Even After Dobbs, Abortions Still Haven’t Plummeted
The Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade was a blow to reproductive rights. But fortunately, new data suggest that most of those seeking abortions still seem to be getting them.
20428 Article(s) by: Elizabeth Mahony
In Germany, Declining Workers’ Rights Are a Life-and-Death Issue
The death of cleaner Refat Süleyman at a Thyssenkrupp steel plant has put the spotlight on Germany’s exploitation of migrant workers. It’s also a story about deregulation — and how outsourcing is letting corporations cut corners on working conditions with impunity.
How Unionizing Sparked a New Sense of Possibility in Me
When my coworkers and I decided to organize a union at our workplace, we had a whole list of tangible goals we hoped to achieve. But organizing also gave me something more ineffable that I’d been desperately missing: a sense of hope.
The Iranian Protests Are the Latest Phase in a Long Cycle of Popular Unrest
To understand today’s protests in Iran, we need to look at the history of the Islamic Republic since 1979. Iran has a tradition of popular mobilization with few parallels in the modern world, and that tradition underpins the current wave of discontent.
We Should Go Beyond Liberalism, Not Abandon It
The eminent philosopher Raymond Geuss wants us to think about ways of being that exist entirely outside of liberalism. But the most feasible egalitarian project is not one that rejects liberalism, but one that goes beyond it — through democratic socialism.
Zara Workers in Spain Just Went on Strike — and They’ll Probably Do It Again
The owner of Zara is worth $50 billion, and this year net profits at Zara’s parent company Inditex increased 41 percent. Workers are demanding a bigger share of the profits they created.
Democrats Were Dithering on Railworkers’ Rights. The Left Just Forced Their Hand.
Democrats were ready to throw railworkers to the wolves, letting even Republicans outflank them on labor rights. But thanks to a last-minute legislative push by Bernie Sanders and his allies today, railworkers may be getting the sick leave they’re demanding.
The SNP’s Nicola Sturgeon Has Led the Cause of Scottish Independence to a Dead End
The UK Supreme Court has blocked an attempt to hold a new referendum on Scottish independence. The setback has exposed the limits of SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon’s strategy, which channeled the independence movement’s radical energies into a centrist cul-de-sac.
Left-Wing Politicians: Run on Abolishing Ticketmaster
The recent Taylor Swift ticket fiasco is a good reminder: Ticketmaster is a horrible, price-gouging monopoly that everyone hates. Left-wing politicians should make abolishing Ticketmaster part of their platform.
By Siding Against Railworkers, Biden Is Breaking His Promise of Paid Sick Leave for All
Joe Biden is standing with railroad barons to force a deal on workers who are demanding a reasonable amount of paid sick leave. It’s the latest and possibly starkest example of the chasm between his pro-worker rhetoric during his campaign and his presidency.
The Fabelmans, Steven Spielberg’s Portrait of Himself, Is a Self-Indulgent Slog
Steven Spielberg’s autobiographical The Fabelmans is a dull, self-indulgent victory lap for the most victorious filmmaker in history.
Elon Musk, “Free Speech Absolutist,” Has Launched a Crackdown on Left-Wing Twitter Accounts
Many of Elon Musk’s critics seem to think he’s an overzealous champion of free speech. In fact, while reinstating noxious right-wing voices, Musk has been censoring the Left.
By Forcing a Contract on Railworkers, Joe Biden Is Betraying Workers Everywhere
“Which side are you on?” is the most fundamental question in politics. And in siding with the Chamber of Commerce rather than exploited workers at America’s railways, “the most pro-union president in American history” has made clear where he really stands.
Staughton Lynd Gave Voice to a Forgotten History of American Radicalism
Staughton Lynd, who died earlier this month, played a prominent role in the antiwar movement and documented the radicalism of the 20th-century working class. His work should be read by anyone interested in understanding the history of the Left.
When Crime and Disorder Feel Rampant, Violent Vigilantes Step Into the Breach
The crisis of neoliberalism fuels social breakdown and a backlash from violent “anti-crime” vigilante groups. It’s a destructive, authoritarian vision of order that the Left can directly challenge.
How Tenant Organizers in New York’s Hudson Valley Won a Historic Rent Reduction
On November 9, tenants in Kingston, New York, won a 15 percent rent reduction for over 1,200 apartments — the first rent reduction in the state’s history. We spoke with a leading organizer of the grassroots campaign to bring rents down.
Glass Onion Is the Rare Movie for the Whole Family That Doesn’t Suck
Director Rian Johnson follows up on his 2019 crowd-pleaser Knives Out with Glass Onion, this time taking aim at an Elon Musk–esque billionaire and his frenemies. Unfortunately, Netflix has ensured you only have a week to see it with an actual crowd.
Eugene V. Debs: The Oppressed Need Justice, Not Charity
Today is Giving Tuesday, so here’s a 1913 article by Eugene V. Debs, never before republished, about why the charity balls of the rich will never deliver justice for the poor. As Debs declared, “What the poor need is that the rich shall get off their backs.”
Friedrich Engels on Why Capitalists Are Guilty of Social Murder
In 1845, Friedrich Engels wrote a scathing condemnation of English capitalism, The Condition of the Working Class in England. In it, he accused the bosses of carrying out “social murder” against workers and the poor.
J. Edgar Hoover Tried to Destroy the Left — and Liberals Enabled Him
J. Edgar Hoover is notorious for his decades-long campaign to stamp out the Left by surveilling and even killing radicals like Fred Hampton. What is less well known is that liberals played an important role in enabling Hoover’s antidemocratic crusade.