History and Traditions

Under capitalism, scientists devote more time to finding military applications for scientific discoveries than curing cancer. May 25, 2012

Blacks faced some of the most vicious aspects of the backlash against working-class militancy after the First World War. May 25, 2012

In the face of systematic racism, the "back to Africa" ideas of Marcus Garvey struck a chord in early 20th century America. May 18, 2012

In a society based on a massive concentration of wealth, one billionaire has far more clout than millions of poor people. May 18, 2012

Booker T. Washington's "self-help" philosophy argued against political action and for an accommodation with racism. May 11, 2012

Racism at home has always been tied to racism abroad--so the fight against both forms of bigotry must be linked. May 4, 2012

Unless workers organize as an independent force to fight for their aims, the struggle for change can only go so far. May 4, 2012

International Workers' Day has its origins in the U.S.--in the 19th-century struggle for the eight-hour day. May 1, 2012

The Populist struggle brought together Blacks with poor whites in a challenge against the Southern elite. April 27, 2012

For socialists, democracy exists only in name unless it consists of genuine popular control from below. April 27, 2012

When activists protest on May 1, they will be connecting with a rich history of class struggle that has much to teach us today. April 26, 2012

Capitalist competition may act to spur increased production, but it does so at an enormous cost--and enormous waste. April 20, 2012

Contrary to the racist myths that live on today, Reconstruction was one of the greatest experiments in democracy the U.S. has ever seen. April 20, 2012

The U.S. South is well known for being a bastion of conservatism--but it has an often overlooked history of radicalism. April 19, 2012

We're told that Abraham Lincoln "freed the slaves," but it's important to remember what slaves did to free themselves. April 13, 2012

Real change for working-class people won't come without mass struggles like the labor rebellions of the 1930s. April 13, 2012

Capitalism has two different moralities--one of them for the rulers and one that is imposed on those who are ruled. April 6, 2012

The murder of Trayvon Martin has obvious parallels with the lynching of Emmett Till by racists in 1950s Mississippi. April 3, 2012

From the beginning of European settlement in the Americas, slavery played an essential role in capitalism's development. March 30, 2012

One fundamental difference between Marxists and anarchists is their different approaches to the question of authority. March 30, 2012

The idea that activists should respect a "diversity of tactics" is really a way to short-circuit the discussion of our goals and how to achieve them. March 26, 2012

In 1977, disability rights activists occupied federal buildings in Washington and eight cities to make their demands heard. March 26, 2012

Slavery was abolished in the 1860s, but its legacy of racism persists to this day because it is useful to the ruling class. March 23, 2012

Many people, including some on the left, associate Marxism with a powerful state, but this is the opposite of Marx's views. March 23, 2012

The tiny minority that rule over society would have a hard time staying in power if it weren't for false consciousness. March 23, 2012