Greta Thunberg Denounces Latest Global Climate Conference
During her book launch just one week before the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (also known as the Conference of Parties, or COP), 19-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg denounced world leaders and emphasized the impossibility that the world could successfully address the climate crisis in a capitalist system In a speech and interview given […]
Railroad Bosses Threaten Workers on the Job and in Our Communities
The possibility that workers might strike against national freight rail companies has gotten some headlines recently. But the attacks of such companies against working class people threatens life in our communities as well as on the job. People in a working-class neighborhood of Baltimore have fought back against one such attack by the giant CSX […]
Israel’s Legislative Elections: Left Almost Disappears, Far Right Gets Stronger
The extreme right grew in the latest Israeli elections, while the left has nearly disappeared.
French People and Immigrants (Documented or Undocumented) Make One Working Class
France allowed a ship full of refugees to dock, but the government still promotes anti-immigrant policies.
Graduate Student Workers in University of California System Launch Statewide Strike
On Monday, November 14th, about 48,000 unionized academic workers across the University of California’s 10 campuses went on strike. The student workers, who are employed at the 10 UC campuses across the state and are organized in both the United Auto Workers (UAW) union and Student Researchers Union (SRU), have begun this strike in order […]
Iranian Parliament Votes To Execute Thousands of Protesters
For the past several months, there has been a political and social earthquake in Iran sparked by the police killing of the 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini for committing the crime of not wearing the religious hijab. Since then there have been mass demonstrations, militant confrontations with the police, and labor strikes, particularly from workers in […]
Film Review: “Vigilante: Georgia’s Vote Suppression Hitman”
Investigative journalist Greg Palast has made a new documentary, “Vigilante: Georgia’s Vote Suppression Hitman,” that shines a light on the extensive voter suppression that has taken place in the state of Georgia. The film shows how attempts at voter suppression often target Black voters. This is an old story of racism that goes back to […]
Freedom for Alaa Abd El-Fattah, the Egyptian Militant Climate Activist!
Egyptian activist, Alaa Abd El-Fattah is a political prisoner, held by the Egyptian military regime of Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. Alaa has been an activist since 2006 when he and his wife founded an important Egyptian activist blog site. As part of the rebel generation of the Arab Spring, Abd El-Fattah took an active role in […]
Mumia Abu-Jamal’s New Trial Request Denied: Free Mumia!
On October 26, political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal’s request for a new trial was rejected after a court hearing in Philadelphia. Abu-Jamal has been in prison for 40 years after being accused of killing a Philadelphia police officer in 1981. Despite many inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case, he was sentenced to death row in 1982 and has been in […]
The U.K.: Prime Minister “Musical Chairs” Continues While the Working Class Suffers
In late October, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (U.K.), Liz Truss, resigned after only 46 days in office. Truss was forced to resign as the United Kingdom deals with a profound economic crisis, with inflation at a 40-year high in the country and the Bank of England now forecasting a recession well into […]
War on Racism!
November 7, 2022, Editorial of the Workplace Newsletters of the Etincelle fraction of the New Anticapitalist Party (NPA) in France, translated from French. On November 3 in the French Parliament, the sparse ranks of representatives were treated to a special session. One of them, Gregoire de Fournas, the elected representative from Gironde (the largest department […]
Mike Davis: A Passionate Fighter and Writer for Social Change
At Speak Out Now we were very sad to learn of the death of Mike Davis on October 25. Mike Ryan Davis was a Marxist writer and a committed political activist, historian, and environmentalist. A true working class intellectual with a fighting spirit, he didn’t take the usual path to becoming a writer or a […]
Argentina: Workers’ Party’s Rally Gathers over 35,000 to Fight for Socialism!
The Workers’ Party of Argentina held a rally with over 35,000 people, fighting for socialism.
Empty Homes Yet Unhoused People – Another Sickness of the System
A recent report provides us with yet another example of the inhumanity of the capitalist political-economic system that shapes our world. San Francisco recently released data for 2021 that found that 61,473 homes sat empty and unused while at least 4,000 people sleep on the city’s streets every night. That means that for every unhoused […]
Brazil: Did the Left’s Victory Avoid the Worst?
November 1, 2022, Editorial of the Workplace Newsletters of the Etincelle fraction of the New Anticapitalist Party (NPA) in France, translated from French. With 50.9% of the vote, Lula, the candidate of the Brazilian left, won against the far-right President, Jair Bolsonaro. Barely two million votes separate the two candidates out of 128 million voters […]
UPS Worker Gets Pushed to the Edge
On October 5, a UPS worker took her life on the job at a major sorting hub in Louisville, Kentucky. The incident is reported to have taken place immediately after she was fired for allegedly falling asleep on the job. After learning of her termination, she requested to step away to compose herself in the […]
Insurance Companies Defraud the Public: Milking Medicare for Billions
Private insurers that offer a “Medicare Advantage” plan have milked Medicare’s public coffers fraudulently for billions of dollars. Medicare is among the most popular and essential social programs in the United States, providing healthcare coverage to most working people who are over 65. Medicare Advantage was a private-sector alternative to Medicare designed about 20 years ago […]
WNBA Star Brittney Griner Faces Nine Years in a Russian Prison Camp
Last week, a Russian court rejected U.S. basketball superstar Brittney Griner’s appeal of her nine-year prison sentence for the so-called crime of possessing two vape cartridges of marijuana in her luggage. At her trial, Griner admitted to having the canisters — a very small amount of marijuana — in her luggage, but testified that she […]
We Can’t Recycle Our Way Out of the Plastic Problem
It turns out that most plastic is not actually recyclable. If we want to get rid of it, we also need to end the profit motive that causes plastic production.
Brazil: A First Look at Lula’s Victory in the Second Round of Elections
Lula da Silva won a slight victory over Bolsonaro in Brazil’s presidential election.
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, […]
4th Baltimore Area School Bomb Scare in 3 Weeks – Children’s Mental Health is Suffering Under Capitalism
On Wednesday, October 12, faculty, staff, and students at Chadwick Elementary School were rushed from the building after a bomb threat was called in to the front office. This comes after two threats and consequent evacuations of River Hill High School the week before, and a suspicious car forcing a frantic evacuation of Pine Grove […]
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 […]
The 1969-70 General Electric Strike: “If You Want A War, We’ll Give You A War”
On October 27, 1969, over 150,000 workers across the United States walked out of General Electric, taking on the fourth largest corporation in the world at that time, in the largest national strike in over two decades. The strike lasted for 102 days, through the cold winter months until February 4, 1970. It involved workers […]
“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 […]
Book Review: Racism and Capitalism: What it Costs us ALL – The Sum of Us, by Heather McGee
The Sum of Us by Heather McGee is an interesting, but frustrating, book on racism in the United States.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
France: To Fight Inflation and Finance Pensions: Let’s Impose Wage Increases!
In France, fight for wage increases!
Review: Bad Bunny’s Must-See Video for El Apagón – Aquí Vive Gente
A review of Bad Bunny’s video for El Apagón, Aquí Vive Gente.
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.
Review: Diego Rivera Exhibit at the San Francisco MOMA
An exhibit of Diego Rivera’s works is open at SFMOMA.
Healthcare Burnout: Up to 90% of Nurses Considering Leaving by the End of 2022
High workload on nurses has caused burnout, leading to 90% of nurses considering leaving their jobs.
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 […]
Biden Escalates Threat of War with China
Recently in a 60 Minutes interview, President Joe Biden escalated the risk of war with China by stating the U.S. would intervene militarily if China tried to invade and take control of Taiwan. This is the latest in a series of events and threats that could lead to a major war. For background, the political status of Taiwan has […]
Prisoner-Workers Strike in Alabama
Thousands of prisoners in the Alabama state prison system have gone on strike, refusing to cook, clean, conduct regular maintenance, or labor to produce the license plates and furniture that they commonly make and from which the corrections system profits. The inmates are striking to put an end to a long list of grievances, including […]
The Second Intifada: Twenty-Two Years After
Twenty-two years ago, on September 28, 2000, a massive struggle erupted in the occupied territories of Palestine. The territories are located to the East of the state of Israel, and are home to four million Palestinian people living under military occupation by Israel. The struggle launched in 2000, the Second Intifada, was an outburst of […]
French Editorial: Backing Its Women, Iran has Erupted!
September 26, 2022 editorial of the Workplace Newsletters of the Etincelle fraction of the NPA. Translated from French. On September 16, a 22-year-old woman named Mahsa Amini died at the hands of Iran’s morality police. Her crime was to have worn her veil “inappropriately.” Some Iranian women – whose images have been seen around the […]
The End of the Pandemic? Long Live the Pandemic!
On September 18, a maskless President Joe Biden declared the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The week preceding this declaration saw COVID-19 as the second leading cause of death in the U.S. after heart disease. Just a few weeks before, 16,000 COVID-related deaths occurred globally. But just a little over two weeks before the pronouncement, already […]