Tag Archives: History

Jackson Lears on the War in Ukraine

Eminent US historian Jackson Lears weighs in on Ukraine. This essay first appeared in the London Review of Books. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a catastrophic violation of international law. The US and its Nato allies must do everything possible to bring … Continue reading

Posted in American Culture, American Exceptionalism, Empire, History, Military, Organizing Strategy, Red Scare, Strategy, War, White Supremacy | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

“Favor and Affection:” From Glynn County, Georgia to Kenosha, Wisconsin, Police/Vigilante Collusion Is A Far Bigger Story Than The Verdicts.

“Favor and Affection” In late November, Jackie Johnson, the District Attorney in the Arbery murder case, was arrested and charged with obstruction of justice for showing “favor and affection” toward the murderers. No wonder it took over 70 days for … Continue reading

Posted in American Culture, History, organizing, Organizing Strategy, police, police state, Racism, Strategy, White Privilege, White Supremacy, White workers, Working Class | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

How They Stole $50 Trillion. How We Take It Back.

Between the mid-1930s and mid-1970s worker organizing and unrest created a degree of economic democracy not achieved since. It was quite an accomplishment. After several decades of increased standards of living for most US workers, corporate actors organized a counter-attack … Continue reading

Posted in American Culture, austerity, Capitalism, Corporate Power, Empire, History, Labor Movement, Military, organizing, Organizing Method, Organizing Strategy, Racism, Red Scare, revolutionary strategy, Socialism, Strategy, union organzing, unions, War, Working Class | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Can White People ‘Organize Their Own’ Against White Racism?

“ Their (the poor “whites”) own position, vis-a-vis the rich and powerful . . . was not improved, but weakened, by the white-skin privilege system.” “The ‘white race’ is the historically most general form of ‘class collaboration.”  Theodor W. Allen* … Continue reading

Posted in American Culture, American Exceptionalism, Capitalism, Corporate Power, Empire, feminism, History, Labor Movement, Martin Luther King, Movement Culture, organizing, Organizing Strategy, Racism, revolutionary strategy, Socialism, Strategy, White Privilege, White Supremacy, Working Class | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Strike, Sick Out, Slow Down: The General Strike and You.

Also at Counterpunch. The strike, sick out, and slowdown are among the most effective weapons in the arsenal of class struggle. They disrupt production and interrupt the flow of profits. But the most effective weapons are also the most demanding. … Continue reading

Posted in Capitalism, Corporate Power, History, Labor Movement, Movement Culture, organizing, Organizing Method, Organizing Strategy, revolutionary strategy, Strategy, unions, Working Class | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

From Strike Wave to General Strike

Above photo: Yasmine James (center with microphone), the McDonald’s worker attacked while working at a St. Petersburg restaurant, spoke to a crowd at a worker rally Tuesday. Spectrum News image. Thanks to Popular Resistance. Also in Counterpunch and Popular Resistance. The … Continue reading

Posted in Capitalism, Cooperation, Corporate Power, electoral strategy, Empire, Labor Movement, Movement Culture, organizing, Organizing Method, Organizing Strategy, Prefigurative politics, revolutionary strategy, Socialism, Strategy, unions, Working Class | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

One Winning Way to Build the Peace Movement And One Losing Way

Q. What cloaks the empire and turns a mighty movement into a mirage?  A. Narrow partisan politics. When anti-war activism plays second-fiddle to “follow the leader,” the chosen champion and the opposing villain loom so large that they become the … Continue reading

Posted in American Culture, Capitalism, Climate Change, Corporate Power, electoral strategy, Empire, Green Party, History, Martin Luther King, Movement Culture, organizing, Organizing Method, Organizing Strategy, Strategy, War, War creates Climate Change, White Supremacy, Working Class | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

American Exceptionalism, War and Empire

The First American War Stories Are Still With US American Exceptionalism remains one of the innermost ideas shaping our national identity and still lies behind all of the war stories used to justify US foreign policy. Exceptionalism has been a … Continue reading

Posted in American Culture, American Exceptionalism, Climate Change, Empire, History, Organizing Strategy, Racism, Red Scare, War, War creates Climate Change | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Soldiers and Veterans are Anti-War Leaders. Could This Be The Peace Movement of Our Time?

“The greatest purveyor of violence in the world: My own government.”  — Martin Luther King If you want to stop the wars, challenge the empire and deal with climate crisis then support our anti-war soldiers and veterans. Soldiers and veterans carry … Continue reading

Posted in American Culture, Climate Change, Empire, Green Party, Martin Luther King, Movement Culture, organizing, Organizing Strategy, Racism, revolutionary strategy, Strategy, War, War creates Climate Change, Working Class | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

A Different​ War Story: The Soldier and Veteran Resistance Against the War in Vietnam

The battle over American war stories began during the peak of the last revolution. Millions of Americans and tens of thousands of veterans and soldiers opposed the war in Vietnam. In the war’s moral outrages, crimes and betrayals, many saw the … Continue reading

Posted in American Culture, Capitalism, Climate Change, Empire, History, Martin Luther King, Masculinity, organizing, Organizing Strategy, revolutionary strategy, Strategy, War, War creates Climate Change, Working Class | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment