Summoning the Future
The story of the British National Health Service, one of the twentieth century’s great working-class achievements.
Search Result(s) for: “working class”
A Different Kind of Teachers’ Strike Wave
The teachers strikes of the 1960s and ‘70s embraced workplace militancy but alienated parents and other communities who should have been allies. By striking on behalf of the entire working class, today’s teachers aren’t making that same mistake.
Stop Painting Northern England as a Land of Reactionary Proles
Labour’s dismal polling for today’s Hartlepool by-election show its awkward, flag-waving nationalism isn’t convincing anyone. Too bad Keir Starmer won’t stop playing on the Right’s terrain and start offering working-class voters real economic populism.
Ernest Mandel Was One of the 20th Century’s Greatest Marxist Thinkers
Born on this day a century ago, Ernest Mandel was one of the major political thinkers of his age. From his teenage activism in the anti-Nazi resistance to his final days, Mandel was an uncompromising defender of socialist ideals and working-class interests.
There’s No Such Thing as “the Latino Vote”
Latino voters, just like any other group, are divided along class and ideological lines. The key to winning working-class Latinos to a left politics is to offer a positive vision that materially improves their lives.
Climate Doom Won’t Save the Planet
This summer has been a cascade of climate disaster. But we shouldn’t assume that ever-worsening floods and heat waves will spur political change — we need a working-class strategy that can excite and win over people to save the planet.
The Racial Wealth Gap Is About the Upper Classes
Here’s an idea: we should redistribute wealth from the largely white 1 percent to the poor and working class of all races — tackling both racial and class inequality simultaneously.
Don’t Hate the Dolly, Hate the Game
A collective wail of anguish went up after news broke that Dolly Parton's working-class anthem “9 to 5” has been repurposed for a Squarespace ad lauding “working, working, working.” Our grief is justified. But the song's deformation into a hollow jingle says more about capitalism than Dolly.
Norway’s Red Party Offers a Working-Class Alternative
Norway’s radical-left party, Rødt, has recruited thousands of members in recent years and looks set to boost its scores in Monday’s election. Seher Aydar, MP, told Jacobin about how it’s building on discontent with the established parties.
Things Can’t Go on Like This for the German Left
After a catastrophic defeat in last Sunday’s general election, Germany’s socialist party Die Linke faces a choice: return to its working-class roots or face political irrelevance.
Die Linke Can’t Just Rely on Middle-Class Progressives
A new study explains an uncomfortable truth for Germany’s Die Linke: the left-wing party’s base is today highly educated and middle-income. While the party’s new leadership promises to rebuild working-class roots, it won’t be easy.
Die Linke’s Missing Link
Germany’s Die Linke is now a party for the highly educated and middle-income. While its new leadership promises to rebuild the party’s working-class roots, it won’t be easy.
Greg Abbott Is Texas’s Most Powerful Governor Ever. That’s Bad for Working People.
Texas governor Greg Abbott has forever changed the state’s politics. To undo the damage he has caused, we can’t rely on top-down initiatives. We need a working-class alternative.
Defining Bernie’s Democratic Socialism
Bernie Sanders’s democratic socialism has always centered on improving the lives of working-class people and exposing how exploitation by the rich robs them of the opportunity to live dignified lives. Corporate Democrats who continue to ignore or undermine this agenda are putting themselves, the country, and the world in great peril.
Can Zohran Mamdani Expand the Left’s Base?
As Zohran Mamdani mounts a surging campaign for NYC mayor, his bid is becoming a model to replicate for the next wave of the US left. Can he expand his appeal to working-class demographics the Left has so far struggled to reach?
Union Dues Are About Building Democratic, Self-Sustaining, Working-Class Organizations
Bosses like management at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, where workers are trying to unionize, love to bring up union dues as part of their union-busting. But union organizers shouldn’t shy away from talking about why dues are important: they allow workers to pool the resources needed to fight the boss and win.
“The Feminism of the 1 Percent Has Associated Our Cause With Elitism”
The likes of Hillary Clinton have tarnished the name of feminism, associating it with neoliberalism and anti–working-class politics. For Nancy Fraser, feminism has to be about overthrowing corporate power, not giving it a female face.
Ray’s a Laugh, 28 Years Later
When Richard Billingham published photos of his poor and alcoholic family, critics asked whether he had betrayed or humanized them. Walter Benn Michaels reflects on the images’ legacy and on working-class photography under neoliberalism 28 years later.
Feminism Must Include Empathy for Working-Class Men
Elite feminism at times substitutes a culture of contempt for a culture of care. If we are truly devoted to gender equality, we must ditch the assumption that all men enjoy similar privilege.
Seattle’s Socialists Are Now Enemy Number One for Jeff Bezos and Amazon
In 2018, Amazon beat back Seattle’s attempts to tax the corporation. Last week, socialist city council member Kshama Sawant and a working-class movement helped win a veto-proof majority for a new “Amazon tax.” Now it’s time to defend this victory.