Critiquing the “Socialism 2023” Conference: Examining Imperialist Warmongering and Democratic Party Politics

By Better Today On Sep 12, 2023

The “Socialism 2023” conference recently took place in Chicago from September 1 to 4, sponsored by Haymarket Books and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). The event, held under the slogan “Politics. Education. Community,” had a largely bourgeois-academic character, dominated by the self-absorption and reactionary politics of the upper middle class milieu populating the DSA. The conference largely promoted the politics of the Democratic Party, including support for US imperialism and identity politics.

The conference did not address critical issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the political crisis in the US and internationally, the rise of fascism, or the political character of the Biden administration. Instead, these issues were presented through the lens of identity politics. The main aim of the conference was to promote the politics of the Democratic Party, particularly the US-NATO war against Russia and the preparations for war against China. Efforts were also made to promote illusions in the corporatist trade union apparatus, which suppresses the class struggle and subordinates the working class to the war effort.

Two panels on imperialism and war were particularly aimed at shoring up support for the war in Ukraine and regime change in Russia. The first panel, led by former members of the now-defunct International Socialist Organization, promoted the line of the CIA and State Department, arguing for “socialists” to support US imperialism in its conflict with other “imperialist” powers. The second panel, titled “Resisting Russian Imperialism: Ukraine’s Struggle for Self-Determination,” advocated for expanding the war in Ukraine and called for unlimited military support for the escalation of the war.

Support for imperialist war was connected to the promotion of “reform” factions of the trade union bureaucracy. One panel focused on building a democratic rank-and-file caucus in the United Auto Workers (UAW), aimed at suppressing the class struggle and subordinating the working class to the ruling class’s war policy. The panel promoted UAW President Shawn Fain, who is currently working with the Biden administration to block a strike of Big 3 autoworkers. The panel expressed concerns about the limited influence of the UAWD and its inability to contain and suppress the growing class struggle.

Overall, the “Socialism 2023” conference in Chicago served as a platform for promoting the politics of the Democratic Party and supporting US imperialism. The event largely ignored critical issues and instead focused on identity politics and bourgeois-academic discussions. The panels on imperialism and war aimed to garner support for the war in Ukraine and regime change in Russia, while also promoting the interests of the trade union bureaucracy. The conference demonstrated the reactionary politics of the upper middle class milieu within the DSA and its alignment with the Democratic Party.