No, the Racial Justice Protests Are Not at Odds With Class Politics
Ross Douthat wants to tempt socialists with his argument that this wave of racial justice protest is hopelessly in thrall to the logic of woke capitalism. Don’t take the bait.
19378 Articles by: Opal Lee
Opal Lee is a writer.
How Nigeria’s Left Helped Shape the Country’s History
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country by far, may not have a political profile to match its size. But it has a powerful tradition of socialist theory and practice that deserves to be better understood by the international left. That tradition has helped shape the best features of Nigeria’s contemporary political scene.
Jeremy Corbyn’s Opponents Burned the House Down to Stop Him — Now Keir Starmer Is King of the Ashes
By sacking Rebecca Long-Bailey on a trumped-up pretext, Keir Starmer has set the seal on a drastic shift to the right for the British Labour Party. That shift comes just as the key arguments by Jeremy Corbyn’s opponents to justify a break with his left leadership have been falling apart in the face of overwhelming evidence.
Keir Starmer Is Moving Labour Even Further to the Right
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer has seized on an absurd charge of antisemitism to dismiss his former leadership rival, Rebecca Long-Bailey, from the shadow cabinet. It’s the latest indication that Starmer is steering the party even harder to the right than had been feared.
SEC Regulators: Private Equity Is on a Crime Spree
Securities and Exchange Commission regulators recently issued a scathing report that reads like a last-ditch plea for help in reeling in private equity billionaires, who have all but free rein to fleece whoever they want, whenever they want.
Vivian Gornick: “It Is Thrilling for a Small Life to See Itself as Connected to Something Large”
Vivian Gornick’s recently reissued The Romance of American Communism is in high demand these days by young socialists grappling with the meaning of their activism. In an interview, Gornick is slightly skeptical of the reborn socialist movement — and even the book itself. But although she says “I wouldn’t have written that book today, I’m not sorry I did write it.”
The US Didn’t Bring Freedom to South Korea — Its People Did
The United States claimed to be fighting in defense of democracy in South Korea. In reality, however, it propped up a series of dictatorships. The people of South Korea only won their freedom decades after the war, through brave struggles against US-backed military strongmen, like the heroic Gwangju Uprising of 1980.
Uncovering the Hidden History of the Korean War
The Korean War, which began 70 years ago today, inflicted unimaginable horrors upon the people of Korea, north and south of the 38th parallel. From carpet-bombing to mass executions, the US and its South Korean allies were responsible for some of the worst atrocities.
Don’t Get Too Cocky About Donald Trump’s Flop in Tulsa Last Weekend
Donald Trump’s satisfyingly disastrous rally in Tulsa last weekend has further cemented the consensus that Trump is toast in November. But liberal complacency allowed Trump to win in 2016 — and it could still do the same in 2020.
Last Night’s Elections Were a Political Earthquake
It’s been a tough few months in the wake of Bernie Sanders’s defeat. But after the recent explosions in the streets and ongoing down-ballot progressive electoral organizing in the last year, the Left came roaring back in last night’s primaries.
We Need a Jobs Guarantee Now More Than Ever
Unemployment in the US is skyrocketing, with the Federal Reserve predicting a long-term unemployment rate of 10 percent. Creating quality jobs for all who want it should be the chief concern of the federal government, not the bogeyman of inflation.
The Supreme Court Has Given the Green Light to Bosses and Financial Managers to Steal From Workers
Robbing workers’ pension funds has long been central to Wall Street’s business model. In last week’s Supreme Court ruling, Brett Kavanaugh and his conservative cadre of justices opened the door for financial managers to take their looting of those pension funds even further.
Tearing Down Statues Doesn’t Erase History, It Makes Us See It More Clearly
The protesters tearing down monuments to slaveholders and perpetrators of genocide are often accused of “erasing the past.” But their actions are bringing closer scrutiny on the figures these monuments celebrate — allowing history to be retold from the viewpoint of their victims.
Don’t Let Blackwashing Save the Investor Class
Corporations have embraced antiracist rhetoric, but they will not eradicate the economic insecurity and inequality the investor class requires — and wants the police to uphold.
Now Is the Time to Organize Undocumented Workers
The precarious, dangerous conditions immigrant workers face under coronavirus are an intensified version of the conditions workers face across the country. Rebuilding the labor movement today must include organizing undocumented workers.
We’re Learning More About the Relationships Between Race, Class, and Police Brutality
A new paper finds that for white Americans, socioeconomic status is a major determining factor in susceptibility to fatal police violence, while for black Americans, class is critical but not decisive. The findings underscore the need to build a movement that stands against both racist police brutality and brutal class stratification.
We’re Dying From Coronavirus. Corporations Are Getting Rich Off It.
The 2008 bailout was a giant giveaway to corporate America. 2020 is more of the same.
The Escalating Crisis on the India-China Border
In the last week, simmering tensions on the Indian-Chinese border in the Himalayas have escalated to open conflict, with fatalities on both sides. India’s foreign policy, and not just China, deserves much blame for the escalation.
Eliot Engel Is One of the Democrats’ Worst Warmongers in Congress
New Yorkers in the sixteenth congressional district will choose today between sixteen-term incumbent Eliot Engel and challenger Jamaal Bowman. The race offers a stark contrast between Bowman, who’s endorsed by Bernie Sanders, AOC, and the Democratic Socialists of America, and Engel, a longtime and steadfast warmonger.
Bill de Blasio Knows That Cops Protect Capital
New York City mayor Bill de Blasio has repeatedly defended the police even as they’ve brutalized protesters. It’s a reminder that his progressive reputation was always overblown — and that when push comes to shove, he’s always going to side with the real estate interests that cops protect.