Iraq’s Civil War – Engineered in Washington
In the last weeks, armed forces calling themselves the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria have seized over ten northern cities in Iraq, including Mosul, one of the most important cities. This conflict is an escalation of the violence inflicted on Iraq by the U.S war of occupation since 2003. The government put in place […]
World Cup – Rooting For The Working Class
The eyes of billions of people all over the world will be watching Brazil in the next weeks during the World Cup. The most popular game in the world, soccer is a source of joy and excitement, more than any other sporting event. But there is another story taking place behind the scenes, the real […]
Why Sterling Was Banned From the NBA
NBA commissioner Adam Silver, along with other billionaire owners said they were shocked by L.A. Clippers owner, Donald Sterling’s, racist comments. But they couldn’t have been shocked at what he said – only that he got caught. Sterling and his racism were not a secret to the NBA. He is a billionaire, racist slumlord, who […]
Fifty Years After The Foundation Of The Fourth International – What Perspectives For Internationalist Revolutionaries Today?
This is pamphlet written and published by the International Communist Union (winter, 1988). We have reposted the text from the archives of Workers’ Fight (Britain) Trotsky’s aims in founding the Fourth International What was this ‘revolutionary method’ which Trotsky felt urgent to pass on to the new generation? It involved the skills acquired through experience, […]
May First – A Day to Honor the Struggles of the Working Class
In 1886 the working class of the United States was engaged in a struggle for the eight hour day. This struggle of working people across the United States was not just a struggle for better conditions, it was a struggle for a better world. For this reason May first came to be known as International […]
Fracking – An Insane System
Hydraulic fracturing, also known as “fracking,” is a process that mixes massive amounts of fresh water into a poisonous cocktail of toxic chemicals and silica sand, and then forces it into wells drilled thousands of feet into the earth to extract oil or natural gas trapped underground. Energy companies use millions of gallons of fresh […]
Tax Time – Who Pays and Who Profits?
Every April we sit down to pay our taxes, calculating the amount of our monthly earnings which have already been drained, or worse, discovering we owe money. But not everyone faces this burden. Those of us in the working class pay a disproportionate amount of taxes compared to the wealthy, and some of the wealthiest […]
Destruction of the Environment – A Ticking Timebomb
Climate change is an immediate danger to humanity. Every year for the past 37 years has been warmer than average. And the twelve warmest years have all happened since 1998. We are experiencing this through rising global temperatures, increased numbers of storms and natural disasters. These environmental changes will cause massive human suffering and destruction […]
Capitalism: Leading the Way to Extinction
There have been five major extinction events in the planet’s history. The dinosaurs were killed during the fifth extinction, which scientists believe was caused by an asteroid crash that drastically changed the climate. Now, scientists say we are living in what could be the sixth extinction. But this time, our species is the cause of […]
Film Reviews: A Fierce Green Fire, Gasland
A Fierce Green Fire is a 2012 documentary film by Mark Kitchell that showcases various environmental battles spanning fifty years in the U.S. and around the world. In every situation, regardless of the country, whether people are fighting to defend the forests, their neighborhoods, wildlife, or access to water, the enemy they run up against […]
Fighting For Our Planet – Fighting For Our Future
Around the world, people are taking up the struggle against global climate change as the corporations use every means at their disposal to continue to profit from ecological destruction. From India to Peru people have answered these attacks with protests, demonstrations and strikes. Here is a small sample of some of these recent struggles. Germany […]
Keystone XL Pipeline – A Toxic Disaster
Last month, nearly 400 people were arrested in Washington, DC protesting the Keystone XL pipeline. This pipeline is designed to carry 830,000 gallons of oil per day, travelling over 1,000 miles from Canada to the gulf. The Keystone XL pipeline will ensure that oil will be available to use as a fuel in the U.S. […]
Their Whole System is Corrupt!
Last week California Senator Leland Yee was brought up on so many charges that his story seems like a TV show. Yee has been charged with taking bribes, wire fraud, working with the former leader of a Chinese criminal organization – Raymond (Shrimp Boy) Chow – and conspiracy to smuggle firearms, including $2.5 million in […]
Ukraine – Caught Between Russian And U.S. Imperialism
Ukraine has become the focus of the world’s attention. Three months of mass-protests centered around the Maidan square in Kiev has led to the removal of the Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych and the creation of a new government claiming to represent the interests of the people. The Russian government under Vladimir Putin has called this […]
Being a Woman – A Daily Struggle
March is Women’s History Month, a month to acknowledge the contributions and struggles women have made in history. But despite the gains women have achieved, they still remain underpaid at work, unequally burdened with childcare and housework, and face abuse on a daily basis. The struggle of being a woman is far from over and […]
Beyoncé: A Mixed Message of Resistance
Beyoncé recently did something rare among popular musicians – she sent out a message of resistance. Beyoncé calls herself a “modern-day feminist” and released her own album, somewhat critical of the entertainment industry. Her song, Pretty Hurts, criticizes the industry for “shining a light on whatever’s worst,” and claims that “perfection is a disease of […]
The Women’s Movement of the 1970s
Women’s rights in society, from the right to vote to the right to legal abortion, were all fought for and won by women themselves. More than in any other period, the 1970s saw a mass movement of women, inspired by the example of the civil rights and black power movements of the 1960s, pushing back […]
Childcare: A Social Problem – A Social Need
Today most parents work while trying to raise children. Most people work more than 40 hours per week, and are receiving the lowest pay in decades. This means childcare is a major problem for working families, and especially for working women. As a result, many children don’t receive the care and attention that they need. […]
Attacks on Women – An Attack On Us All
In recent years, women’s rights have come under greater attack by politicians, especially the right wing of the Republican Party. These politicians take aim at rights that women have won in the past. Their goal is to channel the anger and insecurity felt by workers struggling to survive in an economy that only serves the […]
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 grass roots movement often organized locally. It involved elementary school children in Selma, Alabama and the elderly, registering a man to vote for the first […]
Prisoners’ Hunger Strike – Solidarity Against All Odds
In 2013, for two months, over 30,000 prisoners throughout 67 percent of the California state prison system went on a hunger strike to protest their treatment. This was the third hunger strike by prisoners since 2011, and it was by far the biggest fight in the history of the prison system in this country. Against […]
The Origin of the Police
There weren’t always police on every street corner with the power to stop, search, and harass people in the name of the law. For most of human history, daily issues of society were settled by people themselves, in their communities. Police forces were introduced by governments controlled by the wealthy, not to protect people but […]
Affluenza?! WTF?
Last December, Ethan Couch, a white 16-year old killed four people while driving drunk. He was sentenced to rehab and ten years probation, but will serve no jail time. His defense argued that he suffered from “affluenza” – what a psychiatrist described as a real condition when the rich are so wealthy they have no […]
The Rich Get Richer – The Poor Get Prison
The worst criminals in our society are the super rich. Bankers and CEOs cause horrible pain and suffering to millions of people around the world, but they are rarely punished for their crimes against humanity. Poor and working people, however, are incarcerated at ever increasing numbers, even though the crimes they commit usually stem from […]
A Nation of Mass Incarceration
The U.S. has the largest prison population in the world. While the U.S. has less than five percent of the world’s population, it has about 25 percent of the world’s prisoners – half a million more than China, which has five times as many people as the U.S. There are about 2.3 million prisoners in […]
Crazy Weather – An Insane System
Lately many of us have been commenting on the spring weather and flowers in bloom – in January. But as nice as it seems, it makes us uneasy and it should. In California, lakes, rivers and reservoirs are at record low levels. The snow pack, which stores freshwater in the form of snow and ice, […]
2014 – Let’s Make It Our Year!
Looking back on 2013, it was a year of records. The capitalist class – the owners of the banks and corporations – brought in record amounts of wealth. Their profits have hit an all-time record in this country, making up over 70 percent of the GDP (the gross domestic product – all wealth produced in […]
Chris Kluwe: Athlete of 2013
Chris Kluwe was the punter for the Minnesota Vikings for eight years. In May 2013, the Vikings fired him for defying the coaches and owners by speaking out in favor of same-sex marriage rights. In a recent article, “I Was An NFL Player Until I Was Fired By Two Cowards And A Bigot,” Kluwe retells […]
Some Fightbacks of 2013 Around the World
The following is just a short list of some of the social struggles that were waged across the world in 2013. January – France Hundreds of workers at the Citroen plant in the town of Aulnay north of Paris disrupt production demanding permanent contracts. They are struggling to keep their jobs after the closure of […]
U.S. Drone Strikes: Terrorizing the World
The withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and Iraq has not meant an end to U.S. military violence against people in the Middle East and other parts of the world. The U.S. government’s latest strategy is to bring terror by launching attacks from unmanned drones. Supposedly these strikes are meant to target so-called “terrorists” but […]
A Year of Environmental Catastrophe
The level of environmental destruction caused by the system of capitalism is becoming more and more obvious to anyone reading the headlines. Last year in 2013, we saw some of the absolute worst disasters caused by climate change. This past year 20,000 people were killed in natural disasters – nearly twice as many as in […]
2013 – A Year of Hardships and Possibilities
Looking back on 2013, we see a volatile world, a world of increasing misery but also explosive anger. Cynicism and despair can erupt into anger and resistance at any moment. In this period nothing is predictable and anything is possible. The Robbery of the Working Class The capitalist class has enriched itself in record amounts […]
Time to Celebrate Ourselves
The holiday season is supposed to be a time when people look forward to getting together with family, friends, neighbors and co-workers, relaxing and eating good food. It is supposed to be a break from our normal routine, a chance to take time off of work and kick back and enjoy ourselves. But for […]
Typhoon Haiyan: Not A Natural Disaster
More than 10,000 people may have been killed in the Philippines from one of the most powerful storms ever recorded. Typhoon Haiyan created huge waves and winds as strong as 195 miles per hour, destroying entire towns along the coast. More than four million people have been displaced, and thousands have no access to food, […]
Honor the Dead by Saying No More Wars!
Monday November 11th is Veteran’s day, the day on which politicians from all corners of the Democratic and Republican parties emerge to give speeches and make gestures honoring the soldiers who have died in the wars waged by the U.S. Big parades are held, tears are shed by families and loved ones, but no one […]
A Vote Against Capitalism in Seattle
The City of Seattle just had its city-wide elections. Unlike most elections where voters had to choose between candidates all of whom represent the interests of the wealthy and big businesses, this election had a different voice. Kshama Sawant, a community college teacher and activist with the revolutionary group Socialist Alternative, ran for city council. […]
Too Poor to Live Here
We are living in a period of unmatched wealth inequality in the U.S. The 400 richest Americans now have more wealth than the bottom 150 million of us. And the vast majority of all the economic gains in the last 20 years have gone to the richest one percent of society. Banks, corporations, and wealthy […]
The Violence of Poverty
We should all have the right to live in communities where we can feel safe without the threat of violence but unfortunately many of us face crime and violence in the streets. It shouldn’t be a surprise that in poorer neighborhoods, high levels of unemployment bring higher crime rates and more violence. The violence which […]
The Destruction Of West Virginia
A look at what is going on in West Virginia shows us how ruthless corporations can be to make profits. In West Virginia and all over the Appalachian region, there is a massive push to destroy the landscape and to get at the last deposits of coal available. The new technique is called mountaintop removal, […]
Retirements on the Chopping Block
Across the country, state and city governments are using the excuse of budget deficits to cut funding for whatever they think they can get away with. After continuously cutting funds for education, social services, transportation, and housing, the latest item on their chopping block is public workers’ pensions. Politicians try to blame the budget shortfalls […]
Detroit: A Destroyed City Coming to You
The economic crisis has hit cities across the U.S. almost like some sort of natural disaster. People have been forced out of their homes, jobs destroyed, schools shut down – everywhere cities are being ripped apart. This is no natural disaster but a man-made one, a disaster orchestrated by the big banks and corporations in […]
BART Contract – A Lesson For Us All
This week BART workers will be voting on their contract. For four months they have faced an all-out attack by BART management. Management began by hiring Thomas Hock, a notorious union buster, at a salary of $400,000. The BART general manger didn’t show up at negotiations for months. Management refused to bargain for weeks at […]
An Injury To One Is An Injury To All
People across the Bay Area were shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic death of two BART workers on Saturday. Less than two days into the BART strike the lives of two people were taken due to BART management’s incompetence, recklessness, willful neglect and disregard for those who operate the BART system. For months […]
Government Says Our Lives Don’t Matter
We’re entering our third week of this so-called government shutdown. And it is an outrage that the politicians think they can play games with our lives. Because Democrats and Republicans in Congress can’t agree on a budget, working families have had to suffer. And the main disagreements over this budget they are trying to pass […]
AC and BART Contracts – What Can Be Done?
Last week AC Transit workers again rejected a contract proposal full of takeaways. For BART workers the clock is still ticking with the cooling off period ending at midnight on October 10. For months now the bosses have mobilized their forces to try to impose takeaways on Bay Area transit workers. The heads of BART […]
Student Debt: You Are Not a Loan
From early on, we are taught that education is a ticket to a better future. But the reality for many of us is much different than the promise. The costs of college are going through the roof, making it unaffordable to many young workers, and leaving many graduates with huge student loan debts. And after […]
What Could Education Be Like?
What would education look like if it was designed to give human beings the possibility to develop all of their talents to the fullest? Growing up, children want to be astronauts, teachers, doctors, musicians, and just about everything else they can think up. But instead children are taught that they are not good at most […]
Public Education Under Attack
We hear the constant discussion from both Democrats and Republicans about the need to reform our education system. Every day there are reports about the failure of education in the U.S. Many politicians point to the schools, trying to blame teachers for their methods and their low standards. Funding the Rich and Gutting Education In […]
The Fight for a Real Education
In the U.S., the public education system has been shaped by different goals. On the one hand, the wealthy elite have required a disciplined work force with enough education to work. But the working class and poor also want education to enrich our lives, to give our children a better future, and ultimately to have […]
Sit Down, Shut Up, Do What You’re Told
The purpose of public education has always been above all to meet the economic needs of the wealthy elite by providing the owners of corporations with a steady supply of workers. Public education was organized as a system not to educate children but to transform them into obedient servants of the corporations. And the architects […]