Inflation Is About Class Struggle
Inflation is far from being a boring economic concept — it’s a question of who gets what in society, and how much power workers have versus bosses and shareholders.
19274 Articles by: Alex Press
The NHS Is Struggling Because of Years of Austerity
Britain’s National Health Service is in crisis, with sky-high and still-rising waiting lists and huge delays in emergency services. It’s the predictable result of over a decade of Tory-imposed austerity.
A Marxist View of Tolkien’s Middle Earth
J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy world is a medieval utopia with poverty and oppression airbrushed out of the picture. But Tolkien’s work also contains a romantic critique of industrial capitalism that is an important part of its vast popular appeal.
William Longbeard Was England’s First Revolutionary Leader
William Longbeard led a 12th-century revolt in London that forms a key part in the thread of class struggle that runs through English history. He deserves a place of honor in the radical tradition.
The Lie at the Heart of Politicians’ “Job Creation” Rhetoric
When they want to wage war or destroy the planet, American political elites are obsessed with “job creation.” When workers start accruing a modest amount of power, elites demand increased unemployment.
Over the Holidays, Congress Gave the Military an $860 Billion Budgetary Gift
At the end of last year, Joe Biden signed a $1.7 trillion budget bill that gives $1.1 trillion to the Pentagon, police, and prisons, including a whopping $860 billion for the military alone. So much for Build Back Better.
New York Nurses Are on Strike While Medical Executives Are Rolling in Cash
Nurses at two hospitals in New York City are on strike, fighting for wage increases and against chronic understaffing. Meanwhile, executives of these nonprofit institutions are making millions of dollars at the expense of patient care.
We Are Reversing Austerity in London’s Poorest Borough
I became mayor of London’s Tower Hamlets in May 2022. In seven months, I have put local services under public control, given money to poor high school students to continue their education, and proven that austerity is a political choice.
Brazilian Democracy Needs a Strong Response to Bolsonaro’s Far-Right Mobs
Supporters of Jair Bolsonaro went on a rampage in a bid to oust Lula’s newly elected government. The antidemocratic thuggery in Brasília has exposed the authoritarianism of Bolsonaro’s political camp and underlined the need for a decisive fightback.
The Birth of Analytic Philosophy Out of the Spirit of McCarthyism
Analytic philosophy, the hegemonic branch of the discipline in the US, often thinks of itself as above history and politics. But its rise, and its enduring influence, are owed to McCarthyism, which purged radicals from postwar philosophy.
The Speaker Vote Made Republicans Look Weak, but That Won’t Last
Republicans don’t have enough power to pass anything on their own. But they still have plenty of power to cause chaos and, depending on how Democrats react, force terrible budget cuts on the country.
America’s Oldest Railway Union Must Break With Its Right-Wing Past
Why does the US government have the power to break massive union strikes like the one that almost broke out on the railroads last November? Part of the story is a history of conciliatory railway unionism. It’s time to break with that legacy.
Jeremy Corbyn: Brazil’s Insurrection Plotters Are Trying to Destroy Democracy
Last night’s coup attempt in Brazil is not just about Lula, writes Jeremy Corbyn. It’s about the right of the Brazilian people to live in a free, peaceful, democratic society, and a right not to live in fear of returning to a violent, bloody dictatorship.
No, the GOP Has Not Become the Party of Workers
The bare minimum requirement of being a party of workers is to actually support measures that would improve those workers’ lives. By that metric, the GOP has failed over and over again.
Protesters in Peru Are Demanding Change
Peru is now in its third week of protests, triggered by the impeachment of former president Pedro Castillo. The country’s rural poor are decrying his removal and calling for new elections and a constitutional assembly.
Conditions Actually Look Good for Canadian Unions in 2023
A tight labor market, rising inflation, and the usual indignities of capitalist workplaces are emboldening young workers to organize. The result could be a game changer for Canada’s private sector unions.
The Problems With Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying Policy
Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying program seemed like a step forward for choice and dignity. But it is beginning to look like a dystopian end run around the cost of providing social welfare that can beat back the deprivations that make life unbearable.
Degrowth Is Not the Answer to Climate Change
Proponents of degrowth rightly argue that free market capitalism is threatening the planet. But pushing austerity on workers in either the Global South or the Global North is no way to achieve a just, sustainable future.
JROTC Is Preying on Poor Students
A recent string of revelations about abuses by the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps presents an opportunity to rein in the military’s presence and power in public schools.
In Cyprus, Food-Delivery Riders Went on Strike to Be Treated Like Workers
Cyprus’s minimum wage doesn’t apply to students — hurting the young migrants who have to work to pay their university fees. Last month, food-delivery riders went on strike, exposing how student visas force people into casual, low-paid work.