The Miners’ Fight in Their Own Words
Based on the accounts of nearly 150 people directly involved in the 1984-85 miners’ strike, Robert Gildea’s new book is a powerful retelling of the seismic struggle that has divided Britain for decades.
Blog
Canada’s New Just Transition Bill Can Support Green Jobs or Greenwash — It Can’t Do Both
Justin Trudeau’s Sustainable Jobs Act, hailed by unions, is a good step toward a just transition. But if the Liberals cave to Conservative opposition, it will be yet another party policy failure and will achieve nothing but greenwashing for the oil sector.
A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin Have a Model for Today
Bayard Rustin and A. Philip Randolph’s Jobs and Freedom Strategy offers a path forward for a Left that has become increasingly insular, minoritarian, and powerless.
Vermont’s New AFL-CIO President Is a Democratic Socialist and Labor Reformer
Katie Maurice is a Democratic Socialists of America member and labor activist. She was recently elected president of the Vermont AFL-CIO on a platform of boosting rank-and-file participation and building power outside the Democratic Party.
To Crush Left-Wing Organizing, Canada Embraced Ukrainian Nazi Collaborators
Canada’s Nazi ovation gaffe in the House of Commons was just the tip of the iceberg. For years, the country deliberately admitted World War II Nazi collaborators in the hopes of dismantling political radicalism and suppressing labor militancy.
Continuing the Debate on Sweden’s Pandemic Response
In Sweden, a center-left government’s pandemic response emphasized individual choice over state intervention.
The Class Politics of Race
In Not So Black and White, Kenan Malik rewrites the history of the idea of race, demonstrating how identity politics is, despite its radical patina, a deeply conservative ideology.
Here Are the Big Union Contract Fights Looming in 2024
This past year saw a number of historic contract battles, from UPS to the Big Three automakers to Hollywood film and TV studios. Several big contract fights may be on the horizon in 2024 — here are some of the big contract expirations to watch.
Instead of Taking Trump Off the Ballot, Democrats Should Run a Better Candidate
The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled to remove Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 election ballot. The attempt will likely fail and backfire — but it's indicative of American liberalism's current distaste for the unpredictable messiness of democracy.
Identity Politics Is a Poor Substitute for Socialism
In No Politics but Class Politics, Walter Benn Michaels and Adolph Reed show how an identity politics that obscures class politics and ignores economic inequality only makes the many miseries around us worse.
The German Peasants’ War Was Europe’s Biggest Social Revolt Before the French Revolution
Five centuries ago, Germany experienced a massive popular revolt that spread through the countryside and towns. The German lords drowned the revolt in blood, but the popular demands for freedom and equality have resonated right up to the present day.
Real Wages Have Declined Under Joe Biden’s Presidency
Though inflation-adjusted wage growth resumed earlier this year, real wages are still down overall since Joe Biden took office. It’s not crazy to suppose that this could be affecting people’s attitudes toward the economy.