Meeting dates can be found below. We meet on Zoom, 6 pm – 7 pm.

Newcomers are always welcome!

  • Our current series is especially well suited for new members and non-members who are socialist-curious. (Tell your friends!)

Jacobin and Verso’s “ABC’s of Socialism”

We’ll be discussing 3 to 4 essays from ABC’s of Socialism at each of the meetings listed below.

  • ABC’s of Socialism is a compilation of very short essays written by intellectual movement leaders including Bhaskar Sunkara (founding editor of Jacobin Magazine), Vivek Chibber, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor and E. O. Wright.
  • Reading time per essay: About 7 minutes

Meeting Dates & Readings

Feb. 1: Pages 12 – 47 (About 30 min reading time)

  • Toward a democratic socialist United States
    • “Isn’t America already kind of socialist?” (Chris Maisano)
  • Fighting mass domination
    • “But at least capitalism is free and democratic, right?” (E. O. Wright)
  • Humanism
    • “Socialism sounds good in theory, but doesn’t human nature make it impossible to realize?” (Adaner Usmani & Bhaskar Sunkara)
  • Re: wealth redistribution
    • “Don’t the rich deserve to keep most of their money?” (Michael A. McCarthy)
  • Slideshow with questions

Mar. 7: Pages 48 – 81 (About 30 min reading time)

  • Private vs. personal property
    • “Will socialists take my Kenny Loggins records?” (Bhaskar Sunkara)
  • Democracy
    • “Doesn’t socialism always end up in dictatorship?” (Joseph M. Schwartz)
  • Eurocentrism
    • “Is socialism a Western concept?” (Nivedita Majumdar)
  • Anti-racism
    • “What about racism? Don’t socialists only care about class?” (Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor)

Apr. 4: Pages 82 – 141 (About 35 min reading time)

  • Feminism and socialism
    • “Aren’t socialism and feminism sometimes in conflict?” (Nicole Aschoff)
  • Eco-socialism
    • “Wouldn’t a more democratic world just mean a bigger environmental crisis?” (Alyssa Battistoni)
  • A just war?
    • “Are socialists pacifists? Aren’t some wars justified?” (Jonah Birch)
  • “For the emancipation of labor”
    • “Why do socialists talk so much about workers?” (Vivek Chibber)
  • Socialism is for unleashing the potential of all
    • “Will socialism be boring?” (Danny Katch)

Discussion Prompts

In an everyday conversation with family or friends about politics, any socialist might be asked the questions posed in the essay titles of ABC’s of Socialism.

What answers would we give to these questions? And what other questions might we ask to prolong a productive conversation about democratic socialism?

Each meeting will be an open discussion of the questions given as essay titles in the assigned reading.

Getting Involved

Interested in helping us organize socialist political education events in Atlanta?

Join Atlanta DSA’s Political Education Committee!