Published bimonthly since 1986, Against the Current is a Solidarity-sponsored analytical journal for the broad revolutionary left. The July/August issue features an interview with Ashok Kumar on "Sri Lanka: Behind the Massacre," Charlie Post on "Exploring the Roots of the Crisis," an interview with David Bacon on the struggle for immigrant rights, and Ursula McTaggart advocating collaboration between socialists and anarchists. On the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution ATC presents "Views on Cuba," with articles by Janette Habel, Frank Thompson, James D. Cockcroft and Samuel Farber.
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International Viewpoint
is the monthly English-language magazine of the Fourth International. IV is a window to radical alternatives world-wide, carrying reports, analysis and debates from all corners of the globe. Correspondents in over 50 countries report on popular struggles, and the debates that are shaping the left of tomorrow.Buttons to Build the Movement
Order these eye-catching buttons to spread the demand for social and economic justice. If you don't have paypal, email us!
Reads Bail out People, not Wall Street!. Around the edge, these 2 1/8" buttons read "Free Health Care," "Defend Public Services," "Living Wage Jobs," "Free Higher Education," "Troops Home Now," "Rebuild the Gulf Coast," and "Affordable Housing."
Bright orange 1 1/2" buttons boldly demand: "Bring the Troops Home Now!" Wear one everywhere to start a conversation about why US occupation can never be a force for liberation, and people's needs should come before the massive military budget.
Produced during the massive immigrant rights demonstrations of 2006, these 2 1/8" buttons read, in Spanish and English: ¡exigimos Paz, Legalización, y Trabajos para Todos! we demand Peace, Legalization, and Jobs for All!
Palestine and the Antiwar Movement
New from Solidarity. A two page comic strip tackles the link between Palestine and the war in Iraq. Traces the history of U.S engagement in the region using fifteen panels of original art and accompanying text. Please download and distribute in your area!
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Chicago Workers’ Victory an Inspiration in Hard Times
On December 10, workers at Chicago's Republic Window and Door company ended a six-day occupation of their factory. They had been laid off after Bank of America refused to extend credit to pay them severance, but through militant action, a democratic union, and solidarity, they own a victory against the financial giant.
Read More...
Solidarity statements
- Autoworkers Respond to the Crisis
- Their Crisis, Our Consequences: Is this what 1931 Looks Like?
- Understanding and Responding to the Economic Crisis (pdf)
- The Financial Meltdown and a Socialist Response
- The Current Economic Crisis, 1987 pamphlet by Anwar Shaikh, with a new intro by Charlie Post
From Against the Current:
- Dianne Feeley: Bailing Out Banks, Smashing Unions
- Malik Miah: The Financial Calamity, Blacks and Obama
- Jack Rasmus: The Crisis Beneath the Bailout
- Nomi Prins: The Sub-Prime Market Crisis
- Bob Brenner: Devastating Crisis Unfolds
-
Jack Rasmus: A New Phase of Economic Crisis
By Dan LaBotz on Monthly Review's MRZine:
- The Economic Crisis, the American Working Class, and the Left: The Situation Today and the Situation in 1930 (March 17, 2008)
- Confronting the Economic Crisis: The New Deal at 75 - Lessons for Today (April 8, 2008)
- The Financial Crisis: A View from the Left (September 24, 2008)
- World's Labor Federations React to Financial Crisis with Proposals from Re-regulation to Socialism (October 24, 2008)
Solidarity's webzine offers frequent dispatches on the politics, culture, activism and theory of the day. It's interactive blogging for activists who are socialists and socialists who are activists. What are you waiting for? Join in the conversation!
Mayor Bloomberg's war against the homeless continues
Submitted by Chloe on June 24, 2009 - 9:38pm.
The June 24th New York Times reported that, in yet another effort to apply a “market based philosophy” to the problems of the poor, NYC's Bloomberg administration would seek to decrease funding
UE's Setting the Banks Straight About the Bail-out
Submitted by Gunni on June 24, 2009 - 7:36pm.
Most of the labor news we hear about these days involves rank-and-file struggles with union bureaucrats or with business management, and sometimes both at the same time.
Anti-abortion Terrorism Can Be Prevented
Submitted by Cyril on June 21, 2009 - 1:50pm.
By Cyril Mychalejko
Philly IMC
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What does Dr. Tiller's murder say about the state of reproductive rights in the US?
Submitted by Chloe on June 18, 2009 - 11:20am.
The cold-blooded murder of Kansas abortion doctor George Tiller on May 31st sent shockwaves across the United States.
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Rev. Pinkney Barred from His Appeal Hearing
Submitted by Ted on June 12, 2009 - 11:33pm.
On June 8, Reverend Edward Pinkney’s case was brought before the Third District Court of Appeals in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Tim Holloway, who has represented Rev.
A Political Eulogy for Atlanta's Public Housing
Submitted by Isaac on June 11, 2009 - 12:55pm.
When Atlanta Housing Authority bulldozers ripped into Bowen Homes in early July, they destroyed more than the 950 units of public housing on the city’s west side.
The War Goes On, With Corporate Sponsorship
Submitted by Dan on June 10, 2009 - 2:47pm.
This past weekend, I flew to Sacramento for an interview with the Argentine Discovery Channel. They're doing a documentary on César Chávez, about whom I wrote a biography.
Video: Anwar Shaikh on Marx and the Global Economic Crisis
Submitted by Erin on June 9, 2009 - 3:00pm.
Video: David McNally on Marx and the Global Economic Crisis
Submitted by Erin on June 9, 2009 - 2:59pm.
Jamie and Gladys Scott: Wrongfully Convicted - By Dr. Lenore J. Daniels, PhD
Submitted by Paul on June 7, 2009 - 10:33pm.
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Koko Taylor, “Queen of the Blues,” Dies at 80
Submitted by George on June 7, 2009 - 2:09pm.
by George Fish
Mass action on the climate crisis?
Submitted by Nick on June 5, 2009 - 3:58am.
I was happy to see the new front page on global warming.
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Support the Viva Palestina USA Convoy to Gaza!
Submitted by Paul on May 28, 2009 - 12:00pm.
On the heels of the recent success of the Viva Palestina: Lifeline from Britain to Gaza medical aid convoy of over 100 vehicles headed by British Minister of
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Committee to Elect Chokwe Lumumba May 19th Victory Statement
Submitted by R on May 27, 2009 - 3:53pm.
Sent from comrades in Malcolm X Grassroots Movement:
Transforming Ward 2, Jackson, and the South
( categories: )
Setback for Marriage Equality in California, Next Steps for LGBTQ Rights?
Submitted by Kate G on May 26, 2009 - 4:31pm.
The California Supreme Court decided to uphold Proposition 8 as a legal amendment to the s
( categories: )
South Korea: A Tale of Two Suicides
Submitted by Erin on May 24, 2009 - 4:41pm.
This month, two Korean men under heat from the law have made the news by taking their own lives, against a backdrop of social unease and anti-government feeling.
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Observations on a Venezuelan Workplace Struggle
Submitted by Paul on May 21, 2009 - 2:44pm.
This past April, I had the privilege to participate in a brief campaign to defend workplace rights here in the Andean city of Mérida, Venezuela where I currently live.
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Thoughts on the Anti-Foreclosure/Eviction Movement
Submitted by dws on May 18, 2009 - 6:00pm.
The fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis and the bursting of the housing bubble resulted in a wave of foreclosures around the country.
What We Want: Voices from the Salvadoran Left - Ana Martínez
Submitted by Cyril on May 18, 2009 - 1:56pm.
Written by Erica Thompson
www.UpsideDownWorld.org
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What We Want: Voices from the Salvadoran Left - Sandra Henriquez and Josefina Lazo
Submitted by Cyril on May 17, 2009 - 2:02pm.
Written by Erica Thompson - www.UpsideDownWorld.org
( categories: )
Why she became a socialist
Submitted by Detroiter on May 13, 2009 - 7:44pm.
Recently I visited a friend’s house and saw a photo of a little girl with those super-short bangs that were popular when I was young.
A fair trial for Troy Davis?
Submitted by Isaac on May 11, 2009 - 10:24am.
Troy Davis has spent nearly two decades on Georgia's Death Row, convicted of a 1989 murder on nothing but testimony.
Vermont rallies for single payer
Submitted by Traven on May 7, 2009 - 8:26pm.
On May Day, Vermont’s state capitol rocked to chants of “Hey, hey! Ho, ho!
New Hampshire State Legislature: Pro Same Sex Marriage// Anti-Trans Rights
Submitted by Chloe on May 4, 2009 - 5:36pm.
I just came across a post on one of my favorite feminist blogs, www.feministing.com, discussing how the New Hampshire state legislature
A cover for preserving racism: The "U.S.-Brazil Joint Action Plan To Eliminate Racial Discrimination"
Submitted by Paul on April 29, 2009 - 2:22pm.
I think it's noteworthy that once again Brazil's Lula government is running interference for U.S.
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Mumia, Miami, May 1st
Submitted by Paul on April 23, 2009 - 12:18am.
Thinking forward to an auspicious May 1st this year.
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Irish & British sit-down strikes: shop floors without borders
Submitted by Ron on April 22, 2009 - 12:04pm.
Irish and British workers have been occupying Visteon auto parts plants since March 31 and April 1 respectively.
Franklin Rosemont 1943-2009
Submitted by Amauta on April 22, 2009 - 11:47am.
I paste below an anonymous obituary of Franklin Rosemont.
Labor Activists Pack NYC Troublemakers School
Submitted by Chloe on April 21, 2009 - 6:57am.
On March 21st over 200 labor activists and organizers -- about 70 percent rank-and-file members of labor unions -- packed Labor Notes’ Troublemakers School in New York City.
Socialism on the Rise, or Another Example of the Left’s Wishful Thinking?
Submitted by dws on April 19, 2009 - 7:02pm.
There is some minor celebration occurring on the U.S.
Socialist Futurism: Sci-Fi for Reds and Greens
Submitted by Maeve66 on April 15, 2009 - 5:55pm.
A lot of socialists have a yen for science fiction. I mean, apart from the fact that we are often geeks anyway, science fiction almost always tries to imagine an alternate future.
Gay Culture, for Popular Consumption?
Submitted by Chloe on April 14, 2009 - 6:04pm.
I wasn't sure what to think when I came across a tourist website advertising the "NYC Rainbow Pilgrimage," a City effort to market NYC as a gay tourist destinatio
NYC Student Movement: Occupy Everything!... Now?
Submitted by Kate G on April 13, 2009 - 11:28pm.
I have followed with excitement the recent student occupations at two private colleges here in New York: February
Cartoon: bailouts
Submitted by megf on April 12, 2009 - 11:21pm.
After my cartoons on the Employee Free Choice Act and support for the Stella D'Oro strikers
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Stakes are Raised in Atlanta's Struggle for Transit Justice
Submitted by Isaac on April 11, 2009 - 1:46pm.
“We Need MARTA, Seven Days a Week!”
Europe's radical left on the march
Submitted by Isaac on April 9, 2009 - 11:10pm.
While the US banking elite takes advantage of the crisis to further consolidate their economic control and wealth - with little more than a whimper from workers - social unrest around the world points
The fight at Great Western Erectors
Submitted by Isaac on April 8, 2009 - 7:46pm.
[this was mailed from Jason Netek]
Hunger - Art and Politics come together [movie review]
Submitted by RedStar504 on April 7, 2009 - 2:32pm.
In our times, it is rare that art and politics come together well.
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Structural Adjustment Comes Home to Roost
Submitted by redchuck4 on April 5, 2009 - 1:00pm.
When the meltdown of the sub-prime mortgage market last Fall began to spread to major banks, investment houses and insurance companies, the Bush administration responded with massive bailouts the f
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“Hot-cargoing” as a tactic in the Palestine solidarity and antiwar movements
Submitted by Paul on April 4, 2009 - 6:36pm.
Israel has historically been the largest recipient of U.S. military aid.
( categories: )
Execution of Gays in Iraq, Legalized Rape in Afghanistan
Submitted by Isaac on March 31, 2009 - 1:07pm.
This morning I heard the news that the installed president of Afghanistan is backing a law that would legalize rap
"Informal Settlements" in Durban, South Africa and California, USA
Submitted by Kate G on March 29, 2009 - 10:12am.
Durban, South Africa, has since my first visit reminded me--and not only me -- of California. They both have great surfing, beautiful beaches,an amazing climate and a laid-back vibe.
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Reimagining Socialism: The Nation encourages a critical discussion
Submitted by R on March 27, 2009 - 5:28pm.
No one can tell you that capitalism is working, and after several decades of global neoliberalism (a brand of de-regulated hyper-capitalism spawned in the mid-1970s to secure the continuing rule of
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U.S. Policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Submitted by Dianne on March 27, 2009 - 10:15am.
Tariq Ali, the author of three books on Pakistan--most recently, THE DUEL, Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power, gave several talks at the University of Michigan Flint in March 2009.
Cartoon: The Employee Free Choice Act
Submitted by megf on March 26, 2009 - 11:20am.
The Employee Free Choice Act is a crucial piece of legislation that is currently in Congress.
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The Salvadoran presidential election: An alternative view
Submitted by Peter on March 23, 2009 - 6:38pm.
On March 17 RedStar504 posted an article, "Victory in El Salvador: an inspirational sign along the path", on the March 15 Salvadoran presidentia
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EFCA, AIG and the Political Struggle Over the Current “Populist Anger”
Submitted by dws on March 19, 2009 - 10:26am.
The conservative spin-machine is running at full throttle in its attempt to thwart the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) and potentially related-pro-worker legislation.
Victory in El Salvador: an inspirational sign along the path
Submitted by RedStar504 on March 17, 2009 - 7:59pm.
Late Sunday March 15, I listened to an English language radio broadcast from San Salvador, hopeful.
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Bollywood-style Israeli weapons video... something else to boycott!
Submitted by Isaac on March 16, 2009 - 12:13pm.
One part of the military machine that facilitated the massacre of Palestinian civilians in Gaza this January has released a new offensive product.
Remembering Steffie Brooks
Submitted by Amauta on March 15, 2009 - 6:53am.
Yesterday there was a memorial for Steffie Brooks, a long-time activist and revolutionary, and member of Solidarity in NYC.
A call to organize: social work as social movement
Submitted by Nate on March 13, 2009 - 5:51pm.
I am finishing a Masters in Social Work in New York, and have been very involved in student organizing at my school.
Labour Party Pakistan Activists Arrested and Beaten Up
Submitted by Dianne on March 12, 2009 - 9:01pm.
A couple of years ago, when General Musharraf was running Pakistan, he sacked the judiciary because he was afraid of its independent rulings and thought his election itself might be ruled illegal.<
Reports from NYC's March 5th Rally Against Budget Cuts
Submitted by Chloe on March 11, 2009 - 1:16pm.
On March 5th tens of thousands of New Yorkers packed City Hall for a rally called by One New York – a coalition of the major labor unions and community groups – to oppose Governor Paterson’s
( categories: )
Solidarity with Palestine in the South: A Report From Atlanta
Submitted by R on March 9, 2009 - 7:50pm.
Just a few months ago, the idea of getting together with nearly 100 people for an all day strategy discussion on any progressive issue in Atlanta would have seemed wildly optimistic.
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The Origins of International Women's Day
Submitted by Dianne on March 8, 2009 - 3:28am.
March 8 is celebrated around the world as International Women's Day, but IWD is not very well known or celebrated in the country of its birth.
“Thumb Tacks” and “Hot Cargo” Revisited
Submitted by SHL on March 7, 2009 - 11:17pm.
Since I wrote the first essay for this webzine (see “Spatiality and Working Class Solidarity”), I have been preoccupied with how workers can
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YouTube: Race, Gender, and Imperialism in Iraq
Submitted by Maeve66 on March 1, 2009 - 8:09pm.
Check out this YouTube click of an American army officer [transcribed below] as he harangues an Iraqi police patrol, telling them they're "acting like a bunch of fucking women".
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Thoughts on Obama's Speech at Camp Lejeune, NC
Submitted by Dianne on February 28, 2009 - 7:43pm.
Here are a few "talking points" for activists in response to Barack Obama's speech last week [NYTimes link to transcrip
State of the Union for Immigrant USA?
Submitted by Isaac on February 25, 2009 - 10:48pm.
I’ll leave the task of detailed dissections of Obama’s applause-heavy and content-light State of the Union address to others.
An appreciation of Malcolm X
Submitted by Isaac on February 21, 2009 - 10:37pm.
"Sisters, brothers, guests, friends and we'd be fooling ourselves if there are no enemies here..." Today, February 21, I’ve been thinking (even more than usual) how history might have developed i
NYU Occupation Update: Defend Student Protestors!
Submitted by Micah on February 20, 2009 - 7:21pm.
From Take Back NYU!:
NYU administration thuggishly breaks occupation
Continuous updates on Twitter: http://twitter.com/takebacknyu
Honoring a Palestinian Life Cut Short
Submitted by Dianne on February 19, 2009 - 12:03pm.
Emily Jacir, a Palestinian American who lives in New York and Ramallah, has won the Hugo Boss Prize of 2008. This award is given to support significant achievements in contemporary art.
Student Occupation at NYU
Submitted by Micah on February 19, 2009 - 10:52am.
On February 18, a group of NYU students calling themselves "Take Back NYU" occupied the Kimmel building on the south side of Washington Square.
Cartoon on Stella D'Oro solidarity
Submitted by megf on February 13, 2009 - 10:22am.
This is a comic I made in support of the Stella D'Oro strike for my union newsletter.(For more information on the strike, click here.) You can c
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Visiting a terminally ill comrade
Submitted by Isaac on February 9, 2009 - 5:18pm.
Earlier this week I had the opportunity to see a friend and comrade, badly weakened by a terminal illness, for the first time in several months. Not much older than my own mother, S.
Hope For Obama?
Submitted by Kate G on January 30, 2009 - 2:38am.
[This is a talk I gave in Durban, South Africa a few days ago....]
Stella D'Oro Strike Picks Up Steam
Submitted by Chloe on January 29, 2009 - 12:41am.
A couple of dozen striking Stella D’Oro workers and their allies braved the freezing rain to rally in front of Fairway supermarket on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on Wednesday Jan. 28th.
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It Can't Get Any Worse, Can It?
Submitted by Amauta on January 15, 2009 - 4:19pm.
I first came to REALLY hate our Democratic senior senator from New York, Charles Schumer, for his ugly and belligerent conduct during the Waco hearings, where he berated Waco survivors as fools and li
Review of Waltz with Bashir
Submitted by Chloe on January 9, 2009 - 1:38pm.
This is a moment when it’s hard to remember why art matters, let alone art that highlights the voices of those who – knowingly or not -- perpetrate oppression.
( categories: )
Nearly 1000 NYers Protest Israeli Attacks on Gaza
Submitted by Chloe on December 28, 2008 - 10:48pm.
New Yorkers Respond to Israel's Attacks on Gaza
Nearly a thousand protesters flooded Rockefeller Center in Manhattan on December 28th in response to the Israeli attacks against Gaza.
( categories: )
Rick Warren and Africa
Submitted by Kate G on December 25, 2008 - 9:47am.
The controversy around Barak Obama's unfortunate selection of Rick Warren for the inaugural invocation has focused primarily on his public gay bashing and support for California's Proposition 8, an
( categories: )
Strike Continues at Stella D'Oro in Bronx, New York
Submitted by Micah on December 24, 2008 - 9:39am.
It is Christmas time, but there is little holiday cheer at the Stella D’Oro cookie factory in the Bronx.
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From Athens, Greece to Augusta, Georgia, police murder provokes riots
Submitted by Isaac on December 23, 2008 - 11:38pm.
On day eight of the unrest triggered by the police killing of 15-year old Alexandros Grigoropoulos, police officers in Augusta, Georgia f
NYC Mobilizes Against Proposed Cuts
Submitted by Chloe on December 18, 2008 - 4:44pm.
On December 16, New York State Governor Patterson proposed a total of $9 billion of spending cuts and regressive tax and fee hikes.
( categories: )
Reflections on Malik Rahim's bid for Congress in Louisiana
Submitted by RedStar504 on December 11, 2008 - 1:59pm.
Malik Rahim, the Green Party Candidate for the 2nd Louisiana Congressional District, did not win in the election held December 6, 2008.
( categories: )
Some ideas and resources for do-it-yourself solidarity with Republic workers in Chicago
Submitted by Isaac on December 10, 2008 - 4:11pm.
Here's some updates on the heroic and inspiring occupation of the Republic Window and Door factory in Chicago.
Troy Davis Hearing at the 11th Circuit Court
Submitted by Isaac on December 9, 2008 - 9:44pm.
This afternoon, Troy Davis defense lawyers presented arguments to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals - the latest stage in a dramatic tug-of-war between the state of Georgia and broad public opinion
On the Chicago Factory Sit-in by Nelson Lichtenstein and Christopher Phelps
Submitted by Amauta on December 9, 2008 - 1:26pm.
The factory occupation by 200 workers at Republic Windows and Doors in Chicago, Illinois, recalls one of the most storied moments in American history, when thousands of Depression-era workers took ove
Working Class Casualties: Mumbai and Long Island
Submitted by Isaac on November 29, 2008 - 10:19pm.
The left tends to analyze the world with broad strokes, looking at the action (or inaction) of our class in the thousands and millions.
Major Transit Cuts Threaten NYC
Submitted by Chloe on November 26, 2008 - 12:35pm.
On Thursday November 20, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of New York (MTA) met to discuss budget cuts.
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March for Equality: Nationwide Protests Against Proposition 8
Submitted by jonhseattle on November 13, 2008 - 4:11pm.
There are protests in dozens of cities across the United States against the California state Proposition 8 which banned gay marriage.
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The War(s) at Home: the Iraq War in movies
Submitted by Maeve66 on November 3, 2008 - 6:38pm.
I teach in a working class suburb, not too far from Oakland, whose political character is very, very different from that in the city itself.
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Revolutionary Work in Our Times
Submitted by Stephanie L on November 3, 2008 - 2:07pm.
By Stephanie and Karin
More on FMPR: Beating the Odds, Independent PR Teachers Union Trounces SEIU in Representation Election
Submitted by Micah on November 2, 2008 - 1:15pm.
The Puerto Rican Federation of Teachers (FMPR) has done the near-impossible: solidly defeating one of the world’s most powerful labor organizations in an election for representation of Puerto Ric
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Howie Hawkins Press Release
Submitted by dws on October 29, 2008 - 4:32pm.
(There will be a post-election interview with Howie Hawkins on Solidarity Webzine.
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Puerto Rico's Teachers Show the Way; SEIU Learns the Meaning of "No"
Submitted by Steve on October 24, 2008 - 3:16pm.
When last seen on the picket-line, Puerto Rican teachers were fighting their way through police barricades to appeal to fellow workers from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), at its
Growing movement wins another stay of execution for Troy Davis!
Submitted by Isaac on October 24, 2008 - 2:10pm.
This morning's "funeral for justice" ended with joyful laughter and hugs as local activists celebrated the second stay of execution for Troy Davis in two months.
A Radical Response: Understanding the Crisis and Building a Movement
Submitted by Kate G on October 20, 2008 - 3:17pm.
Understanding and Responding to the Economic Crisis: Some Talking Points (version 2.0)
Videos of Green Party Candidate Rosa Clemente Talk at NYU
Submitted by mike m on October 15, 2008 - 10:31pm.
On October 10th the Radical Film and Lecture Series organized a talk by Rosa Clemente, the vice presidential candidate for the Green Party, Hip Hop activist, independent journalist and community or
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Update on Troy Davis and a letter from Troy
Submitted by Isaac on September 30, 2008 - 5:43pm.
Troy Davis, the innocent man on Georgia's Death Row, is safe for now. A grassroots movement and international awareness has brought the case to the halls of the US Supreme Court.
Some Talking Points on the Financial Crisis
Submitted by Kate G on September 30, 2008 - 5:30pm.
SOME TALKING POINTS ON THE FINANCIAL CRISIS
By Kate Griffiths and Isaac Silver- The era of the United States as a “the world’s only superpower” is ending.
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Labor Goes to Wall Street
Submitted by Micah on September 30, 2008 - 3:33pm.
It has been a turbulent week on Wall Street, and I’m not just talking about stock prices.
Capitalist Absurdity of the Week #2 - Well, of course, the meltdown, "regulation" etc.
Submitted by Amauta on September 29, 2008 - 12:21pm.
In various ways, millions of people are registering their rejection of the proposed $700-billion-plus bailout plan to temporarily save capitalism.
Troy Davis: "I'll be 40 my next birthday"
Submitted by Isaac on September 23, 2008 - 10:24pm.
I met with Troy on Death Row Saturday night. He was very hopeful, but cautiously so. I asked him, "Troy, how old are you?" He said "I'm thirty-nine. I'll be forty on my next birthday.
Troy Davis is innocent.
Submitted by Isaac on September 23, 2008 - 2:03pm.
Call and response chants of "I am: Troy Davis! We are: Troy Davis" and "Innocence: Matters!
Party Like Its 1929: Understanding the Crisis on Wall Street
Submitted by Kate G on September 21, 2008 - 8:02pm.
It has been a dramatic moment on Wall Street; first Bear-Sterns and then Lehman Bros. went bankrupt.
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A National Need: Omar Lopez’s Campaign for Congress
Submitted by SantiagoIglesias on September 14, 2008 - 4:42pm.
Every night, CNN’s Lou Dobbs harangues the American public with overblown concerns regarding illegal immigration, linking the alleged “crisis” of undocumented immigration to all things terrib
Terrorizing the vulnerable: La Migra comes to Mississippi
Submitted by Enku on September 12, 2008 - 9:04am.
On August 25, ICE agents (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) conducted one of the single largest immigration raids in the country at Howard Industries just outside of Laurel, MS.
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"Every beautiful poem is an act of resistance" - Mahmoud Darwish, 1941-2008
Submitted by Amauta on September 9, 2008 - 1:42pm.
A great voice of love, memory and vigilant solidarity has passed. It's hard to imagine more like Darwish arriving in these cold times.
Celebrating Teen Pregnancy?
Submitted by redchuck4 on September 5, 2008 - 7:00am.
For years, I've taught sociology at a community college in New York City. I'm always looking for current examples to illustrate how class, race and gender work in contemporary capitalist socities.
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Denver Protests the DNC!
Submitted by rachael on August 29, 2008 - 7:19pm.
Outside the Pepsi Center, protesters gathered during the DNC to protest the war, capitalism and to march for immigrant rights in numerous events throughout the week.
Biden? Give me a break!!!
Submitted by Isaac on August 27, 2008 - 5:58pm.
Because the Democrats had the gall to schedule their convention on the ideal week for riding bikes along Lake Michigan, I neglected to keep up with excitement. Was there any excitement?
Anti-War Movement(s)-- Then and Now...
Submitted by redchuck4 on August 17, 2008 - 9:24am.
( categories: )
Vigilantism of the Few and the Many; the Darkness of Democracy in The Dark Knight
Submitted by John B. Cannon on August 14, 2008 - 8:05am.
The Dark Knight is the pre-eminent summer action-superhero blockbuster of 2008, and will probably soon become the second grossing film of all time, behind
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Mid-Summer Voting in New Orleans: Legacy of failed Reconstruction
Submitted by RedStar504 on August 10, 2008 - 4:35pm.
Three years after the floodwaters of the Hurricane Katrina subsided, the people of New Orleans voters are plagued by barriers to voting, misinformation and disenfranchisement .
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Save Your Starbucks? (Capitalist Absurdity of the Week)
Submitted by Amauta on July 28, 2008 - 12:26pm.
After reading an article in the NY Times and subsequent googling, I discovered a proliferation of local org
Unite to Smash Boring Leaflets! Some Thoughts on Revolutionary Imagery
Submitted by Isaac on July 25, 2008 - 5:29pm.
When we present revolutionary ideas, is it just the content that matters, or the form, as well? If the form matters, should it reflect popular styles, or should we constantly push boundaries?
Blue Vinyl (2002) Movie Review
Submitted by RedStar504 on July 20, 2008 - 9:25am.
Blue Vinyl (2002) http://www.bluevinyl.org/ , by Judith Helfand and Daniel B.
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Investors Expect Bronx Real Estate Feast
Submitted by Chloe on July 11, 2008 - 9:33pm.
This is an article I wrote for a local Bronx freebie paper, the Norwood News.
Role of Private Equity Worries Tenant Advocates
Mp3 Spotlight: The Black Power Era Part One
Submitted by BradDuncan on July 8, 2008 - 12:15pm.
In the last two installments of Mp3 Spotlight we have looked at the work of individual musicians who have put their creative energies towards building social movements.
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Korean Protests against Importing U.S. Beef
Submitted by SHL on July 4, 2008 - 4:44pm.
Thousands of Koreans have been protesting the importation U.S. beef by gathering in vigils almost every night for the last two months.
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Things white people can get away with
Submitted by kenyatta on July 1, 2008 - 2:55pm.
I’ve been compiling a list of various extralegal activities one can get away with in the United States if his/her skin lacks melanin.(I think maybe I should maybe shift to things that whites cannot
Combating Activist Burnout: Our Stories of Radicalization
Submitted by Ursula on June 24, 2008 - 8:19pm.
When I joined Solidarity, the first thing everyone asked was “what brought you here?” “How did you become a radical?” This question is crucial for activists because it’s part of the overall
A guy at the water cooler: Ashok Kumar talks about being socialist in public office
Submitted by Isaac on June 16, 2008 - 5:39pm.
The name Ashok Kumar rings a few bells: the field hockey star who helped win the 1974 World Cup? The famous Bollywood star who played the main character of India’s first soap opera?
Black Workers Organizing in the Face of Neoliberalism, Labor Retreat and the Corporatization of Everything
Submitted by Tim on June 13, 2008 - 4:54pm.
[A Talk by Tim Schermerhorn at the Black Workers Caucus in the Black Workers Track of the 2008 Labor Notes Conference, where a Black Workers Network was formed.]
To have a real chance of making real fightback strategies, we must have at least a fundamental understanding of the forces arrayed against us, and how they operate. An essential component of this process is demystifying words such as neoliberalism. One of the reasons for this encrypted terminology is to send a message to common people, working people, to tell us that we can’t understand the players and plans that affect our lives. They are a large hostile sign on a closed door that says, you can’t even understand the discussion, much less act or organize in your own interest. And while we can’t completely analyze a political or economic ‘school’ in a short discussion, we can distill its fundamentals, and know how it moves.
To have a real chance of making real fightback strategies, we must have at least a fundamental understanding of the forces arrayed against us, and how they operate. An essential component of this process is demystifying words such as neoliberalism. One of the reasons for this encrypted terminology is to send a message to common people, working people, to tell us that we can’t understand the players and plans that affect our lives. They are a large hostile sign on a closed door that says, you can’t even understand the discussion, much less act or organize in your own interest. And while we can’t completely analyze a political or economic ‘school’ in a short discussion, we can distill its fundamentals, and know how it moves.
Mp3 Spotlight: Cornelius Cardew
Submitted by BradDuncan on June 11, 2008 - 8:12pm.
Cornelius Cardew lived a singular life in modern music. He helped give birth to electronic music in the 1950’s, connected the U.S. and European musical avant-gardes, and pushed the limits of improvised music with groups such as AMM. From the mid 1950’s through the early 1970’s Cardew burned like a comet, redefining experimental music and earning legend status. But when his commitment to Marxist politics intensified he left it all behind to create “people’s liberation music”.
Electronic Music and Minimalism
For our purposes here we will look at ‘both sides’ of Cardew’s life and music, although it is unwise to compartmentalize such a complex human being. Cardew followed a boyhood passion for classical music all the way to the Royal Academy of Music. But it was his gig after graduation that put him in a nexus of ground breaking music. At the age of 22 Cardew traveled to Germany to work as the assistant to composer Karlheinz Stockhausen. Stockhausen was opening up a new world of music making machinery, electronically generated sounds, and compositions that made full use of these developments. Their close creative relationship lasted for three years.The Authoritarian Personality
Submitted by SHL on June 8, 2008 - 11:18am.
While there are people who pursue powerful positions in society or in a group in order to dominate others, there are also those who identify themselves with dominant groups or the ideology of the group and submit themselves to the opinions of strong authority figures. One of the characteristics of them is to show a “blind faith” toward their “ingroup” to which they belong and hostility toward “outgroups.” Besides, they seldom show sympathy (or often show hostility) toward minorities who occupy weaker positions in social structure, whether in terms of ethnicity or in such criteria as gender, sexuality, occupation, nationality, opinions, and wealth.
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Latest musings on Election '08
Submitted by Isaac on June 5, 2008 - 12:58pm.
Last night, Barack Obama's presidential campaign achieved the number of Democratic delegates needed to win the nomination at the Party's convention in Denver this August.
Thoughts on same sex marriage: Can’t You Just Be Happ[il]y [Ever After]?
Submitted by Kate G on June 5, 2008 - 10:00am.
As the boys say, "unless you've been living under a rock" you know that the( categories: )
Another Comment on FRSO/OSCL's Which Way is Left?
Submitted by redchuck4 on June 3, 2008 - 2:28pm.
COMMENTS ON FRSO, WHICH WAY IS LEFT?
[This contribution was originally presented to a November 18, 2007 joint meeting of Solidarity, Freedom Road Socialist Organization/OSCL and an independent study group of activists interested in revolutionary organization]( categories: )
Reflections of an American Axle strike supporter
Submitted by Dianne on May 28, 2008 - 3:24pm.
After an 87-day strike that started in the depths of a snowy and blistery winter and ended in late spring, the UAW workers at five American Axle plants in Michigan and New York voted to accept a deeply concessionary contract and return to work. Wages will be reduced by $5-7 an hour along with freezing pensions, outlawing the right to strike during the life of the contract under any circumstance, and gutting the old contract. Why did the strikers, after shutting down more than 30 GM assembly plants, and an untold number of parts plants, vote to go back to work? Why give up at the 15-yard line?
Short Appreciation of FRSO/OSCL's 'Which Way is Left?'
Submitted by Amauta on May 25, 2008 - 11:50am.
The following appeared in the Solidarity discussion bulletin after a Solidarity National Committee discussion of 'Which Way is Left?' [WWIL] and a joint meeting in NYC between Solidarity, Freedom Road Socialist Organization/Organización Socialista del Camino para la Libertad [FRSO or FRSO/OSCL], and the New York Study Group - a discussion of radical community activists in the city who are interested in revolutionary organization.
Detroit and my "romantic" dream
Submitted by SHL on May 19, 2008 - 3:02pm.
I had a “romantic” dream about Detroit when driving to the city for my summer job last year. If anyone has been in Detroit, he or she would know that there are many abandoned buildings. Abandoned, of course, does not mean devoid of “legal” and “private” owners. Nevertheless, what if we socialists, workers, and homeless people were to physically occupy abandoned buildings and use them as our offices, homes, and conference places, and eventually make the city into a “socialist city”?
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Thoughts on Aid to the People of Burma
Submitted by RedStar504 on May 16, 2008 - 3:18pm.
The recent Solidarity front page on the cyclone in Southeast Asia (borrowed from International Viewpoint) is in line with my own reflections on the politics of aid in the wake of 'natural' disasters.
Whitewashing Black History
Submitted by Isaac on May 11, 2008 - 9:55pm.
The artist must elect to fight for freedom or for slavery. I have made my choice – I had no alternative. – Paul Robeson
Atlanta lost another piece of its cultural and political history sometime this winter when the “Wall of Respect” mural on Auburn Avenue was literally whitewashed. This came to my attention in mid-December; it could have been gone before then. A little over a year ago, I researched the Wall of Respect, and other political murals in Atlanta, during my last semester at Georgia State University. I’ve been meaning to write something to memorialize this artwork, and its destruction, since noticing it was gone. Yesterday, the Sweet Auburn Festival (you have no idea how much Shea butter can be sold on one street unless you’ve been) reminded me I needed to do so. I want to start with a short survey of some ideas about art under capitalism, and the role of art in social movements and revolution.
Atlanta lost another piece of its cultural and political history sometime this winter when the “Wall of Respect” mural on Auburn Avenue was literally whitewashed. This came to my attention in mid-December; it could have been gone before then. A little over a year ago, I researched the Wall of Respect, and other political murals in Atlanta, during my last semester at Georgia State University. I’ve been meaning to write something to memorialize this artwork, and its destruction, since noticing it was gone. Yesterday, the Sweet Auburn Festival (you have no idea how much Shea butter can be sold on one street unless you’ve been) reminded me I needed to do so. I want to start with a short survey of some ideas about art under capitalism, and the role of art in social movements and revolution.
Art and Capitalism
Art is not mere paint on a canvas. Like all forms of culture, visual art is a product of its time, and reflects the contradiction and social conflict of that time. But this goes beyond the artist’s choice of subject matter, symbolism, or visual style. The artist is a worker, and like all workers under capitalism, she is forced to sell her labor to survive – as the language of “the starving artist” and “selling out” suggest. Art, therefore, also represents several social relationships: the producer, the owner of the work, and the consumer. In societies without rigid class hierarchies, each of these roles was fulfilled collectively: art as a social product, to be controlled and enjoyed communally.Mp3 Spotlight: Christy Moore
Submitted by BradDuncan on May 8, 2008 - 1:26pm.
I want to kick off this ongoing series on the webzine with a look at a seminal political artist. Christy Moore is a powerful vocalist, song interpreter, and a passionately political person and performer. To many he may be simply a folksinger, but Christy Moore is a voice for the voiceless.
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A People Centered Plan for Atlanta's Mass Transit
Submitted by Isaac on April 30, 2008 - 2:49pm.
At long last, Atlanta Jobs with Justice has released their excellent study and plan for regional transit centered on the needs of riders and workers. You can download the report from Atlanta JwJ's website or download it directly here. The study is the project of years of research and organizing with the Transit Riders Union - a group of transit-dependent riders and disabled riders - and workers in our transit system, MARTA, who are represented by Amalgamated Transit Union 732. This is in our corner of the ring.
Marxist Blogs, Part One
Submitted by BradDuncan on April 25, 2008 - 5:34pm.
“Radical Blogging Is The Main Trend In Our World Today”
Let’s focus on two trends in radical blogs, both based on Marxism. One is the emergence of a web of prolific Maoist/Marxist-Leninist blogs in the United States. The other is the world of Marxist blogs emanating from English-speaking western Europe. I will start this entry with a look at the Maoist-inspired blogs.( categories: )
Global Justice School - Days 6-15
Submitted by Amauta on April 20, 2008 - 5:13am.
(The arduous pace of the school, and it's work and social demands, means that I have not been able to keep up with my journal on a daily basis. Thus, I apologize for the partial summaries below; some of the fun, wacky, informal conversations are also left out, as I had to reconstruct some days from my notes. - John)
Global Justice School - Days 1-5
Submitted by Amauta on April 10, 2008 - 2:27pm.
I will attempt to write daily notes on the 3-week Global Justice School (Amsterdam, NE March 28-April 19) organized by the International Institute for Research and Education. I miss my comrades – and the start of the baseball season! – but it is a great experience being here.
Make the Road By Blogging
Submitted by Kate G on April 8, 2008 - 2:03pm.
I didn't want all the burgeoning Solidarity bloggers or our loyal fans to miss the Carnival of Socialism up at stroppyblog. The previous Carnival was here--definitely worth a look. You should also note that there is an upcoming Carnival of Socialism to which you can and should submit your best work! Do so at Practically Insurgent.
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On “Love in the Movement”
Submitted by Amauta on March 24, 2008 - 11:35am.
The “crisis of the Left” is usually referred to the disarray of movements, its weakened political and social power, the effects of demise of bureaucratic “really existing socialism”, and the neoliberal offensive. It remains our responsibility to seriously interrogate these conditions, study our world, and chart strategies for a new socialist project.
Elliot Spitzer's "Corruption"
Submitted by John B. Cannon on March 19, 2008 - 11:44pm.
I'm trying to figure out whether I think Elliot Spitzer actually did anything that we should call "corrupt." I'm sure he broke his marital vows, quite repeatedly it seems, and I get what the folks are saying that Silda shouldn't have stood by her man, literally, and looked crushed - she should have issued a statement dumping his ass. Then, at the same time, I feel like that kind of decision is between her and her God and her shrink and so forth and giving a feminist seal of disapproval to her actions seems kind of weird to me. Of course it seems even weirder that I should be in a position to comment on feminist seals of disapproval, so I might as well just work my way out of this particular thread.
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"War Zone" in downtown Atlanta
Submitted by Isaac on March 18, 2008 - 2:45pm.
Heavy storms and tornadoes ripped through downtown Atlanta and surrounding neighborhoods of Cabbagetown, East Atlanta, and Vine City last weekend. Media coverage following the storm conformed to the usual clichés: the twisters “sounded like freight trains” and their aftermath resembled a “war zone.” I can’t totally discredit either of these. I do live across the street from a freight line, wasn’t right across the street from the tornados, but I’m not too concerned with what they sounded like anyway. I did check out the damage afterwards and I am concerned with war zones. Like most USonians, have never experienced a war zone, but I’m not sure if the two realities match up exactly…
Obama's pastor was right
Submitted by John B. Cannon on March 17, 2008 - 10:47pm.
Has anyone noticed how Obama and Clinton have been rushing to outdo each other in "rejecting and denouncing" controversial figures associated with their campaigns? First it was Obama, with Farrakhan. I was disappointed to see Obama "reject and denounce" Farrakhan himself - rather than rejecting and denouncing his anti-Semitic statements, which are worthy of being rejected. But I figured it was par for the course. Farrakhan has always been a lightning rod of presidential politics; Obama was really just distancing himself (again) from Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. Then there was Samantha Power, who is an annoying apostle of human rights liberalism, I believe, and I wasn't sad to see her go. Then there was Geraldine Ferraro, on the Clinton side, who doesn't seem to have aged gracefully, making remarks which might have had some core sense to them but were expressed in basically openly racist terms.
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New York 'Fed' bails out business while Mayor announces budget cuts
Submitted by Nate on March 15, 2008 - 3:08pm.
Friday it was announced that New York State government’s bank, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, will bail out Wall Street big-shot bankers at Bear Stearns. Perhaps fittingly, Lee Bollinger, the Columbia University President who’s behind one of the biggest land-grabs in the city, is on the Board of Directors of this bank.
Indian Guest Workers organizing in Mississippi shipyards
Submitted by RedStar504 on March 10, 2008 - 2:18pm.
Indian shipyard workers accuse their employer of human trafficking and forced labor; Guest Worker organizing continues in Mississippi and Louisiana
by Robert Caldwell & Damien Ramos
by Robert Caldwell & Damien Ramos
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Bringing socialism to the cleaning closet
Submitted by Chloe on March 8, 2008 - 12:22am.
A lot of my friends have recently had or are about to have babies. It’s been something of a learning experience for me, in some very practical ways.
For example, I learned all about competing sleep theories from a friend with a bedtime-adverse 20-month-old. She and her husband spent considerable time developing a method that is a middle ground between letting the child cry indefinitely and rocking him to sleep every time he wakes up (which is every 2 hours). Other things I learned are that new cribs cost about $600, and that babies actually don’t get woken up by noise at all. So, contrary to popular convention, it doesn’t make you a bad parent to blast P Diddy while your newborn is sleeping.
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Book Review: Faludi's Terror Dream
Submitted by Kate G on February 27, 2008 - 2:19pm.
Susan Faludi, author of Backlash and Stiffed, has with her latest offering, The Terror Dream: Fear and Fantasy in Post 9-11 America, drawn upon her previous insights into the causes and consequences of the anti-feminist backlash of the last three decades and applied them to period following the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
The color-blind racism of “Law & Order”
Submitted by redchuck4 on February 26, 2008 - 2:50pm.
Confession: I am a major Law & Order (L&O) junkie. I just can’t get enough of new episodes and reruns (including episodes I have seen at least a dozen time) of the original L&O. L&O Criminal Intent comes in a close second (although I have never gotten the hang of L&O Special Victims Unit). As a friend and comrade who shares my obsession put it, “It’s got cops and lawyers — what more can you ask from a mainstream TV show?”
Environmental Justice Part 2 (Book Review)
Submitted by SHL on February 25, 2008 - 10:15pm.
Book Review: Laura Pulido’s Environmentalism and Economic Justice: Two Chicano Struggles in the Southwest.
“Subaltern” groups, according to Pulido, are those which are subordinated socially, politically, culturally, and institutionally as well as economically. For example, Mexican agricultural workers occupy the lowest position within the division of the labor, lack political rights and legal protections, and face language barriers.
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Environmental Justice Part 1 (Book Review)
Submitted by SHL on February 24, 2008 - 10:11pm.
Book Review: David Naguib Pellow’s Garbage Wars: The Struggle for Environmental Justice in Chicago.
Pellow’s Garbage Wars examines the history of the environmental struggles over the means and locations of the disposal of solid waste in Chicago and discusses the problems of “environmental racism.”
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Class Solidarity Down the Toilet, with Blessings by the UAW
Submitted by Amauta on February 20, 2008 - 4:29pm.
The genuises at The Onion understand well Freud's discovery of how jokes reveal a side of truth and reality that we, for one reason or another, are unwilling to admit to ourselves up front. Thus the recent article "GM Introduces New 2008 Line Of Layoffs."
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"Two Buck Huck" and Class in the Republican Presidential Race
Submitted by John B. Cannon on February 19, 2008 - 3:52pm.
Mike Huckabee is not going to be the Republican presidential nominee. Though he’s still in the race, Republican insiders have started endorsing John McCain by the droves. This includes many Republican leaders who don’t like McCain much (criticizing his “liberal” stances on immigration, tax cuts, and campaign finance), and some who have a lot of affinities with Huckabee’s base, such as Oliver North. Pundits who have been very critical of McCain, such as Rush Limbaugh, have been asked to tone it down in the name of party unity.
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Love in the Movement
Submitted by Isaac on February 15, 2008 - 3:05pm.
Hey Lovers and Fighters –
Continuing my tendency totail respond to the writing of the fine folks over at FRSO/OSCL, some of this is influenced by a west coast Freedom Road comrade, Claire. You can read her article from last year here. Another Oakland (Solidarity) comrade made me promise I’d write some stuff on love and sex and relationships if she reposted something of hers from a few years ago on polyamory. So: here you go, sister!
Continuing my tendency to
“On being white…and other lies”
Submitted by Nate on February 11, 2008 - 12:06am.
*Title taken from James Baldwin essay by that title (1984)
By the time I graduated high school, I saw that the rural area of Pennsylvania I grew up as the epitome of racism…and homophobia. Not much room for liberal “we-love-diversity”. I left there hating the whole area: it was dead, backward, close-minded, bigoted and all that. Arriving in New York for college, I thought I was in heaven, a far as “lets-all-get-along” diversity goes. That lasted about one subway ride, and I soon realized that New York is at least as harsh on people of color as my high school was, but in different ways and with lot more power to beat people down. By the end of college I was thoroughly disgusted with the white people of gentrified New York that didn’t have much in common with the working-class and poor rural white folks I grew up around. I moved to Harlem and, like my parents did back home, started getting involved in some of the community groups.
