FDR & Obama: Debunking the Myths of the Democratic Party Next District Reading/Discussion Group

A mythology surrounds the Democratic Party. We’re told that it’s the party that represents working people, oppressed communities, and the environment. This is largely based on the raft of social reforms known as the New Deal, but also the election of Obama, the first black President.  But do the Democrats deserve the mantle of being the party that represents working people? What is the true history of the New Deal?  Why did the scion of one of the wealthiest and most powerful capitalist families in the US (Roosevelt) go against the apparent interests of the capitalist system, its representatives in both major parties, and the corporate media and introduce far reaching reforms that benefited working people? Are we to believe that FDR was a socialist, like Sanders suggested in a speech during his campaign? What is the true history of the New Deal, of the Democratic Party? Whose interests do the Democratic Party ultimately represent, working people or big business? If we accept they represent the 1% and not working people, how do we convince the majority of working people of this? 

Join District 3 members to discuss, from a socialist and class based perspective, the history and role of the Democratic Party and whether we should attempt to reform the Democrats, form a new party, or turn away from elections and instead focus on building movements. This is the first session in a series of discussions on socialists and elections.

The readings are encouraged but not required! If you don’t have time to read, please come anyway! Your thoughts and views are highly valuable and we want to hear them. 🙂

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86224573870
Meeting ID: 862 2457 3870
12532158782 (Tacoma)

Article: THE OBAMA YEARS OF SQUANDERED HOPES
https://socialistworker.org/2017/01/06/the-obama-years-of-squandered-hopes

NYT Opinion: Joe Biden’s Success Shows We Gave Obama a Free Pass
By Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/opinion/Biden-Obama-2020.html?referringSource=articleShare

Labors Giant Step, Ch.2, “New Deal: Myth and Fact” (3.5 pages)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_0ldnWYOkoDZHc3TFhpdTRRQ0lhbVRiZS10cGFOV3IyMFNZ/view?usp=drivesdk

VIDEO: Mouseland (1992, 8 min) Powerful agitation for workers to have their own political party, a mass workers party. Told by Tommy Douglas, leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada. It was a political fable expressing their view that the Canadian political system only offered voters a false choice between two parties, both representing the interests of big business (cats) and not workers (mice). The mice voted in black cats, which represented the Conservative Party. Then they voted in the white cats, which symbolized the Liberal Party, and the government was still run by cats. Eventually a mouse gets the idea that mice should run their government, not the cats.