Organizing in Depressed Areas

[Comrade Rage]

I just wanted to throw this question out there for people to answer, as I think it's one of the foremost issues concerning the revolutionary left in America.

What tactics should we use to organize and build class-consciousness in severely economically depressed areas?

(i.e. the inner-cities, 'dead' or 'dying' cities and towns, etc)

[Forward Union]

Originally posted by COMRADE [email protected] 23, 2007 02:03 am
I just wanted to throw this question out there for people to answer, as I think it's one of the foremost issues concerning the revolutionary left in America.

What tactics should we use to organize and build class-consciousness in severely economically depressed areas?

(i.e. the inner-cities, 'dead' or 'dying' cities and towns, etc)
Well. Wherever you organise, you should attempt to recognise a serious problem facing the residents (not capitalism in general but a specific manifestation of it), the cause of that specific problem, and a way of beating it to improve confidence in direct action and also to improve class conciousness.

I can't get more specific than that unless you give mroe details.

[MarxSchmarx]

William E. is right. Organizing around specific problems are a good start.

Another strategy is to find a missing service and provide it with a group of lefties. For example in some rural areas clinics (maybe a weekend clinic with an RN) are non-existent, infoshops could be a substitute for a coffeeshop/library, etc... If folks are employed there is usually one big employer in these areas, and then there is no substitute for a union, with the willingness to have the workers take over it if management decides to shut the workplace down.