April 22, 2022

Bill Fletcher Jr. revisits a groundbreaking book, Walter Rodney’s How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, that showed — 50 years ago — “the relationship of racism and national oppression to the construction of capitalism. … Racism and national oppression were not the result of a genetic deformity or a predisposition on the part of Europeans, argued Rodney, but rather racial oppression enabled capitalism’s development and continued operation as an economic system.” From New Labor Forum via Portside. 

Analysis from Jewish Currents on Eric Adams’ reign over New York, which may serve as a warning to DC on adopting his brand of public safety politics. Critical topic of the piece: the threat that moral panic of crime poses to a politics of solidarity, and why the abolitionist and electoralist left need each other to rally a response.

Student debt news: capitalism offers lollipop (small one) “The [Department of Education] estimates that the changes will result in immediate debt cancellation for at least 40,000 borrowers who will now qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. In addition, several thousand borrowers will now qualify for debt cancellation under IDR.” From NPR

Richmond joins the Starbucks unionization wave, with five stores voting to unionize! “The votes cast among employees at the five stores showed a vote that was 82 employees in favor of union representation and 14 votes against union representation, according to a tally by the Northern Virginia Labor Federation.” 

“Jennifer Abruzzo, general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, has outlined an agenda that would transform the American workplace,” Harold Meyerson writes in The American Prospect. Abruzzo has spotlighted and critiqued the abusive practice of “captive audience” mandatory workplace meetings dedicated to anti-union propaganda.

From WaPo: “Sanders ‘has not ruled out another run for president’ if Biden doesn’t — ‘In the event of an open 2024 Democratic presidential primary, Sen. Sanders has not ruled out another run for president,’ writes a top adviser. … ‘the central fact remains true, which is that Senator Sanders is the most popular officeholder in the country.’”

Today is Earth Day — no better reason to browse the Washington Socialist’s archive of ecosocialist and GND-focused writings.

Sometimes it is hard to believe we can make and sustain meaningful progress building a rooted, working-class movement. The Landless Movement in Brazil proves otherwise. Portside posted an article from Waging Non-Violence in which Mark and Paul Engler interview Rebecca Tarlau about her book on MST’s history, activities and relevance to our “Long March through the Institutions.”

A socialist world where all businesses must be assessed on community impact? Writer Shauna Gordon-McKeon explores a radical future in her piece “Sunlight” in the futurist magazine After The Storm.