A revolution needs an organization with a clear mission, a long-term strategy, short-term victories to build momentum, the ability to modify methods as conditions change, and a structure to involve members in key decision-making. And to sustain itself over time, it can’t be dependent on any one leader.
By rooting itself in small, self-governing clubs, Bernie’s revolution could enhance its effectiveness by nurturing face-to-face community. By serving local needs -- personal, social, and environmental -- it could build loyalty to the organization. By being member-run, it could enable members to “own” the organization. By authorizing members to define their own activities within the framework of the organization’s goals, it could deepen member involvement, enhance self-empowerment, and provide the opportunity for meaningful engagement. By growing supportive communities, it could aid members in helping one another become more effective.
Electing Congresspersons who support Bernie’s platform, as some former Sanders staffers are preparing to do, could be beneficial. But it is not sufficient. We also need a broad, inclusive, democratic organization with the muscle to fight for its platform, regardless of who is elected.
After the Convention, Bernie may decide to use top-down methods to continue to push his own agenda. Hopefully, he’ll take a different path, because his “single-issue” platform, with its economic focus, is limited.
When other non-economic issues are raised, Bernie quickly shifts to his “more serious” issues. In fact, however, non-economic issues are integral to the social system that we must transform.
Our primary problem is not the concentration of wealth and power. Rather, it is “the system,” which is woven into our entire society -- our institutions, our culture, and ourselves as individuals. The system leads most young people to believe they will be rich some day. The system produces a growing gap between the top 20%, for example, and everyone else (“the 1%” and “billionaire” thresholds are arbitrary). The system instills selfishness, materialism, and a widespread desire to climb the social ladder and lord it over others (who are deemed less worthy). With what we buy, what we think, and what we do, each of us reinforces that system daily.
Bernie’s approach discounts non-economic issues and pushes away people who are primarily concerned about those other issues. But countless issues are also serious. We can focus on our primary concern without discounting those who choose a different focus.
Transforming the system will require evolutionary revolution throughout society and within ourselves as individuals.
By addressing internalized oppression and affirming intersectionality, holistic politics, social transformation, spiritual politics, and spiritual activism, Bernie could avoid the legitimate criticism that he arrogantly treats non-economic issues as a distraction. And he could dampen his bombastic, self-righteous tone that alienates many people, including some who support his program.
The desire to be recognized as superior fuels the system. Transforming that system will require learning how to collaborate as equals. And it will require a new, more humble definition of leadership that involves leaders facilitating collaborative problem-solving rather than merely mobilizing people to do what the leader wants them to do.
Bernie’s “class warfare” reinforces economic determinism, selfishness, and materialism. “The 99% for the 100%,” as proposed by Van Jones, is a more effective frame.
Prospects for a never-ending revolution will be enhanced if Bernie continues to push his principles within the Democratic Party, negotiates compromises with Hillary and her supporters, wholeheartedly supports the platform that emerges, and then urges his supporters to help transform the Party into an activist organization that meets neglected needs and fights for its platform year-round.
As I have argued in "Bernie's Revolution," "Dear Bernie and Hillary: Transform the Democratic Party," "Proposed: Year-Round Precinct Organizing," and "Winning Is NOT Everything," I believe precinct-based clubs could cultivate cost-effective, person-to-person, neighbor-to-neighbor relationships that would maximize our effectiveness.
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The Democratic Party is already a broad, inclusive, democratic coalition -- probably more so than any new organization that Bernie might initiate. But the Party needs new energy, new ideas, and new leadership.
To motivate participation in an effort to rebuild the Democratic Party, rank-and-file Democrats would need to know that large numbers of other Democrats were involved in that effort. Bernie could inspire many of his supporters to make that commitment and develop that critical mass.
We could then join with Hillary’s supporters to defeat Donald Trump, who is in fact a serious threat, and eventually transform this nation into a compassionate community.
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