Held September 27, 2018 at Oregon State University. Moderated by Andony Melathopoulos.

Speakers (in order):

- Mika Goodwin - Democratic Socialists of America (Corvallis)
- Paige Kreisman - Communist Party of Oregon (CPUSA)
- Douglas Lain - publishing manager Zero Books, author of Bash Bash Revolution 
- Christopher Nichols - History Department, OSU, author of Promise and Peril: America at the Dawn of a Global Age

Panel Description:

The term ‘socialism’ appears to be enjoying a resurgence of public interest - both favorably where it is self-prescribed and pejoratively where it is meant to degrade the respectability of public figures. From early 2016 at the height of Bernie Sanders's campaign for the Democratic Party nomination to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s victory over Joe Crowley in June, the term ‘socialism’ appears to be gaining some level of purchase and a whole lot of press. In many instances, ‘socialism’ is commingled with terms as varied as ‘social democratic’, ‘communist’, ‘marxist’, ‘anarchist’, etc. As such, we view this is as an opportune moment to ask, “what is socialism after all?” What do public figures mean when they identify as socialists or any one of its varied strains? What do their opponents think it means? What does it mean and what can it mean? And perhaps, most important of all, what did it mean in the past?

In den letzten Jahren haben sich viele linke Aktivisten und Theoretiker mit der Wohnungsfrage, der damit zusammenhängenden Veränderung der Städte und den steigenden Mieten auseinandergesetzt. Ein Großteil der Aktivität richtet sich gegen Gentrifizierung und versucht bestehende politische Parteien dazu zu bewegen, in Sozialenwohnungsbau zu investieren und die Mietsteigerungen zu bremsen.

Seit Friedrich Engels in den 1840ern die Lebens- und Wohnbedingungen der englischen Arbeiterklasse untersucht hat, haben politische Veränderungen im Kapitalismus zu unterschiedlichen Formen von staatlicher Wohnungspolitik geführt. Dennoch bleibt die Wohnungskrise im Kapitalismus ungelöst.

Wie sind die politischen Kämpfe der Vergangenheit und Gegenwart - für bessere Wohnungen und eine gerechtere Stadtplanung, gegen Neoliberalismus und Gentrifizierung – einzuordnen? Wie könnten sie heute den Kampf für Sozialismus und das Streben nach Freiheit vorantreiben?

Mietentscheid Frankfurt - Andreas Schindel
Exit - Herbert Böttcher
Solidarisches Gallus - Ivo Eichhorn
Interventionistische Linke (IL) - Rolf Engelke

Held on September 8, 2018 at New York University. Moderated by Wentai Xiao.

Panelists:

- A.M. Gittlitz, contributor to the New Inquiry and co-host of the Antifada Podcast
- John Garvey, Editor of Insurgent Notes
- Richard Wolin, Professor of History at the CUNY Graduate Center

Description:

The term ‘socialism’ appears to be enjoying a resurgence of public interest - both favorably where it is self-prescribed and pejoratively where it is meant to degrade the respectability of public figures. From early 2016 at the height of Bernie Sanders's campaign for the Democratic Party nomination to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s victory over Joe Crowley in June, the term ‘socialism’ appears to be gaining some level of purchase and a whole lot of press. In many instances, ‘socialism’ is commingled with terms as varied as ‘social democratic’, ‘communist’, ‘marxist’, ‘anarchist’, etc. As such, we view this is as an opportune moment to ask, “what is socialism after all?” What do public figures mean when they identify as socialists or any one of its varied strains? What do their opponents think it means? What does it mean and what can it mean? And perhaps, most important of all, what did it mean in the past?