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Why Socialists Should be Vegan

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by Leo Neustadt Personally, I’ve been vegan for almost a decade. This is the longest I’ve ever stuck with anything in my entire life. I’ve picked up and put down so many hobbies, played around with my gender expression, and had just shy of a million jobs, but being vegan is by far the most consistent thing about me. Recently, my partner and I spent a weekend at Vegan Basecamp. A lovely couple living in Las Vegas plans a few trips a year to camp and hike in different parts of the southwest, and they pamper their guests with amazing … Continue reading Why Socialists Should be Vegan

Organizing, Racism, Socialism, Uncategorized, UnionsLeave a comment

The Peculiar and Continuing Importance of Anti-Black Racism in the U.S.

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By Blair Goodman — Political Education Working Group, Madison DSA Madison, right now Across Dane County, our campaigns against jail expansion, corporate developers, and layoffs at TruStage all run into the same brick wall: a system that divides and disciplines labor along racial lines. Anti-Black racism isn’t an add-on to class struggle—it’s a core method by which exploitation keeps reproducing itself. This piece offers a framework for connecting those dots in our local work. 1) Capitalism’s birth in racial slavery Modern capitalism was built through dispossession and enslavement—the twin thefts of land and labor. Plantations were early financial instruments linking … Continue reading The Peculiar and Continuing Importance of Anti-Black Racism in the U.S.

abolition, City Gov, Local, OrganizingLeave a comment

Jail Communications Campaign Victory

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By the Jail Communications Coalition We fought hard, we fought smart, and we won! The Abolitionist Working Group and our community coalition for free jail communications campaigned against a 3-5 year, exploitative contract between the Dane County Sheriff and Smart Communications, which the Dane County Board of Supervisors voted to reject on September 18, 2025.  The contract would have meant continued financial exploitation of jail residents and their families, keeping human connection for those awaiting trial behind a paywall and denying jail residents physical mai through the dehumanizing and inefficient practice of mail scanning. We are celebrating and learning from … Continue reading Jail Communications Campaign Victory

Education, Elections, Internationalism, LaborLeave a comment

Monthly Round-Up – October 2025

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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

Education, Organizing, SocialismLeave a comment

Cadre Development

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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

abolition, Elections, Internationalism, OrganizingLeave a comment

Monthly Round-Up – September 2025

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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. 2 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/ Socialists Run for Seats Locally and Across the Nation Socialist candidates have been making headlines across the country for offering a hopeful alternative to establishment Democrats. Exciting recent campaigns have included mayoral candidates Zohran … Continue reading Monthly Round-Up – September 2025

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­David Rovics Concert in Madison

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by Ida Bly David Rovics and Kamala Emanuel sang a concert in Madison on September 4th.They call their duo “The Ministry of Culture.” Madison DSA and WORT-FM helped sponsor this performance. This evening of folk-style music offered abundant moments of truth-telling and authenticity. There were about 35 people in attendance, in a range of ages, at Muso on Winnebago Street. Muso hosts acoustic music events without amplification. In this case, the pleasing harmonies contributed by Kamala Emanuel greatly enhanced the songs David sang while playing guitar. Attendees responded warmly to Rovics’ songs, including his most well-known song, “St. Patrick’s Battalion,” … Continue reading ­David Rovics Concert in Madison

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Neutrality is a Lie: The Academy Under Siege

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by Dahlia Green American higher education is under assault. Research funding, whether for sciences or humanities, has been cut off. The thugs of ICE descend upon college campuses, abducting students who dared speak out against the American-backed genocide in Gaza. International students are subject to a campaign of terror and arbitrary restrictions justified on vague “national security” grounds, a paper-thin disguise for racism and a targeted anti-intellectualism. The most prestigious and wealthy universities, those that can best defend themselves, have responded to this assault by rolling over. Administrators have rushed to gag their students and faculty, to invite the regime … Continue reading Neutrality is a Lie: The Academy Under Siege

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Propaganda Hoedown: Dane County Jail Communications Contract and Scanned Mail

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by Dan Fitch [updated version of this article published in Tone Madison September 15] Let’s delve into local coverage of the jail communication contract and mail scanning, Alec K style. If you need background, get lost in the sauce with a deep dive from last month. The summary: The sheriff’s office is arguing that we need to scan mail to save lives from overdoses caused by contraband coming via the mail. The evidence for this? Nonexistent. First, let’s look at what got published in the media. Then, we have to dive into the sheriff’s two attempts to convince the citizens … Continue reading Propaganda Hoedown: Dane County Jail Communications Contract and Scanned Mail

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Summer 2025 General Meetings Review

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by a comrade On July 8th, chapter members of MADSA met for the monthly general meeting at the First Unitarian Society. While the agenda for every chapter meeting differs, July’s meeting carved out some time for some much needed discussion on how chapter members are feeling about our current political climate. Many members voiced their feelings about what it is like to be a socialist in Madison and how best they can start speaking to members of their community about socialism. For many MADSA members (and socialists in general), the task of raising class consciousness is a topic that is … Continue reading Summer 2025 General Meetings Review