Helen Keller’s Socialism Has Been Whitewashed
You wouldn’t know it from the whitewashed image of her as an angelic, unthreatening icon, but Helen Keller — yes, that Helen Keller — was a socialist.
19684 Articles by: Karl Leffme
Karl Leffme is a socialist in New York CIty.
“Ethical” Brand Lush Cosmetics Is Actually a Terrible Place to Work
Lush prides itself on a progressive image, but the company’s union-busting in Toronto tells another story.
Joe Biden Is Not Protecting Workers From the Pandemic
Joe Biden promised to safeguard workers in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, that hasn’t happened.
In Britain, Seasonal Farm Laborers Toil for Subminimum-Wage Piece Rates
Since the end of free movement within the EU, Britain’s farms have relied on seasonal migrants allowed into the country for just a few months at a time. Denied almost any possibility to change jobs, their situation shows how bosses can use visa rules to blackmail a pliant workforce into swallowing the most degrading conditions.
How Australia’s First Mardi Gras Fought for Gay and Lesbian Liberation
In 1968, Ken Davis became a socialist while still in high school — ten years later, he helped to lead the first Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney. As Davis explains, the struggle for gay rights in Australia formed part of a global fight for liberation.
Not All Labor Law Reforms Are Created Equal
Two major pieces of labor law legislation, both rooted in the concept of “sectoral bargaining,” are now being weighed in California and New York. California’s would represent a genuine advance for low-wage workers; New York’s would be a disaster.
Joe Biden Is Almost as Pro-Drilling as Trump
Despite pausing oil and gas leases on public land, Joe Biden approved nearly 1,200 drilling permits in a mere three months — a number almost as high as Donald Trump’s over a similar period at the end of his term.
On Police Reform, the AFL-CIO Has a Lot of Catching Up to Do
The AFL-CIO’s new report on police reform doesn’t come anywhere close to what’s needed. Written largely from the perspective of police officers, it rejects calls to defund the police, embracing the failed approach of trying to weed out bad apples.
Naomi Osaka Was Right to Stand Up to the Tennis Bosses
The standoff between Naomi Osaka and the French Open is more than a sports drama — it’s about how much control workers have over their own labor. And we could all learn a thing or two from her gutsy decision to draw a line in the sand.
Let’s Deal a Blow to Big Pharma
For years, Bernie Sanders took trips to Canada to spotlight how Big Pharma was ripping off US patients. Now, Joe Biden has the chance to allow lower-priced imported drugs — giving patients much-needed relief and reining in Big Pharma’s exorbitant profits.
Germany Auto Is Going Electric — But It’s Not Helping Workers
Tesla has announced plans for a nonunion factory in Berlin. Auto manufacturing going green was supposed to help workers, not hurt them.
Gough Whitlam’s Government Was the Victim of a Right-Wing Coup
In 1975, an Australian constitutional coup brought down Gough Whitlam’s reforming Labor government, with the Queen’s governor-general delivering the fatal blow. Whitlam’s fate was a crucial lesson for left-wing movements everywhere: capitalists will only allow so much democracy before pushing back.
Neoliberalism Has Always Been a Threat to Democracy
More than just a set of free-market policies, neoliberalism has always sought to alter society’s balance of power in favor of bosses. Its assault on democracy and undermining of unions is now playing straight into the hands of the far right.
Chicago’s Thompson Center Is a Palace for the People
Downtown Chicago’s wonderfully futuristic, bizarre Thompson Center integrates government, business, public art, affordable eating, and public protest space — and it’s currently in danger of demolition. The Thompson Center must be preserved; its architectural spirit is too interesting — and the public space it provides too exceptional — to discard.
Canada’s Housing Market Is Out of Control
House prices and rents in Canada are skyrocketing. There’s only one solution to the social crisis this has caused: a massive expansion of public housing, releasing people from dependence on a rigged market.
Mass Incarceration Has Worsened the COVID-19 Pandemic for Everyone
A new study shows that mass incarceration hasn’t just created a public health nightmare within US jails and prisons — COVID-19’s spread inside jails and prisons has spread through the rest of society. Ending mass incarceration is a dire public health concern for everyone.
Obama Was Always in Wall Street’s Corner
Barack Obama is now trying to pretend he was a finance industry critic who was deeply pained by being forced to bail out Wall Street — even though he was Wall Street’s biggest cheerleader and enabler.
In France, Garbage Workers Are Resisting Austerity
Garbage collectors occupied Paris’s city hall last Tuesday in protest against austerity measures that will make them work more days with no extra pay. Essential workers shouldn’t be the ones to pay for local government’s COVID debts.
When Christmas Island Workers United Against Colonialism and Apartheid
The Australian external territory of Christmas Island is infamous for its immigrant detention center. But the island also has a history of solidarity: in the 1970s, its Chinese and Malaysian workers led a union struggle against colonialism and apartheid.
Narendra Modi Pushed India to COVID-19 Apocalypse
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has overseen India’s spiral into mass death during the COVID-19 pandemic. Responsibility for the country’s ongoing nightmare rests on his shoulders.