Canadian Airline Mechanics’ Defiant Strike Has Paid Off
Against orders from Justin Trudeau’s government, WestJet mechanics went on strike. Their actions secured substantial wage gains and a resounding victory for workers’ rights.
18495 Articles by: Ryan Switzer
Ryan Switzer is a PhD candidate in sociology at Stockholm University. He researches right-wing politics in welfare states.
Colombia Is Uncovering Right-Wing Militias’ Mass Graves
Recently, Colombia discovered mass graves in a cemetery over 150 years old in the city of Cúcuta. The bodies, many of which were smuggled into the graveyard this century, reveal unpleasant connections between right-wing militias, business, and the state.
Bolivia’s Divided Left Is at Risk of Losing Power
A clumsy, short-lived coup last month couldn’t bring Bolivia’s discredited conservative forces back to power. But the divide between Luis Arce and Evo Morales over the legacy of the Movement for Socialism could give those forces a bigger opening.
Biden’s Other Big Liability: Not Speaking to Economic Pain
If the president’s catastrophic debate performance didn’t sink his reelection chances, his deeply flawed campaign strategy likely will. Cost-of-living issues dominate voter concerns, but Biden’s 2024 campaign isn’t geared toward voters’ material interests.
Workers Need New Heat Protections Immediately
The Biden administration has proposed a desperately needed new heat standard to protect workers from scorching temperatures. Expect business groups to oppose it.
Biden Stepping Down Would Be a Chance for a Democratic Reset
In all but abandoning populist economic rhetoric, the Democratic Party is going the wrong way toward November’s elections. Biden’s stepping down from the reelection campaign could give Democrats an opportunity to change course.
Democracy Requires Disempowering the Supreme Court
New rulings on presidential immunity, workers’ rights, and Chevron deference make it clear: we can have social progress, or we can have a powerful Supreme Court, but we can’t have both.
Keir Starmer Already Faces a Real Challenge From the Left
The British Labour Party won a big majority of seats with a puny vote share after the Conservatives self-destructed. But Keir Starmer’s lurch to the right has created a space for Greens and left-wing independents like Jeremy Corbyn to win support.
France’s Far Right Has Rich Backers, and for Good Reason
Not all French business elites look favorably on the rise of Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National. But tech bosses, fossil fuel magnates, and “alternative finance” chiefs see plenty to like in its program — and they’re putting their support behind it.
Taking Up the American Revolution’s Egalitarian Legacy
Despite its failures and limitations, the American Revolution unleashed popular aspirations to throw off tyranny of all kinds. Reviving that legacy today means challenging the arbitrary power of employers.
Stop Using Jews to Launder Marine Le Pen’s Image
France’s establishment increasingly presents “Islamo-leftists” as the number-one source of antisemitism while whitewashing the far right. A French Jewish activist explains why it is dangerous to counterpose the defense of Jews with that of other minorities.
Britain’s Asylum Process Endangers Sexual Violence Survivors
Women reaching Britain as refugees report suffering shocking rates of sexual and gender-based violence. But far from offering them protection, the country’s punitive asylum system is treating them as a burden to be cast aside.
Release India’s Political Prisoners
Since reaching power, Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party has jailed political critics using bogus terrorism and incitement charges. But an electoral setback for his party offers hope of change in India and a crack in his authoritarian Hindutva order.
Joseph Stiglitz and the Limits of Liberal Freedom
The economist Joseph Stiglitz has long criticized neoliberalism without embracing nationalism or chauvinism. His latest, The Road to Freedom, reclaims the concept for progressive forces but fails to adequately examine unfreedom in the workplace.
Israel Is Kurd-Washing Its Crimes in Gaza
Faced with criticism of the war in Gaza, Israeli leaders cynically ask why the world worries about the Palestinians and not the Kurds. Israel’s supposed pro-Kurdish stance is empty posturing — and risks damaging the Kurdish fight for liberation.
A National Tenants Bill of Rights Would Give Power to Renters
Corporate landlords and private equity investors are overtaking the US housing system. As renters face increasingly excessive rent, a new National Tenants Bill of Rights aims to provide them with basic rights and protections.
Bolivia’s Failed Coup Is the Symptom of a Growing Political Crisis
Details surrounding a recent coup in Bolivia are still murky. But one thing is certain: the botched military takeover is the symptom of a political crisis fueled by a split within the Bolivian left.
In Britain, the Left Is Standing With Jeremy Corbyn
In Thursday’s general election, Jeremy Corbyn is defending his seat from a private health care boss backed by Keir Starmer’s Labour Party. The campaign is a fight over the Left’s most basic values — and has stirred an extraordinary activist turnout for Corbyn.
Elaine May Is the Greatest Director You’ve Never Heard Of
A new biography of writer-director-performer Elaine May makes a strong case for her canonization as one of our greatest comic talents. Unfortunately, Hollywood never knew what to do with her.
Romila Thapar Is One of India’s Bravest Public Intellectuals
Romila Thapar has transformed our view of India’s past, questioning myths first devised by British colonial ideologues before they were taken up by Hindu chauvinists. Her courage and integrity have put her at odds with Narendra Modi’s government.