The Immortal Ghost of Karl Marx
Liberal critics would love to banish the specter of Karl Marx from political discourse. But his ghost will haunt them for as long as they refuse to confront Marxism’s central insight: the reality of class conflict.
Search Result(s) for: “working class”
A Twenty-First-Century Horse Opera
Yellowstone sells a fantasy of rural America — and conservatism — no different from any other prime-time soap opera.
Capitalism Is More Than a Legal Regime
Katharina Pistor argues that capitalism is a legal regime we can transform by rewiring private law. But a reform program that ignores the wage relation and the exploitation of labor will leave the core of capitalism untouched.
France’s Anti-Palestine Backlash Undermines Free Speech
In France, trade unionist Anasse Kazib faces prosecution for pro-Palestinian tweets. The overheated allegations of “apologia for terrorism” express a broader crackdown on civil liberties, today targeted at Palestine solidarity activists.
Portugal’s Revolution Transformed the Politics of Europe
Fifty years ago today, Portugal’s Carnation Revolution began as soldiers overthrew the dictatorship. Although the revolution was ultimately contained, it changed the face of European politics and hastened the shift to democracy in Spain and Greece.
In Defense of Gay Marriage
Defeat never inspired anyone. We can celebrate reforms like gay marriage and still fight for more radical change.
The Queen’s Gambit Created a Fictional Female Chess Grandmaster. The Soviet Union Created Dozens of Real Ones.
Soviet chess grandmaster Nona Gaprindashvili has announced that she is suing Netflix for belittling her achievements in The Queen’s Gambit. Her career shows we don’t need fictional rags-to-riches stories but welfare states that allow us to realize our true potential.
The Left Can’t Cede Patriotism to the Right
Instead of allowing the Right to dominate discussions of patriotism, socialists should emulate past successful left projects that wed national belonging to an inclusive, progressive politics.
The Zapatista Candidate
By participating in Mexico's 2018 election, the EZLN can bring its indigenous anticapitalist platform into mainstream politics.
To Fight Racism, Organize With Your Coworkers
Too many anti-racist efforts today obsess over individual actions like microaggressions. We need to fight racism in a collective project rooted in shared material interests — as the United Packinghouse Workers of America did in its heyday.
Avocado Toasts for All
The recent tendency to boil class down to consumption habits and taste in food is tiresome and unsound.
White Collar Blues: An Interview with Nikil Saval
Even at a time of low pay and degraded working conditions, meritocratic notions surrounding white collar work are hard to dispel.
Workers and Debtors of the World, Unite!
Under finance capitalism, we can exert power by collectively leveraging not just our labor but also our debts. This May Day, let's think about worker organizing and debtor organizing as part of the same struggle.
David Brooks Thinks Class Has More to Do With Where You Eat Than Where You Work
David Brooks, elite pundit par excellence, has been giving a master lesson for years in how to talk about class without actually talking about class. But class is about material realities, not empty cultural signifiers like one’s TV habits or food preferences.
Richard Florida Is Sorry
For years, Richard Florida preached the gospel of the creative class. His new book is a mea culpa.
Within or Against the State?
We need to see the state and capitalist production as aspects of the same set of social relations.
Donald’s Myths
Liberals won't get anywhere fact-checking Donald Trump, because they have no powerful message of their own.
Tucker Carlson Is a Repugnant, Pseudo-Populist Fraud
Tucker Carlson likes to posture as a bold populist truth-teller. But when push comes to shove, he sides with the ruling class and bosses, not workers.
The Problem with Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders' choice to run as a Democrat means he can't present a real alternative to Hillary Clinton.
The Socialist Case for Remain
It's not clear that a Leave vote would make our tasks on the Left any easier.