The Bear’s Second Season Is Yet Another Triumph
FX’s second season of The Bear gives both dignity and drama to the realities of work.
20422 Article(s) by: Opal Lee
Opal Lee is a writer.
As Amazon Refuses to Bargain, Divisions Have Emerged in the Amazon Labor Union
More than a year after the Amazon Labor Union’s landmark victory at a Staten Island warehouse, Amazon still refuses to bargain with the union. Meanwhile, a reform caucus is pushing for the ALU to hold leadership elections.
Vivek Ramaswamy Wants Everybody to Get a Piece of the Swamp
GOP presidential candidate and billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy is proposing that everyone be able to profit from our corrupt campaign fundraising system. It’s an undemocratic vision of campaign financing that insists on making the problem of money in politics worse, not better.
We Owe the French Revolution a Debt of Gratitude
On July 14, 1789, the people of Paris rose up to take history into their own hands. Because of the power of the Jacobin idea, and because enough of them lived on to fight another day, the revolution changed the world. We are all its beneficiaries.
In Defense of the Yugo
Derided as the world’s worst car, the communist Yugoslavia–made Yugo admittedly had some serious problems. But it also had spirit and a vision to aspire to: a fuel-efficient vehicle that ordinary working-class people could afford.
As Cluster Bombs Head to Ukraine, Progressive Dissent on the War Is Suddenly Allowed Again
Last-minute GOP maneuvering sunk a push to ban cluster munitions in Ukraine last night. But its defeat could open the door to long-needed progressive dissent on the war.
Moral Crusading Is No Substitute for Mass Working-Class Politics
In the absence of a powerful workers’ movement, 19th-century reformers blamed alcohol for poverty and despair. Their assumption that moral shortcomings rather than political and economic ones were the root cause unfortunately resonates with our politics today.
Woody Guthrie Was a Homegrown American Radical
Woody Guthrie was born 111 years ago today. At the heart of his music and activism was a commitment to socialism, a condemnation of capitalism, and a belief that our society could help rather than hurt average people.
The French Revolution Is Still a Work in Progress
Today’s French political leaders are more likely to present the Jacobins as bloody authoritarians than forerunners of modern democracy. But redeeming their legacy is key to understanding the Revolution’s unfulfilled promise.
Ontario’s Hidden Wage Wins Should Be Recognized as Union Victories
While the past two years have posed challenges for Canadian union members amid soaring inflation, unions in Ontario have secured remarkable wage gains that have largely gone unnoticed.
Jairus Banaji’s Work Has Transformed Our Understanding of the Origins of Capitalism
Historian Jairus Banaji has developed a highly original perspective on the history of capitalism that stresses the importance of commercial capital. His work is essential reading for anyone who wants to know how the global economic system took shape.
Assessing the Damage of New York City’s Budget
The theatrics of this year’s New York City budget brought to mind the fiscal and political conflicts of the 1970s — and the need to find a new vision for New York beyond austerity.
How Do We Act Morally in the Face of Climate Change?
As climate change produces more misery and fossil fuel capitalists refuse to stop releasing carbon, we will increasingly confront the question asked by Chuck Collins in his new novel: What does moral action look like against such an immoral status quo?
Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe’s Post-Marxism Can’t Give Us a Political Strategy
Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe claimed to have identified the fatal flaw of Marxism and developed a better framework for left politics. But their taboo against class “essentialism” means they can’t identify the strengths and weaknesses of capitalist power.
This Bastille Day, Narendra Modi Is Being Feted in Paris
Bastille Day is meant to be about freedom, equality, and brotherhood. But this July 14, Emmanuel Macron is rolling out the red carpet for India’s far-right premier — showing how little France’s military alliances conform to its supposed values.
This Little-Known Corporation Is Making a Fortune Kicking People Off Medicaid
As more than 17 million people stand to lose health insurance in the unfolding Medicaid eligibility review disaster, a little-known company called Maximus is set to make massive profits off of helping the government deny people health insurance.
Cynicism Made Janet Malcolm a Great Writer
Janet Malcolm had a talent for cynicism, which she marshaled readily in herself and took pleasure at uncovering in others. In her final book, Still Pictures, she asked whether the personal and emotional costs she paid for her success were worth it.
Dockworkers in Canada Have Shut Down the Country’s Critical West Coast Ports
Longshore wages and job security have declined while profits for terminal operators on Canada’s west coast have soared. Now 7,400 workers from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union are striking across 30 ports, fighting against job and wage cuts.
AOC Shouldn’t Have Endorsed Joe Biden
Leading left-wing politicians including Bernie Sanders, Ilhan Omar, and, most recently, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have already endorsed Joe Biden — even though primary voters haven’t yet had their say and most Democrats in polls don’t even want him to run.
Israel Has Turned the Occupied Territories Into a Laboratory for State Terror
Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territories has given it a special know-how in imposing military control over civilians. Governments around the world admire its example — and are ever keener to import its repressive technologies.