The Arguments Against Student Debt Forgiveness Are All Bunk
There are very good reasons the US government should forgive student loan debt — not just for the debtors themselves, but for working-class people without college degrees too.
20378 Article(s) by: Alex Press
Littering Ukraine With Cluster Bombs Is Not Solidarity
Cluster bombs are banned by most of the world, US allies are opposed to their use, and Russia was widely condemned for deploying them over the last year. So why is the Biden administration sending them to Ukraine?
Adam Pickets Everything
During the ongoing Hollywood writers’ strike, comedy writer Adam Conover has been a constant presence on picket lines and on social media, explaining what’s at stake for strikers and how the union plans to win. We spoke to him about the strike.
RIP Alan Arkin, Hollywood’s Last Brilliant Mensch
Actor, director, musician, and certified New York “red diaper baby” Alan Arkin (1934–2023) was the rare Hollywood talent whose onscreen genius grew out of his own innate warmth and kindness.
Socialism Can Help Contain Humanity’s Worst Impulses and Encourage Our Best
Many critics of socialism claim that our nature as humans is too flawed and selfish for socialism to work. They’re getting things exactly backward. We need socialism to protect against human cruelty and encourage human kindness.
An Asian Clone of the IMF Won’t Solve Global Inequality
An Asian challenger to the International Monetary Fund has garnered support from China. But without a radical departure from the existing neoliberal model, more of the same international development financing isn’t the answer.
Boots Riley’s I’m a Virgo Is a Blast of Fresh Air
I’m a Virgo is a superhero satire about a 13-foot-tall black teenager making his way in Oakland. It’s far more wild and surprising than almost anything we normally see on TV.
The Luddites Were Onto Something
England’s Luddites are often dismissed as kooky technophobes. In reality, theirs was a gutsy pre-Marxist workers’ movement that prioritized people and nature over private property.
Nelson Lichtenstein on a Half-Century of American Class Struggle
Labor historian Nelson Lichtenstein reflects on his long life and career, including Berkeley in the 1960s, Walter Reuther and the early UAW, Walmart, Bill Clinton, and much more.
After More Than Two Years, Canada’s Longest Active Strike Is Still Going Strong
The owners of a Vancouver hotel cashed in millions from government programs and then fired over 140 workers. The workers fought back, and now their labor dispute has surpassed the two-year mark, marking it as Canada’s longest ongoing strike.
Flanders Was the Epicenter of Class Conflict in Medieval Europe
During the late medieval period, Flanders experienced a wave of social protest and rebellion by artisans and peasants that had no parallel elsewhere in Europe. It’s a vital case study for anyone interested in the history of class conflict.
In New York State, Socialists Have Won a Landmark Victory for Green Jobs and Clean Public Power
This spring, socialists and allies in New York State passed legislation empowering the state to build renewable energy and create tens of thousands of good jobs. It can serve as a model for starting to build the Green New Deal at the state level across the US.
Mass Politics Will Win Palestinian Freedom
Guerilla armed struggle alone won’t accomplish the goals of Palestinian liberation, says longtime Palestinian leftist Issam Aruri. Strikes, demonstrations, and an organized movement of millions are the key to ending Israeli occupation.
France’s Fast-Track Courts Are Taking Revenge on Suburbs That Rioted
Last week’s rioting in France saw over 3,600 arrests, including 1,100 minors. Courts are already handing out long jail sentences to supposed culprits — answering the political demand for vengeance even as the suburbs’ plight goes ignored.
Jenin Was the First Victim of Israeli Apartheid
Israel’s recent bloody attack on Jenin is the latest in a long-standing attempt to pacify a Palestinian town that refuses to bow to Israeli occupation and apartheid.
Iran’s Rulers Have Contained the Protest Movement, but the System Is Far From Stable
The Iranian leadership has managed to contain the biggest protest wave since the 1979 revolution. De-escalation of geopolitical tensions with the US would help the protesters, making it harder to depict domestic dissent as the product of foreign interference.
The Corporate Takeover of Canadian News Media Is Accelerating
Canada’s beleaguered news media teeters on disaster as two media behemoths prepare to merge. The merger would intensify the concentration of power in the hands of predatory capitalists and imperil unbiased journalism in the country.
“Pro-Worker Conservatism” Has Only Empty Gestures for Workers
The “pro-worker” conservatism of Sohrab Ahmari has a critique of neoliberalism. But for all its ridiculing of the establishment, it has no real solutions to decades of attacks on labor.
The Child Labor of Early Capitalism Is Making a Big Comeback in the US
Child labor was common in urban, industrial America for most of the country’s history. It’s now making a disturbing comeback: lawmakers across the US are undertaking concerted efforts to weaken or repeal statutes that prohibit employing children.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon: We’re in Danger Because the Government No Longer Controls the Police
Emmanuel Macron’s party has accused an “incendiary” left of stirring up violent protests after the police murder of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk. For left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the problem is the government’s failure to rein in unaccountable police.