Let a Palestinian Speak at the DNC
The Democratic Party has refused the request of “uncommitted” delegates to let a Palestinian American speak at the DNC. Remember this moment if Kamala Harris loses Michigan this fall.
19456 Articles by: Benjamin Case
Benjamin Case is a researcher, educator, and organizer living in Pittsburgh.
Shawn Fain’s DNC Speech Put Stellantis on Notice
Shawn Fain used his speech at the DNC to escalate pressure on Stellantis, which the UAW says is reneging on wins secured after last year’s auto strike. The union is preparing to strike the company once again if it doesn’t reverse course.
The 2024 DNC: All Vibes, Little Substance
The DNC revealed a Democratic Party still in love with the Obamas. The fantasy is that Kamala Harris will be a reboot. Brat summer is cooling — are you ready for an Obama autumn, heavy on feeling good and light on political substance?
Will Kamala Harris Finally Kill the Billionaire Tax Break?
Kamala Harris has signaled she supports closing the carried interest tax loophole, an enormous boon to rich investors looking to avoid higher taxes. But she’s also received $80 million this year from finance, insurance, and real-estate sectors.
Leonard Leo’s Plan to Suppress Voters in Swing-States
A cadre of lawyers tied to conservative activist Leonard Leo is spearheading a series of legal attacks on voting rights in critical swing states. The operation aims to suppress voters, with the potential to tip the scales during the election this fall.
The Harris-Walz Campaign’s Housing Agenda Is Subpar
We need bold measures like public housing and well-designed rent control programs. But Kamala Harris’s housing proposal doubles down on the existing paradigm: more public subsidies, more tax incentives, and more empty hopes that developers will solve the housing crisis.
Obama’s DNC Speech Was the Same Old Technocratic Liberalism
Obama’s speech last night at the DNC showcased his rhetorical talent. But it was also a reminder of his incrementalist brand of liberalism, which failed to meaningfully address the profound issues facing the working-class majority.
The Road to the White House Runs Through Renters
At the DNC, housing organizers are telling Democrats that rent control and other substantive affordable housing measures can win them the election.
Burning Olive Branches
The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh was part of a long pattern of Israel killing Hamas leaders when they offer cease-fires.
Bernie’s Flawed Vehicle
At his speech to the Democratic National Convention last night, Bernie Sanders played the usual hits — and also called for a cease-fire in Gaza. But his righteous populist anger felt out of place before a party still dominated by corporate interests.
Reminder to Democrats: Israel’s Occupation of Palestine Is Illegal
Any political party that claims to be concerned with the rule of law should be using the recent International Court of Justice ruling to demand an end to the occupation and Israeli’s bloody, unlawful conduct in Gaza and across Palestine.
Has the Online Left Given Up?
How many of the fundamental 2010s problems — the ones that launched Occupy Wall Street and fueled Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaigns in the first place — have been addressed by today’s Democrats? None.
The Insidious Elitist Upshot of Behavioral Economics
Behavioral economics dangerously denigrates the rationality of ordinary people.
DNC Delegates Support Gaza. Will Their Party?
On day one of the Democratic National Convention, the party gave some small concessions to activists demanding an end to Israel’s slaughter in Gaza. The question is whether those concessions are a ploy to keep antiwar organizers inside the tent.
Eugene Debs on the “New Woman”
From an early age, socialist labor leader Eugene Debs was committed to women’s rights.
Unions Need Both Democracy and Strong Leadership
A common view of the two major US labor federations of the 20th century is that the AFL was top-down while the CIO was bottom-up. In truth, the CIO’s success was owed to a potent mix of rank-and-file militancy and strategic leadership.
For and Against Climate Progress in the Atomic Garden
A new book opposing nuclear energy unintentionally highlights how 1970s opposition was a dead end for the Left. By examining contemporary arguments, it becomes clear that this historic stance has hindered climate progress and energy reliability.
Make Sports Betting Taboo Again
Turn on any ESPN or Fox Sports show and you’ll hear anchors discussing spreads, Vegas odds, and laying points. The rise in sports gambling is a boost for states’ tax revenues — but it’s a disaster for the often low-income young men losing their money.
Alien: Romulus Has a Wow Finish for the Summer
If you guessed that our film critic Eileen Jones would hate Alien: Romulus, buddy, you guessed wrong. The corporate manipulation and betrayal in the Alien films don’t lose their fascination over the course of their many variations.
J. D. Vance’s “Forgotten” Ohio Hometown Is on the Upswing
J. D. Vance portrays his hometown of Middletown, Ohio, as a dying backwater with a culture of irresponsibility and laziness. It’s actually seeing a revival — thanks not to a mindset change but to massive public investment of the type the GOP opposes.