Category: Labor / Economics

Russia says it is Cuba’s strategic ally. They repeat it at every summit. In every communiqué. On every anniversary of our bilateral relations. But the oil is not arriving. The ships do not appear. And the electric power blackouts continue to happen.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the onset of the civil war and revolution in Spain. In this essay I suggest that the efforts of the Spanish working class in that epic conflict provide elements for building a model of socialism based on direct working-class control and participatory, democratic planning of a socialized economy.

Six months after the United States intensified pressure on countries supplying oil to Cuba, the island faces a deepening energy and economic crisis. Fuel shortages have contributed to prolonged power cuts, disrupted public transport, strained hospitals and water systems, and made it harder to move food from rural areas to cities. Vijay Prashad examines the…

Review of Kim Scipes’ new (2026) book, which is a comparative historical study of the development of unionization in the steel and meatpacking industries in Chicago and Northwest Indiana between 1933-1955, and examines how each union addressed white supremacy and racism in workplaces, the union, and in the communities in which workers lived.

This article examines how debt, financial dependence, military alliances, and technological control continue to shape power relations across Asia long after formal colonial rule. Drawing on discussions at the Hands Off Asia conference in Colombo, it explores perspectives from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Thailand on economic sovereignty, democratic struggles, and the enduring impact of international…

India’s expanding digital health infrastructure and insurance-based care have improved administrative reach, but they have also intensified pressures on healthcare workers. This article argues that an excessive focus on metrics, surveillance and standardized targets is eroding clinical autonomy, meaningful patient care and workforce wellbeing. Drawing on the experiences of doctors, community health officers and ASHA…

Fertility rates are falling across much of the world, with most countries now below or approaching replacement levels. This article examines the demographic shift through the lens of capitalism, gender relations, and changing social priorities. Drawing on research by Claudia Goldin, Julia M. Puaschunder, and others, it argues that declining fertility cannot be explained by…

Parallels can be drawn between MAGA in the United States and retrograde elements domestically, as well as other Western imperialist states.

With Pete Hegseth’s claim that the war against Iran has now cost the US $37.5 billion, I wanted to tie this spending to the war against American workers, looking at the period from 1947 to 2005 in great detail, and general detail thereafter. The elites, under both the Democrats and Republicans, are killing us: from…

Digital platforms have transformed culture into a system shaped by algorithms, advertising, and data. This article revisits the idea of the cultural industry to examine how social media influences identity, creativity, and consumption among Gen Z. It explores the rise of micro-dramas, influencer culture, algorithm-driven trends, and the growing shift toward private online spaces as…