I came of age during the US war against Vietnam. I marched in protests against that war and helped organize some anti-war events. At the same time, I was highly influenced by […]
Opposing the Putin apologists: a personal journey
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.
Putin mines Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Evidence he plans to set them off.
On June 21, Ukraine’s head of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, warned that Russia had mined the cooling pools of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Equally ominously, on June 30 the Guardian […]
Macron and Putin fight the same battle… against environmentalists!
By Yorgos Mitralias The coincidence is terribly eloquent: On the same day, Wednesday June 21, 2023, almost at the same time, Macron and Putin declared war on all those who take the […]
U.S. Supreme Court did not outlaw affirmative action!
Contrary to what is being reported, the Republican controlled US Supreme Court has not prohibited affirmative action. It has only prohibited affirmative action that does not benefit white people. For example, the […]
A US/NATO plot to break up Russia? Wall St. Journal disproves the claim.
WSWS (and probably others on the Putinized “left”) argues that Prigozhin’s revolt was part of a US plot to break up Russia. Completely aside from the fact that there is not a […]
Thoughts, questions and suspicions about Prigozhin’s revolt
Even more than thoughts, there are questions and suspicions about Prigozhin’s rebellion. Putin has maintained his stranglehold on power in Russia through keeping potential rivals off balance and fighting each other. At […]
Workers should pay attention to Biden’s diplomatic maneuvers
Workers in the U.S, Ukraine and around the world should consider the significance of Biden’s latest diplomatic maneuvers. This week, he welcomed Indian president Narendra Modi to the White House with this […]
The true political significance of the Titan’s implosion
After days of breathless and nonstop reporting, the news is that Oceangate’s “Titan” apparently imploded as it descended. There is a political significance to this beyond the fact that millions have been […]
2024 elections: Chaos ahead?
The vacuum in US politics is reflected inside both of the two main parties. In the Democrats it is reflected in the extreme weakness of Biden. A February poll showed that only […]
“Before the war I was a boy, now I am a man”: Interview with Ukrainian soldier
With the Ukrainian counteroffensive now starting, we should get a human face behind who the Ukrainian soldiers are. Oleg is one of those faces. He was interviewed by a Ukrainian-speaking American friend […]