You should join the DSA.
You're living during the strongest socialist movement in half a century. Join DSA and make history.
If you're a socialist or a social democrat, you should join the DSA.
Why? Here's my pitch:
Most socialist orgs are tiny. DSA is massive. Very few US socialist orgs have ever hit five digit memberships. The DSA is one of them. In 2017, the DSA had about 8,000 members. In 2022, we had about 80,000 members. The last time a socialist org had 10,000 members was 54 years ago. The last time one had as many members as DSA was 109 years ago.
You have the power to make America redder than ever. Join DSA and make socialist history.
Mass membership lets DSA punch above our weight. DSA grew much of our massive membership by winning high-profile campaigns, like AOC's surprise victory against a 10-term New York machine boss. DSA makes a difference because DSA has a mass membership. We can knock doors in a way the DNC and RNC can't. That pays off: In Kansas, DSA members text-banked 1.9 million voters and helped keep abortion protected in the state constitution.
You have power when you work with the many. Join DSA and shift America left.
DSA wins elections. Socialists in the US spent 40 years losing. Labor fell, neoliberalism rose, and socialist orgs withered away. DSA is a socialist org for people who want to win. In six years, with just ~80,000 members and a ~$4 million budget, DSA has won control of 1% of state legislature and 1% of US Congress seats. (In 2020, the DNC-DSCC-DCCC alone spent $1,092 million.) As a result, there are more socialists in Congress than any time in US history.
You have the power to put socialists in office. Join DSA and make socialists win.
Where DSA wins power, policy shifts left. Consider New York City, DSA's largest and most electorally-successful chapter. Despite the state's strongly centrist Governor: In May 2023, DSA electeds and members helped win legislation that empowers New York Power Authority to public-owned renewable energy, previously called the Build Public Renewables Act. In May 2023, DSA helped expand and protect New York City public transit. In February 2023, DSA also forced the Governor to abandon her conservative pick for Court of Appeals. And every election, DSA gains more members in the state legislature.
You have the power to put socialist policy back on the agenda. Join DSA and pass socialist policy.
DSA empowers labor. DSA's labor work is excellent. DSA Labor is currently coordinating a nation-wide Strike Ready pledge to support UPS workers. (Sign up!) Through the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee, DSA volunteers have supported >4,000 workers trying to organize for a union or better conditions and helped achieved wins that empower thousands of workers. If you want to read inspiring EWOC stories, there's dozens to pick from: Teagan H in Illinois, John A in Salt Lake City and Jon F in Michigan, Atulya DL and Harper M in Michigan, Jaz W in New York, at REI, in a climbing gym (they won). More systematically, 2018-2022 has been the first wave of strikes and union drives in twenty years. DSA can't claim full credit for that -- but it can claim quite a bit!
You have the power to rebuild the American labor movement. Join DSA and organize the workers.
The USA has one of the most powerful and most popular conservative-libertarian-reactionary movements in the rich world. It's going to take to a long, slow fight by a coalition of progressives, socdems, and socialists to rebuild America into a social market economy -- let alone a social-democratic or socialist country!
That coalition needs millions of people willing to unionize workers, organize tenants, win elections, demand public ownership, demand pro-poor policy, demand wealth redistribution, and expand anti-racist, anti-sexist values across the country. We don't yet have that movement. As a big tent & mass movement socialist organization, and for all the reasons highlighted above, DSA is uniquely well-structured to create that movement and win that fight.
In short: If you want to see a social-democratic America in your lifetime, you should join the DSA.
Conclusion and shilling
If you do join the DSA, consider joining my little DSA groupchat.
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Does the DSUK exist
And are they not transphobic
And do they actually have enough capital to exist anywhere remotely close to my county