Month: October 2022

Facing Violence on the Job

At AC Transit in the San Francisco Bay area, workers contribute to a workplace newsletter. Here are some of their recent writings written after a bus driver was assaulted on the job. On Deaf Ears By now, all of us have probably seen the video of the driver who was assaulted with a hammer and had a gun pointed […]

Haitians Rise Up Amidst Social Crisis in the Country

For several weeks, there have been renewed demonstrations and revolts by the Haitian population in opposition to social and economic crisis in the country. This most recent social rebellion was triggered by the decision of the Haitian government to end fuel subsidies in the middle of September. Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, […]

Anniversary of the Russian Revolution: What did it Mean for Women?

It was over 100 years ago that women in Russia achieved full abortion rights, communal kitchens, free childcare, equal pay, and the right to love, marry and divorce as their hearts pleased. Looking back, it is hard to believe that those gains would be achieved in a matter of months in a country where women […]

Forgiving Student Debt = Reducing the Leverage of the Military?

Attorneys from six states in the U.S. are now trying to block the implementation of student debt cancellation, shortly after the application to have debt cancelled was released. The original plan would cancel up to $20,000 in student loan debt for qualifying households. While this is an inadequate amount, considering the average borrower owes about […]

France: Let’s Go on the Offensive!

October 24, 2022 Editorial of the Workplace Newsletters of the Etincelle fraction of the NPA, Translated from French. President Macron did not see this one coming: the oil workers’ strike sparked a protest that had been brewing for months. And even if the movement is on hold in several refineries, their struggle was not for […]

La Lucha Iraní: Una Esperanza Para Todos Nosotros

A menudo, cuando las personas observan el estado actual del mundo, dicen: “Nada es posible, nada puede cambiar” o “Estoy listo, pero nadie más lo está”. Y luego, de repente, lo que parecía imposible ayer, parece posible hoy, y millones de personas están manifestándose en las calles de todo el mundo. Y los miedos que […]

Video: Online Town Hall: Saturday, November 19 at 11am pst (2pm est)

The Current Working Class Fight in Argentina The international economic crisis has hit Argentina with a vengeance, with inflation expected to hit 100% for 2022. Powerful mobilizations of unemployed and underemployed workers have broken out. After a 5-month strike, the Single Union of Argentine Tire Workers (SUTNA) forced the tire companies to give a massive […]

The Iranian Struggle: A Hope For Us All

Often, when people are looking at the current state of the world, they say: “Nothing is possible, nothing can change” or, “I am ready but nobody else is.” And then suddenly what seemed impossible yesterday, seems possible today, and millions of people are out demonstrating in the streets all over the world. And the fears […]

“Don’t Be Afraid! We’re All Together!” – The Struggle in Iran Deepens

Last month, the Iranian morality police murdered 22-year old Mahsa Amini for the crime of not wearing her hijab properly. Since then, mass protests have taken place throughout the country against this outrage without signs of slowing down. While young people and women have been incredibly vocal throughout, we’re now seeing the struggle move through […]

U.S. Continues to Prepare for Possible Conflict with China

The United States government intends to sell over $1 billion in weapons to Taiwan, intending to help the Taiwanese government defend against a potential blockade or invasion by China. China considers Taiwan to be part of its territory and has indicated that it would invade if Taiwan were to make any moves to declare its […]

A Feminist Writer Wins The Nobel Prize for Literature: Annie Ernaux

The Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded last week to the French author Annie Ernaux. She is only the 17th woman to be awarded the prize since its creation in 1901. This is worth noting not only because she is a woman and a brilliant writer, but also because she is an unabashed feminist and […]

Giving Birth Alone in Jail

In July 2021, Jazmin Valentine was being held in solitary confinement in a Hagerstown, MD jail when she went into labor. Despite her screams and pleas for help, guards and other jail staff ignored her, and she was forced to give birth on a cold, dirty floor in a cell without blankets or sheets. When […]

Iran: The Women Lead a Social Revolt

October 10, 2022, Editorial of the Workplace Newsletters of the Etincelle fraction of the NPA, Translated from French.   For a month now throughout Iran, the insurgent population has been confronting a ferocious dictatorship. The deaths can be counted in the dozens, the arrests in the thousands. On September 16, the so-called morality police arrested a […]

Advertencia: La Corte Suprema está de vuelta en sesión

¡Cuidado! El nuevo mandato de la Corte Suprema comenzó a principios de octubre. El poder otorgado a este tribunal plantea la pregunta de quién controla nuestro destino: ¿nosotros, el 99 por ciento o nueve abogados designados de por vida por los políticos del uno por ciento? La Corte Suprema es un claro ejemplo del funcionamiento […]

Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Whose History is Told?

(This is a slightly updated reprint of a 2020 article by Speak Out Now.) Monday, October 10, 2022 is Indigenous People’s Day, but the longstanding U.S. tradition is to celebrate it as Columbus Day. The official change of name was marked in 1989 with a decree by the state of South Dakota. This has created […]

Warning: The Supreme Court is Back in Session

Watch out! The new term of the Supreme Court began at the start of October. The power given to this court raises the question of who controls our destiny: do we, the 99 Percent or do nine lawyers appointed for life by the politicians of the One Percent? The Supreme Court is a clear example […]

British Workers Resist Skyrocketing Living Costs as Corporations Make Record Profits

In the United Kingdom (U.K.), more than 50,000 rail workers represented by three unions recently went on strike, bringing rail services throughout the country nearly to a standstill. In many areas, no trains are running, and direct services between Britain’s biggest cities have been shut down. About 89 percent of normal train schedules have been […]

Florida – Tragic Example of the Sickness of Capitalism

The tragic aftermath of Hurricane Ian has left a trail of death and destruction through southwest and central Florida, not to mention South Carolina. Cars were picked up and carried along like toys by the powerful storm surge, boats were piled in disorderly fashion on top of each other in and sometimes away from their […]

Russian Population Renews Resistance to War in Ukraine After Draft Announcement

In late September, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “partial mobilization” of new Russian troops to be drafted into the country’s invasion of Ukraine. This announcement meant that 300,000 Russians between the ages of 18-60 with prior combat experience were going to be drafted into the war effort. This is the first time since World […]

Capitalists Accelerate Oil Consumption and the End of the World

The need to limit CO2 emissions becomes more urgent every year, as we see more and more extreme climate disasters. Yet the U.S., India, China, and Russia have planned more than 24,000 kilometers (about 15,000 miles) of new oil pipelines around the world, according to a report by Global Energy Monitor. Burning the oil that would move […]

Oakland School Shooting — This Society Cannot Keep Us Safe

For many young people, schools provide some shelter from the systemic violence that surrounds them. But schools are not a sanctuary, tucked away from the violence of this society. There is no sanctuary for the poor, only for the rich. The truth is, we live in a society that cannot keep us safe. It is the very conditions of society itself that drives this violence. And as long as these conditions continue, the violence of society will remain.

Trabajadores ferroviarios señalan el poder de la clase trabajadora

Los trabajadores del ferrocarril de carga han estado al borde de la huelga durante meses. El 14 de septiembre, a la última hora, se anunció que se cancelaba una huelga ferroviaria y las empresas ferroviarias y los negociadores sindicales llegaron a un acuerdo tentativo. El presidente Biden, que estuvo presente durante las negociaciones finales, ha […]

Abortion in Arizona is Now Illegal. We Must Refuse These Attacks!

On Friday, September 23, a judge lifted a nearly 50 year old injunction that blocked a virtually complete ban on abortions. So getting a safe and legal abortion in Arizona is now impossible, except by breaking the law. Needless to say, this is a scary time to have a uterus, or know someone who does, […]

Guo Pei Exhibit – a Unique View of Fashion?

The fashion industry is a worldwide enterprise that exerts a big influence on how people see themselves and the societies they live in. Fashion has now also become a subject for museum exhibitions, including the current one at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. This exhibit showcases the work of Chinese fashion designer, Guo […]

Baltimore: The Persecution of Adnan Syed is the Tip of the Iceberg

After more than two decades in prison on a conviction that has generated widespread skepticism, Adnan Syed may have all of his charges dropped within the next few days, pending the results of a DNA test. Syed, aged 18 at the time, was convicted in Baltimore Circuit Court in 2000 for the murder of his […]