Europe’s Liberation 80 Years On: Bulgaria
Bulgaria has one of the oldest traditions of anti-fascist struggle in Europe, dating back to the 1920s. The self-serving narratives of contemporary political forces have obscured this rich heritage.
19831 Articles by: Benjamin Case
Benjamin Case is a researcher, educator, and organizer living in Pittsburgh.
Europe’s Liberation 80 Years On: Yugoslavia and Albania
The Western Balkans was the only place in Europe where resistance movements defeated the Nazis without having to rely on Allied troops. Any progressive future for the region will have to build on the proud legacy of this mass liberation struggle.
Europe’s Liberation 80 Years On: The Netherlands
The official narrative of the Dutch resistance downplayed the role of the Left in the struggle against Nazism, but it also served as a barrier against the legitimation of far-right ideas. With the far right now in power, that barrier has collapsed.
Europe’s Liberation 80 Years On: France
The struggle against Nazism in France was also a struggle against homegrown reactionary forces embodied in the Vichy regime. Eight decades after a seemingly decisive defeat, the heirs of Vichy are banging at the gates of power in Paris.
Victory Day Is About Celebrating Liberation From Fascism
In Germany, public discussion of Victory Day has mostly revolved around the ban on Russian officials attending commemorations. The dispute risks losing sight of the real history of World War II — and how relevant it remains in an era of growing far-right threats.
The Specter of Fascism Is Haunting Europe as It Marks VE Day
Eighty years ago today, Europe celebrated the defeat of fascism after a titanic struggle. Yet as historian Enzo Traverso points out, the latest anniversary of VE Day comes at a moment when the far right is stronger than at any point since 1945.
New York City Paraprofessionals Need More
Half a century ago, New York City paraprofessional educators waged a campaign to win their first contract as part of the teachers union. It’s a history the union can draw on to win needed advances for paras today.
The United States Has Overused Its Sanctions Weapon
Sanctions used to be deployed as a slap on the wrist for foreign leaders, but over the past several decades they have become a central weapon of US foreign policy. Excessive use of sanctions may have begun to undermine US global hegemony.
Western NGOs: Saving Lives, or Just Regulating Death?
For decades, the Western aid industry became ever more powerful in Sudan, even as it grew quieter about the reasons for underdevelopment. Rather than combat the root causes of poverty, NGOs served only to alleviate the number of deaths.
Trump Wants to Let Price-Fixing Oil Execs Off the Hook
The Biden administration barred two fossil fuel executives from taking board seats at Exxon and Chevron after finding they had schemed to fix oil prices. Now Trump wants to let them off the hook — after they donated millions to the GOP this past election.
Zohran Mamdani Is Laser-Focused on an Affordable New York
With local and national elites indifferent to working-class struggles over the costs of housing, childcare, groceries, and more, socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is finding success by putting affordability at the heart of his campaign.
Trump Plans to Channel Refugee Funds to White South Africans
As Donald Trump tries to bar almost all refugees from entering the US, his administration wants to use federal funds reserved for at-risk refugee populations to facilitate an influx of white South Africans.
Trump Is Waging War on Veterans Affairs Workers’ Unions
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins has been eager to cancel collective bargaining rights for most Veterans Affairs union members — probably because he knows those unions are a bulwark against VA privatization.
Donald Trump Rules Over a GOP in Disarray
The electoral victories of Donald Trump and remaking of the Republican Party in his image can’t hide a basic fact: his party is fractured and weak.
The Resentful World of the Religious Right
Over the past few decades, the Christian right has grown to wield tremendous power in the United States. Its conflictual, Manichean worldview has offered reassuring certainties to its followers in an era of social dislocation.
Christopher Hill, Pioneer of History From Below
Christopher Hill’s work on 17th-century England has been remarkably influential. In books like The World Turned Upside Down, he recovered the history of vanquished radicals like the Levellers and the Diggers and linked them to our own time.
The Catholic Church Has Always Been a Worldly Institution
The extraordinary longevity of the Catholic Church could make it seem like a body that floats above the everyday world of political and economic life. In reality, the Church has always been firmly linked to structures of power and property.
Looking for Answers in Marseille’s Deadly Housing Collapse
On November 5, 2018, eight people were killed in Marseille when two buildings collapsed. The site remains a scar on France’s second city, and local residents are still waiting for someone to be held accountable for the deaths.
Trump’s Pension Chief Pick Could Profit From Looser Rules
Donald Trump’s nominee to regulate retirement savings, Daniel Aronowitz, wants to protect employers and retirement fund managers from lawsuits alleging they fleeced retirees with exorbitant fees — a rule change his company could profit from.
Birthright Citizenship and Legal Equality Are Worth Defending
J. D. Vance has attacked birthright citizenship and equality before the law by claiming that “America is not an idea.” But the realization of these ideals has been America’s greatest achievement.