>> This afternoon I did a workshop on the state of the global justice
> movement at a Democratic Socialists of America youth conference. We
> chatted about agendas and organization, or the lack of both. Several
> points came up that deserve wider circulation:
>
> * A guy on leave from a National Guard posting in Iraq wondered what
> the left is doing to propagandize among his colleagues, whom he
> described as being seriously pissed off. Their lives have been
> completely disrupted, they're at constant risk of being blown to
> bits, and their after-tax pay is $560 a month. And the Bush admin has
> just cut the Veterans Aministration's funding.
>
> * Attendance was surprisingly heavy, and there were quite a few
> curious folks who had nothing to do with DSA or even the left before.
>
> * One of the newcomers, originally from Texas, dismissed all talk of
> anarchism or Greens, saying that has no resonance in Texas (where
> he's from) or any other of the "red states." He said the only place
> for remotely progressive politics in the U.S. heartland is the Dem
> party. I don't know if that's true, but that's what he said.
>
> * Out of about 25-30 people, about 2/3 or 3/4 said they'd vote for
> whatever Dem is nominated for president (again, this was
> DSA-sponsored, but not DSA-dominated). Most of the rest said they
> wouldn't vote. There was *no* support for Ralph.
>
> Doug