Liz Truss Is Exacerbating Britain’s Deep Economic Woes
The British economy is in shambles. Yet new UK prime minister Liz Truss is making things far worse with a disastrous economic policy that does nothing for ordinary workers.
20401 Article(s) by: Alex Press
Australia Must Confront Its Past as a Colonial Power in the Pacific
Anthony Albanese’s Labor government claims that it views Australia’s neighbors in the Pacific as “partners.” For this to be more than hollow rhetoric, Australia must face up to the injustices it has committed as a colonial power in the region.
Direct Action Gets the Goods — Including at the Post Office
I’m a mail carrier in Naples, Florida. When management cut into our Sunday breaks, we walked off the job — and now mail carriers like me across the state have their break back, proving the power of collective action on the job.
“Pro-Refugee” Corporations Are Bankrolling Anti-Immigrant Republicans
Major companies are trying to get good PR by joining a nonprofit that supposedly works to improve the livelihoods of refugees. But those same companies are bankrolling virulently anti-immigrant GOP politicians.
Canadian Labor Cannot Rely on the Goodwill of Politicians
Canadian unions are often weakened by their reliance on the goodwill of the New Democratic Party. The only way to ensure that the New Democrats will advocate for pro-worker policy is for labor to push the party — not the other way around.
Secular Schooling Is Critical to a Functioning Democracy
The US education system is being desecularized as public money floods into private religious schools. This mix of religious conservatism and free-market fundamentalism threatens to unravel public education.
Modern Cities Are Haunted by the Ghost of British Empire
Cities in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are indelibly marked by the British Empire. Imperial outposts, structured in accord with the schemes of long-dead aristocrats, form the foundation for the uncanny architecture of today’s commonwealth capitals.
Gabor Maté: Capitalist Society Is Making Us Physically and Mentally Unwell
World-renowned physician Gabor Maté’s new book examines the profound physical and psychological harms of “normal” capitalist society, which makes a small minority very well-off while sowing illness and despair on a vast scale.
In the WWE, Wrestlers Say Labor Abuses Are Everywhere
The WWE wrestlers who put their bodies through the ringer on a near-nightly basis lack basic control over their work and lives. Many know they need a union — but the barriers to forming one are steep.
In Brazil’s Elections, Bolsonaro’s Far-Right Mass Appeal Proved Durable
Lula da Silva is still favored to win Brazil’s presidency in a second round of voting this month. But a close look at the vote breakdown of the first round reveals that Jair Bolsonaro has built strong pockets of support that aren’t going away anytime soon.
How the Military-Industrial Complex Gets Its Power and Harms Workers, in 6 Graphs
The military-industrial complex generates death and destruction abroad while also harming workers at home: it funds politicians and think tanks, siphons off money from pro-worker programs, and turns the public coffers into a slush fund for war profiteering.
Angela Lansbury Was a Brilliant Actor and a Comrade
Angela Lansbury, who died this week at 96, was a proud socialist who achieved enormous success in film, theater, and TV. Yet her astonishing range was botched by the Hollywood studio system — preventing her movie career from flourishing even more.
Railroad Track Workers Have Rejected Their Proposed Contract
After a tentative agreement between railroad companies and unions was reached earlier this year, political leaders acted like the deal was settled. But thousands of rail workers just voted it down — which could put a national railroad strike back on the table.
Oskar Lange’s Neoclassical Marxism Revealed the Limits of Capitalism
Polish economist Oskar Lange blended Marxist theory with mathematical brilliance to make a vital contribution to neoclassical economics. But his main concern was to demonstrate the inherent flaws of capitalism and the viability of a socialist alternative.
The Worsening US-Saudi Split Could End the Brutal War in Yemen
A series of Saudi snubs against Joe Biden — including its latest move to cut world oil production — could finally accomplish what has been stubbornly hard up to now: ending the US backing of the Saudis’ brutal war against Yemen.
Health Insurers Are Posting Record Profits Thanks to Public Cash
Major US health insurance companies are posting record profits while receiving most of their revenues from the government. But they’re still jacking up prices by double digits while leaving nearly half of the country underinsured or uninsured.
American Political Corruption Is the Worst It’s Been Since the 19th Century
With the proliferation of favor-trading and the use of public office as a stepping stone to lucrative private gigs, America’s political institutions have become as debased and corrupt as they were in the 1800s.
A Good Life Rule for Leftists: Never Talk to the FBI
Being a leftist — or worse, a child of leftists — in the mid-20th century meant constant harassment from the FBI. From my childhood in the 1940s and ’50s through the upheavals of the ’60s, I only told them one thing: take a hike.
Annie Ernaux’s Writing Has Given Dignity to the Lives of the Working Class
Last week, Annie Ernaux won the Nobel Prize in Literature for her courage in interrogating France’s collective memory. Her work has been concerned with the lives of working-class women, which her books have treated with an uncommon dignity and respect.
The Cult of the SAS Is About Britain’s Imperial Delusions
The British media still glorifies the SAS despite revelations about its involvement in war crimes in Afghanistan. There’s a yawning gulf between the force’s macho public image and its true role as a brutal accessory for Britain’s imperial adventures.