Steve Fraser is the author most recently of Mongrel Firebugs and Men of Property: Capitalism and Class Conflict in American History and a forthcoming book of essays from Verso on capitalism and class in American history.
People tend not to rebel against their oppressors, because the cost is simply too high. But sometimes they do, overcoming extraordinary odds — and understanding how and why rebellions like the Civil Rights Movement happen is crucial for socialists today.
The Bernie Sanders campaign is beholden to no one in high places, has no affiliated elites to please or negotiate with, and has helped unleash new working-class militancy in America. The question now is, how can we sustain this extraordinary left turn in American public life to transform society?
The New Deal solidified capitalist democracy in the United States. The country has swung between hints of social democracy and free market absolutism ever since.
One hundred years ago was a time of revolution. Emma Goldman, John Reed, and Bill Haywood were at the center of it all.
On the twentieth anniversary of New Labor Forum, Steve Fraser reflects on organized labor’s hopes and disappointments over the last two decades.
What was the mass strike and what would a successful one look like today?
From Debtor’s Prison to Debtor Nation.