Dem Socialist Pamphlet: Move Teacher Unions to 'More Militant' Direction
Whom would you trust your children to when they go to school?
A teacher who’s kind? Tough? Fair? Inspiring? Willing to do whatever it takes to bring about the glorious democratic socialist future we’ve all been promised by geopolitics expert Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez?
I don’t know if that’s the exact message being pushed by the Democratic Socialist Labor Commission and the Young Democratic Socialists of America in a pamphlet called “Why Socialists Should Become Teachers.”
I find it funny that this pamphlet was partially unearthed by The Daily Wire’s Michael Knowles, who wrote a book called “Reasons to Vote for Democrats: A Comprehensive Guide” and left every page blank. I was hoping this was the same kind of setup. Unfortunately, there’s actually writing in there this socialist pamphlet. Well, okay — there’s typing in there.
The forward describes how the Democratic Socialists helped stop “austerity measures” for public schools in West Virginia — “austerity measures” is the new agitprop terminology that gets trotted out every time teachers’ unions don’t get their way — by, among other actions, a strike.
“The strike has renewed interest in our state’s rich, militant labor history and has reinvigorated local DSA chapters,” the pamphlet reads.
“Many teachers and service personnel have begun to view politics through the lens of class consciousness. With socialists active in our organizing, we’ll be in a strategic position to make bold, visionary demands to take on the capitalist class.”
Just what we need. See, public sector unions have long been the bane of taxpayers. Instead of normal collective bargaining agreements — where management wants to save their money and labor wants to get it as remuneration — management is state government and can just rely on a third party, the taxpayer, to pick up the bill. The government is ostensibly negotiating with itself.
When the government officials run out of people’s money, suddenly they have to start negotiating like an actual union adversary — which qualifies — to the union — as austerity.
So for teachers unions and the Democratic Socialists of America, it’s time to “take on the capitalist class.” And I’m sure none of this would be happening in class, right? Oh, wrong.
“Teaching is also strategic in that education is a necessary good for the development of the workforce. In order to have a reliable workforce, society needs a population with technical and social skills. Historically, it was most efficient to coordinate the provision of education through a state-run public school system. While there are constant struggles over public education, including its semi-privatization through charter schools, its role in the development and socialization of youth seems here to stay.”
And that makes it a target rich environment for indoctrination.
The pamphlet implicitly acknowledges that teachers unions are already ultra-liberal, but notes that makes them even more attractive for organizing, rather than less.
“While it might seem counterintuitive to strengthen unions that already have high density, big upsurges in unionization have often occurred because organized workers pushed their unions towards a more militant approach, which forced the unions to commit substantial resources to new organizing,” the pamphlet states.
Now, it’s worth pointing out that most of this lugubrious tract has to deal with “shop floor conditions” and getting what’s coming to teachers, but the subtext is there when they’re talking about how “society needs a population with technical and social skills.”
One part, however, deals directly with indoctrination: “If socialists and other activists are not firmly rooted in a workplace or community, they can be perceived as outsiders by the people they aim to organize. But socialists who teach in working class communities have found a direct stake in the struggles of that community, outside of the traditional union context. These can include campaigns around police brutality, immigrant rights, and environmental justice. Educators can organize with the community rather than having to attempt solidarity from afar.”
In an appearance on “Fox & Friends” Saturday, Knowles said he thinks part of the reason the socialists want to do this is that they know they can’t beat adults at debate so they have to go with kids. It’s like the dodgeball scene in “Billy Madison,” basically.
“They can’t win in the battle of ideas,” Knowles said. “They’ve got to indoctrinate an ideology rather than educate in history because if they teach history, they’re going to lose.”
Now, personally, I still think they’re going to lose. I’ve been to liberal arts school and I’ve met plenty of self-described socialist writers. If this pamphlet the best they can do, they’re either not very good writers (which is why they’re perfervid redistributionists) or there’s some sort of central planning committee that makes them write in this stilted, mirthless style.
Good luck with that organizing now that the secret’s out, guys. I’m sure the PTA is going to love all of this organizing. And just wait until James O’Keefe rolls into town…
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