The Bernie Sanders Origin Story, Part 1
In the first part of an ongoing series covering Bernie Sanders’ time as mayor of Burlington, we look at Sanders’ years in the wilderness and the circumstances that made his rise possible.
19109 Articles by: Alex Press
Something Frightening Is Happening in British Politics
This election campaign has marked a grim milestone in British political history: a pathological liar in Downing Street, Boris Johnson, has run a campaign in which all standards of honesty and accuracy have been tossed aside — and a ferociously partisan media has done everything it can to cover it up.
We Should Be Free to Say “Fuck You” to the Boss
As soon as we show up for work, our much-vaunted free speech goes out the window. But when we win full employment and don’t fear losing our jobs, we can tell the boss what we really think.
Yet Another Round of Clinton Smears
Two-time presidential loser Hillary Clinton has dusted off her time-worn excuses and leveled another round of attacks on the Left. Someone should remind her she’s in a glass house.
100 Years of American Communism
The Communist Party USA, which turned 100 this year, has left behind a complicated legacy, filled with great victories and terrible blunders.
Argentina Steps into the Post-Macri Era
Argentina’s Mauricio Macri officially steps down as president today, having overseen four years of neoliberal mismanagement, inflation, and a new IMF bailout program. The election of the Peronist Alberto Fernández is good news for the Left, but it faces an uphill battle in stabilizing a deeply indebted economy.
Workers of the World Can Still Unite
Jane McAlevey believes in the potential of working people to unite across divisions, develop their collective potentials into a creative social force, and change the world. Her new book offers concrete tactics and practices for how workers can win more battles — and prepare for the larger wars to come.
Pete Buttigieg on Bernie Sanders
When Pete Buttigieg was a high school senior, he wrote a prizewinning essay praising Bernie Sanders. Here, we republish the essay in full.
When Being a Red Meant Risking Your Life
This year marks a century since the First Red Scare, which decimated the ranks of the US left. One of the worst episodes was the Centralia incident — where a reactionary mob tortured and killed a group of IWW members to drive them out of the Washington town.
Paul Volcker Was a Hero of the Ruling Class
Paul Volcker, who died yesterday, won’t be mourned by this publication. As Federal Reserve chair under Reagan and Carter, he destroyed millions of working-class jobs and pushed a radical neoliberal program.
Bernie Sanders Is the Disability Rights Candidate
It’s clear from his platform that Bernie Sanders understands that people with disabilities are confronted with daily acts of discrimination and oppression in the United States. A Sanders presidency would offer an unprecedented chance to improve the lives of disabled people across the country.
Labour Is Combatting Cynicism With Hope
While Boris Johnson’s Conservatives rely on a narrative that nothing could possibly get better, the transformative project of Corbynism rebuffs this cynicism — and isn’t afraid to speak in terms of hope.
No, Finland Is Not a “Capitalist Paradise”
In Finland, the government owns nearly one-third of the nation’s wealth, and 90 percent of workers are covered by a union contract. That may not be socialism, but it’s also not a “capitalist paradise,” as the New York Times ridiculously claimed over the weekend.
In Marseille, the French Left is Finally Uniting
For years, divisions on France’s left have helped Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen dominate the political terrain. But in the country’s second city, grassroots pressure has forced them to put aside their differences — and ahead of March 2020’s elections, they’re promising to launch a “Marseille Spring.”
Uber Has Always Been a Criminal Organization
Some were apparently surprised when Uber’s CEO defended the Saudi regime over its murder and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But from the start, Uber’s business model has been based on habitual criminality and a shocking indifference to human life.
Colombia’s New Awakening
With its recent general strike and continued mobilizations, Colombia has joined the global wave of unrest. If the movement can resist right-wing president Iván Duque’s attempts at co-optation, it could lay the groundwork for the transformation of a society long characterized by inequality and militarized brutality.
Emmanuel Macron Wants to End France’s Welfare State
France was paralyzed by strikes on Friday, as workers from train drivers to teachers revolted against Emmanuel Macron’s attack on pensions. While the liberal president fancies himself as a French “Thatcher,” his bid to tear up France’s welfare state now faces its most powerful opposition yet.
The New Economic Policy Was the Alternative to Stalinism
Generations of left-wing thinkers have fundamentally misunderstood the young Soviet Union’s New Economic Policy.
The Last Days of the BBC?
Streams of reports point out the bias at work in BBC’s politics coverage. As it edges ever closer to Britain’s Conservative Party this election campaign, it’s clear the public broadcaster needs radical reform if it is to be saved.
The Fight for Peace and Justice in Colombia
In Colombia, a mass movement has emerged to challenge the government’s neoliberal policies and failure to honor its historic peace agreement with the FARC. It offers the possibility of a just future for the country.