Against the Current

America at 250: Our rights and our lives are on the line! THE UNITED STATES of America marks its 250th anniversary in July 2026 with its multiple divided legacies. As we know, the country was founded in the perpetuation of racial slavery, in genocide of the Indigenous nations, in ambitions of vast colonial dominion —… Continue reading Toward Liberation or Ruin?

The Building Relations with Cuban Labor delegation brought medical supplies collected by Not Just Tourists. I VISITED CUBA over the 2026 May Day week with a delegation from Building Relations with Cuban Labor. The effects of the 65+ year U.S. embargo and recent blockade of oil were everywhere to be seen. The airport was practically… Continue reading Visiting Cuba 2026 — A Critical Point

THIS ARTICLE TAKES a look at striking features of the immigration system historically with a view towards its latest phase during Trump’s second presidential administration, and how we might respond by building rapid response networks rooted in local community. The article begins with a “Historical Background” section. If you’d like to read that later, you… Continue reading Not Plan “A” or “B”: For Immigrant and Racial Justice!

There will be no Gulag under the new socialism. Introductory note by Mikhail Orlov, /Spichka (Matches): “There will be no Gulag under the new socialism” — an article by Boris Kagarlitsky. Boris Kagarlitsky wrote this article from a Russian penal colony, where he is currently serving his sentence. Here is the new socialism he is… Continue reading Socialism: A Prospect, not a Utopia

SPEAKING FROM THE Oval Office, Donald Trump hinted he could be the president who finally takes direct action against Havana after decades of failed destabilization efforts from Washington. The imperial president of the United States made the declaration on May 22, two days after his Department of Justice filed a made-up charge against former President… Continue reading Trump Threatens Invasion of Cuba

February 8, 2024: Students at the University of Michigan led a demonstration in support of Palestinian rights through the Ann Arbor streets. (Kathleen Brown) On May 2, the University of Michigan held its annual commencement ceremony. Nine thousand graduates and almost 60,000 attendees gathered at the Big House to hear a variety of notable speakers… Continue reading In Defense of Derek Peterson’s Commencement Address

The following account is an activist’s report of her experiences and frustrations in joining the immigrant rights defense network Hands Off New York City (HO NYC), where the Upper Eastside activity is apparently under the rather heavy-handed leadership of a local Democratic Party club. Perhaps — at least we’d like to think — in other… Continue reading Immigrant Defense & the Democratic Party in Hands Off New York City

Malcolm X speaking at a rally in Harlem. I HEARD MALCOLM speak when he came to the University of Wisconsin in 1963. He had yet to break with the Nation of Islam and was protected by several of their bodyguards. All were dressed nattily in suits and small knotted neck ties. Malcolm had light skin… Continue reading May 19: Malcolm X on His 101st Birthday

Mass protest won the Voting Rights Act. The WSCOTUS (White Supremacy Court of the United States) majority has abolished it. (ACLU) ON APRIL 29, the far-right Supreme Court majority, in a 6-3 decision, declared that using race to limit inequality is unconstitutional. The argument discards 250 years of legal segregation and the struggle for equality.… Continue reading Supreme Court Guts 1965 Voting Rights Act

Like autoworkers, Starbucks baristas work for the same corporation across borders. Why not organize across them as well? “TARIFF” MAY BE Trump’s the most delightful word in the English language, but for workers, it represents a danger. It’s like accepting a two-tier wage structure to keep one’s job. Been there, done that. When Shawn Fain… Continue reading Labor Beyond Borders

Bruce Springsteen sang his new song, “Streets of Minneapolis” at the rally. (Randy Furst) ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA — Millions of Americans took to the streets March 28 to protest the Trump administration and its assault on democracy, in likely the most massive turnout of demonstrations on a single day in U.S. history. Organizers of the… Continue reading “No Kings” Day in the Twin Cities