Pessimism of the Intellect, Optimism of the Whale
Why socialists should read Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick.
19500 Articles by: T Rivers
T Rivers is a pseudonymous journalist who covers East and Central Africa.
Germany’s Counterrevolution Paved the Way for the Rise of Nazism
A revolutionary upsurge after 1918 could have democratized German politics. Instead, the brutal repression used to contain that upsurge strengthened the authoritarian right, divided the German workers’ movement, and facilitated the rise of Hitler.
Canada’s “Freedom Convoy” Is a Front for a Right-Wing, Anti-Worker Agenda
Workers in Canada’s trucking industry have suffered during the pandemic. The “Freedom Convoy,” a right-wing, pro-business social movement, purports itself to be the people’s champion of liberty — yet it couldn’t care less about the hardships and burdens of its fellow workers.
Private Health Insurance Is a Racket — And It’s Taxpayers Who Are Increasingly Keeping It Afloat
A new analysis finds that private insurance giant UnitedHealth has taken in hundreds of billions in public money over the last decade — all while insuring fewer people.
Rashida Tlaib Just Introduced a Landmark Bill to Dramatically Slash Child Poverty
This week, Rashida Tlaib and Mondaire Jones introduced the End Child Poverty Act in Congress. It’s a watershed bill that would bring the US in line with social democratic countries that boast the world’s lowest child poverty rates.
Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard Acquisition Won’t Save the Games Industry
Microsoft’s $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard will make things worse for game workers — and entrench some of the most dystopian trends in video games.
No, America Is Not Sliding Into Civil War
Liberals have made a cottage industry out of breathless warnings about impending apocalypse at the hands of the Right. This rhetoric isn’t just overblown — it’s also politically useless.
The Starbucks Union Drive Is Spreading With Impressive Speed
In just the last two months, workers at more than 50 Starbucks locations across 19 states have filed for union elections. The movement is being driven by rank-and-file workers and so far has brushed aside organizing challenges and management fearmongering.
Hundreds of West Coast Truckers Are Fighting for a Union
Hundreds of Southern California port truckers have launched a unionization bid to fight their increasingly brutal working conditions. It’s an industry where worker misclassification is rampant and employers flout labor laws with impunity.
New Study: Gas and Oil Drilling Doesn’t Create Very Many Jobs
Fossil fuel industry groups always emphasize how many jobs rely on oil and gas drilling. A new study shows they’re lying.
Joe Biden Just Withdrew an Attempt to Block Student Loan Forgiveness
After widespread anger at news that the Biden administration was trying to block a court ruling that could protect people with student debt, the administration has abruptly withdrawn its opposition. It’s a victory for everyone fighting for student loan forgiveness.
Uber Got a Sweetheart Deal With One of Canada’s Biggest Unions
Uber’s recent deal with UFCW Canada, granting legal representation to the 100,000 workers employed by the ride-sharing app, is not as good as it seems. The agreement will allow Uber to circumvent trade union democracy and attack workers’ benefits.
Kshama Sawant: Starbucks Workers Have a Golden Opportunity
The unionization efforts of Starbucks workers have the bosses scared, Seattle socialist city councilor Kshama Sawant writes. Coffee workers should heed lessons from labor history and take a class-struggle approach to organizing.
Ordinary Germans Don’t Want a Fight With Russia
The German government’s reluctance to join an anti-Russian bandwagon owes at least as much to commercial interests as to historical guilt. But calls for Berlin to play a stronger role in NATO should be emphatically resisted.
The Beijing Winter Olympics Are a Political Disaster
Liberals and leftists agree: the International Olympic Committee is a blatantly hypocritical institution bent on prioritizing profits over people worldwide. Anti-Olympics activists can use this moment to fortify their long-standing efforts against the five-ring machine.
The Democrats Are Choosing to Rely on Corporate Donors
New reporting shows the Democratic Party outpacing the GOP in the dark money arms race. You can’t “save democracy” by embracing the very forces ranged against it.
After Electing New Leadership, the Possibilities for the Teamsters Are Enormous
With the victory of a coalition of reformers in the Teamsters, the union has enormous potential to organize Amazon, rebuild strength at shop floors throughout North America, and perhaps even go on strike against UPS.
Is Wordle Still for Everyone?
Beloved, iconic, thoroughly memeable — in hindsight, it was only a matter of time before Wordle was bought up by a media giant.
McDonald’s HQ Is a Perfect Symbol of America’s Class Divide
Housed within McDonald’s Chicago HQ are both white-collar workers upstairs, enjoying a relaxed work environment and decent compensation — and restaurant workers downstairs, making the company’s profits but facing unsafe work environments and low wages.
Joe Biden Has Just Given Wall Street a Huge Win
Biden previously slammed a Trump ruling that could help private equity kingpins loot retirees’ savings. Now, the president is backing it.