Alex Bainbridge, Chicago
The packed out "Rally against war and empire" was the highlight of the Socialism 2005 conference, held here on July 1-4. The 1000-strong conference was organised by the International Socialist Organisation (ISO) — the largest revolutionary socialist group in the United States.
The rally featured six speakers — any one of whom by themselves would have made for an inspiring, moving and memorable event. Among those who spoke were Camilo Mejia (the first US soldier to be jailed for refusing to serve in Iraq) and Victor Paredes (brother of Pablo Paredes, similarly convicted for refusing to fight in Iraq).
Also speaking was Cindy Corrie, the mother of US solidarity activist Rachel Corrie who was murdered in 2003 by the Israeli military as she stood in front of a bulldozer to defend a Palestinian family's house from demolition. For the last two years, Cindy Corrie has travelled the world building support for the Palestinian people.
Greetings from Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena were read out by a colleague, Sergio Finardi, from the left-wing Il Manifesto newspaper. (Sgrena was unable to attend in person because she is still recovering from the injuries she received when US soldiers fired on her in Iraq after she was released by their Iraqi captors.)
The tone of the rally was set from the beginning as ISO members led the assembled participants in spirited rendition of chants including, "We support war resisters, they're our brothers, they're our sisters"; "Can we win it? Yes we can! Free abortion on demand!"; "Gay, straight, black, white, marriage is a civil right"; and "From Iraq to Palestine, occupation is a crime".
The issues of the war, abortion rights and same-sex marriage were not raised accidentally. These are some of the key issues around which the Democratic Party (and those sections of the left that are follow the Democrats' political lead) are actively stifling mass, fighting campaigns.
The ISO has emerged as one of the key organisations on the US left that is resisting the pressure to fall in behind an increasingly right-wing Democratic Party under the rationale of supporting "Anybody But Bush" (ABB). Others include the Greens for Democracy and Independence (GDI — a left-wing current within the US Greens) and the individuals behind the Counterpunch magazine and website.
"There is no doubt that the last six months have been difficult politically", leading ISO member Ahmed Shawki told Green Left Weekly, referring to the "enormous pressure" of the ABB campaign.
The GDI was well represented at the conference — a refection of the increasing practical collaboration among the non-ABB left.
Left-wing Greens leader Peter Camejo spoke at the rally against war and empire and at two other workshop sessions as well. Prominent GDI member Howie Hawkins also spoke at one of the workshops with Camejo and at the closing rally on "Building the Left Alternative".
The conference included some 120 workshop sessions, with up to 12 workshops running at any one time. Popular sessions would attract up to 200 people and topics were varied.
In both of the workshops he presented, Camejo was asked about the relationship between his involvement in the Greens and the struggle for socialism. He responded by arguing that convinced socialists should join a socialist organisation, but that this socialist current should also be part of the Greens.
He advocated that ISO members seek endorsement to run in elections on a Green platform (without hiding their socialist affiliation), with the understanding that the Greens are a multi-tendency party and that any attempt to foist a socialist program on the Greens would amount to socialists "capturing ourselves".
From Green Left Weekly, July 13, 2005.
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