Forward from Fetonte: A Look to the Past and the Future
September 8, 2017
DSA Accountability Task Force Statement on Danny Fetonte’s Resignation
Comrades,
Two weeks ago, DSA members from across the country formed a task force for addressing transparency and accountability deficits in DSA, both in the National Political Committee (NPC) and in the organization as a whole.
September 8, 2018
Comrades,
One year ago, DSA Accountability Task Force released a statement upon the resignation of Danny Fetonte.
We can refer you to the rest of the article for details about our work back then.
As we reflect on the events of the past year, we realize that a key component to our continued solidarity has been the ways in which we bonded while we struggled together during that time.
Many of us hardly knew each other; we were bound at first only by our organizational ties. The project itself was overwhelming in scope, but we quickly moved towards three shared values: radical transparency, radical accountability, and radical democracy. Because we had no prior ties, we relied on transparency to guide us in trusting our comrades, by eschewing private discussions in favor of open, frank, conversations and information. To move the work forward continually, we relied on accountability measures like daily reports and check-ins. We worked collaboratively and relied on radical democracy, with frequent temperature checks and votes along the way. We worked on building consensus and agreement in these meetings.
Our meetings were messy and time-consuming, which isn’t to say that they weren’t highly valuable to the formation of our own beliefs and working relationships. But through that process we came to discover a system of holding online meetings that was meaningful and inclusive, many parts of which still live on in organizing spaces elsewhere.
But very importantly, it was through that experience that we learned about the power of our membership. We learned that we could affect change in the organization we believe in, by making our voices heard and creating concrete steps to make change happen. Instead of feeling resigned to the whims of leaders we barely knew and certainly didn’t trust, we felt empowered by our collective voices and decisions.
What we know to be true is that DSA is an organization of participant members. We are not audience members to any leader’s ill-advised choices about the operation of the organization, we are all equal participants. We made our voices heard because we first listened to each other and collectively voiced our concerns, together.
In our statement shortly after Mr. Fetonte’s resignation, we wrote:
We believe that DSA is the best vehicle for advancing socialism in this country, and we are committed to making it even better over the coming months and years. Although the crisis has passed, we will continue to work for transparency, accountability, and the development of democracy within DSA. We hope you join us.
After a turbulent year, we still believe that DSA is the best vehicle for advancing socialism in this country, though by now we are well aware that the road is bumpy. What we failed to recognize at the time, however, and what we’ve learned so clearly since then, is this: that it’s all of us, as members, who drive the vehicle; and it’s only us, as members, who can fix it.
In Solidarity,
Tom Brantseg ● David Nagy ● Jen McKinney ● Aaron Marks ● Matt Wolfsen ● Dag Arneson ● Sauce ● Gareth Sparks
As we are individuals who participated in DSA Accountability, we are not speaking on behalf of all participants of DSA Accountability.

