by Jean allen

This speech is something i have had swirling in my head for months, as I wrote Unite The Class and then as I worked on the program process. The Fighting Socialist program ended up not passing by 45-55, and it had its flaws, but it seems that this speech legitimized it to the body. As motivations and deliberation occurred, Communist Caucus voted to change its recommendation from a No to Neutral. I hope that this forwarded the ideas present in the Fighting Socialist Program—that the path forward is to connect with all the segments of the working class who understand our struggles are connected—and that this is the start of an organization wide discussion of program.

Hello comrades, Jean Allen Rochester NY they/them.

This proposed program is trying to answer a simple question: how can the working class, as a class, rule society?

Our settler colonial history has been one of a working class divided against itself, allowing a small minority of capitalists to rule the rest of us towards their interests.

This division continues to this day. This year there was a graduate workers strike in my home at the University of Rochester. During that strike, twelve student organizers were deported for showing solidarity with the Palestinian movement. Two months later, president Trump began threatening to deport our dear comrade Zohran Mamdani for winning his election as a Muslim Socialist. That shows us—if we allow division anywhere, we are affected by it everywhere. If the state can deport organizers, they can deport our electeds. If our trans siblings are disallowed from participating from society we are all affected by their absence. And if the prison system continues as a way to disempower and enslave poor workers, it will continue the color lines within our movement.

This program is aimed at uniting the WHOLE of the US working class towards immediate demands, and the greater transformation of society. It has both short term demands every chapter can take up, but it also builds on the value of the workers deserve more program by giving it a long term horizon for socialist victory, not present in either the main motion or in our comrades’ carnation program. It also uniquely speaks to the need of DSA to unite with and support our trans and migrant comrades.

It calls for the democratization and socialization of our economy, the end of US empire, and a new, democratic socialist, republic. If passed, we can use this to organize in every field and every community, saying that your struggles are workers struggles, that every fight for democracy, every cry of the oppressed, can find its voice the struggle for socialism. Thank you, vote yes on the Fighting Socialist Program