An article in yesterday's New York Times got me thinking. It described the latest round of something we see constantly these days: speakers (usually conservative) being shouted down or denied a platform altogether by (usually "progressive") students or activists. The right does this too, though in their case it's often more institutionalized than ad hoc. Examples include … Continue reading Society Needs a Collective ‘Time Out’
Category: Working-class Politics
The Other Big Lie
The news has been consumed since 2020 with 'The Big Lie' where Trump & Company have been insisting the presidential election was stolen. Some 60 lawsuits have failed to present credible evidence, the Cyber Ninjas in Arizona actually found additional votes for Biden, and Sidney Powell's source proving fraud is an "internally decapitated" woman who … Continue reading The Other Big Lie
My Liberal Turn
I became a socialist in the early '70s before attending college. While never a member, I've been involved off and on in different capacities with the U.S. Socialist Workers Party (SWP) ever since — until last spring. In April I broke off my connection over political differences. This has led to a series of letters, … Continue reading My Liberal Turn
Courting Tragedy: Reflecting on the Rittenhouse & Arbery Trials
I've spent a awful lot of time watching Court TV this month with the Kyle Rittenhouse trial in Wisconsin and the Ahmaud Arbery murder trial in Georgia. I can't immediately recall two trials of this magnitude coming back to back like this, nor situations touching simultaneously on so many social, legal and political issues — … Continue reading Courting Tragedy: Reflecting on the Rittenhouse & Arbery Trials
Nightmare on Glasgow Street
Glasgow, Climate Change & Capitalism: A true Halloween horror. An article in today's New York Times drives home the depth of the climate change crisis. It's not that we can't deal with it — yet — but there's little chance we will be. Certainly not in time to avoid catastrophic consequences that will fall especially hard on … Continue reading Nightmare on Glasgow Street
Only the Working Class Can Defeat Climate Change
As I see it, there are two dimensions to the climate crisis facing humanity: conquering global warming in the long term and managing its consequences in the short term. Both are critically important. Conquer Global Warming The New York Times and other media are reporting on a document released this week by the United Nations … Continue reading Only the Working Class Can Defeat Climate Change
Speeches by Fidel Castro Responding to 9/11
Official Statement of the Cuban GovernmentIssued September 11, 2001 During a speech delivered on September 11, 2001, Cuban President Fidel Castro read an official Cuban government statement issued in response to the terrorist attacks that day against the United States: The Government of the Republic of Cuba has learned with grief and sadness of the … Continue reading Speeches by Fidel Castro Responding to 9/11
Bone of Contention: Socialists & the LGBT Community
An Epilogue updating this post appears at the end. Back in college one of the organizations on campus was the Revolutionary Student Brigade (RSB), a short-lived youth group aligned the Maoist Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP). Being a socialist and gay, I inquired about their position on gay rights. I can't recall what they said exactly, … Continue reading Bone of Contention: Socialists & the LGBT Community
The Proven Power of Labor
I recently stumbled upon some videos on YouTube so timely and important I decided to share them here. They present compelling lessons about power of labor, something that might strike some as an oxymoron. Labor? Powerful? It is not a crisis of the capacity of workers to struggle. It is a crisis of union leadership. … Continue reading The Proven Power of Labor