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The exciting Occupy Wall Street movement has spread like wildfire across the U.S., tapping into deep-seated anger at Wall Street, corporate politicians and the richest 1%. After years of ongoing economic crisis with no solution or even any genuine debate in the mainstream, it seemed as if the only visible expression of the anger was coming from the twisted right-wing ideas of the Tea Party.
But the battle in Wisconsin and, now, this tremendous occupation movement demonstrate clearly that the rest of us are just as angry and fed up, but we’re looking for a real left-wing alternative. Though the size of the occupations themselves is relatively small, the widespread support for this struggle shows the enormous potential to rebuild mass social movements in the U.S. The youth are playing a vital role opening up the door for wider struggle.
From Wisconsin to the occupations across the U.S. Socialist Alternative has actively participated in these struggles. In Wisconsin, we argued for a one-day general strike of public employees to stop the Tea Party Governors anti-union bill, and we received a tremendous echo. Unfortunately, that movement was derailed by the top union leadership and the Democratic Party.
There are dangers that the occupation movement faces as well. That’s why we are highlighting what we see as the most effective way forward for the struggle. Socialist Alternative is arguing that we need to link the actions to the working class, raising clear demands and calls to action to draw the widest layers of working people into the struggle. We need your help building these protests in cities across the country.
We are also spearheading a coordinated Jobs Not Cuts National Week of Action in November 14-23 (http://jobsnotcutsprotest.org) against the Congressional Super Committee’s pending proposal for devastating budget cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
We are organizing the largest possible protests in cities across the country against this historic attack on the social safety net. A sizable list of prominent individuals and organizations has endorsed this campaign, including Noam Chomsky and Chris Hedges, and we need your help to broaden this campaign.
We are advocating that this new protest movement challenge the two parties of Wall Street and Big Business by running independent working-class candidates in 2012. This could give a real independent voice to the occupation movement and workers struggles while serving as a stepping stone toward building a new party for workers, youth, and all oppressed people in society.
For all these reasons, we need your help to raise $10,000 toward these new campaigns. Please donate generously and help us build a powerful movement against Wall Street.
These steps are all part of a process that we see as a way to help build the movement for democratic socialism, which can fundamentally challenge corporate domination over our lives. Capitalism will always put profits before human need. There is no end to the dictatorship of Wall Street without ending the whole rotten system of capitalism.
Help us build the socialist movement by joining our organization today. You can also help by giving a donation. Now is the time to get active, get involved and fight for a real alternative.
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