(Original article here) Today marks the end of a seven-day strike where tens of thousands of inmates in Georgia refused to work or leave their cells until their demands had been met. The odd thing is, that until today, no… Read More ›
History
Who Was Richard Holbrooke?
“He is simply one of the giants of American foreign policy,” President Obama said of him on Monday. Upon the news of the sudden death of Richard Holbrooke on December 13th, 2010, an elaborate state funeral was quickly arranged,… Read More ›
American Left-Wing Music
Left-wing music has been a cornerstone of the American socialist movement throughout its entire history. Stemming from the early 1900s to the present day, a good number of musicians and bands have expounded socialism through their lyrics and song content…. Read More ›
Review of “Triumph of the Will”
Triumph of the Will is a brilliant work of propaganda demonstrating how cultural hegemony can be used by those with power to suppress dissent and obscure material realities with artificial, idealized perceptions. If one were to watch this with the… Read More ›
Update on North Korea
On Tuesday, November 23, the armed forces of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea responded to a deliberate act of military aggression when “South” Korean warships fired dozens of shells into the DPRK’s territorial waters, near the Yongphyong Islet. The… Read More ›
Art and Marxism
Art can be understood as how we express ourselves, translating experiences, desires, emotions, and knowledge into concrete images, sounds, and so forth. All humans are artists and we all have a hint of creative spark within us. Marx noted that… Read More ›
Systems of Stratification: Gender in Capitalist Society
The capitalist system, by its very construction, requires systems of stratification to perpetuate itself. These systems serve many functions, but chief among them is as a means of dividing workers against one another. To distract and befuddle the endeavors of… Read More ›
On Surrender: Taking the “Easy Way Out”
In times of struggle, there are always defectors and dropouts. No matter how vital a struggle is, no matter how crucial to the very survival and well-being of a people, there are always those who throw up their hands and… Read More ›
Review of “Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland”
A Glimpse at the Perpetrators of Genocide When we think about the various atrocities of history, something in our nature wants us to think of the perpetrators as being different from normal people. We envision brutes and sadists; stereotypical villains… Read More ›
The Creative Nature of Marxist Science
Marxist philosophy is a creative, developing science and not a parcel of immutable, petrified principles taken on trust. It does not stand still, but moves forward, keeping abreast of the continuously changing life and is daily enriched by the latest… Read More ›
Review of “The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism”
The Theory of “Shock Therapy” Every once in a while, a book comes along that sets the liberals on fire. The Shock Doctrine: the Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein is one such book. This volume has been hawked… Read More ›
Why Torture Isn’t the Point
As the Obama administration started to openly discuss torture, there seemed to be some celebration on behalf of progressives, followed by the inevitable backlash when the President caved in to the arguments of Dick Cheney. Apparently, Guantanamo will not be… Read More ›
The Absurdity of Nationalism
The Nationalist’s Dilemma The nationalist has always found himself in a difficult quandary. Virtually all nationalist mythology tells of some better time in the nation’s history. It speaks of a time when people were patriotic, respectful of their elders and fellow… Read More ›
The Rise and Development of Marxist Philosophy
Marxist philosophy was evolved by the great leaders of the working class Karl Marx (1818–1883) and Frederick Engels (1820–1895). Is it merely the fruit of the brilliant minds of its founders, or is it the product of the epoch, a… Read More ›
Reconsider Columbus Day
Happy Genocidal Maniac Day! Five hundred and eighteen years ago, today 12 October, a momentous event happened. The supposed “discovery” by one Cristóbal Colón—also known as Christopher Columbus, landed on the Bahamian island of San Salvador and subsequently was labeled… Read More ›
The Red Phoenix 