Tag: Commentary
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A Letter to Intellectuals Who Hide Behind the Word “Purity”
A commentary responding to the Monthly Review Online piece “A letter to intellectuals who deride revolutions in the name of purity” on the question of revolution and state power. By Patrick Berkman “I think we could really not just lose people but lose sight of our own goals if we get sucked into these purity…
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Bolivia: The Extreme Right Takes Advantage of a Popular Uprising
In the following translated article by Raúl Zibechi, the long-time Uruguayan militant and analyst of social movements in Latin America, the author adopts the position that the resignation of Evo Morales was the outcome of his government marginalizing and repressing the very social movements that had formed the base of Morales’ Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS)…
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Bolivia: Commentary on the Coup Underway
With the situation in Bolivia in motion, we offer this brief commentary from a Black Rose/Rosa Negra comrade in Latin America on the current situation. By Romina Akemi I am not going to offer a hot take on the situation in Bolivia. But I can offer an opinion as a historian who has studied Bolivian…
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Social Movements Gave Rise to the “Teachers’ Revolt,” Not Bernie
With the 2020 election already on the horizon we republish this commentary responding to the deeply flawed narrative that Bernie Sanders’ campaign played a key role in the teacher strike wave rather than social movement organizing with much deeper roots. The authors are a West Virginia teacher active in the 2018 strike and an education…
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The Counter-revolution of 1776, the Genocide of 1779 and the “Village Destroyer” Washington
By Brendan Maslauskas Dunn This world is engulfed in a whirlwind of myths. But myths give meaning. Every fourth of July I reflect on the power that myths hold over people and how those people above, those that hold all the power, wield those myths and forge them into cudgels, and weapons to be used…
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When and Why Did Unions Start Signing Contracts?
This piece from the Organizing Work blog explores an important but often little discussed question of the historical origins of labor contracts in the U.S. The current dominant model of formal collective bargaining agreements which include provisions against striking and job actions, also known as “workplace contractualism,” has not always been the dominant model. The…
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The Rough Road to Power: Comments on “Goodbye Revolution?”
A commentary by Patrick Berkman on the essay “Goodbye Revolution?” by Tim Horras which grapples with various debates around power and the path to socialist transformation. By Patrick Berkman In a new essay for Regeneration, Tim Horras examines just how fraught the alleged parliamentary roads to socialism are. Taking aim at debates within and around…
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A New Homeland in Our Hearts? On the MEChA Name Change
Following a recent national conference of the historic Chicanx student organization, MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán), debate has erupted over a decision to change the name of the organization to Movimiento Estudiantil Progressive Action. Cesar Montero, a former MEChista based in Los Angeles, reflects on the controversy asking, “What’s in a name?” Note: This…
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Do All Organizing Roads Lead to Bernie?
A Response to Eric Blanc’s Interview on Dead Pundit Society From a West Virginia Teacher and Strike Leader By Michael Mochaidean On a recent interview with the Dead Pundit Society podcast, episode “Teachers Strike Wave 2019: Denver Edition w/ Eric Blanc” writer and journalist Eric Blanc argued that the recent wave of education strikes are…
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Is Trump’s National Emergency a Step Toward Fascism?
By Mark Bray, TruthOut President Trump has now declared a national emergency to fund his long-sought border wall. It is no surprise that when a fascistic president like Trump starts throwing around the idea of a national emergency, media outlets like Esquire start asking whether “it might be time to start fireproofing the Reichstag,” a clear allusion to…