America’s Housing Crisis Is About to Get Much, Much Worse
The Supreme Court has chosen to side with landlords over the millions of renters on the edge of eviction. The tidal wave of pain that will soon descend on the nation is hard to comprehend.
19423 Articles by: Opal Lee
Opal Lee is a writer.
Chicago Is Being Amazonified
Chicago recently made headlines for turning public parks space over to Amazon package lockers. But those lockers are only one example of Amazon and public officials using public-private “partnerships” to give away public resources and harm communities.
The Mets Suck. Blame the Owner, Not the Players.
New York fans are right to boo the Mets. But they’re booing the wrong people.
The Rise of the UniverCity
As they come to resemble corporations, universities increasingly wield the kind of power and influence that were hallmarks of ruthless employers in isolated company towns. Historian Davarian Baldwin calls this ominous trend the “rise of the UniverCity.”
Socialist Actor Ed Asner Fought for Labor
Ed Asner was an immensely talented actor. He was also an uncompromising union militant who fought for lower-paid actors and against Ronald Reagan’s murderous interventions in Central America.
Lee “Scratch” Perry (1936–2021)
Lee “Scratch” Perry, who died last week at the age of 85, wasn’t just a sonic genius — he was also a politicized producer whose work was full of demands for justice.
More Criminalization Isn’t the Answer to Gun Violence
Gun violence is a major problem in the US. But many attempts to reform gun laws involve more criminal statutes and longer prison sentences — “solutions” that only make the problem of mass incarceration worse.
Amazonians United Is the Other Face of the Amazon Labor Movement
At Amazon, big organizing campaigns by established unions — like the one in Bessemer, Alabama, this year — are only the most visible face of labor organizing. The other is Amazonians United, a militant shop-floor group with a presence around the country.
Bernie Sanders Is Making His Pitch to Swing Voters
Bernie Sanders, who’s fighting to pass his ambitious $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill in the Senate, spent the past weekend on the road, doing something his Democratic colleagues seldom do: selling his ideas in swing states.
In Livorno, Italy’s Most Famous Left-Wing Football Club Is Fighting to Survive
A historic symbol of Italian communism, Livorno’s football club went bust this summer after more than a century of professional competition. But fans and former players are fighting to keep the team alive — and take control of it for themselves.
Workers Need Paid Sick Leave, Not Just Vaccine Mandates
Vaccine mandates can help. But the most unifying way for workers to push for safer workplaces is by fighting for paid sick leave for all.
No, the US Has Nothing to Fear From China’s Military
China hawks love to fulminate about how Beijing’s military strength is growing and will challenge the United States in the coming decades. But China’s military is vastly more likely to be fighting climate change than American soldiers.
To MLK, Individual Greatness Could Be Found in Attacking Injustice
Martin Luther King argued that the desire for individual greatness marred US society. But he also believed that desire could be channeled into collective action, with everyone acting as “drum majors” for justice against the “triple evils” of racism, capitalism, and militarism.
At a Fossil Fuels Summit, the Climate Crisis Is Totally Under Control
The country and the planet are engulfed in climate disasters. But the consensus at one of the country’s biggest fossil-fuel summits is that only the fossil-fuel capitalists that caused this crisis can be trusted to save us.
Ed Asner Was a Proud Socialist in Hollywood
The legendary actor Ed Asner, who died at 91 this week, was an unflagging supporter of socialist causes. And he paid a price for his leftism, taking a stand against Ronald Reagan’s bloody Central America interventions and losing a show over it.
In Graz, Austria, Communists Have Built a Red Fortress
In Graz, Austria’s second-largest city, Communists have ridden a wave of working-class discontent to become the main challenger to the ruling conservatives.
Raymond Williams Was a Socialist Visionary
Raymond Williams would not have claimed to have found all the answers. But we should remember him as one of the most thoughtful socialist writers of the 20th century.
“I Want Other Christians to Explore What Socialism Is”
Joel Richards is a teacher, union activist, and socialist running for Boston City Council. In an interview, Richards discusses his plans to fight for Boston’s working class, why the city needs its own Green New Deal, and how Christianity shapes his socialism.
The Latest US Air Strike in Afghanistan Is a Microcosm for the Entire, Terrible War
With hawks thirsting for blood after last week’s ISIS attack, the Biden administration just slaughtered ten Afghans about to be resettled in the US. The tragic story is a miniature version of how the entire war has gone.
Progressive Members of Congress Need to Hold the Line on the Infrastructure Bill
Corporate America wants to decouple the infrastructure bill from the climate and budget bill. The best chance to prevent that is for enough progressive lawmakers to pledge to vote against any infrastructure bill until the climate and budget bill passes.