New Boss, Same as the Old Boss

At the ANC’s congress, the focus should not only have been on the replacement of uBaba but on building a new economy. Or else South Africa may next be delivered into the arms of the IMF. jacobinmag.com/

The class struggle is tearing the ANC apart

The African National Congress is now openly split between two bourgeois factions. The outcome is expected to be very tight and, after years of turmoil, the stakes are extremely high. marxist.com/

The Afrikaner privilege machine

Stellenbosch inhabits a special misty-eyed place in the Afrikaner psyche. Unlike Franschhoek or Paarl, it has free-thinking academics, freeloading students and achingly rich Afrikaners who may not be from there, but love calling it home. news24.com/

Shoprite staff to go on nationwide strike tomorrow

The workers are demanding safe transport for night-shift staff. They are also demanding a guaranteed number of minimum hours for part-time workers, and an immediate end to the reduction of working hours for part-time workers. all4women.co.za/

Another Cadre has Fallen in a Land Occupation – Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

On Sunday 17 December 2017, at around 4 p.m., two of our members, Soyiso Nkqayini and Smanga Mkhize, were shot by unknown men in the eNkanini land occupation in Cato Manor. Comrade Smanga was seriously injured and Comrade Soyiso, the Abahlali Youth League organiser in eNkanini, passed away. facebook.com/abahlalibasemjondolo/

SAFTU condemns SARS legal attack on Jacques Pauw

The South African Federation of Trade Unions condemns the SA Revenue Service for taking legal action against Jacques Pauw, the author of The President’s Keepers, for allegedly contravening the confidentiality clauses in the Tax Administration Act by illegally disclosing information about individual tax-payers. saftu.org.za/

Tanzania pardons two child rapists and calls for arrest of pregnant schoolgirls

Activists accuse government of encouraging human rights violations, as President Magufuli releases convicted abusers of 10 primary school children. theguardian.com/

Guatemalan women take on Canada’s mining giants over ‘horrific human rights abuses’

A group of indigenous Maya Q’eqchi’ women has launched a precedent-setting legal challenge that could cast a chill over Canada’s vast mining interests. theguardian.com/

Labor Communications strategies and the #MeToo campaign

What are the crisis communications plans for unions if someone makes a claim of sexual assault or harassment against someone in leadership at the union? calm.ca/

Yes, America, There is a Class War, and You Just Lost It

The economy has grown enormously since 1970. So if workers did not get a share in the newly created wealth, who has it? Easy: The top 1%. commondreams.org/

A U.S. Station Switched From Bluegrass to Radio Sputnik—and Got Threats from the Feds

When a Washington, D.C.-area radio station owner switched from playing bluegrass music to Russian-sponsored news and opinion last summer, he didn’t expect the U.S. Department of Justice to treat him as a foreign agent. bloomberg.com/

Net Neutrality and the Socialist Moment

The free flow of information exists not because of capitalism, but in spite of it. Without delving into the technicalities, the concept of net neutrality is that internet service providers (ISPs) cannot privilege or restrict internet data. Basically, once you’ve purchased your internet package with the requisite bandwidth parameters, your ISP cannot make your access to a certain site easier or harder, faster or slower. canadiandimension.com/

Nationalize The Networks
On its deathbed, net neutrality enjoyed support from majorities across demographics, including voters on both sides of the aisle, baby boomers as well as millennials. Public figures ranging from John Oliver to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops took to their pulpits in defense of the principle that internet service providers (ISPs) like Comcast and Verizon should treat all traffic equally. popularresistance.org/

Facebook Job Ads Raise Concerns About Age Discrimination

The ability of advertisers to deliver their message to the precise audience most likely to respond is the cornerstone of Facebook’s business model. But using the system to expose job opportunities only to certain age groups has raised concerns about fairness to older workers. nytimes.com/