Venezuela and the Left
Venezuela is in crisis, and Trump’s saber-rattling is making things worse. Our response should be guided by three principles: non-interventionism, self-determination, and solidarity with the oppressed.
20389 Article(s) by: Benjamin Case
Benjamin Case is a researcher, educator, and organizer living in Pittsburgh.
A Green New Deal to Win Back Our Future
How quickly, how intensely, and how democratically we decarbonize will be the economic story of the century — only a Green New Deal can save us from climate apocalypse.
There’s No Deferring Medicare for All
Unfeasable. Impractical. Unaffordable. All the excuses for putting off Medicare for All are wrong.
Cory Booker Hates Public Schools
There are many good reasons to oppose Cory Booker’s bid for the presidency. One of the main ones is his long-standing drive to destroy public education.
Ridiculously Rich
Norway’s trillion-dollar oil fund is so important to the welfare state that they’ve even made a sitcom about it. But sound economic planning can’t be based on polluting the environment forever.
Fascisms Old and New
The rise of Bolsonaro in Brazil, Trump in the US, and the far right throughout Europe has the word “fascism” on everyone’s lips. But that rising Right is distinct from twentieth-century fascism in key ways.
LA Teachers Show the Way Forward
The Los Angeles teachers’ strike is a model for a popular, militant working-class movement advancing a broad vision of education justice. That model can be replicated everywhere.
Let Them Eat Pigskin
Georgia doesn’t have money for social services, but taxpayers gave $700 million for the stadium that’s hosting tonight’s Super Bowl. How long will NFL owners screw working-class Americans?
Bernie Against the Billionaires
Bernie Sanders is right to want to hike the estate tax — there’s no reason for billionaires to exist, and there’s definitely no reason to allow their failsons to inherit their fortunes.
The Strike Returns to New Zealand
Over the last year, New Zealand has seen tens of thousands of workers walk off the job, challenging the Labour government’s self-imposed austerity.
Viktor Orbán Is Finally Under Siege
Hungary’s far-right leader Viktor Orbán is trying to force more overtime on workers. The country’s trade unions are finally planning to fight back.
Communists Against the Mafia
The battle against the Sicilian Mafia wasn’t won by cops and judges — it was won by communists and labor militants.
The Schism Is Finally Here
Pushed by leftist activists and legislators like Rashida Tlaib, the Democratic Party is finally having it over Israel. It’s a long-overdue step toward shifting US foreign policy and challenging Israel’s occupation.
When Capitalists Literally Suck Your Blood
A budding startup will sell you a few liters of young people’s blood as a supposed anti-aging treatment. It’s grotesque — but only slightly more so than the rest of the American for-profit medical system.
The Crisis in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is being convulsed by political crisis. A lasting solution will require transcending the politics of ethnic nationalism and neoliberal technocracy.
Rubber-Bullet Liberalism
The Yellow Vests movement has faced shocking police violence. And it’s not just from a few bad apples: it’s part of President Macron’s strategy to silence protest.
Norma Rae Is Still a Classic
Four decades later, the 1979 pro-labor movie Norma Rae still holds up.
8 Points on Venezuela
The Trump administration’s aggression toward Venezuela is grotesque, self-serving, and imperialistic. The US should stay out of Venezuela.
Danes First, Welfare Last
Denmark’s Social Democrats argue that tougher migration controls are needed to defend the welfare state. But excluding immigrants is only the first step in a wider assault on the poorest Danes.
Leave the EU Already
The European Union is one of the chief enemies of democracy in the world today. Britain should leave it, with or without a Brexit deal.