The socialist candidate for the U.S. presidency spoke at UCF Wednesday to discuss social, economic and political issues, socialism and what he believes is the imminent fall of capitalism in the U.S.

Brian Moore of Socialist Party USA was invited to speak by Jay Jurie, an assistant professor of public administration and the faculty adviser to Students for a Democratic Society at UCF. Jurie said he asked Moore to speak to expose UCF to a different point of view.

"Especially with voices who may not get heard very well out there in the mainstream media, the university offers kind of a platform where those lesser-heard voices can be brought out," Jurie said.

CodePink UCF, the campus chapter of the women-oriented, anti-war organization, co-sponsored the event with SDS. Amanda Mailey, a junior majoring in interdisciplinary studies, is a member of CodePink and welcomed Moore's anti-war perspective.

"I think that a lot of people here are against the war," Mailey said. "I just want them to know how the Socialists feel about the war."

Moore said he has been a peace activist since the Vietnam War, and formed the Nature Coast Coalition for Peace and Justice in west central Florida in 2002.

He found a home for his views regarding peace in Socialist Party USA, which advocates the eradication of nuclear programs and gross reductions to the military. Moore has been with the party for a year-and-a-half.

Moore campaigns for a classless society, with universal health care, housing and individual incomes of more than $35,000. He said in such a society, penalties would be set against those who violate either the sharing or labor aspects the socialist system.

But he doesn't believe such radical change is going to occur through his actions. Rather, he said during his speech, that such radical change would occur through revolution.

"We believe that we will not change the system electorally," Moore said. "We believe ultimately that there will be a confrontation between the workers and the owners."

He said that without radical change, unrest resulting from a capitalistic system will lead to the collapse of the country and the rise of a dictator.

"What happens when that occurs is you have anarchy," he said. "And then you have a white knight on a horse that comes in and that could be a right wing dictator or a left wing dictator."

After Moore finished his presentation, the floor was open to questions. The students of differing political ideologies challenged Moore's socialist views and each others', initiating a conversational dialogue with the candidate.

Benjamin Collard, a senior business and legal studies major, attended to debate Moore.

"We're all forced into this collectivism," Collard said, who calls himself an objectivist, which is similar to libertarianism. "It doesn't benefit everybody."

Moore said he hopes to make it on 20 state ballots. Florida, which Moore said is one of the easiest states, calls for a party to justify its existence to be included on the presidential ballot. Moore needs 27 registered Socialist Party members to agree to be electors and file the necessary paperwork. At press time he had 16 electors, and said he expects to gain the rest by the end of the week.

Jurie said he hopes that attendees will consider third parties when they vote in November.

"I want for people to vote their conscience, no matter who that is or what that's for," he said. "You have one point of view or two points of view like we have now and you're starting to stifle creativity."

 

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