International Cafe: Discussing the New Socialist Localism in the US [ONLINE]

Hello comrades! We're trying something special for this one. Longtime LMRG-heads will remember our well-attended online meetups during the Covid lockdown era, in which we were honoured to welcome attendees from all around the world. Since then, group members in the US and elsewhere have occasionally asked if we'll ever be hosting online readings again. We can finally say that the answer is yes!

For this first one, we're going to take it easy with a casual discussion of the subject that's been on everyones' minds lately: the state of US politics, the ongoing rise of fascism during the second Trump administration, and the prospects for socialist organising, especially at the local electoral level, where groups like the Democratic Socialists of America have, famously, recently been enjoying well-publicised successes. We'll be talking, of course, about what Zohran Mamdani means for NYC and socialist electoralism more broadly, as well as Marxist former councilwoman Kshama Sawant's recently-announced bid for Congress and the democratic socialist mayor-elect of Seattle, Katie Wilson.

Here are a few article links if you want something to read up on before the event:

On Mamdani, his outlook, and the meaning of that Trump meeting: https://jacobin.com/2025/11/trump-mamdani-policy-capitalism-socialism

A little bit about Seattle mayor-elect Katie Wilson: https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/11/14/seattle-mayor-elect-katie-wilson-organizer-socialist-transit

Former Seattle city councilwoman Kshama Sawant's announcement of her Congressional candidacy: https://www.kshamasawant.org/why-im-running/

We're welcoming everyone, everywhere to attend this meeting, which will be held over the end-to-end encrypted video chat platform Jitsi Meet. Think of it like the security-conscious paranoic's answer to Google Meet or Zoom. Fear not: you won't need to download any apps, just click the link, which will be shared here in the Meetup description for this event in the next few days (check back for the edit) and we'll let you in.

In future, we'll aim to hold two International Cafe meetups on alternating weeks: one for the western and one for the eastern hemisphere. Western hemisphere meetings will probably continue to take place at 8PM GMT/UTC (London time), meaning 5PM in Brazil (UTC -3) 3PM on the Eastern US (UTC -5), and noon on the Pacific Coast (UTC -8). If we get some interest, we'll also try to host meetings around noon here in London, for late afternoon in (for examples) India or early evening in China.

Take care and hope to see you there!