Venture Capital for the People
Instead of giving loans or bailouts to startups, governments should respond to the coronavirus crisis by becoming investors – and using their stakes to shape the future of the economy in the public interest.
4331 Articles by:
Ko Leik Pya
Ko Leik Pya works as a teacher and writer in the UK and Myanmar. He writes here under a pseudonym.
Westminster Paints Itself
Just before it locked down, Westminster Abbey installed a painting of itself by Canaletto in its medieval vaults. It told a story of a nation identifying its culture with the architecture of power.
Do Not Resuscitate the Oil Industry
The oil price crash is an opportunity for governments to act – keep the remaining fossil fuels in the ground and invest now in a Green New Deal to save the planet and stimulate the economy.
Making Los Angeles
Mike Davis and Jon Wiener’s new book ‘Set the Night on Fire’ chronicles the social struggles that shaped 1960s Los Angeles, from the Watts Rebellion to the Black Panther Party.
The Trouble with Mainstream Feminism
Alison Phipps’ new book ‘Me, Not You’ is a powerful critique of mainstream feminism, arguing for a politics founded on collective struggle and liberation.
After the Clapping Finishes
58% of care workers in the UK are paid less than the Real Living Wage. They are four times more likely to be on zero-hour contracts. Clapping is not enough – it’s time for better pay and conditions.
Care Workers Don’t Need Badges, They Need Proper Sick Pay
New research shows that 80% of care workers believe they will lose wages if they self-isolate. The time for tokens is over – the government needs to act today to improve working conditions.
The Great Virgin Train Robbery
After rail privatisation, Virgin Trains were presented as an engineering triumph – but they amounted to nothing more than a sewage-scented rebranding of British Rail’s managed decline.
Socialise the Food System
Capitalist food production exploits workers, leaves millions hungry and destroys the planet. It’s time to imagine another model that focuses on human need instead of private profit.
The Invisible Seams: Scottish Lithuania
The migrant labourers of industrial Scotland were part of an intricate system of extraction and exploitation, which now exists mostly in the memory, but one group of workers has disappeared from that memory – Lithuanian migrants.
The Blairite Roots of the Leaked Labour Report
The conduct revealed by the leaked Labour report isn’t just a few bad apples – it’s the result of a Blairite project to hollow out the Labour Party and put power in the hands of right-wing bureaucrats.
Peter Mandelson Defends the Labour Report – And it’s No Surprise
Peter Mandelson intervened today to defend the conduct of the staff in the leaked Labour report. It should come as no surprise – his clique established the culture of contempt for party members that it reveals.
Labour’s Leaked Report Is a Betrayal of BAME Communities
Many Labour members feel betrayed by the contents of the leaked report – but none moreso than its BAME supporters. Unless the party takes serious action, it risks losing many for good.
Coronavirus Could Lead to the Next Wave of Automation
A recent survey of global executives found that more than a third were investing in automation in response to the coronavirus. If workers are going to weather this economic shock, they’ll need to get organised.
Right Now in the UK, Strikes Are Effectively Illegal
Britain’s trade union laws require designated agencies to process strike ballots in person – but coronavirus means they can’t. Workers’ rights shouldn’t be left up to chance: the laws need to be repealed.
Capitalism Will Survive the Coronavirus Crisis – Unless We Build an Alternative
Coronavirus has exposed capitalism as a fragile system incapable of meeting many people’s basic needs. But crises alone have never been enough for the Left – if we want an alternative, we’ll have to organise one.
Notes from an Apocalypse
Just before coronavirus, author Mark O’Connell wrote a book about the apocalypse – here he discusses billionaire bunkers, libertarian ‘preppers’ and why socialists need to have faith in people’s resilience at moments of crisis.
Your Boss Is Spying on You
With millions of people now working from their homes, frantic bosses are buying high-tech surveillance software to track their workers’ every keystroke.
“Physical Distance, Social Unity”: How India’s Red State Got on Top of Coronavirus
India’s Communist-run region of Kerala has received praise from the Washington Post and New York Times for its coronavirus response. Its secret? A government that puts the public interest before private profit.
What Bernie Sanders Meant for the American Left
Bernie Sanders’ campaign put working-class interests back on the political map. It brought communities together – and clarified friends and enemies. It won’t be forgotten in a hurry.