Could democratic socialism become the brand of a new generation of political actors — not just on the fringe, not just in New York City, but across the country?
Which of our existing processes do you think will produce the result you want?
I started by the need to acknowledge centuries-old constitutions are outdated. That is the first step. Get citizens being a push for change. No “existing process”, that is the main point.
So in my opinion, we need to have favorable majorities in our representation before we can have a favorable outcome with amending the Constitution. Do you have a different approach in mind?
As stated, the first step is really to push the idea of rewriting a constitution.
If you don’t have the people pushing, you are never getting a new document or a positive vote for such a document. And you won’t even start to have a favorable majority for something that is not claimed.
Then people in power (elected or through a crisis caused by an uprising) can push a new constitution, with no care for the old document. This is how European countries have mostly done it.
Plus US is not facing a simple constitutional crisis, it is a religion-like crisis seeing how the document has been sanctified for so long. So no amending. Rewriting. And won’t happen without a huge push for trashing the old one.
the first step is really to push the idea of rewriting a constitution.
I’m asking what does that look like to you? Voting? Protesting in the streets and/or at the capitol buildings? Armed revolution?
My own belief is that it comes down to voting. We do not currently have a legal means for the people to directly initiate a Constitutional Convention. So we need state legislators who say they will vote to call for one, and federal legislators who say they will vote for Constitutional Amendments. But I don’t want the current majorities to be in charge of that. We would just end up with a fully Christo-fascist Constitution given the makeup of the delegations. Most states don’t have any means to recall legislators or for voters to directly initiate ballot initiatives to write new legislation. So we need to put better representatives in office first. My belief, as stated in other comment in this thread, is that we have to have 3rd party and independent candidates run in the major-party primaries, and we have to vote in those primaries for those candidates. We’re seeing it work more and more for DSA-aligned candidates, so hopefully we can keep building on that momentum and finally get some real change.
I’m asking what does that look like to you? Voting? Protesting in the streets and/or at the capitol buildings? Armed revolution?
First step is “propaganda” (I don’t like the word but can’t offer another one).
Then protests and voting. (None will be available solutions if citizens are not concerned first).
But I don’t want the current majorities to be in charge of that. We would just end up with a fully Christo-fascist Constitution given the makeup of the delegations.
A new constitution in the current case needs a referendum to minimize risks. I totally agree with the christo-fascist risk if lead by the current gvt.
My belief, as stated in other comment in this thread, is that we have to have 3rd party and independent candidates run in the major-party primaries
I think this is a short term way out (a good one) but won’t solve the systemic issue caused by the constitution.
We’re seeing it work more and more for DSA-aligned candidates, so hopefully we can keep building on that momentum and finally get some real change.
I started by the need to acknowledge centuries-old constitutions are outdated. That is the first step. Get citizens being a push for change. No “existing process”, that is the main point.
As stated, the first step is really to push the idea of rewriting a constitution.
If you don’t have the people pushing, you are never getting a new document or a positive vote for such a document. And you won’t even start to have a favorable majority for something that is not claimed.
Then people in power (elected or through a crisis caused by an uprising) can push a new constitution, with no care for the old document. This is how European countries have mostly done it.
Plus US is not facing a simple constitutional crisis, it is a religion-like crisis seeing how the document has been sanctified for so long. So no amending. Rewriting. And won’t happen without a huge push for trashing the old one.
I’m asking what does that look like to you? Voting? Protesting in the streets and/or at the capitol buildings? Armed revolution?
My own belief is that it comes down to voting. We do not currently have a legal means for the people to directly initiate a Constitutional Convention. So we need state legislators who say they will vote to call for one, and federal legislators who say they will vote for Constitutional Amendments. But I don’t want the current majorities to be in charge of that. We would just end up with a fully Christo-fascist Constitution given the makeup of the delegations. Most states don’t have any means to recall legislators or for voters to directly initiate ballot initiatives to write new legislation. So we need to put better representatives in office first. My belief, as stated in other comment in this thread, is that we have to have 3rd party and independent candidates run in the major-party primaries, and we have to vote in those primaries for those candidates. We’re seeing it work more and more for DSA-aligned candidates, so hopefully we can keep building on that momentum and finally get some real change.
First step is “propaganda” (I don’t like the word but can’t offer another one).
Then protests and voting. (None will be available solutions if citizens are not concerned first).
A new constitution in the current case needs a referendum to minimize risks. I totally agree with the christo-fascist risk if lead by the current gvt.
I think this is a short term way out (a good one) but won’t solve the systemic issue caused by the constitution.
Totally agree with that.
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