The Trade War Comes to the Middle East
For the last two years, Washington and its allies have sought to consolidate influence in the region. This bid for hegemony is coming up against a new force: Chinese capital.
19585 Articles by: Ryan Switzer
Ryan Switzer is a PhD candidate in sociology at Stockholm University. He researches right-wing politics in welfare states.
Yes, You Should Worry About Inflation
For a generation, the Left dismissed any concerns about inflation as elite fearmongering. But now inflation is here. And it’s hurting workers more than anyone.
The Biden Administration Is Still Allowing For-Profit Colleges to Scam Student Borrowers
In the wake of student debt forgiveness, for-profit colleges are still defrauding students with loans they can’t pay back. The Trump administration repealed an Obama-era law meant to punish them — and Joe Biden’s Education Department has yet to reinstate it.
The Jackson Water Crisis Is a Disaster Created by Austerity
Jackson, Mississippi’s water crisis is an omen of climate disasters to come. But August floods were only the straw that broke the Jackson water system’s back. More fundamentally, the crisis is the result of decades of disinvestment and austerity.
Mikhail Gorbachev’s Project Was a Noble Failure Thwarted by Forces Beyond His Control
When he became the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev wanted to democratize the USSR without embracing free-market capitalism and end the Cold War without enabling US domination. The world is still haunted by his inability to achieve those goals.
John Fetterman Is Right About Many Things — but He’s Dead Wrong on Palestine
There are many things to like about Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman. But his dismal position on Palestine is a reminder of how foreign policy is so often the weak spot of progressive politicians.
Lucy Dacus on Her Approach to Life as a Musician, Bernie, and More
We spoke with indie singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus about being a musician during the pandemic, her supergroup boygenius, the state of the music industry, and her very public support of and admiration for Bernie Sanders.
Trader Joe’s Workers Are Unionizing — and the Company Is Union Busting
Two Trader Joe’s stores have now unionized, raising the question of whether the chain could be the next Starbucks. But the company may at least be following in Starbucks’s footsteps in one way — by engaging in illegal union busting.
Italy’s Communists Found Fleeting Hope in Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev’s ascent stirred enthusiasm among Italy’s Communists, who had long dreamed of reform in Moscow. The Soviet leader was inspired by the Italians’ more democratic, pluralistic approach to Communism. His failure would doom Eurocommunism, as well.
Gorbachev Couldn’t Reform the Soviet System — but a Better Socialism Is Possible
Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev, who died last week, was a tragic figure. He tried to build a humane socialism on the rotten foundations of authoritarianism. Today, without the albatross of Stalinism, we can fight for an entirely different kind of socialism.
Minor League Baseball Players May Be the Next Group of Workers to Unionize
When you think of poorly paid workers, minor league baseball players probably aren’t the first group that comes to mind. But minor leaguers suffer paltry compensation — and a drive to unionize them is now officially underway.
Why Starbucks Workers United May Offer a Key to Labor’s Revitalization
This Labor Day, the overall situation for US labor remains bleak. Yet the Starbucks union campaign has spread across hundreds of stores, offering a model for other unions. In tough times, Starbucks workers are giving hope to the labor movement.
Eugene V. Debs: In a Just Society, Every Day Would Be Labor Day
On Labor Day, there’s perhaps no one better to read than Eugene V. Debs. Here’s his 1903 Labor Day message, never before republished, in which he declares, “The struggle in which we are now engaged will end only when every day is Labor Day.”
Meet Anjali Appadurai, the Leftist Challenger in British Columbia’s Upcoming Election
Leftist activist Anjali Appadurai has thrown her hat into British Columbia’s NDP leadership race. If she wins, she will become the new premier. But win or lose, her presence in the race is shaking things up.
Chile’s New Constitution Could Guarantee Neoliberalism Dies Where It Was Born
Today Chile votes on a new constitution. Chileans have a chance to replace Pinochet’s document with one that guarantees social, economic, and environmental rights, and to bury the legacy of neoliberalism once and for all.
How the 1905 Revolution Inspired Rosa Luxemburg’s Vision of Emancipation
In 1905, revolt across the Russian Empire threatened to topple the tsar — but also prompted a formidable reactionary backlash. For Rosa Luxemburg, it showed the need for working-class leadership in the fight to democratize society.
The Russian Left Is Standing Against Putin’s War on Ukraine
The mass media, both inside Russia and beyond its borders, hasn’t much noticed — but young Russian leftists have been at the forefront of opposing Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Britain’s Strikes Aren’t Going to End Anytime Soon
Workers have been striking throughout the summer to demand an end to Britain’s cost-of-living crisis that doesn’t come at their expense. Expect more such strikes in the very near future.
In Haiti, Canada Can Be Relied on to Support Oligarchic Gangsterism
For decades, Canada has been a consistent bulwark against the success of popular forces in Haiti. As Haiti’s capital is engulfed in protests and violence, Canadian calls for international intervention to “help” sound ominous, not reassuring.
US Life Expectancy Has Declined Again. Neoliberalism and Antidemocratic Rule Are to Blame.
US life expectancy has declined for the second year in a row — a historic drop that hasn’t been seen for a century. We can thank our country’s threadbare welfare state and antidemocratic political institutions.