Great article. Thank you, Eric. I was thinking along these lines when walking in my neighborhood park recently as one of the local evangelical churches was holding a barbecue that drew probably 75-100 people. Food, games for children and adults, and everyone looked like they were really enjoying themselves. And they had a bouncy house! Of course, there were folks staged on the periphery welcoming us to join. I'm a lifelong atheist with deep criticisms of evangelical Christianity, but there is a lesson to be learned from organizations that include fun as part of their community outreach. I appreciate your historical examples from the left. The time is now to liberate the bouncy houses (and barbecue) in the name of working class solidarity!
There has been one initiative that two projects I'm involved with have been leading the way in and it's growing. Which is communists and leftists training in martial arts for fun and to form community, rather than for self-defense or some other utility. Got a lot of backlash when this started 10 years ago but now there's a pretty good size community directly related to our projects or copying us.
There's also some leftist basketball leagues.
But definitely not enuff stuff. Love the “social” in socialism part.
I was writing on LGM, last week, that the democrats need something like a Democratic Union Hall in every town which has play dates, spaghetti dinners, dances, bowling, crafting, reading times. Even dance nights just a lot of fun community building things to get people off the doomscrolls or leftist posting sites but just getting people talking in person and organizing together. Of course there will be left ideology being pushed. Maybe people will get beaten over the head with it so they don't buy all that "common sense" nonsense that's generally pushing reactionary ideas.
Also if people are getting to talk with each other in person they might stop believing those conspiracy theories constantly being pushed online which don't encourage collective action but cynicism and a disengagement.
Thank you Eric! I just joined 🎺the SF/Oakland Bay Area’s activist Brass Liberation Orchestra (like NY’s Rude Mechanical Orchestra) & have been thoroughly enjoying the role we play🎶in the movement!
That sounds super fun — I've always wanted to join one of the Samba-type drum troupes that play at some rallies. Once Eli graduates from high school lol p.s. hope you're well, been way too long!
Also, I cannot tell you how much I’m currently thinking about joining some sort of faith organization because I miss the value based community, especially for my kids
Love this piece! Soo agree. When I joined Dsa in 2016, I started a socialist Sunday school for parents and kids to gather, have snack snacks and read Dr. Seuss books!
Love this piece. There is a chapter in my book Unionizing The Ivory Tower dedicated to how our feisty local union maintained high participation, in part, by maximizing direct engagement in collective grievances, and using disciplined but open negotiations. But we also had a singing group, teams in bowling leagues, picnics, dances and parties. We had an annual kids of members art show in our offices. We created our own food bank run by member volunteers every week. We functioned like were an extended family and were always listening for what our members interests were.
That social, familial energy built Union pride and identity that helped us pack a bigger punch for every major fight.
Very interesting article. I couldn’t help but think that the reason why socialists seemed to be so much better in the past at being social is that society in general was just more social. It also made me think about groups like AA. Online 12 step on zoom can be a blessing to people with limited ability to attend face to face. But there is still something very powerful about recovering from addiction in community with other people in the same room. It really does work better. Same with political organizing it appears.
Thanks for this. Yes, working people have largely forgotten how to organize. The farmer movements are better at remembering to be social and people-focused, but we tend to forget that solidarity flourishes in social contexts, and we fail to keep Union dance halls and such going as lively social spaces.
are we talking about the same left? the left i know is a bunch of downwardly mobile labor aristoceats who think a stitch and bitch community quilting session is radical resistance, amd who think joy will overthrow the government
Great article. Thank you, Eric. I was thinking along these lines when walking in my neighborhood park recently as one of the local evangelical churches was holding a barbecue that drew probably 75-100 people. Food, games for children and adults, and everyone looked like they were really enjoying themselves. And they had a bouncy house! Of course, there were folks staged on the periphery welcoming us to join. I'm a lifelong atheist with deep criticisms of evangelical Christianity, but there is a lesson to be learned from organizations that include fun as part of their community outreach. I appreciate your historical examples from the left. The time is now to liberate the bouncy houses (and barbecue) in the name of working class solidarity!
100%. I think we have a ton to learn from megachurches in particular
No more late-stage capitalism projects please.
There has been one initiative that two projects I'm involved with have been leading the way in and it's growing. Which is communists and leftists training in martial arts for fun and to form community, rather than for self-defense or some other utility. Got a lot of backlash when this started 10 years ago but now there's a pretty good size community directly related to our projects or copying us.
There's also some leftist basketball leagues.
But definitely not enuff stuff. Love the “social” in socialism part.
I love that all the historic examples are from deep-red parts of the country now.
I was writing on LGM, last week, that the democrats need something like a Democratic Union Hall in every town which has play dates, spaghetti dinners, dances, bowling, crafting, reading times. Even dance nights just a lot of fun community building things to get people off the doomscrolls or leftist posting sites but just getting people talking in person and organizing together. Of course there will be left ideology being pushed. Maybe people will get beaten over the head with it so they don't buy all that "common sense" nonsense that's generally pushing reactionary ideas.
Also if people are getting to talk with each other in person they might stop believing those conspiracy theories constantly being pushed online which don't encourage collective action but cynicism and a disengagement.
Thank you Eric! I just joined 🎺the SF/Oakland Bay Area’s activist Brass Liberation Orchestra (like NY’s Rude Mechanical Orchestra) & have been thoroughly enjoying the role we play🎶in the movement!
That sounds super fun — I've always wanted to join one of the Samba-type drum troupes that play at some rallies. Once Eli graduates from high school lol p.s. hope you're well, been way too long!
As a fan of new phrases and labels in politics: 'bouncy castle communism' is a banger. WELL DONE.
Also, I cannot tell you how much I’m currently thinking about joining some sort of faith organization because I miss the value based community, especially for my kids
Yah, me too!
Love this piece! Soo agree. When I joined Dsa in 2016, I started a socialist Sunday school for parents and kids to gather, have snack snacks and read Dr. Seuss books!
Love this piece. There is a chapter in my book Unionizing The Ivory Tower dedicated to how our feisty local union maintained high participation, in part, by maximizing direct engagement in collective grievances, and using disciplined but open negotiations. But we also had a singing group, teams in bowling leagues, picnics, dances and parties. We had an annual kids of members art show in our offices. We created our own food bank run by member volunteers every week. We functioned like were an extended family and were always listening for what our members interests were.
That social, familial energy built Union pride and identity that helped us pack a bigger punch for every major fight.
Thanks so much Al, sounds like a great local and great book (I'm ordering a copy right now!)
Very interesting article. I couldn’t help but think that the reason why socialists seemed to be so much better in the past at being social is that society in general was just more social. It also made me think about groups like AA. Online 12 step on zoom can be a blessing to people with limited ability to attend face to face. But there is still something very powerful about recovering from addiction in community with other people in the same room. It really does work better. Same with political organizing it appears.
Out in Pittsburgh, the local DSA and Planned Parenthood both sponsor the wild and inclusive indie promotion Enjoy Wrestling!
https://youtu.be/5b5GPuNk_ko?si=_yDmsCgrh8eWD47G&t=4062
Thanks for this. Yes, working people have largely forgotten how to organize. The farmer movements are better at remembering to be social and people-focused, but we tend to forget that solidarity flourishes in social contexts, and we fail to keep Union dance halls and such going as lively social spaces.
Have you heard of the idea of "infrastructures of resistance" aka "infrastructures of dissent"?
I haven't!
are we talking about the same left? the left i know is a bunch of downwardly mobile labor aristoceats who think a stitch and bitch community quilting session is radical resistance, amd who think joy will overthrow the government
Lord. You really have gone full bore liberal supporter of the bloody Democrat Party from once claiming to be a “Marxist.”
Next stop…?