Lancaster DSA is a chapter of Democratic Socialists of America organizing in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. We are run and led by our dues-paying members. We believe that the primary ills facing our home are the result of exploitative capitalism. The benevolence of the wealthy won’t save us. Organizing together will.
The Basics of Socialism
To understand socialism, we must acknowledge the oppression of capitalism. We’re slaves to the wage, our labor making the rich richer, while we struggle to make ends meet. Take a look at the greatest ills of our time. The destruction of the environment, war all the time, debt, the racist justice system, gross wealth inequality. The cause is clear—capitalism.
Capitalism creates hierarchies of power without accountability. But there’s another option. Socialism. A world in which wealth is more equitably distributed. A world in which the working class comes together in solidarity. A world where the workers run the workplace through democratic means. A world where the popular vote means something.
Imagine if your boss was elected and held accountable to you and your colleagues. Imagine if your employer prioritized you over profits.
Despite what you might have heard, socialists don’t want your personal property.
We want private institutions to be owned and run by the employees, not the wealthy capitalists who profit off our labor. We want power and ownership redistributed from the few to the many.
What We Fight For
- Total democracy—the fight for socialism is the fight for true democracy in all aspects of society
- No war but class war—peace for all, international solidarity, and a strong labor movement
- Abolition of white supremacy & the carceral state— America’s racism runs deep and we must dismantle the corrupt systems
- Economic justice—debt relief, medicare for all, housing for all, and free education
- Gender & sexuality justice—organizing people of all genders to fight against systems of oppression and exploitation including patriarchy, capitalism, and white supremacy
- Fight the climate crisis—a truly just transition to a sustainable worldwide economy based on societal and ecological care
How We Organize
As a chapter of Democratic Socialists of America, the largest socialist organization in the United States, we have access to a rich library of resources and a nearly endless number of organizers to learn from. We take inspiration from DSA’s program and apply it to Lancaster County, tailoring our strategy and tactics for what it takes to win in our environment.
We organize ourselves into working groups based on our goals, campaigns, and priorities, all led by members.
How We Win
Our strategy for winning socialism is simple:
- Support the labor movement—unions are the vehicle for winning power for the working class. Organizing, empowering, and supporting workers is the way we shift power from the rich few to the many.
- Fight for the oppressed—structural oppression is rampant, and until all of us are free, none of us are.
- Educate—we must continually learn and progress forward, sharing that knowledge and bringing others into the fold, making every working class person an organizer.