Editors' Blog
Leadership and Crisis: a Question
It is not a very good Marxist practice to spread despondency about revolutionary prospects, but even Marx and Engels became worried towards the end of their lives about the likelihood of war and the power and ruthlessness of the bourgeoisie (the traditional name of the ruling class, with French origins) in defending their wealth and class position.
Push House to consider COLA adjustment on Social Security bennies
I saw this statement from the NCPSSM on news this week that House Dems are considering a bill that would link Social Security benefit increases to COLA. Needs some push I think:
The Goldberg flap: Journalist declares Castro "sane" and "moral"
After Fidel Castro stirred up some controversy last week with an offhand comment made to The Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Goldberg about ineffectiveness of Cuba's socialist "model," Goldberg thinks the former Cuban president may have sought to alleviate some controversy within Cuba's governing institutions by "walking back" his comment.
Cuba looking for a "reset" with the U.S.?
After Fidel Castro stirred up some controversy last week with an offhand comment he made to The Atlantic journalist Jeffrey Coldberg about ineffectiveness of Cuba's socialist "model," Goldberg thinks the former Cuban president may have sought to alleviate some controversy within Cuba's leading institutions by "walking back" his comment.
Fidel: "The Cuban model doesn't work for us anymore"
Inspired by a new article at People's World on Fidel Castro's first major public appearance in about four years, I am now catching up on my reading of Jeffrey Goldberg's recent trip to Cuba where he met with former President Fidel Castro over a three day period.
Don't be fooled: Republicans pose direct threat to Social Security
Corporations and billionaires who control a network of right-wing, Republican Party think tanks and Tea Party organizations are demanding more tax breaks for themselves, blocking climate change legislation, and are pushing to destroy Social Security.
Don't give Republicans the chance to go after Social Security
Republican congressional candidates are itching to pull the trigger on Social Security should they gain power, a fact that makes our participation in these elections as important as ever.
How to strengthen/protect Social Security
As we battle to defeat the Republicans this fall, we should work with labor and other progressive groups to win pledges from Democrats to protect and strengthen Social Security.
Why do we need the capitalists at all?
From the essay "America Beyond Capitalism:A Socialist Stew Prepared for Liberals and Conservatives "by Bertell Ollman Gar Alperovitz's book, America Beyond Capitalism (2004), is of great importance to socialists, despite his casual dismissal of socialism, his equally off-hand use of the Soviet Union to represent the dangers of socialist planning, and his unwillingness to traffic in such stock socialist categories as "capital accumulation," "class," "class interests," "class consciousness," and "class struggle." So, what gives? One of Marx's greatest achievements in Capital was to show that capitalists, understood as the owners of the means of production, do not make a necessary "material" contribution to the production of wealth, and, therefore, that production can go on without them.
"Socialism" Not So Negative, "Capitalism" Not So Positive
“Socialism” is a negative for most Americans, but certainly not all Americans.
