Mobilizing the Mamdani Volunteer Army for Policy Goals

The Power of Organized People

• 💡 Politics is defined not just as voting, but as organized people talking to neighbors and co-workers to overcome powerful opposition.
• 🎯 The argument is that an ambitious agenda, like that of Mayor Mamdani, requires sustained mass mobilization to overcome corporate interests and achieve policy goals.
• 🚀 The success of the Mamdani campaign, which mobilized over 100,000 volunteers, highlights the potential for this people-powered politics.

Organizing Efforts and Early Wins

• ⚡ The organization "Our Time" has trained 700 volunteers and successfully mobilized them to send over 2,000 letters to Governor Hokll regarding the child care plan.
• 📈 This grassroots pressure is credited with playing a significant role in getting the governor to the table with a more ambitious proposal.
• 📣 Weekly canvassing continues, with volunteers engaging with New Yorkers to build support for policies like universal child care funded by taxing the rich.

The Office of Mass Engagement

• 🤝 The newly established Office of Mass Engagement is designed to be both a portal for citizen input and a mechanism for mobilization and action.
• 🛠️ It aims to provide ordinary New Yorkers with the tools and support needed to address issues like workplace rights, tenant issues, and housing repairs.
• 💡 The office facilitates collective deliberation and empowers citizens to take action, moving beyond individual input to collective problem-solving.

Strategic Criticism and Movement Building

• ⚠️ The piece "Politics is Something We Do" advises against unproductive infighting and emphasizes changing the relationship of forces through mass engagement.
• 🗣️ While criticism of elected officials is sometimes necessary, the focus should be on building power from below rather than solely critiquing decisions that may be constrained by current power dynamics.
• 🌍 The strategy involves outward-facing orientation, engaging with those who don't already agree, to build a broader movement for change.

Targeting Corporate Collaborators

• 🎯 Protests against ICE should also target its corporate collaborators who provide logistical and operational support.
• ✊ Pressuring companies like Amazon, Dell, and UPS to break ties with ICE can be an effective strategy, leveraging their dependence on public money and labor.
• ⚖️ This approach is seen as crucial for not only ending ICE's actions but also for saving American democracy by weakening institutional support for potentially anti-democratic maneuvers.