’Dell offers up brilliant interpretations of Reconstruction Era politics and the ensuing social and political movements leading up to the Civil Rights Movement. Throughout the book, he weaves together a historical continuum based on race, labor, and class politics through the 1980s and Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition.

One inspired item that O’Dell incorporates into the book is the Democracy Charter. Based on South Africa’s Freedom Charter, the Democracy Charter proposes thirteen premises to serve as a basic commitment of the United States to the people who reside within it. Those premises include:
  1. An end to homelessness.
  2. Full employment.
  3. A commitment to human rights.
  4. Free education from early childhood through college.
  5. An anti-aggression foreign and military policy.
  6. Universal healthcare.
  7. A social security system with undiminished integrity.
  8. A farm economy restructured to rest on family and cooperative enterprise.
  9. A prison system committed to rehabilitation.
  10. Restoration, preservation, and protection of the environment.
  11. Expanded public management of resources strategic to our nation’s economy.
  12. The right to have every vote counted.
  13. The airwaves maintained as public property.
(Read entire article)


Good Jobs, Green Jobs 2010: Green Energy
Manufacturing To Solve the Jobs Crisis? A Very Tough Battle

By Carl Davidson
SolidarityEconomy.Net

On May 4-6 nearly 3500 people attended the 2010 'Good Jobs, Green Jobs' conference in Washington DC. Carl Davidson and Ted Pearson represented the CCDS. This third and largest conference was organized by the Blue-Green Alliance of several hundred environmental, community groups and trade unions initiated by the United Steel Workers and the Sierra Club.

Last year's gathering was fresh from Obama's victory and several new recession-fighting initiatives and was highly spirited and visionary. Now after a tough year, the mood had shifted. There was still plenty of idealism and optimism but the fierce resistance of the GOP and finance capital were sobering.

"We must seize this opportunity to turn the economy around and end global warming," said Leo Gerard of the Steelworkers in closing remarks. "If the Republicans take majorities in the House and Senate in November, only Heaven will be able to help us. For our children, our grandchildren, and all the future generations we cannot allow this to happen."

(Read entire statement)


U. S. Social Forum: High-Energy Gathering - A New Generation of Activists in the Left and Social Movements

By Carl Davidson

When 15,000 vibrant and politically engaged people gather in one spot for five days and organize themselves into more than 1000 workshops, dozens of major plenaries and late night parties across five major cultural hot spots, no one article can claim to give a full account and get away with it.

But that’s what happened in Detroit June 22-26 at the US Social Forum. Cobo Hall and nearby universities buzzed with thousands of people trying to shape a new world.

I won't even try to capture it all. I'll just affirm the common conviction that it was a major happening and a huge success, an inspiration and affirmation of hope that progress is being made towards a better future.

The Forum started on June 22 with a massive march of thousands through the streets of a devastated and de- industrialized Detroit. "What an amazing day!" said Allison Flether Acosta of Jobs with Justice. (Read entire statement)

Included in this Issue

On New York City’s Two May Day Rallies - Pat Fry
Striving Towards Freedom - Brandon Wallace
America's Future Now - Renee Carter
Study Group: After Capitalism - Tina Shannon

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UPCOMING EVENTS - MARK YOUR CALENDAR

  • August 28th Demonstration in Detroit organized by UAW and PUSH
  • JWJ National Day of Action on September 15th
  • October 2nd - One Nation Mobilization onenationworkingtogether.org

The CCDS Mobilizer is an online publication of the Committees of Correspondence for
Democracy and Socialism (CCDS).
The CCDS National Office is located at:
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Mailing Address
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Member contributions to this publication are welcomed.