The Politics of Social Distancing
Elites have the money and resources to hide in their homes and ride out the coronavirus pandemic till kingdom come. The rest of us will need a better plan.
20418 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.
Jeff Bezos Wants Amazon Employees to “Reflect” on Juneteenth. Warehouse Workers Are Organizing Instead.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos encouraged his white-collar workers to cancel meetings for Juneteenth and “reflect and support each other.” An Amazon warehouse worker fired after organizing for workplace protections thinks that’s “a bunch of bullshit.”
Even in Safe Races, the Democratic Establishment Hates Progressive Candidates
The Democratic donor class does not want progressives anywhere near the levers of power — even in races where they could clearly win. That’s why they’re backing centrist millionaire Democrat John Hickenlooper over a proponent of Medicare for All and the Green New Deal for a Colorado Senate seat.
Demilitarization of Police Means Disrupting the Army-to-Police Pipeline
Demilitarizing police is an urgent demand in this moment. But with the police force and army so entwined — both in terms of personnel and weaponry — demilitarization won’t be easy.
In New York, There’s Money for Cops, But Not for Schools
Jabari Brisport is a public school teacher and Democratic Socialists of America activist who cut his political teeth campaigning for same-sex marriage a decade ago. Now he’s running as a socialist to represent Brooklyn in the state senate, and he’s mounting a full-throated challenge to status-quo politics in New York.
Defund the Pentagon
Representative Barbara Lee wants to slash America’s bloated military budget. It’s a necessary move that’s long overdue.
The Supreme Court’s LGBT Decision Is a Victory for the Left, If We Make It One
The Supreme Court is a deeply conservative institution, stocked with conservative jurists. But this week’s Bostock decision was a win for LGBT justice — and it opens up new possibilities for emancipatory change.
The Freedom Rides Made the Most of a Multiracial Activist Base
Today’s protests for racial justice are strikingly multiracial. Civil rights organizers have historically considered this an asset and often used it creatively and strategically to their advantage, as they did during the Freedom Rides through the American South in 1961.
Workers at No Evil Foods Say the Vegan, Progressive Company Busted Their Union Drive
No Evil Foods markets itself as a left-wing, “revolutionary” food company. But its workers say the company recently busted their union drive and fired organizers.
The First Woman to Lead a Political Party Was an Italian Communist
Born this day in 1889, Camilla Ravera led the Communist Party of Italy through its first difficult years under Fascist tyranny. Her story shows how a generation of women became political leaders — by tying their liberation to that of the working class as a whole.
The Social Service Employees Union Was a Model of Public-Sector Unionism
In the 1960s, an upstart union of New York City social workers forged alliances with welfare recipients while fighting to improve public services at the bargaining table. They’re a model for public-sector unions today, which should be pushing for better services and struggling to democratize the state.
Mitt Romney Is Not Your Friend
Mitt Romney and a host of anti-Trump Republicans are rebranding themselves. But don’t be fooled by the rhetoric — they still hate the poor and working class as much as ever.
Why Unions Should Support Black Lives Matter
The Black Lives Matter movement doesn’t just need allies who condemn the murder of George Floyd — it needs comrades in the fight against racial injustice. Trade unionists have to join that fight.
Neil Gorsuch Is Still Not Your Friend
Neil Gorsuch’s leading role in expanding employment discrimination protections to LGBTQ people has prompted some praise for the hard-right Supreme Court justice. But before the hagiographies start, we should recall his full record — one that includes backing Donald Trump’s Muslim ban, opposition to unions, homophobia, and more.
A View of the Green New Deal From Argentina
The Green New Deal is gaining prominence internationally, with transformative green programs that respond to the specific needs of national economies. In debt-laden Argentina, leftists are arguing for a new Gran Pacto that implements a basic income and suspends all external-debt payments.
We Need Solidarity, Not White Guilt, to Fight Racism
To win substantive change, we don’t have to disavow personal education or introspection. But we do have to set our sights much higher — on dismantling the institutions that entrench racial inequality and violence.
We Aren’t Entering Into an Economic Recovery — Another Crash Is Coming
Stock markets across the world are rallying as lockdowns lift and central banks pump money into the economy. But the economy isn’t on the mend — on the contrary, this will likely be a calm before the storm of yet another devastating crash.
The Cops Can Be Defeated — But Not by Taking Obama’s Advice
Barack Obama recently lectured protesters about the need to move past protesting and focus on electing Democrats. The former president misunderstands the power of protest, which is not just to “raise awareness,” but to actually disrupt the institutions that control policy and force them to make concessions.
Frances Fox Piven on Why Protesters Must “Defend Their Ability to Exercise Disruptive Power”
Just last month, social movement scholar Frances Fox Piven predicted “waves of mass protest” in the US. She was right. In an interview with Jacobin, Piven discusses why disruption must be central to protests, the thorny questions of violence and property destruction, and how organizers should and should not see their role in the streets.
Australian University Unions Shouldn’t Be Voting for Wage Cuts
Academics across Australia are being asked to swallow deep wage cuts to stave off redundancies amid the economic fallout from the pandemic. But asking workers to foot the bill is backward and unnecessary — there are better solutions for saving higher education.