The 2020 Elections; Shall we pray or Organize?

Thursday, July 4, 2019
Susan Goldman & Georgeann Johnson

Have you heard the good news?
The 2020 elections are just around the corner!
Well maybe several corners, blind alleys and corporate garbage dumps.

If ever there was a political circus, where corruption is continually updated and incorporated into a shifting foundation, the US electoral system has to rank way up there. In most respects, US elections are an expression of the elite/corporate agendas, not civil society's interests. Perhaps that why 60% of the eligible US voters, don't vote.

Getting rid of Trump is at the top of many wish lists. He is our abomination and an insult to everything good about human beings. His emergence onto the political arena is a symptom of a system in crisis. How can Trump be defeated and the pressing issues of our time seriously addressed? Currently, there are a myriad of candidates and strategies promising to achieve that goal. I get a slew of emails from these candidates everyday; asking me for donations and support, in that order. Who are these candidates and what do they really stand for? “Rolling Stone” magazine says the field is “starting to sort out as a struggle between change agents and restorationists”, with the old guard restoration wing of the Democratic Party fronted by Joe Biden in the lead. What are their positions on: climate change, racism, women's rights, income inequality, corporate domination of politics and US involvement in global wars? Do any of them actually challenge the neo-liberal economic model or the idea that capitalism is here to stay? Some, like Bernie, have been around a long time and his values and history are very clear. Elizabeth Warren has consistently expressed strong progressive ideals. In the middle are a slew of candidates whose track records and platforms seem more attuned to political trade winds. Should we consider a 3rd party?

In addition to the large field of candidates, a number of important system change and issue oriented organizations are flexing their muscles; Democratic Socialists of America, Working Families Party, We the People, Our Revolution, Indivisible, to name a few. Some on the left believe that emphasis and support must focus on the key issues, not the individual candidates.

You can access the speakers papers below:

Susan Goldman

Georgeann Johnson