Monthly Round-Up – October 2025

By a Comrade This article is written by a DSA member and does not formally represent the views of MADSA as a whole or its subgroups.  Welcome to Vol. 3 of the monthly round-up! The content in this publication overlaps significantly with our DSA newsletter and monthly General Membership Meetings. To sign up for the newsletter or check out an upcoming General Membership Meeting, visit: https://madison-dsa.org/events/ Union Efforts Continue in Madison In August we celebrated the successful union elections at Festival Foods, and Hilton Monona Terrace. Another union battle continues in Madison, however, led by healthcare workers at GHC, and … Continue reading Monthly Round-Up – October 2025

Cadre Development

by Blair Goodman Purpose and Use This is a training and reference guide (or maybe just a vision) for developing cadres—members who form the committed core of an organization.  It helps participants understand both the skills and the culture needed to sustain effective socialist organizing. What is a Cadre? “I liked doing it, Mac. I don’t know why. It seemed a good thing to be doing. It seemed to have meaning. Nothing I ever did before had any meaning.” — John Steinbeck, In Dubious Battle In political organizing, cadre refers to the trained, committed core of activists who form an … Continue reading Cadre Development

Reading Group Report Back: Vladimir Lenin’s Imperialism

From April 20th to May 11th, comrades in MADSA completed a reading and discussion of Vladimir Lenin’s Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism. Originally written in the first half of 1916 and published as a pamphlet in mid-1917, Lenin’s work analyzing how and why imperialism emerges under capitalism remains a vital resource in developing a stronger understanding of key Marxist concepts and analyses. For most members of the group, it was their first time ever reading any literature written by Lenin. Most members felt the language of Imperialism was easy to understand and the text was a decent length with … Continue reading Reading Group Report Back: Vladimir Lenin’s Imperialism

Reading Group Report Back: Karl Marx’s Capital

…by a reading group member From November 2024 to March 2025, Madison Area DSA embarked on an ambitious political education project. A reading group formed to tackle Paul Reitter’s 2024 translation of Capital. The challenges of this book were clear and immense from the beginning. Marx’s words measure to a total of 710 pages with over 100 more pages of introductions and endnotes. It tackles a vast array of topics starting with a theoretical analysis of value, a mathematical assessment of the working day, and a historic review of the working class’s conditions across Great Britain. To call this work … Continue reading Reading Group Report Back: Karl Marx’s Capital

From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will be Free

Collection of pieces from Palestine Can’t Breathe – Save Sheikh Jarrah Protest at the Madison Capitol building on 5/15/21 Rally Report By Scot McCullough Approximately 150 people gathered in Madison on Saturday, May 15 in solidarity with Palestinians for a … Continue reading From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will be Free

The Union Difference: How Their Power and Influence Affects Everyone’s Safety

The difference is clear: the Madison School Board has a relationship of respect with the union, Madison Teachers Inc. and those it represents. The University of Wisconsin disdains those who work at the University and disrespects their organizations. The anti-union bias of the University places all of us in jeopardy. Continue reading The Union Difference: How Their Power and Influence Affects Everyone’s Safety