To the Corporate Media, Workers May as Well Not Exist
Working-class people are systematically left out of mainstream media coverage. So the stories we get are incomplete, skewed, or even complete distortions of reality.
19082 Articles by: Enver Motala
Enver Motala is an associate of the Centre for Education Rights and Transformation (CERT) at the University of Johannesburg and of the Centre for Integrated Post-School Education and Training at the Nelson Mandela University.
Political Economy, Not Culture, Explains the Arab Spring
The Arab Spring was an inspiring explosion of democratic energy that ended tragically in autocracy and violence. Understanding the protests’ ultimate failure requires concrete analysis of political and economic factors, not superficial cultural explanations.
The US Attacks on Yemen Are a Dangerous Escalation
The United States’ strikes on Yemen are threatening to spark a wider regional conflict. To prevent further violence, the US must demand an end to Israel’s criminal assault on Gaza.
Nietzsche Has Been Inspiring the Right for Over 100 Years
Over a century ago, Friedrich Nietzsche’s thought sparked a heated debate among Danish intellectuals about society’s moral foundations. The dispute prefigured today’s debates between the Left and the far right, which continues to be inspired by Nietzsche.
Antony Blinken, Notorious Boeing Lover, Stranded After Davos
A “critical” issue with a Boeing aircraft grounded Antony Blinken in Switzerland after his time at Davos. The irony: Blinken used to advise Boeing through his consulting firm, and his State Department has been very friendly to the company.
How the Italian Working Class Was Made
After taking part in Italy’s radical left-wing upsurge, Franco Ramella turned to writing about the early history of Italian capitalism and working-class resistance. His brilliant work has strong echoes of E. P. Thompson’s Making of the English Working Class.
Air Afrique Was a Powerful Symbol of African Liberation
After winning their independence from France, some of Africa’s new states banded together to form their own airline. The rise and fall of Air Afrique mirrors the hopeful age of postcolonial liberation and Africa’s subsequent neoliberal regression.
John Pilger Was a Tireless Critic of Western Imperialism
The reporter John Pilger, who died at the end of 2023, showed what a life committed to attacking the powerful through journalism and taking the side of the oppressed looks like.
For a Model of Working-Class Mass Organizing, Look to the CIO
The level of anti-capitalist sentiment in the US today hasn’t been seen since the 1930s. Labor radicals seized that moment to create the pivotal Congress of Industrial Organizations. We should take lessons from their achievements — and their missteps.
“Fair Trade” Labels Conceal Brutal Abuses of Farmworkers
Many grocery products from Mexico are sold in the US with labels touting their fair labor practices — but the farmworkers who produce that food say they are subject to brutal exploitation and widespread abuse by their employers.
Campaign Staffers Are Undermining American Democracy
National electoral campaigns are mainly staffed by political junkies from elite universities — exactly the opposite of much of the US public. No wonder they’re so bad at reaching working-class voters.
How France’s Greens Replaced Social Policy With New Age Vibes
France’s Greens are splitting from the left-wing alliance and will run separately in the European elections. The party’s campaign launch centered on esotericism, personal development, and dance therapy — showing how little it has to say to working people.
Tony Blair’s New Labour Subordinated the Party to Capitalists
In the 1990s, Tony Blair and his circle “modernized” the British Labour Party by minimizing the power of members and embracing neoliberal dogmas. But it was the prior hollowing out of the party’s institutions that allowed New Labour to come to power.
Trump’s Victory in Iowa Should Be a Wake-Up Call for Biden
Donald Trump barely campaigned in Iowa, insulted its most prominent evangelical leader, and still won last night’s caucus by a historic margin. Joe Biden better have something stronger to offer in the general election than “I’m not Trump.”
C. L. R. James Broke Through the World’s Boundaries
C. L. R. James spent his life crossing the boundary lines of race and class, from the colonial Caribbean to Britain and the United States. The world is finally starting to catch up with his pioneering works of Marxist history.
Fossil Fuel Corporations Are Faking Grassroots Support
The world’s largest PR firm has crafted a strategy to simulate popular support for fossil fuels, including embracing influencers to peddle Big Oil’s self-serving myths.
Bill Clinton’s Presidency Was a Disaster for Labor
Though Bill Clinton ran for president on promises of empowering workers, in office he gutted welfare and passed NAFTA, undermining organized labor and driving working-class voters away from the Democratic Party. We’re still living with the consequences.
In Italy’s Main Shipyard, Anti-Islam Policy Divides Workers
In Monfalcone, in northeastern Italy, the far-right mayor has banned public Muslim prayer. Home to Europe’s largest shipyard, the town is a crucible of Italy’s rising migrant workforce — and the racist backlash against it.
Israel’s Assault Is Making Gaza Unlivable
Israel’s brutal attack on Gaza has already killed over 24,000 Palestinians. But the environmental effects of the war — from pollution of groundwater and soil to destruction of Gaza’s olive trees — will have devastating impacts long after the bombing stops.
Ivory Perry, the Forgotten Civil Rights Hell-Raiser
Activists are often held up as exemplars of personal morality — but in every social struggle, ordinary people with complex lives rise up as leaders. Ivory Perry was one of these who waged a relentless war for racial and economic justice.