When George Wallace Came to Town

Joe Allen Jacobin
The notorious southern bigot George C. Wallace came hunting for votes and found a ready-made audience among blue-collar workers.

Lessons From the Republic Windows Workers’ Sit-In, Eight Years On

Curtis Black Chicago Reporter
More than 200 employees of Republic Windows and Doors staged a six-day sit-in December 2008 when the factory was abruptly closed, resulting in a settlement. The occupation received international attention and became a symbol of workers’ rights amid the economic recession.

“Identity Politics” Takes a Hit

Salim Muwakkil In These Times
After the election, many on the Black Left are once again grappling with the “race vs. class” debate.

The Troublesome Women of Sherlock

Sophie Gilbert The Atlantic
The BBC show seems to have difficulty fitting female characters into its universe. But it isn’t Arthur Conan Doyle’s fault.

The Volunteer Army and What We Really Mean When We Salute the Troops

Barrett Swanson The Guardian
The U.S. has now effectively traded a universal military draft for the far more insidious policy of economic conscription. And while it has become something of a ritual for civilians to address veterans with: “Thank you for your service,” to commend those who have voluntarily put themselves in harm’s way, the ritual also betrays a more profound reality. We are thankful we ourselves aren’t economically desperate enough to have to enlist in this country’s endless wars.

The Nature of Mass Demonstrations

John Berger Red Wedge
The recreation of the world must be daring, bold, avant-garde even, but it must also be collective. When we speak of "rekindling the revolutionary imagination," that is what we intend to communicate. John Berger was essential in teaching this to us. And for that we are forever in his debt.