Say No to the Slaughter in Syria
The U.S and Russian governments continue their chess match with the lives of the Syrian people. Last week, Russia made a move that pushed the U.S. to temporarily delay its aggressive march to an open war on Syria. The Russian government took advantage of the widespread opposition to any U.S. bombing of Syria – internationally […]
NO! To The Bombing Of The Syrian People
The U.S. military stands ready to bomb Syria. President Obama and other supporters of this planned assault claim that Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad has used chemical weapons against Syrian civilians and killed a thousand people. Whoever used these horrific weapons against a civilian population is indeed a monster, whether it was Assad’s forces or those […]
No to Missile Strikes Against Syria!
Last week, President Obama made the case that the U.S must carry out missile strikes against the regime of Bashar Al-Assad in Syria. Supposedly this would stop the brutal repression that Assad is carrying out against the Syrian people using chemical weapons. In fact, this has nothing to do with helping the Syrian people, and […]
The Surveillance State: Waging War on All of Us
Since September 11, 2001, in the name of national security, the U.S. government has given itself enormous new powers to watch and control people in the U.S. From surveillance cameras being installed in public streets and aerial drones patrolling cities, to local police departments employing military-grade weapons and tactics – the U.S. has embarked on […]
Syria – Still in the Crosshairs of the U.S.
Today Syria is being torn apart by a bloody civil war. Since 2011 the ruling regime of Bashar Al-Assad’s Ba’ath Party has faced an uprising that has threatened to overturn his rule. Since the beginning of the conflict, over 100,000 people have been killed in the fighting, and about 2 million or ten percent of […]
War Destroys the Lives of Soldiers
Since September 11, 2001, over two million Americans have been sent off to war in Iraq or Afghanistan. More than half of them have been deployed more than once, and many four times or more. But for those soldiers who return from war alive, the effects of the war follow them home, staying with them […]
Capitalism – a System of Constant War
We live in a world ravaged by endless war. The estimated death toll from wars in the 20th century was around 187 million, not to mention the millions of people whose lives were ruined in the aftermath of these wars. The wars of the past century and of today cannot simply be explained away as […]
Massacres in Egypt – Supported by the U.S. Government
Since July 3rd, Egypt has been in a state of upheaval. The Muslim Brotherhood, which has been the ruling party for a year and a half, was forced out of power by the Egyptian military. This military coup happened during mass demonstrations of millions of Egyptians, fed up with the rule of the Muslim Brotherhood. […]
The AC Contract: Just Saying “No” Isn’t Enough
After months of negotiations union representatives for AC Transit workers and AC management have come up with a tentative agreement. They claim this is a real gain for the workers. Of course some of the truly insane demands put on the table by management were discarded. But this is part of the normal bargaining process. […]
The BART Contract: Who Will Decide The Outcome?
Governor Jerry Brown has told the courts to order a 60-day cooling off period to settle the BART contract. The news media is making it sound like the governor is the neutral force who can bring the two sides together and come up with a reasonable contract solution. But what does this really mean? Jerry […]
An Attack On BART Workers – An Attack On Us All
Much of the news media has portrayed BART workers as a greedy, self-serving bunch. But at the same time transit workers are being told to sacrifice, the Bay area wealthy and the politicians are celebrating Larry Ellison’s showplace of billionaires – the America’s Cup, as a positive contribution to the Bay Area. That may be […]
150 years of Rape, Pillage, Plunder
Immigrants from Latin America come to the U.S looking for a better life, but there is a reason life is so difficult in the countries they are forced to flee. It is not just that the governments are corrupt and oppressive, and that the working class suffers horrible exploitation at the hands of the wealthy. […]
NAFTA: Free Trade and Forced Immigration
In 1990, 4.5 million Mexicans lived in the U.S. In 2000, the number more than doubled to 9.75 million, and in 2008 it peaked at 12.67 million. This migration is not because so many millions of people are eager to leave their families behind in order to chase some dream in the U.S. In reality, […]
Everyone is an Immigrant
Everyone living in the U.S. is an immigrant. Every one migrated to this region of the world, whether it was 5 years ago, 50 years ago, 500 years ago, or 15,000 years ago. People migrated for many reasons – poverty, escaping from intolerable conditions, looking for a better life, or as captives. The original inhabitants […]
The Immigration Bill: A Pathway to More Exploitation
Supporters of the “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act” claim the bill offers a pathway to citizenship and benefits. This is a complete lie. The purpose of this bill is to further militarize the border, increase deportations, and essentially force immigrant workers to be the captives of their employers. It’s no surprise the […]
Immigrant Workers – The Most Exploited Workers in Society
Immigrants, with or without legal status, have just as much of a right to be in this country as anyone else. But their legal status is held over their heads as a threat. The combination of intimidation, harassment and lack of access to resources forces immigrants into some of the worst, dirtiest, and hardest jobs […]
The Destruction of Public Transportation
Across the country, in every major city, our public transportation systems are under attack at the same moment that more people than ever are relying on public transit. Since 2010, the number of people in the U.S. who rely on public transportation has reached its highest level in fifty years. Overall, the use of public […]
“Roll Up Our Sleeves and Continue to Fight”
The murder of Trayvon Martin, the six weeks it took to arrest and charge his killer, George Zimmerman, and now the not guilty verdict, together paint a disgusting picture of the violently racist society we live in. For those of us who never sympathized with Zimmerman, who see our child in Trayvon, or ourselves or […]
Who is Responsible for the Disruption of Our Lives – BART Workers or the Bosses?
After four days on strike BART bosses and union officials called it off, extended the existing contract and began a 30-day extension of negotiations. AC Transit workers’ contract expired June 30th but they didn’t go on strike. For four days, BART riders didn’t have trains get where they needed to go. People didn’t go […]
AC Transit, BART, MUNI: Going After Workers, Punishing Riders
The key components to any public transit system are well-maintained buses or trains, convenient scheduling, affordable fees for passengers (or free), a well-trained and regular workforce. All of this is under attack. As people struggle to make ends meet, the fares are out of reach of many, and lines are being cut. And the people […]
Having a Future Depends on Public Transit
Our systems of transportation impact our lives in many ways. In most of the U.S. today, it is necessary for almost every adult to own a car. The individual automobile is the main method of personal transportation to and from work and home – everybody in their own car. But this method of transportation causes […]
Film Review: Fruitvale Station
The film Fruitvale Station, written and directed by 26 year-old, Oakland resident, Ryan Coogler, tells the story of the murder of Oscar Grant. In 85 minutes we are taken through a depiction of the last 24 hours of Oscar Grant’s life. We get to know him, get to see him as the 22 year old […]
Privatizing Public Hospitals
As budget cuts dry up state funding for public hospitals, emergency rooms and entire hospitals are shutting down. Over the past ten years over thirty public hospitals in California have closed. Public hospitals are the health care safety nets that serve mostly uninsured, low income and poor communities. As more close and layoff workers, the […]
Wellness Programs Are Bad For Our Health
Workplaces everywhere have been starting what are called Wellness Programs. Under these programs, companies are able to punish workers for not meeting certain health requirements that the companies choose. Companies are setting limits on body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, cigarette smoking, minimum exercise requirements and more. And if the guidelines aren’t met, health care […]
A Society That Makes Us Sick
We’re supposed to believe that our health is our own choice, that anytime we’re overweight or unhealthy, it’s our own fault. But the truth is, we live in a society that makes us sick and we are getting sicker every day. More and more of us join the ranks of the overweight and obese, with […]
Obamacare or Corporate-care: The Writing of the Affordable Care Act
The Obama administration presented the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as a victory for health care over the corporations and their profits. In fact, not only does the ACA maintain the profits of the big insurance and drug companies, but it was written for the Obama administration with the help of these very same companies. If […]
The Affordable Care Act: A Gold Mine for Corporations – A Disaster for the Rest of Us
We are beginning to see the impact of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – what has been called Obamacare – and it is a disaster. We have a health care system designed for making profit and all this bill does is increase the money to be made within the health care industry, charging us more […]
Brazil – From Transit Protests to a Mass Movement
In the last weeks Brazil has seen the biggest protests in 20 years. People, young and old, and especially the poor and working class, have taken to the streets to protest the arrogance of the Brazilian government which supports the wealthy elite against the population. It all started with a fare increase. Across Brazil various […]
No Time For The Summertime
The summer months are supposed to be a time to spend with our families, possibly visit relatives in other cities, and simply hang out and get some rest. Because the weather is nice and the kids are out of school, many of us try to save up as much of our vacation days for the […]
Memorial Day – Glorifying a System of Violence
Monday was Memorial May, and if you turned on the television, or looked in the newspaper, it was impossible not to hear some politician or media figure talk about it. They pretend to pay tribute to the lives lost in war, supposedly in defense of this country. But really their words just serve to glorify […]
Motherhood – The Hardest Job in the World
On Mother’s Day, more people go out to eat than usually do at any other time of the year. It’s a way to give our moms a break from having to make another meal. Being a mom can be the hardest job in the world. Most of the work a mother does is unpaid and […]
International Workers Day: The Holiday the Bosses Are Afraid Of
One of the most important working class holidays, May Day, originated in the U.S. in the 1880s, with the struggle for the 8-hour-day. The working class was engaged in a constant struggle for a reduced work week – a struggle against the constant attempt by the bosses to extend the working day. Many workers suffered […]
August Spies
The Famous Speeches of the Chicago Anarchists in Court August Spies (1855-1887) August Spies was born in Landeck, Germany in 1855. Spies emigrated to the United States in 1872 and settled in Chicago where he became an upholsterer. He became involved in trade union activities and joined the revolutionary movement in 1877. Three years later he […]
Lucy Parsons
The Famous Speeches of the Chicago Anarchists in Court Lucy Parsons (1853-1942) Lucy Parsons was the wife of Haymarket Martyr, Albert Parsons. She was also a revolutionary activist and anarchist from the 1880s till her death in 1942. In 1907 she delivered this speech at a memorial service for the Haymarket Martyrs. As these years […]
Michael Schwab
The Famous Speeches of the Chicago Anarchists in Court Michael Schwab (1853- 1887) Michael Schwab was born in Mannheim, Germany, on 9th August, 1853. He worked as a bookbinder before emigrating to the United States in 1879. He settled in Chicago where he joined the Socialist Labor Party and became active in trade union activities. It […]
Tragedies of a Terrorizing System
Anytime our loved ones are killed and taken from us it is a tragedy. And the bombings at the Boston Marathon are no different. Three people died, over 170 were injured and maimed, and hundreds of thousands were traumatized for life. From the FBI, the police, and the National Guard, the city of Boston was […]
Tax Day – The Robbery That Returns Every Year
That time of year we all dread has come and gone again. For most of us filing a tax return is nothing but a headache, a time when we see how much money was taken from us. Some of us dislike filing taxes so much we will even push getting them done to just before […]
Fightback Section (April 2013)
Hong Kong, March 28 – PRESENT – More than 400 Hong Kong port workers have been on strike against their employer HIT, a shipping company owned by Asia’s richest man, Li Cheung Kong. The workers have been on strike since March 28 demanding a 20 percent pay rise. Even though the subcontracted workers represent only […]
The Toys of the Rich
In the sports world it seems like fans are losing their teams. The Golden State Warriors are moving to San Francisco, the 49ers to Santa Clara, and the Sacramento Kings may be moving to Seattle. And of course the Oakland A’s are always threatening to move to San Jose. If you’re starting to feel like […]
The Other Civil War: The Railroad Strike Of 1877
In 1877, a strike erupted across the U.S. which newspapers called an “insurrection” and even a “revolution.” Just twelve years after the civil war ended, railroad workers led the first nationwide strike in U.S. history. It was the first time that entire working class communities across the U.S. stood together in a battle against their […]
Iraq After Ten Years of War and Occupation
Ten years ago, in March 2003, the U.S. government launched an invasion and occupation of Iraq. The last ten years have meant the devastation of Iraq and its population. The infrastructure from water to sanitation to health care has been destroyed. The population is now divided along religious and ethnic lines and ruled over by […]
Global Climate Change: The Fight of Our Lifetimes
For decades scientists have pointed out the dangers of climate change. But the response from governments, the energy industry, banks and corporations has been to accelerate environmental destruction. We can’t leave the fate of the planet in the hands of those who have created this environmental crisis. They will continue to pollute the earth as […]
The Assault on Women’s Reproductive Rights
Last week, North Dakota passed the strictest limits on abortion in the country – banning abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected. This is usually around six weeks or earlier and before most women even know they are pregnant. So if this law is enforced, it will likely mean a ban on all abortions […]
Their Recovery is Just a Rip Off
Lately we’ve been told that everything is turning around, the economy is recovering, unemployment is going down, and everything will be getting better. But when it comes to our lives, it sure seems like everything is getting worse. Work is getting harder, our bills are going up, and we are not bringing home any extra […]
Taking Us For All We Got!
Once again we’re supposed to believe that the government is broke and must make our lives more miserable as banks, corporations, and the super rich make record amounts of money. We’re supposed to believe the politicians are desperately at work trying to fight each other on our behalf. What a joke. The idea that the […]
Fightback Section (March 2013)
Warren, Michigan – February 28th Workers at a stamping plant in Warren, Michigan went on strike. Chrysler’s sale of cars and trucks has more than doubled in the last few years. To meet the demands of production, Chrysler has moved to a three-shift schedule, working four, ten-hour days a week. India – February 20-21 Workers […]
Playing Like a Girl
Hey Sports Fans… Q: Which rookie pitcher struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig back to back, at 17 years old? Q: Who swam the English Channel nearly two whole hours faster than the world record? Q: Who is the only person to ever run 300 miles without sleeping? A: They are all women. Jackie […]
Out of the Kitchens and on to the Picketlines! The Women’s Emergency Brigade and the GM Sit-Down Strike
The Flint Sit-Down Strike at General Motors in 1936-37 was the biggest strike in the U.S. during the Great Depression. It not only set an example for the entire American working class but also showed that women could play a decisive role. General Motors was the heart of U.S. industry and was the biggest company […]
The Fight Against Layoffs in France
The strike at Citroën Aulnay In France, just like in the U.S., the big auto companies are using the economic crisis to attack workers. Here we’ve already seen that the big auto companies such as GM and Ford have laid off thousands of workers. GM has used its supposed bankruptcy to destroy workers jobs and […]
The Epidemic of Violence Against Women
Despite many victories for women over the last century – the right to vote, the right to have reproductive control over their bodies, the right to public education, the right to divorce, the right to child care – this struggle is far from over and in some cases it has gone backwards. Women still live […]