The Capitalist Road to Serfdom
Some multinational corporations are now larger and more powerful than individual nation-states. If those companies were countries, they would be authoritarian dictatorships.
Blog
The Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey
Marcus Garvey rose to prominence during a moment of deep pessimism for African American politics. His brand of racial uplift and black entrepreneurialism accommodated itself to Jim Crow and colonialism but fell out of favor as radical alternatives emerged.
Canada’s National Women’s Soccer Team Wants Equal Pay
Canada’s soccer body has bullied the women’s team into dropping their proposed strike against program cuts and unequal treatment. But winning equality with male athletes will require exactly these kinds of job actions.
The New York Left Is Continuing to Make Gains at the State Level
Last week brought signs that the balance of power in New York state politics is shifting left.
Nigeria’s Election Could Break the Political Mold, But It Won’t End the Social Crisis
An outsider candidate, Peter Obi, is the surprise favorite in this week’s Nigerian presidential election. Obi has attracted support from labor and youth activists, but his neoliberal economic agenda won’t address the dire social conditions afflicting Nigeria.
As Rail Executives Grow Richer, Train Derailments Have Become Commonplace
The East Palestine disaster is a horrifying, spectacular version of what has become the normal occurrence of train derailments in America. Joe Biden could use this as an opportunity to overhaul a crooked and dangerous industry. So far, he appears uninterested.
Women Talking’s Pop Feminism Can’t Confront the Messy Reality of Women’s Oppression
Sarah Polley’s film Women Talking depicts the brutal true story of rape in a Mennonite colony. It’s a poor fit for the oversimplified, “you go, girl” feminist message of its framing.
How Inflation Became a Fact of Life
We tend to associate the inflation problem with the 1970s. But it was years earlier, in the era of Sputnik and Elvis, that the world first woke up to the reality of chronically rising prices. We’re still coping with that episode’s wrongheaded “lessons” today.
In Catalonia, Class Struggle and National Dispute Have Gone Hand in Hand
Catalonia has a proud history of popular protest, from the 15th-century peasant revolts to an anarchist-led revolution, and the anti-Franco resistance that followed. This has not been hindered by Catalans' desire for independence, but nurtured by it.
A Parliament of Landlords Will Not Solve Australia’s Housing Crisis
The overwhelming majority of Australian Labor Party federal MPs are landlords. Maybe that’s why they can’t solve the housing crisis.
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.
Only US Warmakers Could Create a Panic as Absurd as the “Spy Balloon” Fiasco
The US government and media instigate international fearmongering and saber-rattling on a regular basis. But the recent Chinese spy balloon incident belongs in the Hall of Fame as one of the most idiotic panics by a jittery, trigger-happy warfare state.