Why we fight: the battle for increased minimum wage; Exposing anti-black racism in Canadian media and politics; Housing, identity and the Left; Songs of the revolution; and Nuit Debout: the people of France fight back
The response to the rise in the visibility of income and social inequality has meant that the general population is starting to pay attention to this shift and the struggles of precarious workers. However, like any political struggle, the solutions to these struggles differ depending on ones politics and position within the economy.
This edition celebrates a year's worth of content with two features: Lost in technology: The struggles of the modern political campaign; and The 'precariate': A new demographic for organizing change.
Why do some political campaigns and social justice movements seem to have such a hard time taking advantage of new technology? Why do expensive communications firms never seem to deliver? Reflecting on a decade spent working in technology and politics, What's Left contributor Ben Lewis provides some insights. The bottom line: no one knows the goals of a campaign better than the organizers involved, and the best path forward is to build the internal capacity needed to take advantage of constantly changing technologies. Though focused on political campaigns, these strategies are also useful for small not-for-profits and large unions.
'AMY GOODMAN: How do class, race and gender fit in, into determining whether domestic violence, how domestic violence survivors are treated?'
Like many following Bernie Sanders' campaign for the US Democratic Party nomination, I relate to the causes he is championing.
It's been quite interesting to travel the US as the presidential primaries unfold, and with the race focusing in on a few remaining candidates, it's worth noting some observations.
James Hansen, the founder of modern climate change research, and his colleagues have released a new study on the impacts of climate change. This research shows that, at current levels of internationally agreed CO2 emissions, we only have a few decades left before sea levels rise multiple metres and sink coastal cities. Previous research had concluded it would take much longer.
New data alarms climate scientists; Massive Black Lives Matter rally in Toronto highlights struggle; Sanders campaign gives hope to political progress regardless of outcome; Black Americans prohibited from employment in legal marijuana industry; Varoufakis is back and it's going to be great; Corbyn hates privatized education, teachers love Corbyn.
Our 50th edition of What's Left this Week: Resource allocation and building worker power; Universities outsourcing to lower wages; Mass surveillance Canadian Style; Attacks on the Workers' Party of Brazil; and Corbyn's Labour Party, the media and polling.
