Living on Less

Electing Union Members to Office Is Good, Actually

Some fear Brandon Johnson, Chicago’s new mayor-elect, as a longtime union organizer, can’t serve the public. That’s exactly wrong: the public is served by electing workers and trade unionists to office.

After the Ukraine Documents Leak, Mainstream Media Is Missing the Story

The recent leak of Ukraine war documents reveals much about how the US government has been misleading the public. But the corporate media is more concerned with catching and punishing the leaker, all in the name of defending democracy.

Means-Testing Is the Foe of Freedom

After Emancipation, black people fought for public benefits like pensions that would make their newly won citizenship meaningful. They instinctively realized something that we should today: universal social programs are the foundation of freedom.

How the Mainstream Right Developed a Soft Spot for Francisco Franco

The Francoist regime is one of the few fascist governments that mainstream politicians and writers feel comfortable praising publicly. They shouldn’t: on top of anti-communism, antisemitism was also central to Francisco Franco’s reign of terror.

ChatGPT Is an Ideology Machine

Debates about the new AI focus on “intelligence.” But something more interesting is going on: AI is a culture machine.

How a French Watch-Factory Occupation Kept Alive the Spirit of May ’68

Fifty years ago, the LIP watch factory in Besançon, France, announced mass layoffs. In response, the staff occupied the plant — launching one of the most famous attempts at worker self-management in French history.

In the Silicon Valley Bank Bailout, Federal Regulators Stiffed Low-Income Communities

Federal regulators bailed out Silicon Valley Bank after its historic collapse. But they offered no such rescue to the low-income communities to which the bank had pledged an $11 billion community benefits agreement.

Canada’s New Budget Is a Typical Liberal Road Map for Failing the Working Class

Despite the silver lining of green energy initiatives, Canada’s most recent federal budget does little for the country’s working people. In this, it stays consistent with the Liberal Party’s determination to throw its working-class constituents overboard.

Many People Are Saying It: Corporate Greed Is Stoking Inflation

Even a year ago, the idea that corporate price gouging played a major role in the inflation crisis was a crazy, left-wing talking point. Now it’s the claim of central bankers and mainstream economists.

Ron DeSantis Hates Elites. Except for Himself and His Ruling-Class Buddies.

In his new book, Ron DeSantis presents himself as a blue-collar kid who hates elites. But the truth is, DeSantis doesn’t oppose elite rule — this Ivy Leaguer simply wants a different set of elites like himself to rule over the rest of us.

France’s Constitutional Council Has Rubber-Stamped Macron’s Pension Reform

On Friday, France’s Constitutional Council upheld Emmanuel Macron’s deeply unpopular pension reform. The move shows the bankruptcy of a constitution that puts only minimal checks on the president’s power.

American Truckers Are Getting Squeezed. Hard.

Long-haul trucking used to be a stable, high-paying job. But thanks to decades of deregulation and pressure from bosses, truckers now have to work grueling hours for little pay, in conditions that put them and everyone else on the road in serious danger.

How to Build a Fighting Labor Movement

Martin Wolf Knows That Capitalism Is in Crisis, but He Can’t Explain Why

Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator for the Financial Times, recognizes that the neoliberal model he once celebrated is in deep crisis. But Wolf can’t get to the heart of the problems with contemporary capitalism or offer a meaningful solution for them.

The Trudeau Liberals Can’t Stop Themselves From Selling Arms to Antidemocratic Gulf States

In spite of the frequent lip service they pay to human rights and peace, Justin Trudeau’s Liberals have yet to find an antidemocratic Gulf state to which they won’t sell arms. Qatar is the newest potential client being wooed for Canadian-made weapons of war.

Rolling Back “Right-to-Work” in States Like Michigan Sends a Message to Anti-Union Bosses

Michigan’s repeal of its “right-to-work” law could be a huge boon to labor — not because of the technicalities of the law itself, but because the entire country is hearing the message that the state will not tolerate flagrant union busting.

The “Conservative Movement” Is a Giant Exercise in Plutocrat-Financed Astroturfing

The scandal of Clarence Thomas accepting enormous gifts from billionaire Harlan Crow is a reminder of just how little mass support the Right has. Take away the rich financiers and there’s not much of a conservative movement to speak of.

Railroad Workers United: “We Would Never Concede Our Right to Strike”

Congressional progressives, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have defended their railroad strike vote by pointing to rank-and-file support. Here, Railroad Workers United clarifies the group has always unequivocally opposed denying railworkers their right to strike.

When Greta Garbo Played a Soviet Agent

Today marks the anniversary of Greta Garbo’s death. The 1939 movie Ninotchka gave her a breakout comedy role — but also reflected the grim mood in Hollywood as Europe headed to war.