Fresh off of the United Auto Workers’ blowout unionization victory at the Chattanooga, Tennessee, Volkswagen plant, we spoke to a VW worker there about why the drive won and where the UAW goes from here.
Democrats Aren’t Campaigning to Win the Working Class
A new study examines the Democratic rhetorical and campaigning failures that may help Republicans entrench their position as the new party of the American working class.
Boris Kagarlitsky: The Hobbesian World of “Multipolarity”
Russian political prisoner Boris Kagarlitsky writes in Jacobin from his jail cell at Zelenograd SIZO-12. He discusses the need for an alternative to the “individualist logic of modern liberalism and the totalitarian aggressiveness of the new conservatism.”
Insurers Are Deserting Homeowners After Natural Disasters
As increasingly severe natural disasters ravage the South, insurance companies are abandoning clients, increasing premiums, and fighting regulation measures — forcing homeowners to fend for themselves in the wake of destruction.
Sweden’s Welfare State Was a Product of Class Struggle
Swedish Social Democracy is often idealized as a benign reformist force that delivered welfare to the grateful masses. Yet the Swedish social model was the product of conflict — and a working-class radicalism that the Social Democrats have now turned against.
With the development of artificial intelligence racing forward at warp speed, some of the richest men in the world may be deciding the fate of humanity right now.
The Philosophical Case for a Four-Day Workweek
Philosopher Jason Read discusses his new book on the politics of work, in which he draws insights from Marx, Spinoza, and elements of popular culture to tackle an urgent question: Why do people fight for their servitude as if it were their salvation?
Power at the Point of Production
From iconic strikes at Goodyear to the battle against GM, episode 3 of Organize the Unorganized: The Rise of the CIO tells the story of transformational victories in rubber, auto, and steel that put the militant CIO on the map.
J. B. McLachlan Was a Canadian Labor Hero
J. B. McLachlan’s tireless advocacy for coal miners’ rights left an indelible mark on Canadian labor history. McLachlan emphasized the pivotal role of members in upholding unions as bastions of resistance to class exploitation.
Spain’s Establishment Is Still Calling Basques Terrorists
Sunday’s Basque elections could see a historic victory for leftist pro-independence party EH Bildu. The Spanish media is obsessing over the party’s past links to separatist group ETA — and ignoring the social issues that are fueling its support.
ChatGPT feeds on language, outputting texts that reinforce the basic assumptions of our culture. The rise of AI forces the Left to take a hard look at the politics of language and the linguistics of Noam Chomsky.
Inequality Should Not Be the Only Rallying Cry for the Left
For the first century of its existence, the organized left mobilized around the “labor question”: who determines the what and how of production. For years, though, the Left has abandoned this question for a concern with inequality — at its own peril.
Americans Are Outraged About the War on Gaza. Will Elites Listen?
From street protests to the vote uncommitted movement to Aaron Bushnell’s tragic self-immolation, millions of Americans have been voicing outrage over Israel’s assault on Gaza. Government unresponsiveness threatens to worsen our epidemic of political despair.
Recognize Palestine — and Impose Sanctions on Israel
Even as the Biden administration vetoes Palestinian statehood, several European states are moving toward full recognition. Their dissent is a welcome crack in the West’s pro-Israel line — but they should back it up with sanctions to punish Israeli apartheid.
The FBI Agent and Informant Behind Fred Hampton’s Murder
Special Agent Roy Martin Mitchell was recognized within the FBI for his skill in developing informants in “the racial field.” Now we know the extent of Mitchell’s activities — including how they aided the killing of the Black Panther Party’s Fred Hampton.