This past May, Socialist Alternative, publishers of Justice newspaper, held our 10th National Conference. Over 70 Socialist Alternative members attended the three-day event in Minneapolis. They injected the conference with a mood of vigor and enthusiasm, reflecting the excellent growth the organization has had since its last conference. Representatives of the Committee for a Workers International (CWI the international socialist organization with sections in over 35 countries, with which Socialist Alternative is in political solidarity) also were in attendance.
Elected delegates, representing all of the organizations branches from across the country, participated in democratic discussions and decisions on topics including current political developments, perspectives for the coming period, and our program. At the conference, we drew political lessons from recent developments and then used this analysis to plan our work for the next year and beyond.
The main discussions held were on world relations and the historic crisis facing U.S. imperialism in Iraq, immigration and the class struggle, the U.S. political situation, the fast-approaching 2008 presidential election, reports of the CWIs work internationally, strategies and tactics for building Socialist Alternative, and improving our finances. The conference elected a new National Committee, which regularly meets to carry out conference decisions, discuss new developments, and guide the work of the organization between conferences.
The conference concluded that the radicalization of U.S. society, particularly young people, continues to gather speed. The situation in Iraq grows worse by the day. The coming economic slowdown will have a major impact on consciousness, while the fast-widening wealth gap, the healthcare crisis, and other attacks are preparing major eruptions of class struggle. This was shown already by the huge immigrant rights protests last year.
With the Democrats now in control of Congress, their acquiescence to Bush by voting to carry on with funding the Iraq war will result in larger layers of workers and young people searching for a left-wing, working-class alternative. And with the upcoming presidential election promising to be the most expensive, corporatized one yet, growing numbers will be searching for ideas that can break the corporate stranglehold on politics.
All of these developments will present Socialist Alternative with significant opportunities to build the socialist movement in the U.S., but also with enormous responsibilities. We also began planning two major campaigns: a national student walkout against the Iraq war in the fall, and running a Socialist Alternative member for Boston city council in 2007 on a working-class, socialist platform.