Category: Editorials

These are the editorials from our bi-weekly workplace newsletters, which consist of a two-sided leaflet with a general editorial on one side, and on the other side short articles about the workplace or general issues of concern to workers, written by and with workers from the workplace.

Texas: Another Catastrophe of this System

The disaster in Texas is just another reminder of what’s in store for us if we continue to leave our future in the hands of those who run a system guided by the drive for profits, regardless of the impact. Our future depends on our determination to come together and fight against this system – to fight for a world that represents all of our interests.

The Civil Rights Movement: When Ordinary People Did Extraordinary Things

The Civil Rights Movement from the 1950s -1970s was one of the most significant social movements in U.S. history. It involved millions of people in its ranks. It was a grassroots movement often organized locally. It involved elementary school children in Selma, Alabama and the elderly, registering a man to vote for the first time […]

Trump is Gone — But a Return to “Normal” is Not the Solution

On January 20, it was hard not to feel anxious. Would Trump really leave? Would right-wing demonstrators disrupt the inauguration in D.C., now an armed camp with 25,000 national guards patrolling, and fenced-in government buildings? Would armed right-wingers appear at capitols all over the country? So there was a big sigh of relief when Trump […]

COVID Pandemic: In Whose Hands Does Our Future Lie?

A vaccine seems like the best solution available to slow down and limit the COVID pandemic. Despite the limits placed on science in this for-profit system, medical researchers were able to create vaccines quickly. But then came the next stage — producing enough vaccine, distributing it, and organizing millions of vaccinations! Here we’ve had a […]

Trump Incites Supporters to Storm the Capitol

On January 6th, as Congress was supposed to certify the electoral college votes for president, crowds of Trump supporters stormed the steps of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., attempting to intimidate members of Congress to invalidate the results of the 2020 Presidential election. It began with a rally called “Save America,” at which Trump […]

The Election is Over – Not a Time to Wait and Hope

Many are celebrating what is hoped to be the end of Trump’s presidency. And many Trump supporters are angry, claiming that the election was stolen. The majority of those who voted wanted Trump out. It’s a relief that he won’t be president for another four years, especially for those who were the targets of his […]

We Can’t Let Elections Decide Our Future

Trump and Biden may have their differences, but they both defend this system of capitalism, which profits off the labor of working people and is responsible for the problems we face today.

Trump’s Campaign Goes Viral

Trump tested positive for COVID-19, and was hospitalized for a few days. Over the next days, some of his political associates also tested positive, some were hospitalized or self-quarantined. This included many who had recently attended a reception for his Supreme Court nominee, with no social distancing and few masks. Others had been with him […]

End Times? or Seize the Time!

Wildfires have scorched more than five million acres, an area the size of Connecticut, as they raged through California, Oregon and Washington this month. At the same time, states in the southeastern U.S. have been battered by powerful hurricanes. The number of human casualties is tragic and still mounting. The decimation of both wilderness and […]

Mr. Rogers vs. Darth Vader

The made-for-TV conventions of the Democratic and Republican parties were held to convince us to vote for them.

Whose Laws and Whose Order?

After weeks, and in some places months, of protests following the murder of George Floyd, demonstrations in most places have subsided. Many of those who demonstrated their outrage against the racist brutality of the police may no longer be in the streets, but they feel like they had accomplished something. And they have. The demonstrations […]

Reopen the Schools? Our Health vs Profits

As the U.S. COVID-19 death count approaches 145,000 people, Betsy DeVos, the Federal Secretary of Education, has embarked on a media blitz. Over and over, she has pounded home the same message: “The rule should be that kids go back to school this fall. They’ve been missing months of learning.” DeVos’s response exposes the real […]

U.S. Politicians are Guilty of Murder!

The U.S. is currently number one in all coronavirus statistics and far ahead of all the wealthiest countries in the world; first in the number of covid cases, hospitalizations and deaths. As of June 29, the U.S. has more than two and a half million confirmed cases and more than 126,000 deaths. This is the […]

This Whole Racist System is Guilty!

Ever since racist Minneapolis cops murdered George Floyd, protests have erupted in thousands of cities and towns across the country and around the world. The outrage that has poured into the streets every single day has become aimed at more than just the racism and brutality of individual cops. Some people are beginning to question […]

We Are at a Turning Point – But Which Way Will We Turn?

All the pent up anger, all the weeks of being stuck at home, all the worry about getting sick, all the economic hardship, all the anxiety about the future, combined with the history of systemic racism dating back to slavery led to a response that exploded into the streets.

“We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For”

Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets in cities and towns all over the country in protest and demonstrations, day after day and into the night, saying – No More!

Racism Must Be Opposed by All of Us!

In cities around the U.S. people took to the streets to express outrage over George Floyd’s murder by cops in in the middle of the day on Tuesday, May 26. Minneapolis police took Floyd, a Black man, out of his car saying they were investigating a forgery. Floyd was handcuffed and soon forced to lie […]

COVID-19: A Capitalist Pandemic

The Trump administration’s criminal failure to act and to coordinate a response to the coronavirus pandemic has created a healthcare disaster. Early on, when information was coming from China, Trump said that the virus was not a threat and it would soon go away. For weeks, he and other politicians stood by while the virus […]

The Coronavirus Pandemic: It’s Up to Us

This is the text of a second presentation given at our Online Townhall on March 28, 2020: “The Coronavirus Pandemic: Their System Can’t Protect Us.” (link to first presentation at the townhall) (link to the discussion portion of the townhall) Introduction We have just heard how this criminal system has failed to respond to this […]

COVID-19 — The Priorities Of The U.S. Government Couldn’t Be Clearer

Faced with the horrific coronavirus pandemic, with no idea of its potential scope or how long it could last, it is absolutely clear what the U.S. government’s priorities are. The priority has been to support and protect the financial health of the corporations and banks. Initially they were preoccupied with talking to financial experts about […]

A Viral Threat Turned into a Global Disaster

Two months ago, on January 15th, the second death from a virus was reported in Wuhan, China. Since then Wuhan and the coronavirus (Covid-19) have become household terms. More than 156,000 cases of infection have been identified and 5,819 deaths have been reported in 142 countries. Viruses are a part of the natural world but […]

The Coronavirus Exposes a Sick System

The coronavirus (Covid-19) has spread to over one hundred countries, infecting more than 110,000 people and killing 3,825 people so far. There have been 554 confirmed cases and 22 deaths in the U.S. Scientists from around the world are warning that the virus poses a serious global threat and will spread to a significant number […]

Elections 2020: Who Will Decide Our Future?

Many people are looking at the primary election on March 3, Super Tuesday, as a way to change the situation in this country. They want to get rid of Trump – given who he is, what he has done, and what he might do. So the focus on the elections is – who can beat […]

Housing is a Human Right!

Five Oakland women took over a vacant house in November so they and their children could sleep with a roof over their heads. The owner of the house, a southern Californian company named Wedgewood, invests in housing in 18 states. They “flip” houses like the one in Oakland to make profits. They said the Oakland […]

Super Bowl: Bringing People Together

A feeling of excitement was in the air for some of us in the Bay Area as the 49ers tried to win their sixth Super Bowl titles against the Chiefs, and their first since 1995. While the 49ers played well for most of the game, the Chiefs came from behind in the 4th quarter to defeat […]

MLK Day: The Struggle Continues

On January 20 working people around the country will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The holiday remains a symbol for one of the most profound struggles in the history of the U.S. – the struggle of the Black population during 1950s, 60s and 70s. This explosive revolt shook every corner of society, inspired […]

No to US War on Iran!

The U.S. drone strike on January 3 that assassinated Iran’s top military general, Qassim Suleimani, along with five other commanders of the Iran-backed militias in Iraq, has led us to the brink of war. Iran launched a careful response – more than a dozen missiles at U.S. bases in Iraq, killing no one and attempting […]

All together: General strike shuts down France

On Thursday, December 5, hundreds of thousands of workers in France went on strike against the proposal of French president Emmanuel Macron to raise the age of retirement and carry out cuts to workers’ pensions. Strikers included workers in the bus and subway lines, railroad and airlines, hospitals, postal workers, government employees and cultural workers. […]

The World in Upheaval!

Workers, students and other exploited and oppressed people are fighting back against those who rule them all over the world.  People have taken over the streets, gone on strike, or done whatever it takes to say “NO!” to their victimization by the ruling powers in Chile, Hong Kong, Haiti, Peru, Lebanon, Puerto Rico, Sudan, Iraq, […]

DACA: The Supreme Court Will Not Decide Our Fate!

The Supreme Court began hearing arguments to determine whether the Trump administration can end the program known as DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), which provides protection from deportation for about 700,000 people, often called Dreamers. The Trump administration tried to end DACA in 2017 but their decision was blocked by a federal judge and […]

California Fires: Profiting from Destruction

Last week, California was on fire. Again! Of the state’s 58 counties, 43 were under a “Red Flag” warning, which means a severe danger of wildfires. At one point 12 separate wildfires were raging across the state, which have burned over 100,000 acres. The Kincade Fire in Sonoma County forced 200,000 people to flee and […]

Who are the Kurds? Why is Turkey Trying to Kill Them?

Following Trump’s order for the U.S. military to withdraw from Kurdish territory, attention has been focused on the Kurds in Northern Syria. To understand what’s at stake, and what’s behind Turkey’s attacks, it’s important to understand the history of the Kurdish people and their struggle for freedom, and often for their very existence. The Kurdish […]

Revolt from Below: From Chile to Lebanon

Sometimes people take matters into their own hands and make history. When they do, anything is possible. In the last weeks, revolts have erupted across the globe, with some of the biggest protests ongoing in Lebanon and Chile. The divisions that usually keep people apart are forgotten overnight. Together, the masses of people demand a […]

PG&E: Our Lives vs. Their Profits

Over two million people in Central and Northern California recently had their power abruptly shut off by the utility company Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). Most residents had less than 48 hours notice that their power would be shut off for as long as a week, and had to rush to prepare for the chaos […]

Stop the Murderous Assault on the Kurdish People!

After a phone call with Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, President Trump ordered U.S. troops stationed in Northern Syria to withdraw. This small detachment of U.S. troops had been collaborating with  and provided some cover for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a military force led by the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) which are the […]

Impeach The Whole System!

The media is full of talk about impeaching President Trump. Why? Trump held up promised military aid to Ukraine. Then, in a recorded phone conversation, he asked the Ukrainian president for a “favor” – to investigate and give him damaging information about Joe Biden, his possible Democratic Party rival in the 2020 presidential election. Trump […]

1949: When China Shook the World

“China has stood up!” Those were the words of Mao Tse-Tung, leader of one of the greatest popular revolutions in history – the Chinese Revolution of 1949. October 1st marks the 70th anniversary of the revolution when China fought against foreign domination and won. Despite the gains of the revolution, the Chinese people face many […]

Everything to Lose – A World to Win

On September 20 an estimated four to five million people in 185 countries, mostly young people, took the streets in protest against fossil fuels, pipelines, and the banks and politicians that fund them. Parts of the world are on fire while others are flooded. Last year the city of Paradise was burned to the ground […]

Hong Kong: A People’s Storm Over Asia

Since March, Hong Kong has been rocked by mass demonstrations. The protesters opposed a bill that would allow people in Hong Kong to be sent to mainland China for trial. Hong Kongers feared that the Chinese government would use the law to target and imprison activists who oppose the current regime. On September 4, the […]

Labor Day 2019 – We Have Something to Celebrate!

What is Labor Day? It’s an official U.S. holiday that supposedly celebrates working people. Politicians and union officials make speeches praising hard work. Some workers may get the day as a paid holiday, but many workers don’t, with businesses open with special sales and for others it’s just another Monday. So, in fact, millions of […]

The Only Minority We Should Oppose is the 1%

Trump’s anti-immigrant and racist rants have been the centerpiece of his campaign rallies, tweets and press conferences. He portrays immigrants from Mexico and countries to the south as rapists, criminals and gang members. He says these immigrants are an invasion, coming to attack us, to take our jobs and to take advantage of government assistance. […]

Nuclear War – A Threat to Our Existence

More and more people are concerned about the possible end of the world as we know it, posed by climate change. But humanity also continues to face a long-standing threat – that of nuclear war. August 6 marks the 74th anniversary of the U.S, dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan and three days later […]

Puerto Rico – The Power is in the Streets!

In the past two weeks the people of Puerto Rico have stood together against the corrupt government that has dominated their lives. In an island of 3.2 million people, 500,000 took to the streets. Workers waged a general strike shutting the island’s economy down. In the face of this determination, Ricardo Rosselló, the precious untouchable […]