The International Situation: Capitalism in a State of Emergency
Capitalism is in a state of emergency, bringing all of humanity to the precipice. There is still a window of opportunity for the revolutionary power of the proletariat to intervene and carve out a path towards socialism. But that window is closing, and time is not on our side.
The COVID-19 Pandemic: a Summary of Its Impact in the U.S.
Globally, as of this writing in mid-December 2020, there have been more than 72 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 (number constantly rising), with over 1.6 million deaths. The U.S. accounts for about 19 percent of these deaths, while comprising 4 percent of the world population.
The COVID Recession Means a Record-Breaking High for Wall Street
Voting with our feet is more effective than voting for Congress
The German Economy and the Covid Crisis
International Revolutionary Convergence V.1, Aug. 2020 [this article has been translated from German] Germany is the European country with the biggest bail-out packages linked to the Covid crisis. Even though some measures have eased social emergencies, for example the temporary decrease to the sales tax (“Value Added Tax”) that helps poorer households, the crisis and […]
The Class Struggle in France During the Pandemic
International Revolutionary Convergence V.1, Aug. 2020 [this article has been translated from French] Now that life seems to be returning to “normal” (or rather “abnormal,” as many workers call it), a new generalized offensive is being launched against the working class. The bosses, who did not wait for the end of quarantine to get rid […]
What Perspectives, Following the Shockwave of Protests Around the World?
International Revolutionary Convergence V.1, Aug. 2020 [this article has been translated from French] In the year before the Covid crisis, revolts had multiplied throughout the world. In Chile, from the students protesting against the increase in the price of subway tickets, the anger spread to wide swaths of the whole working classes. In Iran, anger […]
Is a Regroupment of Revolutionaries Something to Embrace? Where to Start and Where to go to?
International Revolutionary Convergence V.1, Aug. 2020 (written in April 2020) [this article has been translated from French] It is obvious that communist revolutionaries, first and foremost the Trotskyists, today lack an international organization that could be a general staff of proletarian forces, a leadership for all those who have only their labor power to live […]
The Rich Get Tax Breaks, but the Poor Get Audited!
The revelation that Trump only paid $750 in income taxes in 2017 shouldn’t shock anyone.
No Relief for Workers as Stimulus Delayed Until After Election
Democrats and Republicans in Congress still won’t pass another so-called stimulus bill. Even though the first stimulus passed back in March went mostly to banks and corporations, it still provided some needed relief. But Congress has been nit-picking for months over the size of the crumbs that the next stimulus will provide to working people. […]
The Pope and Politics: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Early this month the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis, published his view of the state of the world and he doesn’t think it’s pretty.
The Economy’s Getting Better? Who Are They Kidding?
Trump says the economy is getting better. But unemployment is still much higher than it was pre-pandemic, and industries have started to outright lay people off. Do we really think the politicians will make things better for us?
Videos of Townhall: Economist Jack Rasmus Speaking About “What Lies Ahead”
Economist Jack Rasmus provides a clear analysis of the current economic situation and what the prospects are in the near future.
Tech Companies Are in It for Themselves
As tens of millions find their financial situation more desperate by the day, and millions of small businesses are squeezed into failure, the big tech companies are booming!
George Floyd Uprisings: An Awakening Decades in the Making
The brutal murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis cops turned out to be the last straw for hundreds of thousands of people in the United States.
George Floyd Uprisings: An Awakening Decades in the Making
The brutal murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis cops turned out to be the last straw for hundreds of thousands of people in the United States.
As Millions Lose Their Jobs, Politicians Disagree on the Crumbs to Give Workers
For months, Democrats and Republicans in Congress have taken turns stalling the passage of any new round of relief for unemployed workers
Rising Evictions Show the Priorities of This System
Millions are left vulnerable to eviction during a time when shelter is an even more important necessity
Videos of Townhall: Are Mass Evictions and Homelessness the Next Crisis? How Can We Fight Back?
Online townhall: June 20, 2020
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.
Going Back to Work in the Pandemic: We Could Get Sick, but What about Sick Pay?
As businesses reopen, those who still have jobs must think about how much protection there will be
Vaccine Production: A Fraught Rush to Market
In mid-May there was a big announcement regarding the development of a vaccine for COVID-19.
Instability on All Fronts
Anybody in the Bay Area knows that housing is a nightmare, but COVID-19 has made it a horror
Tech Billionaires and Politicians: “Never Let a Good Crisis go to Waste!”
Billionaire techies like Bill Gates of Microsoft and Eric Schmidt of Google have been using the COVID crisis to meet U.S. military and other federal officials
Sixth Amazon Worker Dies from COVID-19
On April 9, George Leigh, a worker at Amazon’s DNY4 distribution center in Bethpage, New York, he died as a result of COVID-19.
While You Were Suffering They Were Profiting – Rich Got 10% Richer Since March!
22 million Americans have lost their jobs and are scrambling to figure out what to do, but the billionaires in the U.S. have increased their wealth by 10%.
Newsom: Washing His Hands of Our Needs
California governor Gavin Newsom released a revised budget for the state of California on May 14. Who are the targets of his spending cuts? Workers, high-needs students, the elderly
Unemployment Purgatory for the Workers, Government Handout Heaven for the Bosses
36.5 million workers had filed for unemployment, but most are waiting to see the funds appear. The viral hashtag #PendingPurgatory explains what it’s been like for working people
The Unemployment Paradox
Almost half of workers are making more on unemployment than they do in their regular jobs
We Need Food and Shelter, But We Need the Arts, Too
Then comes COVID-19 and our delicately balanced lives as gig workers come tumbling down
What is Bezos Doing to Take One Trillion Dollars?
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’s wealth – 138 billion dollars right now – is more than the GDP of over 130 countries across the globe. And it’s only getting bigger.
Corporations Demand Immunity from Endangering Workers Exposed to Virus
For several weeks, Trump has been playing on the distress of millions of us who have lost our jobs to rev up support for re-opening businesses
Georgia Reopening Will be a Cautionary Tale
As of April 24, the State of Georgia began the process of reopening at the direction of Republican Governor Brian Kemp.
Videos of Townhall: On the Brink of Starvation: Covid-19 and the Global Food Chain with Raj Patel
Covid-19 and the Global Food Chain with Raj Patel
Health Care: Laying off Millions during a Pandemic
We are living through one of the greatest health crises in world history. So why are so many U.S. health care workers out of work?
Opening the Economy, Closing the Coffins
Politicians are rushing to reopen the economy and they don’t care how many coffins they fill.
COVID-19 Collapsed their Economy, but We’re the Ones Asked to Pay
Although Covid-19 sparked the current economic crisis, it is not the root cause. In late March and early April, experts projected a recession similar to the 2008 “great recession” was coming.
Food Insanity With or Without COVID-19
Agribusinesses are destroying massive amounts of food while people across the United States are standing in lines at food banks
State Budgets Under Attack
As New Jersey – like other states – sees billions in tax dollars disappear during the COVID-19 pandemic, we already hear talk of massive budget shortfalls! What does this mean? You guessed it
Coronavirus Task Force Wind-Down – Just Kidding!
On Wednesday, after saying that he was planning to dismantle the White House coronavirus task force, Trump reversed course and said that he would keep
A Time of Difficult Decisions
Report From a Childcare Worker: I had to turn them down to keep my family safe, a difficult decision
Amazon Vice President Grows a Conscience and Quits
On May 1, Tim Bray, Amazon’s Vice President for Web Services, resigned from his position at the company.
BART – Safety is Up to the Workers
BART is operating as if it is business as usual, endangering the lives of workers and riders.
Pension Cuts are on the Bosses’ Agenda
Senator Mitch McConnell announced a week ago that Congress wouldn’t provide any money to support state government employee pension funds.
Lebanon: Massive Protests Continue Despite Pandemic
Huge, often violent, protests have rocked Lebanese cities in recent days. While the COVID-19 crisis may be a contributing factor, they are in fact a continuation of
Jeff Bezos and Amazon: Profiting from the Crisis
Count to ten. Guess what? Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos made $30,182 while you were counting.
Wall Street has Best Month in Decades Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic
The same day it was announced that over 30 million people applied for unemployment benefits in the past six weeks, Wall Street announced it had its best month since 1987.
Who Deserves Healthcare?
How is it that being poorer means I pay more for health coverage instead of less?
The Sanders Campaign: A Balance Sheet and the Way Forward
Sanders was right to say we need a movement, but channeling it into the Democratic Party is a dead end.
World’s Richest Man Gets Richer! (on the backs of workers risking their lives)
News reports confirm that Jeff Bezos, already far and away the world’s richest man, increased his wealth by $25 BILLION in only six weeks! How did he do this?
Reopening the Economy Will Send Us to Hell
this article is reprinted from Labor Notes As we head into the fifth month of the outbreak millions of working families feel like they have been kidnapped and sent to hell. As unemployment (officially reported) soars toward 30 percent or more, an estimated 20 million more people will fall helplessly below the poverty line. In […]