Democratic Socialists Holds First-Ever Rust Belt Conference in Pittsburgh

A new beginning in Pittsburgh.

The Democratic Socialists of America will have several chapters in Pittsburgh this weekend for its first ever Rust Belt Conference.

The DSA has been promoting the event through social media for some time now.

 


The Pittsburgh chapter of the DSA is looking forward to the exchange of ideas between different areas in the rust-belt.

“What do places like Buffalo, Cincinnati, Detroit, and Pittsburgh have in common? What differentiates us?” said Adam Shunk, interim communications coordinator for Pittsburgh DSA. “Rather than an event with big keynote speeches, the conference is made up of a variety of different workshops, organized and facilitated by DSA members from around the region—from trainings on digital organizing or electoral campaign-building, to workshops on building socialism in rural communities, to conversations about lead poisoning, tenants’ rights, and abortion access in the Rust Belt.”

Four Democratic Socialist candidates, all women, won state house primaries in Pennsylvania.

Two of the four candidates, Summer Lee and Sara Innamorato, were endorsed by the Pittsburgh DSA. The other two candidates who launched successful primaries, Elizabeth Fiedler and Kristin Seale, were supported by the Philadelphia DSA.

The Republican Party of Pennsylvania blasted the upcoming gathering.

“Democratic socialists support a radical agenda that seeks to take away individual freedom in the name of principles that would cause a self-claimed ‘ ‘massive redistribution of income,” said Party Chairman Val DiGiorgio. “Socialist values and concepts, which would do no less than deprive individuals the freedom of prosperity and implement a system of massive government control of earnings, have no place in  an American society that values the ability of the individual, liberty, and entrepreneurial spirit.”

He also referenced America’s efforts in the Cold War as reason to oppose the conference.   

The DSA has 47,000 members nationwide, according to Tribune Review. There are 150 delegates expected at this weekend’s meeting from as far as Syracuse to Bloomington, Indiana. The event is not open to the public.

12 Responses

  1. DSA is plain and simple UnAmerican. Cortez is an idiot who knows nothing about foreign policy, economics or…life. This country was built on the freedom from government oppression to practice whatever means of income, religious freedom, etc. that you would like. To force people into a system that takes more of your income than you get to enjoy yourself, limits their mobility and job prospects and everything else? NAH I’M GUCCI.

    The radical failures of candidates like Third Place Fetterman will be felt in November. PA will reject socialism. If you’d like, move to a country that supports it.

  2. Congrats comrades! After watching the left in my nation roll over and play dead (in order to “compromise”), while our environment and morals evaporated, in the name of a small few and shrinking insatiably greedy taking everything, it appears someone is fighting back. I had let membership lapse in 2016. I shall get my check out tonight. Thank you all!

  3. DSA is FDR IN 2018. You have a problem with that, DSA Parent? Of course you do. But you’ll collect your social security and Medicare when you are of age. And you’ll scream for the Government to keep its hands off your Medicare. You want to be on your own … until you need help. Then you’ll take all the help you can get. That help is called socialism. We’re all in this together.

    All the DSA advocates is that workers should be able to own their own business, rather than work as serfs for someone else. Do you have a problem with that? Then you object to employee-owned businesses such as UPS ThermoTwin Windows. They’re not perfect but it’s a start.

    1. Why don’t you people start your own businesses and hand them over to your employees? Start small with a coffee shop and build from there. You seem to think owning and running a business is easy, so you should have no trouble at all.

      1. Ever hear of employee stock ownership plans? ESOPs are an effective way to give employees a direct stake in the profitability of a business. Labor’s share of corporate income has been dropping since Reagan’s days. Look at the country now.

        1. Great, start your own ESOP company! Being a business owner is super easy. Be generous with your own company.

  4. Dsa members are seriously messed up. I’ve heard people compare their values to Nordic European countries, but in reality the only similarities are calls for a generous welfare state. DSA members refer to themselves as ‘comrades’ and want to control private sector business. These do nothing losers who have never accomplished a thing in their sad lives are basically angry communists living in their parents basements who have never held a real job.

    Hey DSA losers, start your businesses and be generous with your own money. They get all proud of themselves when the fix a few tail lights for free. A big bunch of do nothing hypocrites.

    1. Sick ad hominems, bro. Sounds like you’ve heard the Fox news summary of DSA. I would suggest you actually take a look at what they stand for, but I doubt you’d be able to open your mind even a fraction of the amount most people are capable of.

      1. The Fox echo chamber is the most dangerous of all. Followers don’t think. They are used as pawns. Fox’s so-called “reporters” are only conservative, right-winged zealots with only a handful of legitimate journalists interspersed in a lame attempt to mask their brazen efforts to spread falsehoods and peddle propaganda. Not crazy about MSNBC but they – at least – report both sides of an issue as legitimate reporters are supposed to do!

      2. Ad hominem doesn’t mean it’s not true.

        You go be as generous as you want with your own money. Pittsburgh DSA is whiter than a Portland brunch. You all live in the whitest neighborhoods you can afford. You’re all hypocritical losers living in the safety and luxury of the society that capitalism created.

        Again, start your own businesses and go be as generous as you want with your own money.

    2. I feel bad for any child that has you as a parent. What a miserable human being to call your own child a loser for their political views. You are a sad, pitiable individual and every child deserves better than you.

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