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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rejoins DSA after membership lapse of seven years
(www.theguardian.com)
this post was submitted on 27 Aug 2026
253 points (98.1% liked)
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I support AOC specifically and the DSA in a broad sense - but what made me cancel my membership is the DSA’s pants-on-head stupid and geopolitically naïve stance on the Ukraine war. The DSA leadership appears to not be capable of understanding that it was an expansionist war of conquest started and maintained by the Russian Federation, opposes US + other international military aid to Ukraine, opposes sanctions on the Russian federation in response to their grey-zone tactics and unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine, decries “NATO expansionism” (ignoring the fact that “NATO expansionism” is not only a very direct quote from the Kremlin, but also that the nations in question joined - and continue to join - as a direct and pointed response to Russian expansionism), and seems to think the problem can be solved by gathering around a campfire and singing kumbaya.
I hope that we eventually actually live in a consensus-oriented world where grievances are solved exclusively through diplomatic means… but that’s not today’s world. To pretend that it is is not only geopolitically naive to the point of self delusion, but strategically dangerous as well.
I've seen members of the DSA speak against Russia's invasion, so this is hardly a universal thing. There's never going to be a party that does everything exactly as you want, so you just have to accept the next best option. The DSA has done a fairly good job aligning with my values. Obviously I disagree with this totally, and many other things, but they're doing a lot of good things too, and significantly more compared to the DNC.
Their pamphlet calls for “the withdrawal of Russian troops through a settled ceasefire agreement” — a negotiated peace, basically. The (geopolitically not-naïve?) alternative is what exactly?
They’ve been saying that since pretty much immediately after Russia invaded, and haven’t changed it. Not an exhortation to respect the territorial boundaries of sovereign nations. Not supporting sanctions against the attacking country (Russia). No mention whatsoever of the grey-zone and subterfuge and repeated, systematic, brutal expansionism that Russia has engaged in since pretty much immediately after the Soviet Union fell. Just a “negotiated settlement”.
What even is an equitable negotiated settlement would be with a country that launched an unprovoked invasion under cover of subterfuge that violates the Geneva Convention?
A couple thing:
There was a potential peace deal in April 2022, just after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February. At that time, Ukraine and Russia appeared close to agreeing on a 10-point peace plan during talks in Istanbul, Turkey. Boris Johnson persuaded Zelenskyy to abandon the talks. It’s all documented. Johnson has a lot to answer for.
It’s quite right that most of the DSA’s focus is on the impact of America’s actions in the world, not Russia’s.
Unilateral US sanctions can cause some inconvenience to wealthy, powerful targets, but above all, they have been proven to cause widespread and often deadly harm to people who certainly don’t deserve it. See https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(25)00189-5/fulltext
The idea of an American political party demanding sanctions against countries that infringe the territorial boundaries of sovereign nations and engaging in unprovoked invasions is so ridiculously hypocritical that it's hard to believe people actually support it.
This is why I've remained an unaffiliated independent since first registering to vote in 1977. Plenty of alternatives have come along, but they have all had problems that I felt were insurmountable, so I've never joined any of them. Even when Republicans went full MAGA, ensuring that I will never vote for a right-leaning candidate ever again, I still didn't joint he Dems, because I have lots of problems with them, too. And I have problems with the DSA, too.
I vote based on ISSUES, not parties. I am actually right on some issues, left on some, and I have a nuanced take on many more that aren't right, left, or middle.
No party is EVER going to be able to count on my vote. They have to EARN it every time.
I hope to god that you have always lived in a state with an open primary then. If not, then that's a idiotic take overall.
If you don't vote in the primaries you're ensuring that no party will ever earn your vote because you're not helping select a good candidate and you're just pissing in the wind and then complaining that you're wet.
I don't like Democrats either but I vote in the primaries to make sure that progressives at least have a chance of getting in.
ETA: A reminder that simply registering for a party will get you some annoying texts, well at least if you're in sign up for the Democratic party because they really suck at outreach, Republicans will flood the ever loving shit out of you, but registering doesn't mean you have signed some kind of blood pact to vote for them in the general every time. Fucking vote in the primaries you animals!
You were willing to vote Republican pre-MAGA? Back when they were only Christian dominionist war criminals?
So the DSA is tankie?
No, it’s not.
I feel like you’re just trying to get a reaction by saying that.
Given that, in practice, "tankie" just means "anyone to the left of the western Overton window", yes they are tankie
If they're against Nato, recycle Kremlin talking points, and are against giving aid to Ukraine, then yes, they are tankie. Why wouldn't they be?
Tankie continuing to just mean "anyone to the left of Joe Biden"
Communists tend to be very critical of the DSA for its reformist approach, but the DSA line on NATO expansion and imperialism is closer to what communists believe.
Pro-authoritarian does not equal Communist. The goal of a Communist government would be to remove those in charge. Russia (and China) are not Communist, because they aren't attempting to remove their own power structure and give it to the people.
The term "authoritarian" is meaningless in a communist frame work; it is strictly a liberal concept
Lol.