https://act.dsausa.org/signup/QA_about_DSA_11_19/

    • BillyMays [he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Yeah, they were good. They have to answer a lot of beginner questions which makes sense. I’m excited for the PSL people to do their q and a here so I can compare.

      • mrbigcheese [he/him]
        hexagon
        ·
        edit-2
        4 years ago

        I think what differentiates DSA from PSL is that the barrier for entry isn't as high. I've managed to get dozens of people to join who were involved with the Bernie campaign but didnt really do anything afterwards. If you've been a socialist and have a good ideological and political knowledge and have been involved online in socialist circles its easy to join PSL but I think it can be harder for people to join and get involved with them since it requires a bigger commitment. I think its important to grow this movement quickly right now and DSA has managed it well over the past 4 years where we've gotten something like 75,000 new members.

        • gammison [none/use name]
          ·
          edit-2
          4 years ago

          Yep we hit 85k today, and it's a lot easier to bring a non active but dues paying DSA member into a working group than with a group like PSL where it's hard to get someone in the first place. I mean, I'm also not an ML though, and DSA will of course get non ML socialists much easier than PSL. And the national impact DSA can have is partly precisely because it does not organize like PSL.

            • mrbigcheese [he/him]
              hexagon
              ·
              4 years ago

              DSA u just sign up and ur in. PSL u gotta get interviewed and go through an education course for a few weeks i believe? Though PSL is a political party while DSA is an org, so its a bit different.

        • BillyMays [he/him]
          ·
          edit-2
          4 years ago

          What’s the bigger commitment with PSL? Financially?

          • mrbigcheese [he/him]
            hexagon
            ·
            edit-2
            4 years ago

            PSL espouses a sort of "professional revolutionary" idea about its members. You're supposed to treat it as sort of a part time job and organize with them professionally. At least thats what they stressed during the interview. I dont really have the time and mental space to do that, but i get it, and i mean in DSA thats basically what most people who run the chapters or organize the working groups and caucuses do too.

            • BillyMays [he/him]
              ·
              4 years ago

              Ooooh I like that. I can see the appeal of both, but I think having a strong commitment with other who I know are committed would help me a lot. Thank you.

              • mrbigcheese [he/him]
                hexagon
                ·
                edit-2
                4 years ago

                Its not that people in DSA arent committed, all the chapter are run entirely by volunteers, and there is an enormous amount of work and organizing that goes on. Its just that people can easily join en masse and start getting engaged and educated and trained, which is what you need to build a mass socialist movement. Theres certainly difference between dsa and psl, tho ive been happy to meet and organize with comrades in the local marxist caucus in dsa. For me the interest is with DSA's influence though, as it can make a large impact nationwide, but we gotta also make sure the org is orienting itself the right way too.