THE LAST time that crowds of people descended on Washington, D.C., for a rally, it was mainly Tea Party supporters coming to see their hero Glenn Beck...But next month will bring an opportunity to send a different message--and give voice to the real concerns of U.S. workers. More than 150 labor unions, civil rights groups and community organizations have joined the call for a "One Nation" march on October 2 to demand good jobs, equal justice and quality public education for all.
Even though the event is obviously timed for unions and liberal organizations to get out the vote for Democrats in the November elections, this rally has the potential to be a place where workers come together to challenge the lies and scapegoating of the right--and draw attention to their demands.
With the slogan "winning the change we voted for," organizers hope to reignite some of the enthusiasm and hope that existed among millions of people during Obama's presidential campaign in 2008. But for the most part, fear of what the Republicans will do if they make big gains in Congress--which is the likely outcome--is the only reason Democrats can offer for why anyone should vote for them.
But taking aim at the Republicans only explains part of the problem facing workers. When the Democrats lose in November, they will have only themselves to blame. Even with the biggest majority in Congress in a generation and control of the White House, the Democrats have refused to fight on any number of fronts where they could have proposed policies that would have improved the lives of working people.
HISTORY TEACHES us that the biggest changes in society came about not because the right politicians got elected into office in Washington, but because people organized to fight for them...
http://socialistworker.org/2010/09/15/building-the-fight-we-need
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