The Utopian Promise of Self-Checkout Machines
Under capitalism, automation destroys jobs. In a socialist society, it could free us from work and offer untold leisure to all.
19452 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 Anti-Colonial Revolt Was Key to Lenin’s Vision of Revolution
The Russian Revolution enthused anti-colonial movements around the world, fueling hopes that the European empires could be overthrown. But the revolt against empire was also fundamental to Lenin’s own strategy, as he worked to unite workers’ revolts in the metropoles with national struggles to end colonial exploitation.
Joe Biden’s Amazon Workers Statement Was a Start. But the PRO Act Is the Litmus Test.
Joe Biden’s statement yesterday about the Amazon union drive in Alabama hit pro-labor notes. But he’ll have to back up his rhetoric with concrete action: Biden must fight to pass the PRO Act.
In Honduras, the Right Is Permanently Locking in Its Abortion Ban
In a country that is already home to some of the worst restrictions on women’s rights, the Honduran Congress voted last month to lock in its bans on abortion and gay marriage, making them almost impossible to overturn. It’s a reminder that, as the feminist green tide washes over much of Latin America, there is still much work to be done.
Joe Biden’s Immigration Reform Doesn’t Do Enough to Help Migrant Workers
President Biden’s immigration reform proposal at least rhetorically acknowledges the pain inflicted by existing US policy. But it continues to paint immigrants as criminals, instead of workers responding to labor demands and looking for a better life. We should fight for something better.
The Radicalism of Thaddeus Stevens
The Civil War and Reconstruction–era Radical Republican Thaddeus Stevens understood far better than most of his contemporaries that fully uprooting slavery meant overthrowing the South’s economic system and challenging property rights — first the right of some human beings to own others, but also beyond it.
Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Should Stand for Solidarity With the Oppressed — Not With Cops and Corporations
From its radical roots in the 1970s, the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has gradually been captured by conservative, pro-corporate interests. The festival should be more than a corporate street party: it needs to recover its original spirit by empowering Mardi Gras members.
Education Should Be About Building Democratic Citizens, Not Compliant Workers
In South Africa, as in so many other capitalist countries, the education system is seen as a means of molding children into future workers. But education should be about building democratic citizens, not producing compliant workers for employers.
On Migrant Rights, Joe Biden Still Has a Long Way to Go
The Biden administration has made some encouraging noises on immigration policy. But activists are tired of talk — they want to see action.
Under Trudeau, Canada Is Saudi Arabia’s Most Dedicated Gunrunner
The Saudi regime is responsible for one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises through its war in Yemen. The Biden administration has now frozen arms sales to the Saudis, but Justin Trudeau’s government seems happy to step into the breach as their gunrunner of choice.
Jean-Marie Le Pen’s Memoir Reminds Us That France’s Populist Right Has Fascist Roots
In recent years, Marine Le Pen has sought to detoxify her party’s brand and distance herself from her father Jean-Marie’s crankish outbursts. But his latest volume of memoir is a reminder that her so-called populist right is rooted in fascism and a National Front that united Vichyites and antisemites with radicalized conservatives.
Finland Had a Patent-Free COVID-19 Vaccine Nine Months Ago — But Still Went With Big Pharma
A team of leading Finnish researchers had a patent-free COVID-19 vaccine ready last May, which could have allowed countries all over the world to inoculate their populations without paying top dollar. Yet rather than help the initiative, Finland’s government sided with Big Pharma — showing how a patent-based funding model puts profit over public health.
The Rise and Fall of Jack Lang, Australia’s Renegade Labor Premier
Jack Lang enjoys a reputation as Australia’s most radical Labor leader. Lang didn’t start off on the party’s left, but he refused to impose austerity measures as New South Wales premier during the Great Depression, leading to a bitter confrontation and Lang’s dismissal from office.
Leo Panitch Was a Sober Optimist and an Anti-Utopian Utopian
Leo Panitch saw no other option than to act as if socialism and a world free of exploitation could be won in the here and now, his longtime collaborator Sam Gindin writes. Despite knowing that socialism was unlikely to emerge in his lifetime, Panitch devoted himself fully to a project that could liberate generations of people to come.
Denmark’s “Zero Asylum” Plan Means Psychological Torture for Refugees
The Social Democrats’ 2019 election win fed hopes that Denmark would move away from extreme measures that strip migrants of their valuables and criminalize minority neighborhoods. Yet since then, the Social Democratic government has continued this offensive — with recent calls for a “zero asylum” agenda that will push refugees into endless purgatory.
On the Minimum Wage, Joe Biden Chose Failure
The Biden administration’s preemptive surrender on the $15 minimum wage is nothing like its guns-blazing approach to getting union-buster Neera Tanden confirmed for a White House job. The contrast demonstrates Biden’s lack of sincerity when he claims to be a working-class fighter.
Get Rid of the Patents on COVID-19 Vaccines Already
The spread of COVID-19 anywhere on the planet threatens us all, yet Big Pharma’s monopoly on the vaccine supply ensures that people in most of the world aren’t getting inoculated. In this appeal, left-wing figures like Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Rafael Correa, and former Brazilian president Lula call on governments to lift the patents and ensure vaccines are distributed as cheaply and quickly as possible.
In Defense of Herbert Marcuse
For journalist Matt Taibbi, Herbert Marcuse is a pseudo-intellectual at fault for much of what ails the contemporary left. But the real Marcuse was a serious thinker who remained committed to socialism and working-class struggle. In our moment of political defeat, his works like One-Dimensional Man are well worth revisiting.
The Biden Administration Bombed Syria Before Raising the Minimum Wage
Yesterday, we were treated to a telling contrast: Joe Biden bombed Syria without congressional authorization, and then refused to lift a finger when the Senate parliamentarian slapped down a minimum wage increase. It’s a pathetic reflection of Biden’s twisted priorities.
The Deal Between Facebook and Australian News Media Won’t Help Journalists
The standoff between Facebook and the Australian government has ended with Facebook agreeing to pay off news companies. But the deal won’t help journalists whose wages and conditions have been under constant attack, unless they start organizing to defend their rights.