Tag: socialists

Woke Socialists’ Labor Rhetoric Falls Flat as Attendees of Socialism 2026 Conference Happily Enter Hotel Staffed by Union Workers Without a Contract

Socialists are all about “the worker,” right? That is what they spout again and again.  So the irony of what is happening at the Socialism 2026 conference being held this weekend in Chicago is rich and lays bare the labor rhetoric vs. how champagne socialists actually behave.

The communist, Mao Zedong-loving influencer Hasan Piker is a featured speaker at the event.

The gathering is endorsed by groups including the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Organized Communities Against Deportations, and the Black Rose Anarchist Federation.

While good little Bolsheviks entered the venue to plan the demise of the American way of life, they walked right into a hotel where union workers have been working without a contract since midnight on September 1.

The annual conference, sponsored by Haymarket Books and other co-sponsors, is a weekend full of Marxism, Palestine cheerleading, ICE bashing, climate handwringing, and, of course, performative conversations about the labor force. This year’s event is being held at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place with about 2,600 registered.

The same weekend, UNITE HERE Local 1 hotel workers at 46 Chicago hotels, representing more than 7,000 people workers, have been working without a contract since midnight on September 1. The union marched on Michigan Avenue on September 2 and said they could strike at any time.

Holding a socialist conference inside a Hyatt, tied to Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s (D) family during an active citywide hotel contract fight doesn’t say much about how seriously the socialists take their fight for worker’s rights.

Keep reading

CRAZY TOWN: Masked Woman at ‘Socialism 2026 Conference’ in Chicago Explains Why Fitness is Fascist

Socialists are currently attending the ‘Socialism 2026 Conference’ in Chicago and there are dozens of insane videos from the event that are already going viral on social media.

In this one, a masked woman explains why socialists must reject the idea of fitness, because to do otherwise would play right into the hands of fascists. Is this some sort of bizarre reaction to RFK Jr. and MAHA? No one would be surprised.

You will notice that this woman is masked. In 2026. In fact, it looks like almost everyone at this event is wearing masks. These are the people who loved the Covid-19 lockdowns. They’re pining for the return of those glory days.

Partial transcript via Stu Smith:

“The More Dysgenic, the Better”: Beatrice Adler-Bolton Says the Left Must Give Up the “Fantasy of Being Fitter Than the Fascists”

At Socialism 2026, Adler-Bolton argues that “fitness is a measure of relative disposability under capitalism” and says the goal should not be to become “more useful to the ruling order.”

She says the left should not try to beat fascists “at their own game” by becoming “fitter, more eugenic.”

“In fact, the more dysgenic, the better, I think.”

She closes by arguing that revolution is not “a contest between optimized and properly prepared bodies” and that the very idea is itself fascist.

Keep reading

2026 Chicago Socialism Conference Features Covid Masking Requirements

The 2026 Chicago Socialism Conference is requiring all attendees to wear N-95 or K-95 masks – and organizers will provide them for those without.

A description on the conference website adds:

“Please note: this requirement applies only to formal conference spaces and sessions—attendees should be aware of the possibility that attendees will be unmasked elsewhere in the conference hotel (or beyond) where they may informally congregate.”

Attendees are encouraged to test themselves for Covid ahead of time, and free tests will also be available on site.

The conference, which begins on Friday, will host a number of socialist speakers including Hasan Piker and DSA president Megan Romer.

In an about section, the conferences states “Socialism 2026 is a four-day conference bringing together thousands of socialists and radical activists from around the country to take part in discussions about social movements, abolition, Marxism, decolonization, working-class history, and the debates and strategies for organizing today.”

Continuing, it states, “Every year, the Socialism conference is a place where activists share lessons from their struggles—from anti-ICE organizing to the fight for gender liberation, from striking workers to Palestine solidarity campaigns, the struggle to stop the destruction of the planet, the fight against racism, and more.”

A conference agenda lists a number of programs including a “Marxism Education Series,” “Reproductive Justice Strategy Session,” “Sing, Struggle, Organize: Movement Songs, Political Education, and Collective Power,” and “Abolition Judaism: The Revolutionary Possibilities of Diaspora.”

Sponsors of the conference includes the DSA and the Palestinian Youth Movement among many other radical left organizations.

A code of conduct for the conference says they are committed to “uplifting and centering the voices and organizations of oppressed people and we know that interpersonal harm and harassment are pervasive in our society, and the left is not immune to these behaviors.”

Continuing, they state, “Our goal is to have a conflict- and crisis-free conference, and we are committed to working to de-escalate and resolve any problems that may arise.”

What is not clear from the code of conduct is whether the calls of political violence from Piker or other featured speakers violates the code of conduct or if threats towards conservatives and Republicans are allowed.

Tickets for the full conference range from $250 to $500 but if you identify as a student or low income, a subsidized option at $65 is also available.

Keep reading