Six Takeaways From India Walton’s Historic Victory in Buffalo
Here is a data-driven look at how democratic socialist India Walton won Buffalo’s mayoral primary, and what her coalition really looks like.
19448 Articles by: Opal Lee
Opal Lee is a writer.
2,500 County Workers in and Around Chicago Are Currently on Strike
Cook County workers never stopped working during the pandemic. At the bargaining table, they say that Cook County Board president Toni Preckwinkle refuses to recognize their sacrifices — which is why 2,500 county workers are currently in their second week of a strike. We spoke to one of the strikers.
Americans Are More Open to Socialism Than Ever
Socialism is now a real part of the political landscape — while “capitalism” has never been more unpopular.
The Horror of Canada’s Residential Schools Was Hiding in Plain Sight
The horrifying details about thousands of dead Indigenous children should not come as a shock to Canadians. It’s no good just hand-wringing in response. Solidarity and action is what’s needed.
The Theory and Practice of Marxism in Japan
From the ’60s New Left to the persistence of a mass-membership Communist Party today, Marxism has had a huge impact on Japanese politics and culture. Japanese Marxism is a highly creative tradition that deserves to be better known and understood outside Japan.
The Supreme Court Just Dealt a Blow to Farmworkers — And All Other Workers, Too
Agricultural bosses won a Supreme Court case barring California unions from talking to farmworkers on the job site. It’s a major setback not just for farmworkers but all other workers, too.
In the Heights Is the Most Boring Movie of the Year
The controversy over casting in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical In the Heights obscures just how dull the film really is.
Keir Starmer Is Dragging Down the Labour Party
Labour held on in Batley and Spen in spite of Keir Starmer’s unpopular leadership, not because of it. An effective local campaign kept him as far away as possible. In thrall to focus groups and media groupthink, Starmer is still guiding Labour onto the rocks.
Donald Rumsfeld Was a Monster Only Washington Could Create
In a decades-long political career, Donald Rumsfeld was known for two things: covering his own ass and having few real political principles. Relentless warmongering powered his rise to the top in Washington — and led him to help orchestrate one of the worst disasters in the history of US foreign policy.
Debunking the Economist’s Myths of Free-Market Liberalism
The Economist’s liberalism is often framed as the politics of human rights and individual freedom, but its origins lie just as much in a fear of the masses and democracy.
Trader Joe’s Is Once Again Accused of Violating Workers’ Rights
When workers at Trader Joe’s flagship location collectively organized to challenge their pandemic-era treatment by the company, management responded by interrogating them. We spoke to a worker who filed a complaint with the NLRB over the crackdown.
India Walton Is a Sign of What the Socialist Movement Could Become
India Walton’s victory in Buffalo is an enormous advance. With a clear political strategy, the socialist movement could become less dominated by professionals and more driven by the working-class base it requires.
The Batley and Spen By-Election Showed Britain’s Political Class Holds Muslims In Contempt
Keir Starmer’s Labour Party narrowly avoided a second successive by-election defeat to the Tories yesterday. But the most important story of the campaign was the alienation of British Muslims from a political mainstream that openly despises them.
Give Bus Passengers Free Hotel Stays for Long-Distance Trips
Long-distance bus travel is far less carbon-intensive than plane travel, not to mention an incredible way to see the country. But the trips often aren’t pleasant. One easy way to change that: publicly subsidize overnight lodging for bus travelers.
The Fossil Fuel Companies Are Figuring Out Devious New Ways to Greenwash
The fossil fuel industry is trying to rebrand, using terms like “unabated coal” and “responsibly sourced gas” in an attempt to greenwash their commitment to continue burning fossil fuels.
Donald Rumsfeld Was a Bloodthirsty Warrior for the Free Market
The American warfare state’s upper reaches are filled with bloodthirsty megalomaniacs. But few have been as deranged as Donald Rumsfeld, whose appetite for imperial violence combined with free market zealotry produced one of the most spectacular failures in all of US military history.
In New York, the Socialist Electoral Project Is Strong
The New York City primaries have been a mess, with delayed results, botched results, and everything in between. But we do know one thing for sure: the question isn’t whether socialists will win any seats, but how many.
Fausto Gullo, Italy’s “Peasants’ Minister” Who Fought to Break Landowner Power
Italy’s first postwar agriculture secretary, Fausto Gullo, was a Communist who used his office to redistribute land and give peasants control over their lives. His reforms promised to democratize the South’s deeply unequal economy — only for conservatives to reassert the dead hand of landowner power.
India Walton’s Historic Victory in Buffalo Needs Defending
Buffalo mayor Byron Brown is launching a write-in campaign against socialist primary winner India Walton. Brown has bipartisan establishment support and organized money. Walton will need the Left to rally to her defense.
Corporate Lobbyists Declare War on Nina Turner
Corporate Democrats and lobbyists for Big Oil, Big Pharma, Fox News, and Wall Street are fundraising for Nina Turner’s primary opponent Shontel Brown in the Ohio congressional race.