20401 Article(s) by: Alex Press
Scottish Nationalism Is on the Ropes After the UK Election
The Scottish National Party suffered a heavy defeat in last week’s Westminster election. The result leaves Scotland trapped for now inside a British state whose deep-seated problems the new Labour government will be unable to address.
France’s New Popular Front Has Won a Historic Victory
The French election was meant to bring victory for Marine Le Pen’s far right. But the New Popular Front rallied around a left-wing program for social change — allowing it to become the biggest force in the new National Assembly.
We’re in a Class War. Jane McAlevey Actually Acted Like It.
No one believed in and embodied the labor movement’s transformative power more than organizer, strategist, and writer Jane McAlevey.
Back to the Stone Age: The Uses and Abuses of Prehistory
Stefanos Geroulanos argues in The Invention of Prehistory that the scientific investigation of human origins fueled Western racism and colonialism. Yet his heightened sensitivity to the political abuses of prehistory introduces exaggerations of its own.
Yes, Profits Have Risen With Prices
That unbelievably expensive grocery bill? Turns out there’s a simple explanation: a new report in Canada finds that corporate profits have doubled since before the outbreak of the pandemic.
Emmanuel Macron Is Using the Far Right to Bolster His Power
Since his first presidential campaign in 2017, Emmanuel Macron has presented himself as the only barrier to chaos. But this snap election has shown how much Macron has helped build up the far-right threat in order to entrench his own power.
Canadian Airline Mechanics’ Defiant Strike Has Paid Off
Against orders from Justin Trudeau’s government, WestJet mechanics went on strike. Their actions secured substantial wage gains and a resounding victory for workers’ rights.
Colombia Is Uncovering Right-Wing Militias’ Mass Graves
Recently, Colombia discovered mass graves in a cemetery over 150 years old in the city of Cúcuta. The bodies, many of which were smuggled into the graveyard this century, reveal unpleasant connections between right-wing militias, business, and the state.
Bolivia’s Divided Left Is at Risk of Losing Power
A clumsy, short-lived coup last month couldn’t bring Bolivia’s discredited conservative forces back to power. But the divide between Luis Arce and Evo Morales over the legacy of the Movement for Socialism could give those forces a bigger opening.
Biden’s Other Big Liability: Not Speaking to Economic Pain
If the president’s catastrophic debate performance didn’t sink his reelection chances, his deeply flawed campaign strategy likely will. Cost-of-living issues dominate voter concerns, but Biden’s 2024 campaign isn’t geared toward voters’ material interests.
Workers Need New Heat Protections Immediately
The Biden administration has proposed a desperately needed new heat standard to protect workers from scorching temperatures. Expect business groups to oppose it.
Biden Stepping Down Would Be a Chance for a Democratic Reset
In all but abandoning populist economic rhetoric, the Democratic Party is going the wrong way toward November’s elections. Biden’s stepping down from the reelection campaign could give Democrats an opportunity to change course.
Democracy Requires Disempowering the Supreme Court
New rulings on presidential immunity, workers’ rights, and Chevron deference make it clear: we can have social progress, or we can have a powerful Supreme Court, but we can’t have both.
Keir Starmer Already Faces a Real Challenge From the Left
The British Labour Party won a big majority of seats with a puny vote share after the Conservatives self-destructed. But Keir Starmer’s lurch to the right has created a space for Greens and left-wing independents like Jeremy Corbyn to win support.
France’s Far Right Has Rich Backers, and for Good Reason
Not all French business elites look favorably on the rise of Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National. But tech bosses, fossil fuel magnates, and “alternative finance” chiefs see plenty to like in its program — and they’re putting their support behind it.
Taking Up the American Revolution’s Egalitarian Legacy
Despite its failures and limitations, the American Revolution unleashed popular aspirations to throw off tyranny of all kinds. Reviving that legacy today means challenging the arbitrary power of employers.
Stop Using Jews to Launder Marine Le Pen’s Image
France’s establishment increasingly presents “Islamo-leftists” as the number-one source of antisemitism while whitewashing the far right. A French Jewish activist explains why it is dangerous to counterpose the defense of Jews with that of other minorities.