I’d like to start by saying that the rebirth of an institution like SDS is an incredible sign in dark times, and it certainly lets me sleep better.

I want to talk about what the aims of the progressive left are at their core, and in that light what are long term tactics should be. It is my assertion that a lot of energy is being expended in a way that isn’t working in any sort of measurable way towards achieving our real goals. I think that a lot of work is being done, all of it noble, some of it effective, that is not necessarily contributing in a clear way to the central fight of the left, which as I understand it is to build a fundamentally more democratic society.

Pragmatically speaking, this frame should call into questions a lot of the specific tactics the left is engaging in. We as a movement should be choosing the sorts of campaigns, and tactics that are going to build political capital for the years to come. Direct action is the path for people with no other legitimate option to effect change, it may be neccessary now to effect change, but direct action is not democracy. Democratic society should create enough channels for change that direct action
An activist is anyone who uses the powers at their disposal to achieve a political goal. Activism has served a powerful role in holding off corporate conquest, and in protecting certain elements of our lives. The problem with much activism is that it concentrates almost exclusively on spending political capital. It won’t be activists who truly change the world, it will be organizers.

The heart of organizing isn’t the political objectives it seeks to accomplish, it is the power infrastructure that legitimate organizers leave behind. Organizers can grow their power in a sustainable way from year to year. This is the sort of activity that will allow the left to take back our country. Certainly activists have gotten very adept at scoring political victories with extremely limited resources, but the fact is that they are fighting a losing battle. Unless they can develop a model that can accumulate power over time, they cannot compete with the entrenched interests. Organizing creates lasting ties between different classes, by showing them that they can work together to pursue their mutual interests. Give a man an election you protect him for now, make him realize he wants democracy, and you are protecting the world.