John Pilger Was a Tireless Critic of Western Imperialism
The reporter John Pilger, who died at the end of 2023, showed what a life committed to attacking the powerful through journalism and taking the side of the oppressed looks like.
Blog
For a Model of Working-Class Mass Organizing, Look to the CIO
The level of anti-capitalist sentiment in the US today hasn’t been seen since the 1930s. Labor radicals seized that moment to create the pivotal Congress of Industrial Organizations. We should take lessons from their achievements — and their missteps.
“Fair Trade” Labels Conceal Brutal Abuses of Farmworkers
Many grocery products from Mexico are sold in the US with labels touting their fair labor practices — but the farmworkers who produce that food say they are subject to brutal exploitation and widespread abuse by their employers.
Campaign Staffers Are Undermining American Democracy
National electoral campaigns are mainly staffed by political junkies from elite universities — exactly the opposite of much of the US public. No wonder they’re so bad at reaching working-class voters.
How France’s Greens Replaced Social Policy With New Age Vibes
France’s Greens are splitting from the left-wing alliance and will run separately in the European elections. The party's campaign launch centered on esotericism, personal development, and dance therapy — showing how little it has to say to working people.
Tony Blair’s New Labour Subordinated the Party to Capitalists
In the 1990s, Tony Blair and his circle “modernized” the British Labour Party by minimizing the power of members and embracing neoliberal dogmas. But it was the prior hollowing out of the party’s institutions that allowed New Labour to come to power.
Trump’s Victory in Iowa Should Be a Wake-Up Call for Biden
Donald Trump barely campaigned in Iowa, insulted its most prominent evangelical leader, and still won last night’s caucus by a historic margin. Joe Biden better have something stronger to offer in the general election than “I’m not Trump.”
C. L. R. James Broke Through the World’s Boundaries
C. L. R. James spent his life crossing the boundary lines of race and class, from the colonial Caribbean to Britain and the United States. The world is finally starting to catch up with his pioneering works of Marxist history.
Fossil Fuel Corporations Are Faking Grassroots Support
The world’s largest PR firm has crafted a strategy to simulate popular support for fossil fuels, including embracing influencers to peddle Big Oil's self-serving myths.
Bill Clinton’s Presidency Was a Disaster for Labor
Though Bill Clinton ran for president on promises of empowering workers, in office he gutted welfare and passed NAFTA, undermining organized labor and driving working-class voters away from the Democratic Party. We’re still living with the consequences.
In Italy’s Main Shipyard, Anti-Islam Policy Divides Workers
In Monfalcone, in northeastern Italy, the far-right mayor has banned public Muslim prayer. Home to Europe’s largest shipyard, the town is a crucible of Italy’s rising migrant workforce — and the racist backlash against it.
Israel’s Assault Is Making Gaza Unlivable
Israel’s brutal attack on Gaza has already killed over 24,000 Palestinians. But the environmental effects of the war — from pollution of groundwater and soil to destruction of Gaza’s olive trees — will have devastating impacts long after the bombing stops.