12/13 - "The People Speak" Live Screening Party & End of Year Celebration

Join us for an End of Year Party
If your holiday wishes include peace and justice for all, come celebrate the season and the end of the quarter with the International Socialist Organization, our friends and our allies. Come for good food and drink and fiery political conversation to warm your heart on a cold night. We’ll take inspiration from the long awaited documentary film premiering on the History Chanel,
THE PEOPLE SPEAK

Live Screening of THE PEOPLE SPEAK

Inspired by Howard Zinn's books A People's History of the United States and, Voices of a People's History of the United States co-authored with Anthony Arnove, THE PEOPLE SPEAK includes performances by Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Danny Glover, Lupe Fiasco, Marisa Tomei and many more….

Radical Book Fair

Give yourself an early holiday present, or surprise the politicos in your life with great radical books from Haymarket Books

Drinks and Movie Snacks

will be available as a fundraiser for the ISO

Sunday December 13, 7:00pm

1819 Harvard Ave, lower unit (Click for Directions)

Come at 7pm for pre-show drinks, snacks, and socializing 

THE PEOPLE SPEAK premieres on the History Chanel at 8pm

RSVP and spread the word on Facebook 

This will be out last event before we take a 2 week holiday break.
Our next meeting will be on Wed, January 6th.

Using dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries and speeches of everyday Americans, the documentary feature film THE PEOPLE SPEAK gives voice to those who spoke up for social change throughout U.S. history, forging a nation from the bottom up with their insistence on equality and justice.

Check out THE PEOPLE SPEAK on the History Chanel Website for more info and videos

Dave Zirin Reviews THE PEOPLE SPEAK

The revolution will be televised (this Sunday)
Author and Nation sportswriter Dave Zirin is looking forward to the premier of a television documentary that brings to life the work of "people's historian" Howard Zinn. December 11, 2009. 

ON DECEMBER 13, a date I've basically had tattooed on my arm like the guy from Memento, The People Speak finally makes its debut on the History Channel (8 p.m. EST, check your local listings). This is more than just must-see-TV. It is nothing less than the life's work of "people's historian" Howard Zinn brought to life by some of the most talented actors, musicians and poets in the country....   Read the full article

And check out the ISR guide to The People Speak
International Socialist Review magazine provides a list of related historical articles to accompany The People Speak.

12/12 RALLY: Pass Health Care Reform! STOP STUPAK!

Join the ISO at this weekend's Planned Parenthood Rally. We’ll be there to support a woman’s right to abortion as well as make our voices heard for REAL health care reform -- that isn’t just a give away to private insurance companies.

Join thousands of Washingtonians to speak with one voice and let our elected officials know: we support health care reform that protects women's health!

Health Care Reform Rallies are being held across Washington state on December 12th. This is your chance to speak up not only in support of Health Care Reform, but also to stop Congress from taking away abortion coverage. Women must be better off after health care reform than they are today.

Rally for Health Care Reform: Health Care for the Holidays
Saturday, December 12th - 2:00-3:00pm
Occidental Park
316 Occidental Ave S
Seattle, WA 98104

This event is rain or shine. 

Sponsored by Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest
 http://www.ppaction.org/ppaow/events/SeattleHCRrally1212/details.tcl

12/9 The First Battle in Seattle

A People's History of Seattle Series:
The First Battle in Seattle
1919 Seattle General Strike 

Wed Dec 9 - UW School for Social Work Room B14
corner of 15th N.E. and N.E. 41st

Everyone knows that November 30 marks the 10th anniversary of the "Battle in Seattle" protests against the WTO. 40,000 plus trade unionists, environmentalists, anarchists, socialists and other protesters united to shut down the WTO.

Fewer know about the first "Battle in Seattle" -- the 1919 Seattle General Strike. For five days in February over 100,000 workers not only struck, but they ran the city without the bosses or the governments approval. Mass kitchens fed over 30,000 a day. Limited laundry services and garbage collection for hospitals and milk deliveries for families were provided. For a brief time Seattle workers showed the power an organized working class has.  Join us for a discussion on the lessons to be learned from both the 10th anniversary of the WTO protests and the 90th anniversary of the General Strike!

Part of the International Socialist Organization's People's History of Seattle Series. Click on the link below for PDFs of previous talks in the series.  A Peoples History of Seattle, Darrin Hoop, 2009 Northwest Socialist Conference

And from

Seattle in the hands of workers Leia Petty reviews a republished classic "Revolution in Seattle" that tells the story of the 1919 general strike and helps us reclaim the history of working-class radicalism in the U.S.

12/2 Stupak: Playing Politics with Women's Lives

Wed Dec 2nd 7-9pm, UW School for Social Work Room B14

We will have a two part meeting this week -- A political discussion of the Stupak amendment and Abortion rights followed by an organizational discussion about organizing on the UW campus in the Winter Quarter.

1. Stupak: Playing Politics with Women's Lives
(1 hour)

There was a lot of back-patting after the House of Representatives narrowly passed a health care reform law November 7. In the spirit of bipartisan compromise, even the fact that the bill included an amendment shredding poor women's access to abortion -- the broadest restrictions on funding for abortion since the Hyde Amendment passed in 1976 -- was a point of pride for some Democratic politicians.

Join us for a discussion of why abortions rights are central to women's liberation, the Stupak Amendment and it ramifications, and what type of movement it will take to not only defeat this latest attack but win free abortion on demand for all who need it. 

Check out recent Articles on Abortion Rights from 

• Playing politics with women's lives
• Abortion should be health care
• A new way to attack abortion
• A crisis in abortion funding
  
• The anti-choice deception
• Fight the right and stand up for choice
• Keeping Dr. Emily's open
  

and From the International Socialist Review
Two Articles by Sharon Smith on Abortion Rights and the need for a new movement

• A shorter article from July/Aug 2009 Defending abortion rights
  and a longer analysis Sept/Oct 2005 Abortion rights under attack

2. UW Organizing for Winter Quarter (40 mins)

For the second section of the meeting we will be brainstorming and discussing our campus activism for the upcoming Winter Quarter. Bring ideas for what we should be involved in on campus and join in the discussion!

11/18 NW Conference Assessment and Future Planning

Wed 11/18 7-9pm
UW School for Social Work Room B14 (corner of 15th N.E. and N.E. 41st)

Join us as we assess our recent Northwest Socialist Conference and begin brainstorming ideas for organizing into the spring! Come and bring your ideas about what the ISO can do on the UW campus and in Seattle.

11/14 Referendum 71 Victory Rally!

Come Celebrate A Victory for the LGBT Movement
Westlake Center
Saturday, November 14th, 12-1:30 pm

Thanks to the community for making history this election day. 31 states have tried to win marriage equality on the ballot and 31 states have lost. We became the first state in the country to put legal protections for same-sex couples and the ballot… AND WE WON. Now it’s time to celebrate our historic victory. 

We also mourn the loss of Question 1 in Maine and want to show solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Maine, as others around the country have shown solidarity with our victory here.

MC’d by Aleksa Manila; Featured speaker: Lt. Dan Choi. Also featuring Marsha Botzer, Eduardo Brambila, Josh Castle, members of the Approve 71 Campaign and LGBT couples whose rights we defended! 

    

Come show your support and celebrate on Saturday, November 14 at 12:00 PM!

Lt. Dan Choi speaks at the National Equality March

Marsha Botzer speaks at the National Equality March

Sponsored by:
Seattle Gay News, UW Students Organizing for LGBT Equality (S.O.L.E.), Join the Impact, Pride at Work, Seattle Out Protest, International Socialist Organization Seattle, SU Triangle Club, Washington Marriage Alliance

11/13 Water & Justice in Israel/Palestine

The ISO is one of the sponsoring organizations for Friday's Event with Susan Koppelman

Water & Justice in Israel/Palestine
Friday, November 13 6:00pm
Tompson 101, UW Seattle

Join us for a talk on Water in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, followed by Q&A.Palestinians are facing a water crisis due to Israeli policies. What are the UN, international NGOs and Palestinian authorities doing to uphold Palestinians’ human right to water?  What can we do? Susan will be discussing the worsening humanitarian situation, show two short documentaries, and discuss non-violent strategies to ensure respect for Palestinians’ fundamental human rights.

Susan Koppelman is a water rights advocate and a UW School of Social Work & Evans School graduate

Sponsored by:
ASUW | Campus Antiwar Network | Students for Justice in Palestine | Jewish voice for Peace | Palestine Solidarity | International Socialist Organization | Democracy Insurgent

Check out these Readings on Zionism, Israel, and the Palestinians from the International Socialist Review


The siege of Gaza
Hadas Thier 
Zionism: False Messiah
Lance Selfa 
The hidden history of Zionism
Annie Zirin 
Zionism and anti-semitism: Are Israel's critics anti-semites?
Hadas Thier 
Israel and the Nakba: Chronicle of dispossession
Paul D'Amato 
Planning the terror that created Israel
Mostafa Omar 
Israel: The Watchdog State
Lance Selfa

Israel: Colonial settler state
Phil Gasper 
The Watchdog bites
Phil Gasper 
The class character of Israel (reprint)
Moshe Machover 
Israel, the “lobby,” and the United States
Sherry Wolf 
Ariel Sharon, war criminal
Hadas Thier 
Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon
Hadas Thier 
Arafat's Legacy
Snehal Shingavi 
Israel, war, and the future of the Intifada: Two views from Palestine
Toufic Haddad and Tikva Honig-Parnass 
Lies, damn lies, and Israeli propanganda
Anthony Arnove and Paul D'Amato 
Walling in the Palestinians
Ida Audeh 
Israel: Gearing up for a new offensive?
Toufic Haddad 
Iraq, Palestine, and U.S. Imperialism
Toufic Haddad 
U.S. intervention in the Middle East: Blood for oil
Paul D'Amato 
End of the Road Map
Toufic Haddad 
Intifada from the Inside
Toufic Haddad 
The destruction of Lebanon: “Birthpangs of a new Middle East”
Toufic Haddad 
Crisis of the Palestinian national movement
Toufic Haddad 
The one-state solution
Dennis Kosuth

11/11: Malalai Joya on the US Occupation in Afghanistan

This Wednesday Join the ISO to Hear
Malalai Joya Speak About the US Occupation in Afghanistan
Wed Nov 11th at 7pm
Seattle First Baptist, 1111 Harvard Ave, Seattle

Instead of our normal Wed night meeting the ISO will attend Malalai Joya’s speaking tour stop, sponsored by Washington Peace Action. Join us for the talk & come out afterward for food & political discussion.

Malalai Joya is known around the world as a courageous opponent of the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan, the corrupt regime presided over by President Hamid Karzai--and the Taliban and other conservative Islamist forces battling U.S. and Afghan government troops. An uncompromising fighter for women's rights, Joya was elected to parliament in 2005, where she denounced the presence of representatives who she called "warlords" and "war criminals." In 2007, she was suspended on the grounds that she had "insulted" fellow members. An international solidarity campaign has rallied support for her. Joya has been the target of assassination attempts and must travel in Afghanistan with armed bodyguards, wearing a burqa as a disguise. She is speaking in Seattle on a US book tour for her new book, A Woman Among Warlords: The Extraordinary Story of an Afghan Who Dared to Raise Her Voice.

Check out the

Interview with Malalai Joya: Why the U.S. has to go

NW Socialist Conference Nov 7-8 UW Seattle

CRISIS & RESISTANCE
2009 Northwest Socialist Conference

November 7-8

University of Washington, Seattle

nwsocialistconference.org
for a full schedule, online registration and more!

Sponsored by International Socialist Organization Seattle and Portland branches,  Socialist Worker, Haymarket Books and the International Socialist Review

Capitalism isn't working. Socialism is the alternative—a world organized for human need, not profit, where resources are controlled by and for the vast majority, instead of by a tiny rich minority. Real change depends on struggle and action by our side.

The Northwest Socialist Conference is one of six regional socialist conferences nationwide that are dedicated to arming a new generation of rebels, activists and organizers with arguments and ideas for a revolutionary socialist alternative, learning our history of rebellion and resistance, and discussing strategies for building organization and winning struggles for real change.

Featuring

Sherry Wolf

Participate in the LGBT Equality Rally with Sherry Wolf & Northwest LGBT activists, & discuss strategies for liberation at her Workshop on the new book Sexuality and Socialism.

Sherry Wolf is the author of Sexuality and Socialism (Haymarket 2009), associate editor of the International Socialist Review and a  National Equality March speaker and Steering Committee member. She is a leading member of the International Socialist Organization.

Workshop topics include:
How Can Socialism Liberate the Oppressed? • The Democrats: A Critical History • From Crash to Recovery? The Economic Crisis Today • Imperialism in the Obama Era • Sexuality and Socialism • Why We Need a Revolutionary Party • Capitalism and the Ecological Crisis • Socialists and the Trade Union Movement • The Future Socialist Society • A People's History of Seattle • and much, much more!


Plus, Radical Book Fair featuring Haymarket Books!  Preview Haymarket Books' new and forecoming releases.  Haymarket Books has provided critical and timely theory, history and debate to the Left for over ten years.

Conference registration is $20-50 sliding scale, Pre-Register online at nwsocialistconference.org or at any ISO meeting or event.


For local information please contact nwconference@seattleiso.org or click seattleiso.org or portlandsocialists.org to connect with your local ISO branch.

11/4 Picket and Protest CIA Recruitment on Campus

Following up on demilitarization campaigns last Spring, FaDU, Democracy Insurgent, ISO, and Campus Anti-War network are supporting this picket of a CIA recruiting session on campus. The CIA is holding a recruitment session in Smith Hall (room 115) at 3:30pm on Nov. 4th in.  Let’s show up in force and let them know that undemocratic institutions like the CIA aren’t welcome on our campus!

Picket and Protest CIA

Recruitment on Campus:

Wed., November 4^th, 3:15

Outside Smith Hall, UW campus

The CIA meeting was originally planned to be held on the 4th floor of Smith Hall, which is home to the Geography Department.  However, an outcry from Geography students and faculty got the meeting moved out of the department. But the CIA is still here!  Let’s keep up the pressure and get them out of our university altogether!  Join us for the protest! Some folks will be showing up in the Resource Center (sub-basement of the HUB, room 13) at 2:45 on Wednesday to make posters and signs.  Come along and help us out!

Why Protest?
The CIA has a long history of violently suppressing democratic movements throughout the developing world in an effort to expand U.S. empire. The CIA on campus and in departments creates real danger for those of us researching in the field, and for our 3rd World Colleagues.  We cannot contribute to these real and deadly risks to academics and people we work with, or to occupations and wars that indiscriminately kill civilians.

For More Info Contact:
Democracy Insurgent d.insurg@gmail.com
For a Democratic University faduni@gmail.com
International Socialist Org. isouw@uw.edu
Campus Antiwar Network uwcan@uw.edu

11/4 Organizing meeting

Join us for our last organizing meeting before the NW Conference
We will go over last minute details and logistics for this weekend's NW Socialist Conference


WED 11/4 7-8:30 pm -- room B14 of the School for Social Work at UW

10/28 -- Organizing meeting

Join us this week for an organizing meeting. We will continue to work on building our NW Socialist Conference (www.nwsocilistconference.org) as well as work on on campus and city-wide LGBT rights organizing.Please join us and bring your ideas.

We will be in room B14 of the School for Social Work at UW

We will do Committee work with committee focusing on the following areas:
Outreach committee - Outreach and Organizing the NW Socialist Conference
Education committee - Planning the Meaning of Marxism study group and the Haymarket radical book fair at the NW Socialist Conference.
LGBT rights committee - Next steps for community and campus LGBT rights organizing including a response to Ref 71 results.
SEA Teachers union committee - will not meet this week and instead we will brainstorm about fundraising.

10/21 Organizing meeting - Help us build for the NW Socialist Conference

This week we will break out into committees and discuss the work we're doing to build our annual northwest socialist conference -- which is only 2.5 weeks away!! Come get involved and help us make this the best conference yet.
Wed 10/21 7-8:15 pm

University of Washington

School for Social Work (corner of 15th N.E. and N.E. 41st)

Room 030

10/14: LGBT Equality from DC to Seattle

LGBT Equality from DC to Seattle

Featuring:

Eyewitness Report from the Historic National Equality March in Washington, DC!

Plus:

How do we win R-71? Next steps for building the new civil rights movement in Seattle and beyond!

Wednesday, October 14, 7pm

Room 30, University of Washington School of Social Work (4101 15th Avenue NE)

The passage of Prop 8 and the angry protests that erupted around the country afterward -- including here in Seattle -- launched a new civil rights movement for LGBT equality.

Over the past year, a new generation of activists has emerged to lead dynamic grassroots struggles and organizations. We are standing up to the queer bashing and oppression that has been the norm in this country for too long. Enough is enough. We want fully equality now!

It couldn't be a better time to join the socialists in a discussion of how this new movement developed, what's next after the national Equality Weekend, and how we can ultimately win sexual and gender liberation!

We demand full equality  Comment: Eric Ruder

Some 200,000 people flooded Washington, D.C., filling the streets with rainbow flags and a festival-like atmosphere as part of the fight for LGBT civil rights... Read the full article at socialistworker.org

Cleve Jones Speaks at the National Equality March

10/7 Socialism: What It Is and Why We Need It

Join us for our Fall Quarter Kick Off Meeting

Wed 10/7 at 7pm

Gowen Hall 201

University of Washington

The word “socialism” has returned to the mainstream of American political debate. But there are widespread misconceptions about what socialism is—and what it isn’t.

Republicans fret that the U.S. is fast becoming a socialist country—with government spending on bank bailouts and Barack Obama’s proposed health care reform.

But the genuine tradition of “socialism from below” means something more than state intervention in the economy. Socialism is really about the struggle to oppose discrimination in all its forms and to put the needs of working people before corporate profits.

Come join local Socialists and activists in a discussion on the idea of socialism--and how socialists can intervene in these tumultuous times in order to build grassroots movements for fundamental change.

The Return of Socialism, Featuring Todd Chretien & Sharon Smith.

Final Rally of the Socialism 2009: Building a New Left for a New Era in San Francisco.

9/30 Politics and Organizing in the Fall Quarter

Wed 9/30 7pm

UW School for Social Work Room 30

Join us as we continue to discuss organizing plans for the fall semester on campus including our semester kick off meeting on October 7th, the Oct 11 National LGBT Equality March in Seattle, and our Northwest Socialist Conference "Crisis and Resistance: Organizing for Socialism" Nov 7-8 at UW. Come with ideas and join in the discussion about how to build the ISO.

9/23 - Discussion Pt 2: Subterranean Fire: A History of Working-Class Radicalism in the United State

Join us for part two of our discussion of Subterranean Fire: A History of Working-Class Radicalism in the United States by Sharon Smith.

Wed 9/23 7-8:30pm
University of Washington School of Social Work Room 032
4101 15th Avenue NE

For the Second part of the discussion we will cover the last two parts of the book (parts 3 & 4), taking us from WWII through the cold war, the 60's radicalization, the employers offensive of the 70s, Neoliberalism and the Neocons. We'll also discuss what has changed since the book was written and Bush was in power.

This accessible, critical history of the U.S. labor movement examines the hidden history of workers’ resistance from the nineteenth century to the present. Workers in the U.S. have a rich tradition of fighting back which remains largely hidden. Subterranean Fire brings that history to light and reveals its lessons for today.

The title is taken from the inspiring words of August Spies, a U.S. radical and labor activist executed during the fight for the eight-hour day. He said, “If you think that by hanging us you can stamp out the labor movement, then hang us. Here you will tread upon a spark, but here, and there, and behind you, and in front of you, the flames will blaze up. It is a subterranean fire. You cannot put it out. The ground is on fire upon which you stand.” These words remain fundamentally true today, as Sharon Smith demonstrates by tracing the legacy of worker’s struggle from August Spies’ days to the present.

You can pick up the book at any ISO tabling event or buy it online from Haymarket Books

9/16: Politics and Organizing in the Fall Quarter

Join us for a 2-part Meeting on Political Perspectives and Organizing in the Fall Quarter

Wed 9/16 7-9pm
University of Washington
School of Social Work Room 032 4101 15th Avenue NE

1. Perspectives for Socialists (1 hour)
Heading into the fall and the start of a new school year, we've now seen Obama in power for the past 9 months. What have his policies looked like and what does liberalism in power mean for organizing a new socialist movement? With the economy still in crisis, US military escalation in Afghanistan, a raging debate on healthcare and a burgeoning LGBT civil rights movement, more people are questioning the way US capitalism works. We'll discuss how socialists can intervene in these tumultuous times in order to build grassroots movements for fundamental change.

2. Local Fall Organizing plans (1 hour)
In this second part of the discussion we'll take the national political picture that we discussed in part one and focus it down to our local organizing in Seattle and at the UW. We'll talk about organizing plans for the fall semester on campus including our semester kick off meeting on October 7th, the Oct 11 National LGBT Equality March in Seattle, and our Northwest Socialist Conference "Crisis and Resistance: Organizing for Socialism" Nov 7-8 at UW. Come with ideas and join in the discussion about how to build the ISO.

9/9 - Discussion Pt 1: Subterranean Fire: A History of Working-Class Radicalism in the United States

Join us as we begin discussing Subterranean Fire: A History of Working-Class Radicalism in the United States by Sharon Smith.

Wed 9/9 7-8:30pm
University of Washington School of Social Work Room 032
4101 15th Avenue NE

For the First part of the discussion we will cover the first four chapters of the book, taking us from 1865 up to the eve of WWII. Part two of the discussion, covering the remainder of the book - WWI through the Employers offensive and the rule of the neocons will take place on September 23rd.

This accessible, critical history of the U.S. labor movement examines the hidden history of workers’ resistance from the nineteenth century to the present. Workers in the U.S. have a rich tradition of fighting back which remains largely hidden. Subterranean Fire brings that history to light and reveals its lessons for today.

The title is taken from the inspiring words of August Spies, a U.S. radical and labor activist executed during the fight for the eight-hour day. He said, “If you think that by hanging us you can stamp out the labor movement, then hang us. Here you will tread upon a spark, but here, and there, and behind you, and in front of you, the flames will blaze up. It is a subterranean fire. You cannot put it out. The ground is on fire upon which you stand.” These words remain fundamentally true today, as Sharon Smith demonstrates by tracing the legacy of worker’s struggle from August Spies’ days to the present.

You can pick up the book at any ISO tabling event or buy it online from Haymarket Books

8/26 - How the Democrats Sold Out Health Care Reform -- &-- Union Update: SEA

Join us for a 2-part meeting on the Healthcare Reform Debate and The Seattle Teachers upcoming contract negotiations

Wed 8/26 7-8:30pm
University of Washington School of Social Work Room 032 4101 15th Avenue NE

1. How the Democrats Sold out Health Care Reform - 55 minutes

THE HEALTH care industry is determined to strangle any proposal in Washington for real reform--and the Democrats are acting as accomplices, having given up without a fight on a single-payer system that could actually solve the health care crisis--they're allowing the measures they do claim to support to be gutted of anything that might make a difference.

Support for a radical overhaul of the health care system, with a leading role for government-run programs, has never been greater. But with health care legislation expected to take shape over the coming weeks, it seems like Democrats are giving away the store before it even opens--in the name of bipartisanship and political "realism."

Come discuss the current debates and what a real left-wing alternative would really look like.

Check out the recent news on the healthcare debates:

Socialist Worker - Surrendering to the Status Quo • Profit and Healthcare Don't Mix • How the Democrats Sold Out Healthcare • A Prescription That Makes the Patient Sicker • Keeping Real Reform off the Table • Making Excuses for Healthcare Non-Reform • Right Wing Thugs and Corporate "Reforms" • The Story of Medicare

Huffington Post - Internal Memo Confirms Big Giveaways In White House Deal With Big Pharma

Democracy Now - Ralph Nader on Secret White House Agreements with the Drug Industry and BusinessWeek: “The Health Insurers Have Already Won”

Business Week - The Health Insurers Have Already Won.

2. Union Update: What's In Store for Seattle Teachers? 55 minutes
The current Seattle Education Association's contract negotiations come as Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson and the Seattle Pubic Schools have turned the screws on teachers and education in Seattle -- eliminating SPS’s office of Race and Equity, closing over a dozen schools in primarily minority neighborhoods, and recently laying off 200 teachers and assistants during teacher appreciation week. Join us for a discussion of the struggle in the union for a fair contract and the fight in the city for quality education for all Seattle students

8/19 Book Discussion: Sexuality and Socialism: History, Politics, and Theory of LGBT Liberation.

Join us for a discussion of the new book by Sherry Wolf, Sexuality and Socialism: History, Politics, and Theory of LGBT Liberation.

Sexuality and Socialism is a remarkably accessible analysis of many of the most challenging questions for those concerned with full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.

Inside are essays on the roots of LGBT oppression, the construction of sexual and gender identities, the history of the gay movement, and how to unite the oppressed and exploited to win sexual liberation for all. Sherry Wolf analyzes different theories about oppression—including those of Marxism, postmodernism, identity politics, and queer theory—and challenges myths about genes, gender, and sexuality.

Pick up the book at any ISO tabling event or buy it online from Haymarket Books

8/12 IRAN BOILS OVER From the 1979 Revolution to Rebellion in the Streets Today

Part of the Monthly Forum Series
IRAN BOILS OVER
From the 1979 Revolution to Rebellion in the Streets Today

Wednesday, August 12, 7pm
UW School of Social Work Room 032
located on the corner of 15th Ave NE and NE 41st St in Seattle's University District (map).

Iranian society is experiencing its greatest upheaval since the 1979 Revolution.

What began as anger over election fraud exploded into protests of millions of people in the streets of Iran's cities, animated by social and economic grievances and raising the possibility of revolutionary change. Two months after a disputed election provoked mass demonstrations in the streets of Iran the mainstream media has largely moved on. Nonetheless, the struggle continues as the brutal government crackdown inspires new waves of resistance. Come to an open discussion on the history of Iran’s last revolution, the roots of the current crisis, the massive social upheaval -- and where the situation might be heading.

Check out some recent articles about developments in Iran and join us this Wednesday for a discussion of the background to the current crisis and what lessons activists from the US can learn from Iran.

Iranian Print Workers Speak Out
http://socialistworker.org/2009/07/30/iranian-print-workers-speak

Iranian Dissident Journalist Akbar Ganji Blasts Mass Trial in Iran, Torture of Prisoners
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/8/10/iranian_dissident_journalist_akbar_ganji_blasts

Check out the facebook event http://www.facebook.com/events.php#/event.php?eid=126613226353

Suggested Reading on the current revolt in Iran:

http://socialistworker.org/2009/07/01/roots-of-irans-revolt
http://socialistworker.org/2009/07/15/left-confusion-on-iran
http://socialistworker.org/2009/06/15/iran-boils-over
http://socialistworker.org/2009/06/12/whats-next-in-iran
http://socialistworker.org/2009/07/20/antiwar-activists-strategize

Suggested Reading on the Iranian Revolution and Iranian history:

http://www.isreview.org/issues/09/iranian_revolution.shtml
http://www.isreview.org/issues/09/iran_at_crossroads.shtml
Revolutionary Rehearsals ed. Colin Barker - Chapter on Iran
Revolution and Counter Revolution in Iran by Phil Marshall
Why Washington hates Iran by Barry Sheppard (download pamphlet here: http://links.org.au/node/619)

8/5 ISR Discussion: U.S. labor in the crisis: Resistance or retreat?

Join us for a discussion of the new issue of the International Socialist Review

Wed 8/5 7-8:30pm
University of Washington School of Social Work

Room 032 (4101 15th Avenue NE)

THE ELECTION of Barack Obama last November seemed to promise a new era for organized labor. With Obama in the White House and a solid Democratic majority in Congress, it appeared that unions would finally be able to get action on their main legislative agenda—passage of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), a measure that would make it easier for workers to join a union. And a victorious factory occupation at the Republic Windows and Doors plant captured the imagination of the country, and even got some encouraging words from Obama himself. Soon afterwards, workers at the huge Smithfield pork processing plant in North Carolina voted to unionize after more than a decade of vicious anti-union actions by the company. Hopes were high that unions were set to go on the offensive.

A few months later, the picture is quite different. What followed wasn’t similar victories, but one of the most catastrophic setbacks in the history of the U.S. labor movement. Private employers were demanding, and obtaining, concessions from unions in industries ranging from newspapers to trucking companies. Even as expectations of Obama mounted in advance of Inauguration Day, Chrysler and General Motors were slashing jobs and gutting union contracts as they drifted toward bankruptcy amid the worst economic slump since the Great Depression

We will be reading the following ISR articles, and discussing economic crisis, the state of the US labor Movement and how to revive social movement and class-struggle unionism.

In the Second part of the meeting we will brainstorm ideas for our Northwest Socialist Conference in November 2009.


Joel Geier The free fall is over, but the crisis continues

Lee Sustar U.S. labor in the crisis: Resistance or retreat?

And Check out these great videos -- A panel discussion with Brian Cruz (SIEU 1021) Adrienne Johnstone (UESF) Sal Rosselli (NUHW) and Michael Yates (Monthly Review Magazine) on Social Unionism and Joel Gier's Talk The Economic Crisis: How Bad Will it Get? both at Socialism 2009 in San Francisco.

Social Unionism: Putting the Movement back in the Labor Movement - Socialism 2009 in San Francisco from RedReel on Vimeo.

Marxist Economist Joel Geier on "The Economic Crisis: How Bad Will It Get" 2009 SF from Silver Persinger on Vimeo