Chicago

Our response to COVID-19 has to emphasise that nobody is expendable, and the needs and lives of vulnerable people, the poor and oppressed are more important than corporate profits, writes Isaac Silver.

Green Left’s Alex Bainbridge speaks to Isaac Silver, a Democratic Socialists of America member in Chicago involved in Bernie Sanders’ campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.

New red-green electoral alliances, a turn to ecosocialism and a deepening of the US International Socialist Organization's rethink on feminism were key features of its well-attended Socialism 2014 conference in Chicago. The gap between rich and poor in the US is large and growing. It has sparked a popular campaign for a minimum wage of US$15 an hour for low-paid workers, and in defence of jobs of teachers and other social service providers.
The Socialism 2013 conference took place in Chicago from over 27-30, organised by the International Socialist Organization (ISO). The conference has been going for more than two decades, bringing together activists to exchange and debate ideas. A highlight was the session with investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald, who has been publishing the leaks of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. The feature talk was the first detailed speech Greenwald had given on his Earth-shaking work with Snowden ― who remains on the run from US authorities.