Donald Rumsfeld, Rot in Hell
Bush administration Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is dead at the age of 88. It’s a tragedy that Rumsfeld died before he could be put on trial for crimes against humanity.
20407 Article(s) 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.
How Capitalism Undermines Progressive Education Reform
The basic function of education under capitalism is to produce the next generation of compliant workers. We should fight instead for fully funded schools that empower students — while challenging the capitalist system that undermines progressive education reform.
Mexico’s Left Faces a Tough Road Ahead
Mexico’s midterm elections reflected left-wing president AMLO’s high personal approval ratings — but also brought setbacks for his Morena party. If it’s going to drive an enduring process of social change, Morena has to build a member-led organization firmly rooted in local communities.
The Socialist Architecture of Svetlana Kana Radević
Svetlana Kana Radević was one of the great architects of socialist Yugoslavia — her emphasis on public space showed what architecture can achieve when liberated from the constraints of the property market.
Bob Marley’s Peace Gesture Supported Radical Change in Jamaica
An iconic 1978 image shows Bob Marley uniting left- and right-wing party leaders on stage, calling for a truce. Misread as apolitical, his gesture was actually meant to rescue a socialist political movement in danger.
Socialist Candidates Can Win Working-Class Voters of All Colors
Socialist candidates in recent years have tended to struggle with poor and working-class black voters. But new data from the New York City election shows that’s not inevitable: we can build a base that draws in the entire working class.
Corporate Democrats Are Attacking Nina Turner Over Medicare for All
Democrats bankrolled by Big Pharma are suddenly targeting Nina Turner — right after she aired an ad touting Medicare for All.
Gays Against Imperialism
In the 1970s, pioneering gay activists in the US and Britain saw the fight against homophobia as part of a much broader struggle — one that linked Pride to the cause of liberating the world’s oppressed peoples.
During the 1971 Prosecution of Angela Davis, I Fought the Law — And I Won
When Angela Davis was arrested after two months on the lam in 1971, Michael Myerson interviewed her and a codefendant in jail — turning him into a prosecution’s witness. He was now in a tough spot: Could he defy the prosecution without going to jail for perjury? Luckily, he figured out how.
In Spanish Trenches, Irishmen Fought Against Fascism
After General Franco launched his military coup in July 1936, anti-fascists from around the world joined the International Brigades to defend the Spanish Republic. For the Irish volunteers, the fight against fascism in Spain was about upholding the internationalist spirit of Ireland’s own revolt against empire.
Biden’s Infrastructure Deal Is Terrible. Progressives in Congress Should Block It.
Joe Biden has reverted to type, pushing a laughably inadequate infrastructure deal that ignores the accelerating climate crisis. There are now enough progressives in Congress to block the bill and insist on something better. They should.
Unions Shouldn’t Be Helping the Health Industry
In New York City, the Municipal Labor Committee is not only helping to block statewide single-payer health care, it’s undermining retiree health care. It’s shortsighted and dangerous politics.
India Walton Is Reviving the American Tradition of Municipal Socialism
With her win last week, Buffalo’s India Walton will almost certainly become the first socialist mayor of a major US city in years. She’s reviving a robust American tradition: municipal socialism.
Workers in Australia Launched a Strike Against General Mills. They Just Won.
Australia’s General Mills strikers have showed us how to fight back — and win — during a “recovery” that’s benefiting the superrich far more than ordinary workers.
We Need to Start Taxing Bitcoin
Bitcoin is an asset so useless that even if a financial transactions tax completely destroyed it, the world would be better off.
France’s Mounting Authoritarianism Is Paving the Way for Fascism
Soldiers’ and police unions’ calls for action to save France from chaos show how fascist ideas have spread within the state. For decades, neoliberal governments have increased these repressive bodies’ powers — and today, they’re preparing the ground for a Le Pen presidency.
Roberto Benigni Is Getting a Golden Lion for Not Being Funny Anymore
Venice’s International Film Festival is awarding Roberto Benigni this year’s Golden Lion for lifetime achievement. Announcing the award, the festival called Benigni a model of transgressive filmmaking. In fact, for decades, the Life Is Beautiful star has symbolized how onetime radicals turn into purveyors of conformist schmaltz.
Mike Gravel Was on the Right Side of History
While Mike Gravel never earned the respect of the political establishment, he passed from this Earth with his conscience untormented by the ghosts of screaming civilians whose lives those in Washington regularly snuff out with their afternoon coffee.
While Average People Suffered, 5 Million People Became Millionaires Under COVID-19
The pandemic was and remains brutal for average people. But not for the rich: central bank policies created 5 million new millionaires during the pandemic. It’s the latest sign that our economy is rigged for the wealthy.
New York’s Economic Development Corporation Is a Tool for the Rich
The Economic Development Corporation manages New York City land in the service of private profit. The city needs a new approach that doesn’t give away massive amounts of public money to the wealthy.