Explaining El Salvador’s Violence
The grisly violence in El Salvador has social and political origins. It is neither inevitable nor insuperable.
19524 Articles by: Benjamin Case
Benjamin Case is a researcher, educator, and organizer living in Pittsburgh.
Wall Street Can’t Fix the Environment
BlackRock’s recent divestment promises are self-serving measures, not meaningful steps in the fight against global warming.
Why the Tories Say We Want to Go “Back to the 1970s”
In December’s election, Jeremy Corbyn was constantly accused of wanting to “turn Britain back to the 1970s.” For the Right, this decade before Thatcherism is the ultimate bogeyman — presenting an age of strong welfare and trade unions as something we should fear.
Pete Buttigieg’s Defense of His Billionaire Funding Is Orwellian
At last night’s New Hampshire debate, Pete Buttigieg said he was courting billionaires to be inclusive. It’s just the latest grotesque rhetorical gesture from Mayor Pete.
The Deep Roots of Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Policies
Donald Trump’s recent expansion of the Muslim ban and bid to exclude poor immigrants is further proof that his administration is one of the most anti-immigrant in US history. But it was Trump’s predecessors, Democrats and Republicans, who made his assault on immigrants possible.
Workers at Tartine Bakery Are Unionizing
The San Francisco Bay Area’s Tartine Bakery is world-famous for its award-winning baked goods. But fame and awards don’t pay workers’ bills or give them a say on the job — which is why those workers say they want a union.
Ireland’s Decades-Old Political Duopoly Could End Today
Polls predict an earthquake result in today’s Irish election, as Sinn Féin threatens to beat the mainstream parties for the first time. It could bring a united Ireland closer — but it’s also a vote to stop the soaring cost of living.
Bernie Got the Most Votes in Iowa, Which Means He Won Iowa
Don’t let the centrist journalists and opinion-makers mislead you. Bernie Sanders won Iowa, plain and simple.
Joe Biden Used a Teenage Bernie-Supporting Climate Activist’s Photo for “Hijabi Clout” in an Ad. We Talked to Her About It.
High schooler and climate activist Sabirah Mahmud confronted Joe Biden about climate change at a rally. He wouldn’t fully answer her question — but his campaign used her in an ad as if she were a supporter. She wasn’t happy about it.
Students With Disabilities Deserve a Quality Education. Bernie’s New Disability Rights Platform Would Give Them One.
Bernie Sanders introduced a new Disability Rights platform this past week that, together with his Thurgood Marshall Plan for Public Education, offers a path to provide all students with a high-quality education, regardless of their background or zip code.
As President, Bernie Sanders Should Use Executive Orders Aggressively — Just Like FDR Did
From the creation of the Civil Works Administration to the Office of Scientific Research and Development, Franklin Delano Roosevelt radically remade the American state using the power of executive orders. If Bernie Sanders wins the White House, he should do the same.
Last Man Standing
Gerry Adams has called time on a political career that began in the age of Richard Nixon and Leonid Brezhnev, as his party stands on the brink of a historic breakthrough. The arguments about his place in Irish history are just beginning.
After Bernie’s Win in Iowa, the Democratic Party Is Shitting Its Pants
Democratic Party leaders like Tom Perez have long dismissed the threat posed by Bernie Sanders. With their meltdown in Iowa after Bernie’s victory, we’re witnessing the final crumbling of that delusion — and they have no one to blame but themselves.
Bernie Won Iowa
Bernie Sanders won Iowa. There are many powerful people who don’t want us to say these words. But we should say them without hesitation, because they’re true.
When German Liberals Teamed Up With the Far Right
Since 1945, Germany’s parliamentary parties have refused all alliances with the far right. That changed yesterday in Thuringia, when liberals and Christian Democrats teamed up with neofascists to throw the Left out of office.
If Bernie Actually Wins This Thing, He’ll Need a Reliable Vice President
There’s not really a “Bernie Sanders wing” of the Democratic Party. When it comes to picking a vice president, he’ll have to settle for the next best thing — a reliable progressive like Wisconsin senator Tammy Baldwin.
Why the Shadow Inc. App Failed
Building an app is more than shipping some code and telling people to use it. It is adding a new factor to a complex social system. It requires planning, training, and care. And yet the Shadow Inc. app used in the Iowa caucuses was built and shipped in three months.
Ireland’s Greens Will Never Confront the Powerful
Polls for Saturday’s Irish general election show growing support for the Greens. But the party’s record shows that it has little interest in transformative climate action — and no will at all to challenge corporate elites.
If Iowa Was Bolivia, the US Would Have Already Intervened
We’re still waiting for the full results of the Iowa caucus. In Bolivia, the United States backed a violent coup against Evo Morales for even less.
The Iowa Caucuses Showed That Medicare for All Is Still a Winner
Despite a fierce and well-funded campaign by special interests, a strong majority of Iowa Democrats support a single-payer, Medicare for All system.