Russell Brand: Elites Are Using Liberal Ideas to Justify Inequality
The comedian, actor, and political activist Russell Brand on political polarization and how establishment voices attempt to silence dissent.
19552 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.
The US Is Doing Far Worse Than Floating Balloons in Other Countries’ Airspace
Let’s assume, for argument’s sake, that the recently shot-down Chinese balloon was indeed spying. The US doesn’t like other countries snooping on them — something the US is constantly doing all over the planet.
Tom Nairn Held a Mirror Up to a Britain in Decline
The Scottish writer Tom Nairn, who died last month, was the most perceptive critic of the pathologies of the British state. His writings on nationalism and the Labour Party are essential for anyone attempting to understand British society.
Eugene V. Debs: We Should Scorn the Rich and Powerful, Even in Death
Every time a member of the ruling class passes away, we’re expected to bow our heads in reverence and sing their praises. Writing in 1901, Eugene Debs offered a different approach: tell the unvarnished truth about the tyranny of the rich and powerful.
In South Africa and Elsewhere, Democracy Has to Deliver the Goods
In South Africa, popular disillusionment with the inequality of the postapartheid order runs so deep that support for authoritarianism is on the rise. It’s a striking reminder that democracy must deliver material gains for the masses to remain a vibrant force.
The Battle to Control Microchip Supplies Will Define the Twenty-First Century
Semiconductors are as important for global capitalism today as access to energy resources. Only a handful of countries can produce the most advanced microchips, and control over their supply is becoming a key battleground in the US-China trade war.
The Housing Crisis Will Persist Even If Housing Prices Fall
In the UK, housing prices are thankfully forecast to drop this year. But without a serious investment in social housing from the government, the housing crisis isn’t going to end.
Noncompete Clauses Are Depressing Wages and Hurting Workers
The proliferation of noncompete agreements in even low-wage jobs keeps wages low by preventing workers from finding new jobs in their field. For a Minnesota couple allegedly fired for unionizing, such agreements may also make them homeless.
The Far Right Is Funding Evangelical Super Bowl Sunday Ads
Upcoming Christian Super Bowl ads are framed as diverse and inclusive. But the money behind them comes from a rabidly antiabortion and antigay organization.
OnPoint NYC, a Trailblazing Harm-Reduction Organization, May Soon Be a Union Shop
Workers at OnPoint NYC, one of the country’s leading harm-reduction centers, are organizing. Their efforts could lead to union shops becoming the norm in overdose prevention and wed organized labor membership to harm-reduction advocacy.
El Salvador’s Historic Metal Mining Ban Is in Danger
Following its failed crypto scheme, authoritarian president Nayib Bukele’s cash-strapped government is making moves to reverse El Salvador’s metal mining ban. Its reintroduction would be a disaster for the nation’s already contaminated water supply.
The Labor Movement’s “Business Unionism” Has Transformed Into “Finance Unionism”
American unions’ members are down, but their finances are through the roof. The labor movement can’t rebuild its dismally low membership unless unions start spending their resources on aggressive new organizing campaigns.
Three New Books by Former Soldiers That the US Military Doesn’t Want You to Read
Several new memoirs from disillusioned military veterans reflect on the horrors of war. They’re essential tools for challenging US empire.
We Can’t Ignore Class Dealignment
Matt Karp on class dealignment and why the Left’s weakening connection to blue-collar workers isn’t a problem we can wish away.
Emmanuel Macron’s Plan to Raise the Pension Age Is Class War
French president Emmanuel Macron plans to hike the retirement age to 64, sparking massive protests. The government claims the current retirement age is unsustainable: but what French workers really can’t afford is to work till they drop.
Nikki Haley Is an Out-of-Touch Politician Who Thinks Life Is Too Hard for the Rich
Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, is expected to announce her bid for president this month. As a South Carolinian, I can tell you that having her in the White House would be a disaster for workers and their families.
Striking Food Delivery Workers in Russia Take on Tech Giant Yandex
In Russia, mounting authoritarianism and the wartime crackdown on dissent have hobbled trade unions. A five-day strike by food couriers showed that at least some workers are refusing to be muzzled.
Democratic Leaders Join House Republican Attack on “Socialism”
House Republicans have wasted no time in red-baiting the Left, and the centrist leadership of the Democratic Party has apparently been happy to join them.
Democratic Leaders’ Craven “Socialism” Vote Is a Symptom of Political Cluelessness
Some Democrats apparently thought voting for the GOP’s ludicrous anti-socialism resolution would keep them safe from Republican attacks. They’ll find out soon enough how wrong they were.
Rosa Parks Was a Radical
Rosa Parks was born on this day in 1913. Far from being a face of respectability politics, she was a defiant and seasoned working-class organizer who despised the cringing submission that Jim Crow induced and who doggedly fought oppression in all its forms.