Student Socialist Union

[Comrade Baugher]

I'm building a student Socialist Union in an area that's 98 percent white and mainly Republican and Christian. How should I recruit members? What should my organization do on campus?

[(A)]

That's great!

Present the information clearly on why you are forming the union and the goals of your organization as well as how it will be managed.

https://www.canva.com/ can make some simple free flyers if you dont have better means to.
I suggest finding a locally run print shop to make copy's over something like staples because they can do a better job for less if you dont have the means to print them yourself.
Come to think of it you are in school so you can probably make cheap copy's there...

As for what a Student union should do. If there are any problems or injustices against the students that can be fought against. Trans-students rights to use the restrooms they choose, rules that put youth at risk like rules against drinking that can help protect rapists, Dress codes, whatever you and your comrades find that is unjust. Also it would be good to stand in Solidarity with other local unions like the schools teachers union or any movement that you and your comrades support like BDS or the ongoing prison protests nation wide in america. Solidarity is the key to success.

19513

OH I forgot to mention Anti-Fascist Action as well. Fascist organizations frequently recruit in schools and working together to combat that is a great cause.

[Danse Macabre]

Socialism extends far beyond dress codes and bathroom-rights for trans-students. It's noble to fight for safety and equality in the current situation, but as long as we live in capitalism none of us will be safe or equal. So the main focus should always be overthrowing capitalism. Make flyers about exploitation of students and how the debt-industry functions, talk about the exploitation inherent to the wageslavery that follows university, interact with workers and support local strikes, create a website/blog etc. etc. etc. Focus on the socio-economical conditions you live in, and in the meantime do what you can to "patch up" the capitalist system wherever it lets rapists and other scum run free. Anti-fascism is good but as long as capitalists, be they liberals or conservatives, far outnumber the fascists, anti-capitalism should be the primary focus.

[(A)]

Action speaks louder then words and the propaganda of deed carry's more weight.

If we are going to discuss how best to use a unions energy I would say Direct action towards your goals is a better way of bringing others to your side then Talk and and online presence.
Unless you are going to take up arms against the capitalist class this means building a community that can function without capitalism or the government and to show others the solidarity of the working class.

If you want to take anti-Capitalist action then you can set up systems to help struggling people; Teach classes in lock picking and Shoplifting. Set up free stores or community farms.
Or do what these students did.


https://www.facebook.com/NowThisNews/videos/1070382923051831/?hc_ref=SEARCH


(https://www.facebook.com/NowThisNews/videos/1070382923051831/?hc_ref=SEARCH)Tho I think Positive action is a stronger place for a new Union to start then Raiding your governors house or arguing with a bunch of Conservatives about how bad capitalism is.

[Danse Macabre]

Propaganda of the deed is an old and tested tactic that has never managed to reap more than increased state repression. Capitalism won't be challenged by shoplifting, picking locks and storming houses of local politicians, unless you have the support of the working class to back you up in all of that. The first step of anybody on the left should be to engage with workers, not just through talks and online presence, but by action, aid them in their strikes and demonstrations and unions where you can and convince them that socialism is the fight for their interests. Win back the working class for the socialist movement.

Teaching people how to shoplift and pick locks will only result in even more people getting locked up in jail, thus weakening the worker's movement. It will also attract police attention, endangering yourselves and thereby weakening the socialist movement. I'm not saying you should stick to the law at all times, socialist revolution is not "legal" after all, but don't get locked up for dumb shit like this. Instead, commit yourselves to support, and eventually lead the workers where they are organised, and to organise them where they are not. Spread class consciousness and knowledge about socialism amongst your co-students.

[(A)]

Survival is not dumb shit. Some people are not privileged enough to buy food and clothing or pay for rent.

[Danse Macabre]

I'm not saying that people who cannot afford to buy food and resort to shoplifting engage in "dumb shit", I say that shoplifting is a stupid tactic to adopt as a socialist strategy. It doesn't lead anywhere, it's not viable, it has no future bar a future of further pauperisation and jailtime.

[(A)]

It does not have to directly lead to revolution to have value. Actually fighting the system and building a anti-capitalist infrastructure will do far more for building a revolution then any amount of debate and shouting.

Helping the poor get on their feet by squatting and theft is a far better way to bolster ones ranks then standing around shouting slogans at a bunch of Republicans and Christians.

Revolution begins with community strength and solidarity. A strong union means an effective strike. The point of this is to build a strong Union.

Also the Propaganda of deed does not just relate to violent action. It literally means the Propaganda created threw action. As in a strike, A protest, a Riot, A kind act...