Population Decline Will Transform Our Social World
Population growth has been slowing and even reversing in many countries, a trend with far-reaching social implications that looks certain to continue.
19 Articles by: Ben Wray
Ben Wray is the author, with Neil Davidson and James Foley, of Scotland After Britain: The Two Souls of Scottish Independence (Verso Books, 2022).
Spain’s Establishment Is Still Calling Basques Terrorists
Sunday’s Basque elections could see a historic victory for leftist pro-independence party EH Bildu. The Spanish media is obsessing over the party’s past links to separatist group ETA — and ignoring the social issues that are fueling its support.
It’s Time to Dismantle the US Sanctions-Industrial Complex
The US has built up an elaborate machinery for waging economic warfare on its rivals with little or no public debate. This sanctions-industrial complex is a disguised form of imperialism and a dangerous source of global instability.
In Europe, Platform Workers Are Winning Limited Protections
Across Europe, platform workers have won a series of court cases ruling that they are employees, not self-employed. Moves for new EU-wide legislation have faced serious resistance from lobbyists but now look set to deliver some new protections.
In Spain’s Basque Country, Workers Held a General Strike for Public Care
On Thursday, trade unions and women’s movements across Spain’s Basque Country held an explicitly feminist general strike. Workers are striking for a public community care system — one that ensures care work is well-paid and properly supported.
British Trade Unions Are Organizing to Tackle the Climate Crisis
Britain’s Conservative government has scrapped policies to reduce carbon emissions while the Labour opposition is also rolling back its own climate commitments. Trade unions are stepping into the political vacuum to demand a working-class ecological agenda.
So Far, Britain’s Employers Have Been Winning the Class War Over Inflation
Since inflation started rising, British capitalists have been raking in massive profits while workers have suffered a disastrous wage slump. Yet the Bank of England still wants to boost unemployment in case workers develop their fighting strength.
San Sebastián Is a Paradise for Landlords — And Right-Wingers Want to Keep It That Way
Tourist hot spot San Sebastián has Spain’s highest house prices, pushing out many locals. Ahead of today’s elections, Basque left party EH Bildu is calling for action on rents — but the campaign has been dominated by attempts to demonize the party.
The Battle to Control Microchip Supplies Will Define the Twenty-First Century
Semiconductors are as important for global capitalism today as access to energy resources. Only a handful of countries can produce the most advanced microchips, and control over their supply is becoming a key battleground in the US-China trade war.
Repression Can’t Snuff Out West Papua’s Struggle for Freedom
Since Indonesia annexed West Papua, its people have faced brutal military repression while the US helps whitewash the occupation. But the country’s freedom movement is pressing ahead with a unique liberation project based on ecological principles.
How Socialists Should Think About National Independence Struggles
Fashionable academic theorists have dismissed the Marxist approach to nationalism as outdated and inadequate. But it remains an indispensable guide to national independence movements — urging support for them when they represent a challenge to capitalist rule.
The Breakdown of Neoliberal Globalization Is the Root Cause of Britain’s Political Crisis
From Brexit to the Scottish independence movement and growing support for a united Ireland, the British state has been convulsed by the resurgence of nationalism. These crises ultimately stem from the decline of capitalist globalization after 2008’s crash.
China Could Be the Big Winner of the War in Ukraine
Walden Bello is one of the world’s leading critics of corporate globalization. In an interview with Jacobin, he explains why Russia’s war is a shock to the international system — and why it is likely to accelerate China’s rise.
Europe Is Finally Recognizing That Platform Workers Aren’t Self-Employed
Firms like Uber and Deliveroo systematically deny their workers basic rights by falsely treating them as self-employed contractors. Now Europe is finally passing legislation to recognize them as employees — and the UK should do the same.
To Get Better Work Conditions, We Have to Be Ready to Strike for Them
Since the 1990s, workers in the Basque Country have gone on strike more than twice as often as any other workforce in Europe. The Basque unions insist that we have to fight for our interests — a strike-fund-centered strategy that has won huge victories even in the age of austerity.
From Capitalist Pioneer to London’s Satellite: Scotland’s Road to Financial Dependency
Scotland played a pioneering role in the rise of global finance, from the Industrial Revolution to the age of neoliberalism and the great crash. Since 2008, however, its banks have become offshoots of the City of London, posing a sharp dilemma for supporters of Scottish independence.
We Can’t Let Boris Johnson’s Government Sacrifice Workers for Corporate Profits
The British government has extended its program to subsidize employment during the lockdown, but pressure is mounting on workers to risk their lives for the sake of profit. We can’t let this happen.
Scotland Must Not Become Another Catalonia
When Scotland held an independence referendum in 2014, Catalan leaders criticized Madrid’s sharp refusal of any similar vote. There, Spanish nationalists have exploited the Left’s weaknesses on self-determination — and Boris Johnson’s bid to block a fresh vote in Scotland risks bringing the same dynamics to Britain.
“We Have to Move to a Post-Capitalist System”
World-renowned scholar Walden Bello on the financialization of the Chinese economy, the middle-class roots of far-right movements, and the urgent need for a radical alternative to capitalism’s crises.