Today, as the nation “celebrates” the birthday of Martin Luther King, we should remember him as he really was, rather just than as a kindly man who gave a few nice speeches, […]
Martin Luther King, jr.
oaklandsocialist
The administrator of this blog site, I am a lifelong socialist and a retired carpenter and the former recording secretary and an expelled member of Carpenters Local 713. I was expelled for my leading role in the 1999 SF Bay Area carpenters wildcat strike as well as for his opposition to the union bureaucracy in general. I was one of the founding members of a small group called Labor Militant, which was the forerunner to Socialist Alternative. Along with a small group of others, I was expelled when that group started to adapt to the union bureaucracy. I have also visited the workers' movement internationally, including in Pakistan, Egypt (during the Arab Spring), Britain, Mexico and Chile (during the uprising there in 2020). Unless otherwise specified, I am the author of the articles that appear here. Although I am the main author, Oaklandsocialist welcomes articles on any issue that relates to the working class. Contact us at Oaklandsocialist@gmail.com.
Can Sanders Break from the Democratic Party?
Can the Bernie Sanders campaign lead to a split away from the Democratic Party? That’s the subject of a debate I’ve been having with some socialists who support Sanders. How could such a […]
Economics, Oppression and Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders focuses almost exclusively on the issue of income inequality and related issues – “breaking up the big banks”, student debt, etc. Even when pressure forces him to talk about the […]
Movie Review: “Concussion”
“Concussion”, starring Will Smith, presents the contradiction of professional football. It also presents more than that. The film opens with a former football star, “Iron Mike” Webster, being inducted into the hall […]
Economic Interests Behind Malheur Occupation
There are powerful economic interests behind militia occupation of the center at the Malheur National Wildlife Reserve in eastern Oregon. It all starts with federal (that is, public) ownership of land. Look at the […]
Militia Thugs, racism and privatization.
The “go easy” approach of the government regarding the Bundy’s is criticized for revealing the racism involved, how much different they treat black people. That is very true, but there’s another aspect […]
“Organized Labor and the Black Worker in America, 1619-1981” by Philip Foner: Book Review
The rise of Donald Trump, the internet videos of white racists – some of them workers – insulting and threatening Black Lives Matter activists, the swing of white male blue collar workers […]
Conversation in Oakland: For a Revolutionary New year
So I was walking down Broadway in downtown Oakland last night, coming back from a protest. A young black woman happened to be walking alongside me with her two kids, about ten […]
Tamir Rice: Murder of Black Children Legal
It is now even more official: It is perfectly legal to murder black people, including children, especially if it’s done by the police. That is the outcome of the grand jury decision […]
Book Review: “Islamic State – the Digital Caliphate”
From the widespread support for Donald Trump to the growth of far right parties in Western Europe to the recent victory of the Svoboda party in the municipal election in the city […]