Pedro Castillo Can Help End Neoliberalism in Peru
Peru heads for presidential elections on Sunday, when voters will have a choice between two very different candidates: left-wing trade unionist Pedro Castillo and far-right politician Keiko Fujimori.
19423 Articles by: William G. Martin
William G. Martin teaches at SUNY-Binghamton and is co-author of After Prisons? Freedom, Decarceration, and Justice Disinvestment (2016) and a founding member of Justice and Unity for the Southern Tier; he covers local justice matters at www.justtalk.blog
Big Pharma’s EU Lobbying Could Spell Disaster for Global South Vaccine Waivers
Pharma giants have spent big on lobbying European Union officials over vaccine waivers. It’s paid off: now key European power brokers oppose suspending global vaccine patents to fight the pandemic in the Global South.
Social Media Companies Like Instagram Are Censoring Dissent
In recent weeks, Instagram and Facebook have censored posts focused on COVID-19 in India and protests in Colombia and Palestine — with little explanation as to why.
Omar Blondin Diop’s Death Showed the Horrors of Neocolonialism
48 years ago, Senegalese leftist Omar Blondin Diop died in detention under suspicious circumstances. His death triggered widespread outcry against Western-backed state repression — and it laid bare the violence of neocolonialism.
Ronald Reagan Made Central America a Killing Field
In the 1980s, the Reagan administration used Central America as a testing ground to rehabilitate US imperial “hard power” after defeat in Vietnam. The results were predictable: death squads, massacres, and murderous repression of left-wing movements.
Without a Mass Membership, Australia’s Labor Party Is on the Road to Nowhere
The Australian Labor Party has been bleeding support for years, and it won’t recover without active members who can engage with working-class communities. Undemocratic right-wing cliques are standing in the way of renewal, but ACT Labor shows that a different way of doing politics is viable.
Calm Down, Mass Inflation Is Not Around the Corner
The frenzied warnings of impending mass inflation are completely overblown. The inflation we’ve seen has been limited to a few specific items — and putting the brakes on the economy now would hammer the working class.
Was John Stuart Mill a Socialist?
John Stuart Mill might have lots of libertarian fans, but his idiosyncratic ideas, despite their limitations, had more in common with democratic socialism than pro-capitalist ideologies.
The British Elite Lets the Bodies Pile High
Dominic Cummings’s bombshell testimony on Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s disastrous response to COVID gives us a window into the murderous and deranged culture of the British elite.
The Women of Raqqa Are Rebuilding Their Future
Four years since Raqqa was liberated from ISIS, women are playing a leading role in rebuilding the Syrian city. Their activism shows that socialist feminism isn’t just about gender parity in top jobs — it’s about women taking control of their own lives.
Capitalists Exploit Workers — Even When They’re “Socialists”
After the “socialist”-branded No Evil Foods busted its workers’ union last year, the company settled with two former employees for $40,000. But those workers still aren’t satisfied — and the private-equity backed company is as fiercely opposed to worker organizing as ever.
How Joseph Stalin Became a Bolshevik
Ronald Suny’s Stalin: Passage to Revolution traces Joseph Stalin’s trajectory from his boyhood in Georgia to the Russian Revolution in 1917. In an interview, Suny explains the specificities of the Georgian socialist movement, Stalin’s role in the revolution, and why Stalinism was “bloody, ruthless,” and “the nadir of the Soviet experiment.”
Will Bolsonaro Be Held Responsible for Brazil’s COVID-19 Disaster?
Jair Bolsonaro has overseen one of the most disastrous COVID-19 responses in the world. A new congressional inquiry into his misconduct faces long odds — but could help expose the disaster to the Brazilian people ahead of the election against former president Lula.
Ending the Filibuster Is About Defending Democracy
Ending the filibuster isn’t just crucial to getting any positive legislation passed — it’s a question of whether we believe in the basic principle of majority rule.
Halston Suffers From Ryan Murphy Syndrome
Ryan Murphy’s new Netflix limited series on the 1970s fashion icon Halston is yet another showcase not only for Murphy’s trademark bright and glossy style but also his contempt for the unglamorous rabble.
Socialists Were Right to Slam Boris Johnson’s Coronavirus Response
For a year, centrist pundits scolded the Left for daring to criticize Boris Johnson’s response to COVID-19. This week’s hearing with former aide Dominic Cummings revealed we were right all along.
80 Years Ago Today, Disney Animation Workers Went on Strike
The Disney cartoonists and animators’ strike that began at a California studio on May 29, 1941, forever changed the labor standards of an industry — and inspired cultural workers to take greater ownership over their labor.
Obama Labor Secretary Tom Perez Just Joined an Anti-Union Law Firm
Former DNC chair and Obama labor secretary Tom Perez just joined a law firm that brags about its lawyers who “regularly counsel and train clients on union avoidance” — another member of an administration that posed as “progressive” yet was anything but.
The Iron Dome System Is a Monument to Israel’s Hubris
Israeli officials depict Iron Dome as a near-infallible shield against Hamas rockets. But the system’s real purpose is to sustain the illusion that Israel can rule over the Palestinians while pretending they don’t exist.
Canada’s Communists Played a Vital Role in the Workers’ Movement
It’s a century this week since the Communist Party of Canada was founded. Historians often dismiss the party’s importance for the Canadian labor movement — but early on, it helped organize workers against steep odds.