Peter Gowan and Mio Tastas Viktorsson revisit the history of one genuine attempt to use government policy to promote worker self-management. They argue that similar policies can be used to promote social ownership today.

Mark Karlin interviews Fred Magdoff about the book he has recently co-authored with Chris Williams, "Creating an Ecological Society."

A number of African economies have experienced a massive boom in wealth and investment over the past decade. Yet most ordinary Africans live in dire poverty with diminished life expectancy, high unemployment and in societies with low-levels of industry. For the roots of these conditions of “under-development,” one historical account stands alone in importance: Walter Rodney’s How Europe Underdeveloped Africa (1972).

Granted, politicians and religious institutions, of all shades and colors, have tried to legislate what were [or are] proper “carnal relations.”  Certainly for a brief time the Bolsheviks in 1922 decriminalized homosexuality. But, generally speaking, neither the communists, the socialists nor the capitalists ever elucidated a Policy on Sexual Matters that would be central to their partisan politics.

But that has changed. On December 6, 2011 US foreign policy has moved into the realm of defender of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender “rights” for some countries in the world.[1] Then, Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, announced the policy to the world noting, “I speak about this subject knowing that my own country’s record on human rights for gay people is far from perfect. Until 2003, it was still a crime in parts of our country. Many LGBT Americans have endured violence and harassment in their own lives, and for some, including many young people, bullying and exclusion are daily experiences. So we, like all nations, have more work to do to protect human rights at home.” [2]

The Green Party held its annual national meeting in Newark last weekend. Amid the workshops, smaller meetings and committeefying, Greens use this meeting to elect people to their 9 member steering committee, the body that conducts the week to week management of the organization. Steering committee members are chosen by and from the 150 member national committee, which is named by state parties and national caucuses, and votes are counted according to a ranked choice scheme. I’ve been on the national committee for several years now. I wasn’t at this year’s meeting due to some health issues, but I know plenty of people who were.

A meeting of the black caucus was in progress when the results of the steering committee election were announced. A Latina delegate observed to the black caucus members present that it was a shame no black candidates for steering committee had won the election. She offered, in solidarity with the black caucus to resign her newly elected seat so that one of the black candidates could replace her, either through an applicable rule if one could be found, or in a new election.

Argues the need for collectivity to overcome the individualism in which most people are consumed

Argues that the South is central to any national struggle for social justice, and that we on the left (however defined) must fight for control of it.

Brent Smith explores the subversive essence of rock music and the establishment's attempts to domesticate and commodify it.