In the United States, the richest 400 people have as much wealth as 50 million households combined. The criminal occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq have cost the lives of over a million innocent people, and thousands of U.S. troops, while costing trillions of dollars. The richest banks and corporations have been bailed out by the government to the tune of $14 trillion, all on the backs of working people. The epidemic of police brutality, checkpoints and immigrant bashing is intensifying as the capitalist state seeks to protect the class it serves.
This is the reality of capitalism. Is this the way it has to be? No. The National Conference on Socialism, organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation on Nov. 13 and 14 in Los Angeles, discussed an alternative to this irrational and increasingly barbaric system that puts human needs over private profits.
Watch a slideshow of the National Conference on Socialism 2010!
Day 1 of the Conference
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Opening Plenary:
Building the struggle against capitalism across the United States
 A diverse group of PSL members from across with the country
share short reports on struggles that are taking place in their cities
and states, and exciting plans that are on the horizon. Building the
revolutionary struggle takes a great deal of education and study, but
it must also involve practical action. PSL members from across the West
Coast, East Coast, Midwest and South give 3-minute reports.
Watch a video of the session
“The need for socialism” – Talk by PSL member Peta Lindsay
PSL members report on work done across the country
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Keynote Plenary: Tasks and perspectives of the socialist movement
The keynote plenary speakers takes up the tasks and perspective of
the socialist movement. As socialists who fight for the overthrow of the
current system and its replacement with a new system based on
solidarity and providing for the needs of the people, we must understand
our short and long term goals, we must have a critical political
analysis of our tasks in confronting the capitalist system.
There
are three speakers—Frances Villar, Gloria La Riva and Brian Becker—all
of whom are members of the PSL Central Committee, followed by questions
and answers.
Watch a video of the session
“Why we continue to defend the Soviet Union” – Talk by PSL member Gloria La Riva
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Lunch Break (Plus screening of “The Sand Creek Equation”)
During lunch, there was a special
screening of the new documentary, “The Sand Creek Equation” by
award-winning filmmaker Travis Wilkerson (“An Injury to One”). The film
takes the viewer on a lyrical journey from occupied Gaza to Sand Creek,
Colorado, the site of a notorious massacre by U.S. troops of Native
Americans. The filmmaker introduced the film.
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(Panel 1) Resisting U.S. imperialism: Is it just bad policies or the system?
This
panel discusses imperialism, what it is, and how it affects people
across the world. It examines the policies of the Bush regime and
compare them to what’s now happening under Obama. An overall analysis of
Lenin’s thesis on the subject also is presented, along with
discussion about Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, the Philippines and
elsewhere.
• Chair: Richard Becker, San Francisco; Western Regional Coordinator, ANSWER Coalition
• Tamara Khoury, Los Angeles; student at Cal State Fullerton
• Mazda Majidi, San Francisco; member, SF Bay Area ANSWER Coalition Steering Committee and United Educators of San Francisco
• Preston Wood, Albuquerque, N.M.; Registered Nurse, member of 1199 NM Health and Hospital Workers Union
• Al Garcia, West Coast Coordinator, Alliance for a Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines
• Heather Benno, Chicago; Iraqi American attorney; National Organization of Legal Services Workers UAW Local 2320.
Watch a video of the session
“Imperialism is a system, not a policy choice” – Talk by PSL member Mazda Majidi
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(Panel 2) Fighting to win: How we can defeat immigrant bashing,
anti-LGBT bigotry, Islamophobia and the ultra right
 The
struggle for class unity is more important than ever. This panel
analyzes how to build a united fight back by focusing on the movement to
overturn racist, anti-immigrant laws and win equality, the battle for
LGBT and women’s rights, what’s behind the sustained attacks on Arabs
and Muslims, and what the rise of the Tea Party means for workers.
“Struggle against anti-immigrant racism” – Talk by PSL member Jennifer Zaldana
“Equality for women, LGBT requires militant, unified struggle” – Talk by PSL member Stevie Merino
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(Panel 3) Building a new workers’ movement:
Organized labor and the challenges ahead
Organized
labor is under attack by Wall Street, corporate giants and capitalist
politicians. This panel features labor leaders and workers who
resist and organize to stop these anti-worker policies. Topics include
the dynamics of the labor movement today, organizing the unorganized and
the prospects for a class-wide fight back.
“New openings for reviving the workers’ movement” – Talk by PSL member Jeff Bigelow
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 (Panel 4) The class struggle in Africa and the fight against imperialism
Class
struggle exists everywhere in Africa, but it is rarely discussed or
covered in the United States. This panel features experts on the
workers’ struggle in Africa, discussing the conditions for working and
poor people today. Featured topics include South Africa after apartheid,
Sudan: united or divided, Zimbabwe and imperialism, and overcoming the
legacy of colonialism and underdevelopment.
• Chair: Mohamed Ntale, Washington, D.C., student
• Akufuna Ngonda, Washington, D.C.; organizer, ANSWER Coalition; contributing writer, Liberation Newspaper
• Austin Thompson, Atlanta; Pan-African Youth Summit Coordinating Committee; recent graduate, Howard University
• Eugene Puryear, Washington, D.C.; 2008 PSL vice presidential candidate
• Muna Coobtee, Los Angeles; board member, Palestinian American Woman’s Association
Watch a video of the session
“Resolving the crisis of leadership in Africa” – Talk by PSL member Austin Thompson
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(Panel 5) Socialism and the Latin American revolution
“Down
with Yankee imperialism” is an increasingly popular slogan south of the
U.S.-Mexico border. This panel discusses the leftward shift in Latin
America and the class dynamics at play. Topics include Cuba’s economic
reforms and socialism, an appraisal of the Venezuelan revolution; what’s
happening in Bolivia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Brazil
and Colombia; Mexico’s revolutionary legacy, and the new role of China
in Latin America.
“Reform and revolution in Latin America” – Talk by PSL member Jacqueline Villagomez
“Cuba: an example to fighters for social justice” – Talk by PSL member Monica Ruiz
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(Panel 6) Fighting racism and the expanding police state
What
role do the police play in society? Why do they target and kill Black
and Latino people more than anyone else? This panel includes lawyers and
activists from across the country involved in the movement against
racist police violence, terror and repression. Strategies are
discussed with the goal of building a more
effective struggle against the expanding police state.
“Mobilizing the community against police abuse” – Talk by PSL member Yari Osorio
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 Special International Solidarity and Awards Session
Fighters for justice, champions of freedom
The first ever PSL
“Fighters for Justice, Champions of Freedom” awards are presented in
this session to political prisoners, radical lawyers and longtime
leaders in the people’s struggle.
Fighters for Justice award recipients
• Mumia Abu-Jamal
• The Cuban Five
• Leonard Peltier
• The Angola 3: Accepted by Robert King Wilkerson
• Lynne Stewart
Champions of Freedom award recipients
• Mara Verheyden-Hilliard and Carl Messineo,
Partnership for Civil Justice Fund
• Carol Sobel, National Lawyers Guild
• Muntadhar al-Zaidi, Iraqi journalist
• Mary Harb, Palestinian American Women’s Association
Watch a video of the session
“Why I joined the PSL” – Talk by PSL member Sasha Murphy
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Day 2 of the Conference
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Practical experiences of building a revolutionary socialist movement
 This session featured four different
breakout groups that discussed organizing work taking place around
the country, from Los Angeles to Texas to New York and beyond.
Organizers in a variety of struggles were encouraged to attend, share experiences
and figure out ways to push the working-class struggle forward.
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 Revolutionary writers’ clinic
Hone
your skills as a revolutionary writer and learn new ones in the
Revolutionary writers’ clinic. One of the PSL’s top editors will lead
this session about how to write articles, frame slogans and draft flyers
to forward the class struggle.
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Expanding the reach of socialist media
As
socialists, the goal is to reach more people with revolutionary ideas.
How can we do this? What means to we use? Videos, websites, Liberation
newspaper and more were discussed in this session. Hear from people
involved in creating the new wave of socialist media and learn how to
get involved.
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Developing the PSL’s Spanish-language work
Reaching
out to and recruiting Spanish speaking people and immigrants is a
central focus of the PSL today. In Los Angeles and across the country,
members and friends have embarked on a new plan to better engage workers
and students that speak Spanish. Discuss what is happening, what our
ideas are, and how you can become part of this important work.
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Introduction to Socialism
This
class will answer basic questions about socialism and communism,
including: Is Marxism relevant in the 21st century? How do socialists
view the rise and fall of the Soviet Union? Why only socialism can solve the ills of capitalist society and bring about a different world.
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Closing Plenary
Next steps for the socialist movement: Where we go from here
 The goal of the PSL is to organize and
promote struggle, to facilitate
political awareness among the working class and to facilitate the
development of leaders from the working class, from the oppressed
sectors
of society. The closing plenary addresses the PSL’s perspective on the
work ahead of us, and calls for the building of a revolutionary party as
a central task of working-class activists.
• Eugene Puryear,
2008 vice presidential candidate of the PSL
• Nathalie Serrano, New York City
• Ian Thompson, Los Angeles
Watch a video of the session
“A step forward in the class struggle” – Talk by PSL member Ian Thompson
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