Labor Day History: The Battle of Blair Mountain
This relatively unknown piece of history of the Battle of Blair Mountain shows the heroic efforts miners took to defend themselves and challenge their exploitation.
Women’s Situation Today
Capitalism has always depended on the labor of women for profits. Women have often been paid very little or nothing at all, and today they occupy the largest portion of the most essential, precarious and worst-paying jobs. Globally, women make up: 70% of healthcare workers 83% of elementary school teachers 60% of service workers Women […]
The Significance of the Pullman Strike of 1894
On June 26th, 1894, members of the American Railway Union began a boycott in support of striking workers at the Pullman Palace Car Company in Pullman, Illinois (today part of Chicago’s South Side). This boycott meant workers all across the railway industry refused to work on any train that had a Pullman car attached to […]
Upcoming Online Discussions
The capitalist system has put humanity in an emergency situation, facing global pandemics, endless wars and militarism, racism, oppression, inequality, the exploitation of the majority of the world’s people, and an environmental catastrophe that threatens all life on this planet. This is not a future we can accept. Come to a discussion about how we […]
New Prime Minister, Same Brutal Violence
On June 13th Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest serving Prime Minister, was unseated by Naftali Bennett, a politician even farther to the right than Netanyahu.
We Shouldn’t Pay For Their Crisis
Get in touch with us * indicates required Email Address * Name Phone City School/Workplace/Organization Subscriptions Receive biweekly article updates Receive event notifications Email Format html text Join us at our next event! Download our latest leaflets… Environmental Destruction is All Around Us We are facing a crisis like never before. The current organization of […]
Tubman’s Raid of 1863
Black people were not given freedom from slavery – they had to fight for it.
Online Townhall (June 5th, 2021)
The Tokyo Summer Olympics: Capitalist Mega-Games in a Pandemic Jules Boykoff will situate the upcoming Tokyo Summer Olympics in the wider political and economic history of the Olympics in the 21st century, and outline the central critiques that have emerged against the Olympics as well as the anti-Games activism that have popped up around the […]
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 […]
Workers in India Conduct World’s Biggest General Strike
Hundreds of millions have shown they are willing to stand together
We Must Go Beyond Defunding the Police
The question in front of us is whether we look to others for reforms or whether we stay mobilized and look to ourselves?
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.
Delivery Workers Flyer
8.5×11 leaflet .pdf
Online Townhall: Sat. May 9, 2020
On the Brink of Starvation: Covid-19 and the Global Food Chain with Raj Patel • Sat. May 9 at 2pm (PDT) 5pm (EDT)
Online Townhall: Sat. April 11, 2020
Link to videos of this townhall Covid-19: Workers from the Frontlines As the death toll from this virus continues to climb, it is clear that the government’s main concern is the health of the banks and corporations, not working people. Millions have lost their jobs and have been left to fend for themselves and their […]
Trapped in a Pandemic: When Jail Without Bail is a Death Sentence
Regardless of their offense, many people now in prison are sentenced to death by Covid-19.
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 […]
Online Townhall: Sat. March 28 4pm (PDT) 7pm (EDT)
The coronavirus (COVID-19) has already led to a global catastrophe with 353,692 infected and 15,430 dead (3/23/2020), with the rest of the world’s population still threatened with infection.
Oakland Teachers Strike to Defend Public Education
Oakland schools are under attack and teachers, students and parents are fighting back. The Oakland Unified School District claims that it doesn’t have enough money to provide even the most basic education for the young people of Oakland. Those who oversee the 86 schools that 37.000 young people attend, are responsible for the current situation […]
Nia Wilson: Victim of a Violent Society
On the night of July 22nd, 18-year-old Nia Wilson and her 26-year-old sister Lahtifa were brutally attacked as they were waiting to transfer to a train at MacArthur BART in Oakland. John Lee Cowell walked up from behind and stabbed both sisters in the neck. As Nia bled to death in her sister’s arms, Lahtifa […]
Disasters Reveal a Bankrupt Society
The past few weeks have been overwhelming, with hurricanes ripping up entire cities and islands along with the recent devastating earthquakes in Mexico. Even though these disasters have all been acts of nature, their intensity, frequency, and impact on poor and working people are far from natural. The degree of devastation, the pathetic level of […]
Climate Change? No! We Need a System Change!
For decades scientists have warned us of the dangers and the causes of climate change, but those who are in control of society, both politically and economically, refuse to respond. Year after year they hold conferences to discuss the problems and meanwhile the Earth’s temperature increases, creating environmental crises around the world. Why hasn’t there […]
The Panama Papers: Their Whole System is Corrupt!
Last week journalists released “The Panama Papers,” the largest leak in history, containing millions of documents exposing the secret financial practices of thousands of top government officials, corporations, and the ruling elite from around the world. For over a year, about one hundred journalists from around the world, part of the International Consortium of Investigative […]
Trump’s Racist Divide and Conquer Campaign
From the very beginning of Trump’s presidential campaign he has made an appeal to white voters by attacking just about everyone else. Such strategies on the part of politicians and bosses are nothing new. What is new is the fact that a billionaire like Trump is willing and able to openly say what many politicians […]
2016 Revolutionary University
A Revolutionary University? This is an opportunity to learn about and discuss some of the major questions that we are facing today. There is no studying – just come learn, and ask questions and enjoy the excitement of exploring the world we live in and how we can change it. Saturday, March 12th 1:00 pm […]
Flint – No More Sacrifices For the Rich!
The people of Flint have been poisoned for more than a year and a half by the water they have been drinking! Nearly all the children under the age of six have been poisoned by lead, which can cause serious mental and physical impairments. And lead is just one of the poisons they have been […]
When The Super Bowl Comes To Town
The Super Bowl is approaching and for people living in the Bay Area, it has been difficult to ignore because it will be played in Santa Clara. Many people are excited to see the matchup of the Panthers against the Broncos. But unless we had thousands of dollars saved away for a ticket, we are […]
Trump Recycles the Racist Divide and Conquer Message
Donald Trump sank to a new low this past week with his call to temporarily prevent all Muslims from entering the U.S. in the wake of the shootings in San Bernardino. He even referred to the shameful chapter of history where the US government put Japanese-Americans into concentration camps during the World War II as […]
The Middle East – Ripped Apart by Imperialism
On September 30th, Russian bombs began falling on Syria. Russian jets targeted Islamic State bases as well as militant groups backed by the CIA to oppose the Islamic State. This makes Russia the thirteenth country to bomb Syria in the past few years. These bombs and missiles are launched by countries set on maintaining their […]
Elections 2016: A New Opening Or Business As Usual?
Two opposing voices have emerged amidst popular disgust over politics in Washington D.C. – those of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. They have both received a great deal of media attention and have generated a visible public response. It would be a serious mistake to dismiss Trump as a loud-mouthed clown. European right-wing parties, once […]
The Refugee Crisis Is Our Crisis
Since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, half the entire population of Syria – more than 11.5 million people have been forced from their homes. More than 300,000 have been killed, 150,000 in the last year. Over four million Syrians have fled the country, into neighboring countries. The people attempting to escape to Europe […]
Three Days When Labor Showed Its Power
For those of us who have jobs, Labor Day can mean a day off work to spend with family and friends or maybe overtime. Some unions may organize a barbecue. But how much does this holiday have to do with honoring our contributions to society or celebrating our history? Today it can seem like we […]
Summertime Should Be Easy!
The summer months are a time to spend with our families, visit relatives in other cities, and simply hang out and get some rest. But for workers, the family time and relaxation has to be squeezed into our schedules before we have to clock back in to work. Without a job all you have is […]
Racism Must Be Opposed!
The horrific murder of nine Black people inside Charleston South Carolina’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church is a tragic example of the racist violence at the core of this society. People across the country gathered to express their grief and anger and the politicians and spokespeople took the opportunity to join the tens of thousands […]
FIFA’s Corruption – Just The Tip of The Iceberg
On May 27th, Swiss police agents arrested nine officials of the International Federation of Football Associations or FIFA, the organization which governs major soccer tournaments including the World Cup. Along with these officials, five corporate executives from sports companies were arrested. The Swiss government is extraditing these officials to the U.S. where they have been […]
Amtrak: A Profit-Driven Tragedy
Last Tuesday an Amtrak train derailed, killing eight passengers and wounding 200 others. Quick to assure the public that nothing is wrong with the Amtrak system, politicians and the media agreed on their reason for the crash: “Engineer Error.” They want us to believe this crash happened because of a neglectful train engineer, who took […]
Baltimore: For Once No Business As Usual
The announcement by Marilyn Mobley, Baltimore State’s Attorney, that the medical examiner’s report showed that Freddie Gray’s death was a homicide, came as a great surprise. Even more surprising was that six police officers were charged with his murder. Gray was chased down by three cops for no legal reason. He was then thrown in […]
The Struggle To End Police Brutality!
The widespread murderous behavior of the police in this country has been exposed for all to see. The murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, broke the silence. The people of Ferguson refused to be ignored. They took to the streets – day after day and month after month demanding justice and refusing to be […]
International Workers’ Day – Honor the Past, Fight for the Future
For working people today it might be hard to imagine people coming together to fight and change things. This is because there is a history of struggle that doesn’t get taught in our schools, doesn’t get made into movies or T.V. shows. It is intentionally hidden from us. One of the major battles in our […]
The Crisis in Yemen – Not a Domestic Product
In the last weeks, fighting has broken out between two factions based in the North and South of Yemen. This conflict threatens to become a civil war as U.S. military forces have been mobilized to support Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries in a military intervention. This conflict has to do with the twisted manipulation […]
California’s Drought: Water For Profit
For months we’ve been hearing about how severe California’s drought is. Governor Jerry Brown has made several warnings that drastic measures might have to be taken if the drought continues. And usually the overall message is clear: individuals need to cut back on their water consumption, and if necessary, extreme water rationing will be imposed […]
AC and BART Contracts – What Can Be Done?
Workers at AC Transit are voting on the latest contract proposal this Tuesday. And for BART workers the clock is 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 […]
Occupy Wall Street: The 99% Begin to Fight Back
In the last few weeks we have seen a wave of popular demonstrations around the country. The biggest were in New York City, aimed at the financial giants of Wall Street, and in Washington D.C. aimed at the US government’s war machine. But there have been hundreds of smaller demonstrations around the country as well. […]
Ten Years of Death, Destruction, and War
October 7th marks ten years of war on the people of Afghanistan. In 2001, the US government used the attacks of September 11th to wage war on Afghanistan, with practically unanimous support from Democratic and Republican politicians. The politicians told us that the people of the US were in danger from terrorists, and that war […]
Some of the Costs of Ten Years of War
These so-called wars for democracy are in reality wars of terror on the people of Afghanistan and Iraq. Both countries are in ruin. Many areas are without access to electricity, water, education and medical care. This war has only killed millions and destroyed the lives of countless others. In addition to the destruction, these wars […]
Class Warfare?
For once the news media and the politicians are telling the truth – or at least part of it. They have been talking about class warfare in the US. The Republicans say the Obama administration and the Democrats are attacking the rich and powerful because they have talked about raising taxes on the richest one […]
Obama’s Job Plan – More of the Same Attacks
On September 13, the U.S. Census Bureau released a report showing the situation of American workers. Unemployment is at a record high. In the midst of this crisis, what do we see from the Obama administration? More of the same policies as before, repackaged as a so-called American Jobs Act. And behind the scenes, while […]
Their Economy and Ours
The U.S. Census bureau released a set of statistics last week showing the level of poverty in the United States. The year 2011 has been the worst for decades, with some of the highest unemployment and poverty levels in 30 years. But this isn’t the story for a few in America – the wealthy elite […]
September 11th and its Consequences Ten Years Later
For the past few weeks we have been constantly reminded about the attacks on September 11, 2001. We were shown the planes crashing into buildings and told how our lifestyle was attacked on that day. This has been followed by interviews with family members who lost loved ones either in the attacks or in the […]
Hurricane Irene: A Man-Made Natural Disaster
The aftermath of Hurricane Irene on the East Coast has been a disaster. So far there have been at least 43 deaths. At its peak, over 6.5 million people went without power. And still over 580,000 residences are without power from North Carolina to Maine. Whole cities remain flooded, roads completely wrecked, bridges down, water […]