Seattle Socialist Night School: Ecosocialism and the Green New Deal

Socialist Night School is an open course that provides a chance to develop our politics together, regardless of background knowledge or whether you’ve attended a class before. New members and lifelong socialists, all are welcome! To sign up for our mailing list or to find out more, e-mail us at [email protected]

Since its introduction earlier this year, the Green New Deal has received a lot of attention. So far it is the only US policy proposal that honestly confronts the severity of the climate crisis, and there has been a lot of excitement about its potential. The standard criticisms from the right are well known by now, but there are also criticisms about the policy from the left that are worth examination.

For this session we will be reading several pieces that tackle the Green New Deal from various perspectives on the left. The DSA Ecosocialist Caucus guiding principles for a Green New Deal are linked to help provide an overall socialist framework on this topic. During our discussion we’ll analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each piece, and try to imagine what a socialist Green New Deal might look like.

Readings:

• Plan, Mood, Battlefield – Reflections on the Green New Deal, Thea Riofrancos, Viewpoint Magazine
• A Class Struggle Strategy for a Green New Deal, Multiple authors, Socialist Forum
• Between the Devil and the Green New Deal, Jasper Bernes, Commune
• An Ecosocialist Green New Deal: Guiding Principles, DSA Ecosocialists