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**
THE
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twin cities
democratic socialists
of america


** Little Red Letter No. 65
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Calls to Action / Events
*IMPORTANT* Chapter Votes!
Voting for a bylaws amendment will be open from December 6th to December 12th. Voting for new steering committee members ([link removed]) will be open from December 12th to December 19th. Members in good standing will receive an OpaVote ballot via email.

Please email Operations if you didn't receive a ballot and think you should have: [email protected]
Socialism 101
Interested in learning what the DSA is all about? Curious about Socialism? Wondering why the same old ideas aren't working in this moment of crisis? Come to socialism 101! This online meeting is going to discuss the basics of socialism and how it can help both you and everyone else!

Register Here ([link removed])
The Socialist Reading Group will be discussing Ellen Meiskins Wood's The Origin of Capitalism on Sunday December 20th at 3:00pm. Register on Zoom ([link removed]) or contact Kim Jones (mailto:[email protected]) if you are interested in attending!
TCDSA Health Justice General Meeting

The Health Justice Working Group is beginning regular monthly meetings! We will alternate each month between Sunday mornings and Tuesday evenings. All are welcome, members, non-members, and new folks included.

Register Here ([link removed]) .
Upcoming Events

NOTE: All events are on Zoom unless location is given. Zoom links are found on the calendar near the date of the event if public,
otherwise in Slack.
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Operations / Tech Committee Meeting
Mon, December 7, 7pm – 9pm
Register Here (Zoom) ([link removed])

Steering Committee
Wed, December 9, 6:30pm – 8:00pm

Branch Leadership / Steering Committee Coordination
Mon, December 14, 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Socialist Feminism Reading Group
Tue, December 15, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Register Here (Zoom) ([link removed])

Socialism 101
Thu, December 17, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Register Here (Zoom) ([link removed])

Socialist Reading Group
Sun, December 20, 3:00pm - 4:30pm
Register Here (Zoom) ([link removed])

Operations / Tech Committee Meeting
Mon, December 21, 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Register Here (Zoom) ([link removed])

Steering Committee
Wed, December 23, 6:30pm - 8:00pm

Mental Health Working Group
Sat, December 26, 2:00pm - 4:00pm

TCDSA Health Justice General Meeting
Sun, December 27, 11:00am - 12:30pm
Register Here (Zoom) ([link removed])

Socialist Feminist Branch Meeting
Tue, December 29, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Register Here (Zoom) ([link removed] )

Check our calendar ([link removed]) for more events as they're scheduled or changed!
The Socialist Feminism Reading Group will be discussing Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler on Tuesday, December 15th at 6:00pm. All are welcome! Register here ([link removed]) .
Not gonna lie. We are a lot more excited about this than we are
about the White House.
Chapter News / Views of News
(Authors' opinions may not reflect those of the TCDSA)


** The Squad is Bigger than Before: Electoral Gains on the Left ([link removed])
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Many of us on the Left have mixed feelings about November's election
results. We dumped Trump (or at least he will be out of office, and we hope
soon under indictment, come 12:01 pm on January 20). But not only is his
base still a prominent feature of the American political landscape, but we
are also left with a very neoliberal Biden Administration. As expected, the
appointments to his administration so far have not been that promising for
the Left, with the same old Biden buddies, DC insiders, and strong
corporate influence that for far too long has characterized the Democratic
Party.

But, we can take heart from the wins made by DSA and DSA-endorsed
candidates on November 3. In short, it was a good night for the Left.


** Boring Means Success: Poll Defense on Election Day ([link removed])
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November 3^rd, 2020. Election Day. You could not ask for a better day to take part in election defense. It started out chilly, but swiftly warmed to an unseasonably warm 75°. We were some of 150 people recruited by DSA to protect vulnerable voting locations, in anticipation of voter intimidation and disruption at the polls. Members of our team arrived at precinct 6-2, Matthews Park, the heart of Seward, just before 8 am. We were met, rather quickly in our estimation, by our first DOJ official. The official stated they lived in the neighborhood, were going to various precincts throughout the day, and were stopping by to see who we were representing. It seemed rather innocuous but was an omen for how seriously the Barr DOJ was taking “election fraud” in Minneapolis. More defenders appeared throughout the morning, with a table, food, and supplies – provided by Non-Violent Peace Force – arriving shortly after we connected with a member from Common Cause.
Do you have opinions? Hot takes? Cool things you've been doing with DSA? Or do you enjoy writing, editing, or creating? To get involved, pitch something here ([link removed]) , join the #newsletter channel on Slack or come to a Comms Committee meeting.
In Case You Missed It

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With so many great podcasts, articles, books and videos coming out, it's easy to miss something. Here are a few things members have found and loved recently.
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Ten Things Biden's NLRB Can Do to Jumpstart Industrial Democracy ([link removed])
Donald Trump's National Labor Relations Board has been a disaster for workers trying to organize. What could a Biden board do? -NR

Will Minneapolis's Upper Harbor Terminal Project Be Good for Its Neighbors? ([link removed])
The city wants to develop public land in a majority-Black neighborhood. What would equitable development look like? -RT

We Keep Each Other Safe: Mutual Aid for Survival and Solidarity ([link removed])
A recording of a talk between the revolutionary thinkers Dean Spade, Mariame Kaba, and Ejeris Dixon about the connections between mutual aid and transformative justice. -JT

Military Occupation Comes to South Minneapolis ([link removed])
A summary of events that transpired on November 4 following the demonstration from the Justice 4 Jamar and other local peace and justice organizations. -DR

The New US: While Calling Out Trump White Women ([link removed])
No more denying. No more excuses. A majority of white men and women voted for Trump. Three out of five white voters are Trump voters. They voted for him in greater numbers than in 2016. These white people, especially white women, have ignored every indecency Trump has done, in order to protect what they want for themselves. -DR

Andreas Malms Corona, Climate, Chronic Emergency ([link removed])
A call for an ecological politics based on "the desperate, beleaguered, proud, creative, and beguiling struggles" of the third World. -PKD

The Fine Print of "Representation Matters" ([link removed])
We tend to celebrate diversity and representation in a racist-capitalist system as a sign of progress. We often fail, however, to examine how it is frequently weaponized to maintain the status-quo and oppress the very people it is supposed to uplift (written by our own Adnan Ahmed!). -MK

Yanis Varoufakis: "We Live Under Something Far Worse Than Capitalism" ([link removed])
Brilliant interview between Owen Jones and Yanis Varoufakis. He explains the past 12 years - Syriza, Podemos, Corbyn, Sanders, and a definite gleam of hope. -DR

Being-in-the-Room Privilege: Elite Capture and Epistemic Deference ([link removed])
In this essay, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò names a phenomenon he calls deference epistemology. It’s a distortion of standpoint epistemology: the idea that who you are affects what you know. He argues that deference epistemology can get in the way of changing our material conditions, while standpoint epistemology can be a foundation for solidarity. I think this pairs especially well with Adnan’s Left Voice piece. -TW

Identity, Power and Speech with Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò ([link removed])
“Sure, diversify the syllabi. Sure, diversify the podcast hosts! But don’t confuse that project with the project of racial justice, with the project of anticapitalism.... Because there’s no guaranteed relationship, perhaps no relationship at all, between those two goals.” This interview is a great deep dive into the idea of deference epistemology. Like the essay, it’s generous, rigorous, and full of valuable insights about how we talk and think about identity on the left. An all-time, must-listen banger. -TW

How a communist physics teacher flattened the COVID-19 curve in southern India ([link removed])
In case you missed it at the chapter meeting, here’s that article on K.K. Shailaja, health minister of Kerala in southern India, and her work on COVID. If you missed the meeting or want to revisit it, this link ([link removed]) jumps right to the part of the pol ed presentation where Nazir talks about Kerala and geographic organizing. -TW

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If you find something that should be shared, you can post it to the #linkroundup channel on Slack, or just reply to this email.
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As always, socialism can't be solitary: what do you think about the newsletter? Do you want to help? Want to create or suggest some #content for next time? Please do ([link removed]) !
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