The election of socialist Kshama Sawant to the Seattle City Council was an important step forward for the workers’ movement and for socialism. It raised the hopes of workers and it helped […]
“15 Now”: A Socialist Program and Strategy
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.
The Minimum Wage, the Democrats, the Union Leadership and Kshama Sawant
The union leadership is tailing the Democrats once again, this time on the issue of the minimum wage. In keeping with tradition, the Democrats are pushing the issue in the hopes […]
Fred Phelps is dead; the truth is stranger than fiction
The infamous bigot, Fred Phelps, is dead. He and his church – the Westboro Baptist Church (composed mainly of his family members) were infamous for picketing funerals of gay people with signs […]
Interview with Mike LaPointe – 99%’er and candidate for congress
We interview Mike LaPointe, candidate for office from the State of Washington’s 2nd district, and activist in Occupy Everett. Mike is an example of what seems to be a new trend to […]
Kshama Sawant speaks on March 15
On March 15, Socialist Alternative and the 15 Now campaign held a march and rally in Seattle. It was organized as a major step in advancing the struggle for a $15 per […]
Ukraine: Can West Get Situation Under Control?
Here is a phone call between theUkrainian former Prime Minister Tymoshenko and former Defense Minister Nestor Sufrych. Whether it was Russia or the West that intercepted this phone call is not clear. […]
Open Letter to Kshama Sawant
Dear Kshama Sawant: Congratulations on having been elected as the first openly socialist representative in many decades. Your victory has given some people hope and has made the issue of […]
Documentary: Bosnia and Herzegovina in Spring
The US media is giving no coverage to these protests because, as one woman explains, this is a class uprising. Also note that most of the protesters appear to be pretty young. […]
Why I Like Oakland
A Sad State of Affairs
I am now in Seattle seeing what the Kshama Sawant campaign is doing. I just went to a meeting of some members of the International Association of Machinists. These are members who […]