7. New movements of resistance, USA - Michael Marchmann

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1. The American People are Angry (US Senator Bernie Sanders, Socialist from Vermont)

This is a statement given by US Senator Bernie Sanders (from Vermont) in late June. Sanders is the only US congress person who openly identifies himself as a socialist. He is, essentially, a social democrat and not an anti-capitalist. Nonetheless, I selected this speech/statement as a reading because it articulates a wide range of problems and crises affecting the US - from the economic crisis to the ecological crisis to the devolution of democracy and the growth of oligarchy in the US. So, it provides a pretty good overview of the state of things in the US.

2. The (Im)Balance of Forces in American Society Today (La Botz)

I chose this article because it gives a pretty good overview of the both the economic and political crisis in the US from a 4th International perspective and is quite recent. As part of the analysis, La Botz discusses the state of organized labor and the relationship between the radical left, labor and OWS. So, I think it ties the three aspects of my lecture(s) together well.

3. The Significance of Occupy (La Botz, Brenner and Jordan)

I selected this article because it not only considers the value and successes of the Occupy movement in the US, but also offers a socialist critique of OWS (although I wish this section was stronger). It also discuss the actual (and potential) relationship between unions and the Occupy movement in the US, looking at the strong relationship that was forged between OWS and the Longshoremen in Oakland, which led to the successful port shutdown, but then cooled down as the union leadership sought to distance itself from some of the more militant aspects of OWS.