Social Housing Goes to Washington
With the newly introduced Homes Act, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is pushing legislation to create the next generation of decommodified, dignified homes, including public housing and co-ops.
19079 Articles by: Ryan Switzer
Ryan Switzer is a PhD candidate in sociology at Stockholm University. He researches right-wing politics in welfare states.
Racism Against Haitians Didn’t Begin in Springfield, Ohio
In the early 19th century, US elites demonized the self-liberated slaves of the Haitian Revolution as dangerous practitioners of barbaric rituals. Today Republicans rehash similar tropes to justify harsh immigration policy and whip up nativist panic.
If Democrats Don’t Cut Israel Off, They’ll Lose in November
The past two months of strong polls and good vibes for the Democrats likely won’t last if Israel starts a regional war and drags in the US. The only solution is for Joe Biden to stop sending Israel weapons.
Raise Wages? No Need — McDonald’s Is Hiring Inmates Instead
Citing labor shortages, Alabama prisons are accused of “leasing” inmates to McDonald’s and other fast-food chains —and taking a cut of their wages.
The Scientific Socialism of J. B. S. Haldane
J. B. S. Haldane was one of the 20th century’s great scientific minds. He was also a passionate socialist and a scourge of pseudo-scientific racism whose life gives us a fascinating case study on the relationship between science and politics.
No, the New Deal Wasn’t Racist
New Deal legislation was not without significant shortfalls. But where it succeeded, it created broad, universal programs that disproportionately helped America’s most exploited and oppressed workers.
Amazon Drivers in Queens Are Joining the Teamsters
Yesterday hundreds of Amazon drivers at a delivery station in Queens, New York, announced they are unionizing with the Teamsters. It’s evidence of growing momentum for the Teamsters’ effort to unionize Amazon, now the largest private parcel carrier in the US.
The UAW May Strike to Reopen a Shuttered Stellantis Factory
With their Big Three strike last year, the United Auto Workers made Stellantis agree to reopen its recently closed Belvidere, Illinois, plant. UAW members at other Stellantis factories across the US may have to strike to force the company to keep its word.
The Communist Party Helped Shape US History
A new book tells the story of American communism as an integral part of 20th-century US history, with Communists “as social critics and agents of much-needed social change.”
Labour’s Adventures in Pointless Means-Testing
Keir Starmer’s means-testing mania has produced its most absurd policy yet. Limiting access to the Winter Fuel Payment won’t lead to meaningful savings — but it will make it harder for low-income pensioners to access their benefits.
The Dream and Nightmare of Neoliberalism
The spread of neoliberalism promised economic efficiency and freedom for the powerful while wreaking havoc for millions. In recent years, claims of a post-neoliberal era have emerged, but a new book argues that these claims may be greatly exaggerated.
AMLO’s War on Neoliberal Corruption
Since the 1990s, the Mexican right has portrayed privatization and deregulation as democratic causes. AMLO’s redistributive program cuts through this framing, casting neoliberalism as a form of corruption that disempowers ordinary Mexicans.
Two Demands: Free Gaza, Free Speech
College administrators have been trying to preemptively shut down the eruption of new protests against the genocide in Gaza. The movement needs to emphasize the urgent importance of protecting free speech.
Jeremy Corbyn: Austerity Is a Cruel and Unnecessary Choice
The Labour Party was created to alleviate the conditions of the worst off, Jeremy Corbyn argues. With its adoption of a policy of austerity, the current Labour government is needlessly choosing to push children and pensioners into poverty.
No, Mexico’s Judicial Reform Isn’t a Risk to Democracy
Mexico is overhauling its justice system by having voters elect Supreme Court judges, but Washington has criticized the move. US allegations of authoritarianism fit into a long history of meddling — and ignore the need to make justices more accountable.
BlackRock Promised to Be Climate-Conscious. The Joke’s on Us.
Four years ago, BlackRock promised to steer away from environmentally destructive investments. Since then, it has faced predictable backlash, gotten cold feet, and dropped the act. Let that be a lesson about pinning our climate hopes on capital.
Boeing Machinists Are on Strike
After overwhelmingly voting down a proposed contract, 32,000 machinists at Boeing in Washington and Oregon went on strike Friday as their contract expired. It’s the biggest strike in the US so far this year.
No, Liberalism Hasn’t Buried Marxism
As liberal thought has evolved to address capitalism’s flaws, some argue it has caught up with Marxism, rendering it irrelevant. Vivek Chibber argues that liberalism may diagnose capitalism’s injustices, but Marxism gives us the tools to overcome them.
Why Karl Marx Kept Reworking Capital, Volume I
The first edition of Capital, Volume I, was published on this day in 1867. Over the years that followed, Karl Marx and his partner Friedrich Engels continued working on the final text, showing how it remained part of a living critical project.
The US Government Is a Partner to Israel Killing US Citizens
The US government is not just arming a country that kills Americans with impunity — it’s lying on Israel’s behalf so it can escape blame for those murders. Why is this allowed to continue?