Why I’m going to Socialism 2014

IN A few weeks, I will be making another journey to Chicago for yet another conference. This time, it is the Socialism 2014 conference, put on by the Center for Economic Research and Social Change, and cosponsored by the International Socialist Organization (ISO).

This conference last year was one of the main reasons why I wanted to continue organizing. I had become tired pretty quickly last year around this time. For whatever reason, I was annoyed, burned out and just sick of not being able to turn people out for events, rallies, marches, teach-ins, etc.--until around June 26, 2013, when I became enamored once again by the potentiality of revolution and revolutionary politics.

This conference was everything that I needed. It was unapologetic socialists, with flamboyant rhetoric, amazing sessions and overall just totally inspiring.

I am writing this today, not as a "come to this awesome conference" type of thing. but more as a means to dispel some myths and prove that while a space like this may not be an epicenter of class struggle, it is a crucial part of creating the revolutionary consciousness needed to foment a real working-class struggle.

Some have raised issues with the price of this conference, especially in regards to the lack of gradient price scales--but I assure you the price for Socialism 2014 is 100 percent worth it. One hundred dollars is a bit expensive, not including lodging or travel funds, but Socialism 2014 as an entity will provide a weekend of nonstop learning, skills to organize, networking capital and a safe space to party with feminists, socialists and other radicals.

For example, let's say someone is not going as a radical and doesn't even know what it entails to be a socialist. This conference will provide history lessons not taught in schools, a deeper understanding of politics or a simpler way to think about Marxism. It provides very accessible ways for politically "green" folks to jump right in and learn about numerous topics--unions, imperialism, history, current struggles--without having to leave the comfort of the hotel.

So for anyone brand new to radical thinking or someone years into it, the $100 is mere chump change for the lessons, thoughts and connections that will last a lifetime.

PRICE AND content aside, the necessity of developing a revolutionary consciousness is--in my opinion--one of the most important aspects of building towards working-class struggle, eventually setting the stage for revolution. Revolutionary consciousness, to me, is no longer believing that our system can be fixed, but instead believing that it must be overthrown and replaced by a new system.

To explain "what is consciousness," let's go backwards by explaining the opposite, "unconsciousness." Being unconscious (very simplistically) means that we are unaware of how our systems work around us--instead, we only know what we are taught. Being "conscious" is seeing the world without the rose-tinted glasses, understanding for us in the U.S. that capitalism drums up war for corporations profits, land or resources. Being conscious is not believing that we are in a post-racial society. Being conscious means that you understand that sexual harassment or rape is never the victim's fault.

Those are just a few examples, but they all have one distinction in common: they all challenge and effectively work to dismantle the status quo. All this is to say that, in my opinion, the Socialism conference is by far the best place for new activists to radicalize, for the old guard to not lose their edge and, overall, the best place for people to come together learn about revolutionary politics, and leave with a sense of what it means to be forever entrenched in those politics.

As someone who has only been to one Socialism, it wasn't hard for me to realize that this was the place for me and many others like me. Despite my fear of being teased for not knowing what "historical materialism" meant, or what Marx had to say about wages, or even why capitalism was bad, I was welcomed with open arms from all my Greensboro, N.C., comrades and various others from around the country. It was a very reliving and gratifying feeling.

So before I get a "real job" or have a lot less time on my hands, I want to make sure that every person who can manage it gets to experience what I did.

Yes, the conference was expensive for me as a student, and yes, I knew that going to this conference wouldn't immediately lead to revolution. But at the same time, the people I have met, lessons I have learned and skills I have acquired are undeniably priceless.
Dhruv Pathak, Greensboro, N.C.