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Kshama Sawant won a seat on the Seattle City Council in 2013 running openly as a socialist. Has earned a lot of labor union support (some 30 locals). Comes out of the Occupy movement, speaks strongly and brilliantly of the need for social movements to choose political candidates, set a pro-people political agenda (such as the $15/hr minimum wage) and actively campaign for election. She is most notable for having successfully led the $15/hr campaign in Seattle.
Here's a pretty good basic bio (who Sawant is, what she stands for)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kshama_Sawant
daleanime, please provide at least a brief text saying what a video is about, and giving the date of the vid. I knew nothing whatever about this interviewee (Kshama Sawant) or about the interview show. I just "took it on faith" that it might be interesting and worth my time--a shot in the dark, something I don't often do. I have limited time to do "shots in the dark." I would greatly appreciate more clues to the content of a vid.
Thanks for posting it! I'm glad I took the chance. Very informative! Sawant is absolutely someone to follow, for those who want major reform of our political/government system. Although she is an immigrant (from India) and is therefore constitutionally barred from the Presidency, she is, and will continue to be, a key leader in the major reform movement. She is brilliant--I'd say Martin Luther King-type brilliant. She understands that significant change must come from the bottom up, as part of a communal effort by many people. This is something that people say. She is someone WHO DID IT.
Sawant and her supporters, and the Socialist Alternative Party, did locally what Bernie Sanders is trying to do nationally. They have provided the prototype, or one important one, as to organization and focus. The relationship between her campaign and the Democratic Party, and between Bernie's national campaign and the Democratic Party, is different in some respects--but very important to talk about.
For instance, can the Democratic Party be reformed? Or is it hopelessly in the pocket of the 0.01%? In the spectacular rise of the Left in Latin America, over the last decade and a half, the answer clearly was to abandon the hopelessly entangled traditional political parties and create new ones, out of social movements. Entangled leaders sold the people out, time and again--and the people finally said, "Enough!" This has been a very successful strategy there. But it wasn't easy! And it may not be possible--or may not be the best method for achieving major reform--HERE.
Sawant raises many of the issues of this very important discussion, and can point to local success, in Seattle, as to abandoning traditional parties. I am impressed--very impressed--with her and the movement she represents--but I think that, before this Democrat goes that route (I've been a Democrat for FIFTY YEARS!), I want to see if it's possible for the Democratic Party to nominate a socialist for president; I want to see what Bernie's campaign does to reform our leadership (if it is reformable); and I passionately would like to see the Democratic Party become the party of the people once again.
The betrayals of the people by our Democratic Party leadership have been very, very, VERY grave! Not the least of them is the takeover of our vote counting system by PRIVATE CORPORATIONS, using 'TRADE SECRET' CODE, with virtually no auditing! This takeover occurred between 2002 and 2004, and our party leadership made NO OBJECTION. None! Supported it enthusiastically. Unbelievable!
That is impossible to forgive. The major reform needs to be truly major and fundamental. As long as this is the case--as long as our vote counting system is run in this way (is NOT in the PUBLIC VENUE)--we cannot fully trust ANYBODY who holds public office--not Kshama Sawant, not Bernie Sanders, not ANYBODY. Because there is always the suspicion that they were PERMITTED TO BE ELECTED, for reasons that only our Corporate Rulers know. (To bleed off dissent? As a sort of pressure valve? So they can s/elect Jeb* next time around? (He used to known as Jeb BUSH. Now he's just Jeb*.)) (
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Suspicion only. But that IS the nature of 'TRADE SECRET' vote tabulation. You can never know. And that betrayal is worse than any other, even unjust war--because 'TRADE SECRET' vote tabulation ENABLES the Forever War, as well as U.S. "free trade for the rich." It can be used wherever those who own the 'TRADE SECRET' code think they can get away with it. It can be used to tip primaries and presidential elections. It can be used to put "pressure valve" candidates in office. It can be used to "divide and conquer" on hot button issues. It can be--and HAS BEEN--used in many ways, to destroy our democracy and to prevent the kind of major reform that is so clearly needed.
Our Democratic leaders did this to us. It is not possible to forgive it, but it IS possible to remain a Democrat, in spite of this, because the Democratic Party is NOT equivalent to its corporate-run leaders. The Party is us--you and me, the workers, the poor, the disenfranchised and all those Democrats who believe in social justice, fairness and peace. Do we abandon it to the Corporates? Or do we--and can we--reform it?
That is the question.
