Be concrete on concrete

The fourth plenary session of the Young Democratic Socialists of America 2010 conference, entitled “Progressive Responses to the Global Economic Crisis,” progressed from history to reality. Joe Schwartz, professor and author of the new book The Future of Democratic Equality started it off and did so affirming ‘at least we can’t privatize knowledge.’ According to Schwartz, the economic crisis started via a thirty year project of global neoliberal (under) development; particularly, in the 1970s, when democracy from below was seen as a threat to stable development.

Consequently, now we have not just poor people losing homes and unemployment benefits, but the middle class as well. While, Schwartz talked about today’s ‘tremendous resistance to foreclosures’ being reminiscent of the 1929-1931 organizing around foreclosures, he was quick to point out that this momentum and its possibility to bring about change will diminish unless we mobilize. “People should have the right to rent homes at the market price,” he said and promoted a program similar to the Federal Home Loan Banks that were established in 1932. Schwartz highlighted its cram down mortgages (i.e. a forced easing of mortgage terms). So why haven’t we the people mobilized for efforts like this one?

Schwartz exclaimed that the “repressive nature of the state makes it harder to organize;” but moreover that ‘working people do not have a line of defense; there is no right to organize in the U.S., and there is a war on trade union rights across the globe.’ But this does not stop Schwartz from believing in a “global working class.” Yet, Schwartz made it clear that there needs to be a fundamental decommodifcation of basic human needs and a progressive tax to redistribute income. Without which both class and racial inequalities will worsen.

And so, one day, we will all come to realize as many told us throughout the conference, human life moves fast, even though we were also told it is a marathon not a sprint. Meanwhile, today, ordinary people cannot save enough. But we, in agreement with Schwartz, will not be able to defeat the forces against ordinary people with frequent or infrequent email petitions and check writing. Life moves to fast for this. For life, as Schwartz said, “should not be a rat race;” and we should be able to get our basic human needs, which should be based on human rights, from society. And that ALL workers in a society, proclaimed Schwartz, should have rights of citizenship immediately. So what do we do?

Now, more than ever, it is time to [continue to] organize around real peoples needs. Fight foreclosures, fight to eliminate private healthcare insurance. But do it on the streets. Fight for concrete [housing needs] on the concrete! And stop feeling guilty (if you do), says Schwartz.