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.
Blog
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.