Rural Voter Blues
Contrary to what you’ve heard, progressives actually can reach rural voters.
19545 Articles by: Opal Lee
Opal Lee is a writer.
Jane McAlevey Knew We Could Win
Among Jane McAlevey’s many audacious projects in the labor movement, her organizer training program, Organizing for Power, is one of her most innovative. Reaching tens of thousands of workers worldwide, her ideas and commitment will live on through it.
Old Man Zuck’s Family Farm
Mark Zuckerberg doesn’t work the land on his Hawaii ranch, but he and other wealthy landowners still benefit from huge agricultural tax breaks.
Landsharks
Since 2008, Wall Street has made a pretty penny exacerbating the housing crisis.
Scottish Nationalism Is on the Ropes After the UK Election
The Scottish National Party suffered a heavy defeat in last week’s Westminster election. The result leaves Scotland trapped for now inside a British state whose deep-seated problems the new Labour government will be unable to address.
France’s New Popular Front Has Won a Historic Victory
The French election was meant to bring victory for Marine Le Pen’s far right. But the New Popular Front rallied around a left-wing program for social change — allowing it to become the biggest force in the new National Assembly.
We’re in a Class War. Jane McAlevey Actually Acted Like It.
No one believed in and embodied the labor movement’s transformative power more than organizer, strategist, and writer Jane McAlevey.
Back to the Stone Age: The Uses and Abuses of Prehistory
Stefanos Geroulanos argues in The Invention of Prehistory that the scientific investigation of human origins fueled Western racism and colonialism. Yet his heightened sensitivity to the political abuses of prehistory introduces exaggerations of its own.
Yes, Profits Have Risen With Prices
That unbelievably expensive grocery bill? Turns out there’s a simple explanation: a new report in Canada finds that corporate profits have doubled since before the outbreak of the pandemic.
Emmanuel Macron Is Using the Far Right to Bolster His Power
Since his first presidential campaign in 2017, Emmanuel Macron has presented himself as the only barrier to chaos. But this snap election has shown how much Macron has helped build up the far-right threat in order to entrench his own power.
Canadian Airline Mechanics’ Defiant Strike Has Paid Off
Against orders from Justin Trudeau’s government, WestJet mechanics went on strike. Their actions secured substantial wage gains and a resounding victory for workers’ rights.
Colombia Is Uncovering Right-Wing Militias’ Mass Graves
Recently, Colombia discovered mass graves in a cemetery over 150 years old in the city of Cúcuta. The bodies, many of which were smuggled into the graveyard this century, reveal unpleasant connections between right-wing militias, business, and the state.
Bolivia’s Divided Left Is at Risk of Losing Power
A clumsy, short-lived coup last month couldn’t bring Bolivia’s discredited conservative forces back to power. But the divide between Luis Arce and Evo Morales over the legacy of the Movement for Socialism could give those forces a bigger opening.
Biden’s Other Big Liability: Not Speaking to Economic Pain
If the president’s catastrophic debate performance didn’t sink his reelection chances, his deeply flawed campaign strategy likely will. Cost-of-living issues dominate voter concerns, but Biden’s 2024 campaign isn’t geared toward voters’ material interests.
Workers Need New Heat Protections Immediately
The Biden administration has proposed a desperately needed new heat standard to protect workers from scorching temperatures. Expect business groups to oppose it.
Biden Stepping Down Would Be a Chance for a Democratic Reset
In all but abandoning populist economic rhetoric, the Democratic Party is going the wrong way toward November’s elections. Biden’s stepping down from the reelection campaign could give Democrats an opportunity to change course.
Democracy Requires Disempowering the Supreme Court
New rulings on presidential immunity, workers’ rights, and Chevron deference make it clear: we can have social progress, or we can have a powerful Supreme Court, but we can’t have both.