Socialist Party USA at Glasgow Socialism 2010

Eric Chester from the Socialist Party of the United States addressed an international rally at Socialism 2010 organised as part of the SSP's annual Socialism events. Frances Curran introducing said "He has stood out against the stream (not an easy thing to do in America) with the Socialist Party. He has also campaigned for support for Cuba and against the blockade of Cuba, not an easy thing to do in America." After conveying socialist greetings from his party Eric describes the US Socialist party as a pluralist, multi-tendency party like the SSP. It is a socialist feminist party which stands firmly outside the two party system. The Democratic Party on the other hand is a capitalist party funded generously by capitalists to the tune of 100's of millions of dollars and it promotes capitalist policies. The Socialists feel that as long as working class people continue to vote for the Democrats there is no hope for working class people. There needs to be a break with the Democratic Party. The election of Obama created a lot of illusions. The election of an African-American after a 250 year history of slavery was a significant break and Obama's rhetoric was about a need for change but what change? People hoped for progressive change but after a year there has been little change and it is business as usual. No sign of troops leaving Afghanistan which is in a state of semi-permanent occupation. There are the same scare stories about Iran as there were about Iraq before the invasion, the same kind of upping of the ante. It is very possible that the US will start attacking soon. The US has a military budget higher than any other in the world and Obama keeps increasing it. A trillion dollars have been spent bailing out banks, and now Obama says there is no money for social services, social service funding is frozen, there are more cuts in social service spending. In no way have the Democrats ever brought or are going to bring real change. They are all working for the capitalist class. The Socialist Party recognises that the US is facing an economic downturn not seen since the 30's. There is high unemployment and also an environmental crisis, but Obama is not doing anything about that either. The gap between the rich and the poor is widening. Capitalism is facing a whole series of crises and there is no way out except socialism, and it is needed soon or else there will be catastrophe. The same applies to this country. There is no way to reform the system and it has to be done on a worldwide scale, not just one country. There has to be a world-wide movement with total independence from the capitalist parties like the Labour Party. Socialism is not something in the distant future but something that is needed now and it's a high priority to develop international networks and do joint projects.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Socialism
• 2010
• international
• rally
• Eric
• Chester
• Socialist
• Party
• United
• States
• US
• America
• SSP
• Scotland
• Community
• Central
• Halls
• Maryhill
• Glasgow

[waldbube]

Haha, this guy has stolen his hair from Marx...

U.S.A. needs Socialism or it will soon go down

greetings from Switzerland

[jollygreengiant1415]

@waldbube I'm an American and I agree with you. We need more socialism in this nation if people want to live fairly. We ultimately need a multiparty system in the US for anything to be done. I really hope people start getting behind this idea instead of a two party system.

[YoungRapper700]

@waldbube Your a huge dumbass, Socialism almost never works out. Look how well Russia did. With a Socialist country. You ALWAYS go broke.

[Dantmos89]

A liberal is a man who is willing to spend somebody else's money.

-Carter Glass

Fuck socialists, the only people that need taking care of by the government are the elderly, children, vets, and the special ed. Everyone else needs to get a fucking job and stop wanting fucking handouts, fuck socialism and fuck all of you fuckers that want to take part of a paycheck from hardworking men and women and give it to fucking lazy pieces of shit.

[TheDolfan1972]

@Stickmodee Nazi germany was not a bolshevic type socialist state, it was totalitarian fascism. The rest of the countries you mentioned are not a socialist democracies, they are under a totalitarian communist system or dictatorship, if you will. Examples of democratic socialists states are Sweden, Amsterdam and up to a level, Canada. I agree that communism does not work, neither does fascism. God bless the USA.

[raiderline65]

@waldbube wow...good thing nobody asked your swiss ass...mind your own business

[CAMERONisaEUROPHILE]

These aren't socialists,this guy thinks Obama is too conservative for gods sake,he wants to end capitalism and replace it with presumably Soviet style "socialism".These people are from the extreme Marxist/Leninist left.Dangerous political parties like these should be treated with the same disdain as neonazi parties,they are extremely dangerous.Im sure West Germany outlawed nazi and communist parties after WW2,and for good reason they are two sides of the same evil fascist totalitarian coin.

[Dcrfreeman]

all of these ignorant people have no idea what socialism is. we are not the nazi party. and we are not communists. we are socialists and so was jesus!

[jollygreengiant1415]

@Stickmodee I see you got a great education under that there skull of yours, boy.

[Stickmodee]

@jollygreengiant1415 You are not an American. You need to move to Europe, cunt. I agree the 2 party system in US is corrupt. Socialism is not the answer. It is slavery to the state. Freedom works. America is the best chance for humanity on this planet. no one is risking their lives to sneak into China. Freedom is the solution to the human condition.

[Stickmodee]

Godless socialism in this past century has cuased more deaths, murders, and human suffering than any other system throughout human history. Look at Nazi Germany, Communist China, The USSR, Cambodia, Cuba, etc. Everywhwer it is tried, it fails. It destroys the human spirit, the family, the will to achieve. I say to socialists everywhere... FUCK YOU. Freedom works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!