Fight for Your Right to Be Lazy
In the late nineteenth century, French Marxist Paul Lafargue put forward a demand that still resonates nearly a century and a half later: workers have a right to be lazy.
19271 Articles by: James Bloodworth
James Bloodworth is a writer and journalist from London.
This Year’s World Cup Has Epitomized the Corporate Takeover of Football
A morally tarnished World Cup in Qatar was the latest phase in the degeneration of modern football. Europe’s top clubs have become playthings of the superwealthy, taking the game ever further from its popular roots.
50 Years Ago, Rank-and-File Reformers Took Over the United Mine Workers of America
The mine workers’ union’s conservative, corrupt leadership leadership was ousted by reformers 50 years ago this month. Today’s union reformers can learn from both their successes and their failures.
As President of Brazil, Lula Could Usher in a New Global Nonalignment Movement
Brazil’s president-elect, Lula da Silva, appears eager to challenge Western dominance. But instead of siding with China against the US in a new cold war, he’s likely to pursue a sovereign third path in the vein of the 20th century’s Non-Aligned Movement.
Eric Adams’s Public Library Cuts Would Devastate a System Average New Yorkers Need
New York’s public libraries are essential institutions providing a wide range of services and cultural programming on top of books and media. If Eric Adams’s proposed library cuts go through, huge numbers of New Yorkers will suffer immensely.
China’s Nationwide Protests Have Deep Roots
A coordinated protest wave across China, the country’s largest since the Tiananmen Square movement in 1989, has been instrumental in prompting the government’s policy shift on COVID-19. It’s a culmination of tensions that have been building for years.
The Biden Administration Killed Bernie’s Bid to End the Yemen War
Despite its lofty rhetoric about sovereignty and human rights, the Biden administration has been working overtime to kill a congressional attempt from Bernie Sanders to end US support for the Saudi war on Yemen.
French Police’s Fast-Track Punishments Have Nothing to Do With Justice
Emmanuel Macron’s government is giving French police more powers to issue on-the-spot fines, without going to court. France’s justice system is less and less based on a presumption of innocence — and multicultural, working-class areas are being targeted most.
Today’s Conservative Movement Has Roots in the Capitalist Backlash Against the New Deal
During the New Deal, right-wing businesspeople were furious that their authority was being challenged in the workplace and in society. So they started organizing. And that’s the origin story of the modern conservative movement.
Elon Musk’s Purge of Journalists Should Be a Wake-Up Call to Liberals About the Dangers of Online Censorship
Elon Musk’s petty-minded ban of several mainstream reporters has transformed many who previously dismissed free speech concerns on Twitter into outraged anti-censorship crusaders. However laced with hypocrisy, their about-face a good thing.
BlackRock Touts Its “Green” Investments — While Working to Undermine Climate Regulations
Asset manager BlackRock has worked hard to build a reputation for prioritizing climate-friendly investments. But the firm is actively trying to take the teeth out of regulations that require companies to disclose their carbon emissions.
West Virginia Coal Miners Who Fought Their Bosses Are Getting the Monuments They Deserve
As statues of tyrants and reactionaries come down, organizers in West Virginia are building monuments to the coal miners whose resistance to corporate domination a century ago has largely been forgotten.
Nancy Pelosi’s Daughter Makes Awful Documentaries Fawning Over the Establishment
For two decades, Alexandra Pelosi, Nancy’s daughter, has made award-winning, godawful films about America’s political class. Pelosi in the House, a dull documentary about her mother and January 6, proves she is the auteur the liberal establishment deserves.
The Department of Homeland Security Is Out of Control
The astonishing roster of outrages perpetrated by the Department of Homeland Security in recent years — from ties to far-right groups to the wanton abuse of migrants’ human rights — leaves only one conclusion: it cannot continue to exist in its current form.
Muslim Rule in Spain Was a Crucial Part of Europe’s History
For half a millennium, modern-day Spain was mostly ruled by Muslim kingdoms that presided over an extraordinary cultural experiment. The key to understanding Al-Andalus lies in its unorthodox social structure and its political location between two worlds.
Train Engineers Just Ousted Their Union President for Supporting the Rail Deal
In the wake of the rail showdown, locomotive engineers have voted to boot their union president. It’s a stunning upset — and one that shows rank-and-file railworkers are still simmering at the contract that was forced on them.
How the Supreme Court’s Agenda Is Being Shaped by Right-Wing Billionaire Money
Conservative activist Leonard Leo is spending millions to shape the Supreme Court’s agenda. On his docket: ending affirmative action, rolling back antidiscrimination protections, and giving state legislatures unreviewable oversight of federal elections.
For Grant Wahl, Soccer Was a Window Into the Best and Worst of Humanity
The late soccer journalist Grant Wahl, who died suddenly at age 49, imbued his coverage of the sport with his love for humanity. For him, soccer was a microcosm of the world, from greed and corruption to the universal joys that unite us across our differences.
In 2023, Politics Are Probably Going to Stay Stuck. That’s a Good Thing for the Right.
With dueling investigations into Donald Trump and Hunter Biden, low-energy presidential campaigns based on not being the other guy, and maybe a government shutdown, 2023 will see political gridlock. Except in the conservative Supreme Court, that is.
Morocco’s World Cup Run Was a Political Game Changer for North Africa
The Moroccan football team and its fans subverted a World Cup that looked set to be a stultifying showcase for state and corporate power. From solidarity with Palestine to the celebration of Amazigh identity, they’ve left behind an important legacy.