There’s No Outbidding the Right-Wing Politics of Strength
Defeating Donald Trump will require going beyond rational appeals to economic self-interest.
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From Slavery Abolition to Public Education, German Radicals Made American History
The United States has forgotten the radical German American immigrant socialists who spilled blood for antislavery and other liberatory causes.
How the “Frontier” Became the Slogan of Uncontrolled AI
AI has been billed as a new frontier: an expanse whose exploration will drive the next era of wealth and human flourishing. Yet, time and again, its big-tech owners have used the frontiersman billing to declare themselves accountable to no one and no law.
Hindu Nationalist Lobbyists on Capitol Hill Are Growing in Influence
Right-wing lobby groups that claim to speak on behalf of Indian Americans are trying to stifle criticism of Narendra Modi’s Hindu chauvinist agenda. They’ve modeled themselves on pro-Israel groups like AIPAC and forged alliances around Islamophobic bigotry.
How Capitalists Created International Financial Institutions to Rule the Planet
Long before Bretton Woods, powerful capitalist nations perfected the art of exploiting other countries without formally colonizing them. They’ve done this through a rigged international economy, governed by institutions like the World Bank and the IMF.
The IMF’s Policies Are Destroying Kenya, Again
International Monetary Fund diktats have pushed Kenya into a spiral of rising debt and unaffordable prices for food and fuel. New loans have come with strings attached that make the crisis even worse — but it’s good news for lenders in the West.
The Ghost of Stalin Still Hasn’t Been Laid to Rest
Joseph Stalin died 70 years ago today, having stamped his indelible mark upon the Soviet system. Stalin’s legacy continues to haunt the post-Soviet landscape, right up to the present war with Ukraine.
Understanding the Immigrant Swing Toward Trump
Liberal pundits have puzzled over increasing support for Trump by immigrants and people of color. To understand the trend, we should look to economic issues and the way institutions like unions and churches affect political socialization.
Socialism Means Expanding Democracy to All of Society
Socialism is again a major current in American life, and the Right has been freaking out over it nonstop. Socialists have to explain what we’re really for: giving people a say in how every aspect of their lives is run.
Canada’s New Democratic Party Is Finally Backing Palestinian Rights
Canada’s social democratic New Democratic Party has a poor track record on the issue of Palestinian dispossession. As a result of grassroots organizing and a push from the party’s left, leader Jagmeet Singh is finally signaling support for Palestinian rights.
India’s Farmers’ Movement Helped Thwart Narendra Modi
Narendra Modi’s plan to win an electoral supermajority ended in failure this month. A communist leader of India’s farmers’ movement explains how their struggle contributed to Modi’s biggest setback since taking power.
In Portugal’s Election, the Center Left Struggles to Hold On
Pedro Nuno Santos heads into Portugal’s election with a promise to revamp the Socialist Party after eight years in power. But talk of him leading a left-wing turn is overblown — and among young voters, libertarian and anti-immigrant forces are gaining ground.
Ben Barka Was a Lost Leader of the International Left
The Moroccan left-wing revolutionary Ben Barka was one of the towering figures of the anti-colonial movement. His murder by agents of the Moroccan king with help from France and Israel was a major blow to socialist forces throughout the Arab world.
Marxism Can Help Us Make Sense of the Medieval Crusades
The Crusades seem like a classic example of religious ideology triumphing over materialism. But a closer look shows that multiple class interests underpinned the crusading enterprise, from merchants seeking trade routes to peasants evading feudal oppression.
Pakistan’s Election Stitch-Up Exposed Its Ruling Bloc
Despite heavy repression, candidates backed by Imran Khan’s party were performing strongly in Pakistan’s election until the authorities started tampering with the results. The country’s ruling bloc is now devoid of popular legitimacy or a coherent project.
How the West Remade the Middle East
Western media often characterizes the Middle East as a region eternally riven with sectarian conflicts. In an interview, historian Ussama Makdisi says this is wrong, starting with the fact that the region has a rich history of multiethnic coexistence.
Workplace Fragmentation Demands New Organizing Strategies
In recent decades, structural changes in the US economy have dispersed workers across workplaces and geographic areas. Labor’s decline can’t be reversed without addressing this new reality.
Europe’s Investment Bank Shouldn’t Prop Up Private Capital
The European Investment Bank has an over half-trillion-euro balance sheet — and real power to invest in the green transition. But far from pursuing its public mandate, it’s devoting public resources to propping up the continent’s largest companies.
South Korean Truckers Provide a Model for Labor Organizing Among Independent Contractors
In December 2022, TruckSol, a trade union of South Korean truck drivers, waged a massive 16-day strike that cost employers over $2 billion. The union’s history and organizing strategy have lessons for precariously employed workers around the world.
Hungary’s Support for Israel Exposes Its Fake Pacifism
Far-right Hungarian premier Viktor Orbán has claimed that his refusal to help Ukraine is a “pro-peace position.” Yet Hungary is also the only EU state that openly backs an Israeli attack on Rafah — showing the hypocrisy of Orbán’s supposed pacifism.