The Dig NYC and the Hegemonic Project
14 snips
Dec 19, 2025 Sumathi Kumar, a key figure in tenant organizing and a former co-chair of NYC DSA, joins Palestinian writer Sumeya Awad, and Nathan Gustorf, Executive Director of the Fiscal Policy Institute. They delve into the challenges of socialist governance, highlighting the importance of mass participation in building political power. The group discusses balancing tenant rights with broad governance strategies, navigating political constraints, and the potential of local movements in the face of federal threats. Rhetoric around Palestine also surfaces as a critical point of political consistency.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
From Accountability To Shared Responsibility
- Zohran's victory shifts expectations from mere critique to joint responsibility for delivering promises to voters.
- Sumathi Kumar argues movement actors are accountable to the million-plus voters who backed the campaign.
Build Mass Governance, Not Elite Co-Governance
- Build a 'mass governance' where hundreds of thousands share in governing tasks and outcomes.
- Sumeya Awad recommends running mass campaigns and giving everyone concrete roles to deliver the agenda.
Governing Requires Operational Depth
- Governing demands operational capacity beyond electoral messaging, requiring granular administrative competence.
- Nathan Gustorf stresses that executive governance needs broader personnel and operational depth than legislative campaigns.