The Brief Origins of May Day, by Eric Chase

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Dandelion Salad
Originally published May 1, 2015

Republished with permission from IWW

by Eric Chase
IWW, 1993
April 30, 2023

Most people living in the United States know little about the International Workers’ Day of May Day. For many others there is an assumption that it is a holiday celebrated in state communist countries like Cuba or the former Soviet Union. Most Americans don’t realize that May Day has its origins here in this country and is as “American” as baseball and apple pie, and stemmed from the pre-Christian holiday of Beltane, a celebration of rebirth and fertility.

Michael Hudson and Radhika Desai: Russia Leaves Neoliberal West To Join World Majority

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by Michael Hudson
Writer, Dandelion Salad
April 17, 2023

Geopolitical Economy Report on Apr 13, 2023

In this episode of their program Geopolitical Economy Hour, economists Radhika Desai and Michael Hudson discuss Russia’s economic transition away from the neoliberal West and integration with what it calls the “World Majority” in the Global South.

Finian Cunningham and Clara Mattei: The Capital Order: How Economists Invented Austerity and Paved the Way to Fascism

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by Finian Cunningham
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Ireland
April 13, 2023

Finian Cunningham on Apr 12, 2023

Western liberal democracy and its ubiquitous “austerity economics” is a euphemism for fascism. And the charade is finally coming to an end.

Lee Camp and David Cobb: Imagining A World Beyond Capitalism

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Dandelion Salad
April 8, 2023

“We have to come to terms with the fact that these transnational corporations globally and the empire for which the U.S is the capital of corporate Empire—they’re literally going to destroy the planet if we do not stop, interrupt, and transition. And to be clear, the window to do that is literally closing before our very eyes.” — David Cobb

Society’s Collapse Has Already Begun, by Rainer Shea

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by Rainer Shea
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Rainer’s Newsletter, Mar. 10, 2023
March 20, 2023

American workers are stuck in a prison, a prison that they’re kept in through the perpetual threat of homelessness. This isn’t truly a rhetorical point, it’s an empirically proven reality. Nearly two-thirds of the country’s workers are now living paycheck to paycheck, meaning this last year’s inflation has made them easier to coerce. That’s the directly stated goal of the capitalist ruling class at this stage. A Bank of America memo from last year said decreased worker living standards will represent greater leverage for employers. The consequences of this are the destruction of these people’s mental and physical wellbeing. They’re being strained, abused, and exploited while having to choose between this and living on the streets.

Finian Cunningham and Jodi Dean: Western Capitalism’s Historic Crisis: There’s Actually A Socialist Alternative

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by Finian Cunningham
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Ireland
March 14, 2023

Finian Cunningham on Mar 9, 2023

Western capitalism and its supposed democracy are in terminal crisis as increasing numbers of people reject the system’s abysmal economic failure: record levels of poverty, inequality and relentless militarism and warmongering.

Chris Hedges and Kshama Sawant: Workers Strike Back

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Dandelion Salad
March 10, 2023

with Chris Hedges

TheRealNews on Mar 10, 2023

After over a decade on Seattle City Council, socialist Kshama Sawant is launching a national coalition called Workers Strike Back to fight for wages, universal healthcare, LGBTQ rights, a clean energy transition, and more.

Abby Martin: CIA Stories: The Jakarta Method

Screenshot by Dandelion Salad via Flickr

Dandelion Salad
March 8, 2023

with Abby Martin

Empire Files on Mar 6, 2023

Abby Martin speaks with journalist Vincent Bevins about the hidden CIA mass murder in Indonesia, which created the model for US extermination campaigns against communists in 22 countries during the Cold War.

Brian Becker: Why You Should Read The Communist Manifesto

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Dandelion Salad
March 4, 2023

BreakThrough News on Mar 1, 2023

The Communist Manifesto was a short but world-changing text that, despite being written in 1848, is a vital read for anyone who wants a better and more equal society. Brian Becker discusses the importance of the book, the historical context, and what it brought to the world.

How Does An Economic System So Hostile To Life Endure For Centuries? by Pete Dolack

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by Pete Dolack
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Systemic Disorder, Feb. 28, 2023
March 2, 2023

When we conceptualize the power that maintains capitalism, violence and ideology readily come to mind. Despite the vast inequality, grotesque exploitation, contempt for life and the environment, chronic instability and the rebellions that repeatedly arise and sometimes take power, capitalism seems firmer in the saddle than ever, spreading its suffocating tentacles to virtually every place on Earth.

American Capitalism’s Growing Dysfunction, by Rainer Shea

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by Rainer Shea
Writer, Dandelion Salad
Rainer’s Newsletter
February 21, 2023

The systemic breakdown that our socioeconomic system is creating has the potential to do more than worsen the suffering of the people. Capitalism has survived so long because it’s been able to exploit the crises it creates, to profit off of wars, depressions, pandemics, and environmental catastrophes. Yet in certain instances, these crises have instead produced victories for the working class. World War I made the Russian revolution possible, World War II made the Chinese revolution possible, the living standards crisis that the IMF engineered across the Global South made the formation of many anti-imperialist governments possible. When the capitalists disrupt society, they do so with the risk that the outcome will be not greater profits but an end to their rule.

Jodi Dean: A Proposal to Save the Climate: Decommodify, Decolonize and Decarbonize the Country

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Dandelion Salad
February 18, 2023

BreakThrough News on Jan 13, 2023

After years of catastrophic droughts, deadly storms have put 90% of Californians under flood watch. The torrential rainstorms in the state have created deadly flooding and mudslides that have killed 17 and left hundreds of thousands without power. The flooding in California, along with the deadly winter storm that ravaged much of the US through Christmas, is part of the long-predicted impacts of climate change.

Abby Martin and Immortal Technique: On the Brink of Civil War

Screenshot by Dandelion Salad via Flickr

Dandelion Salad

with Abby Martin

Empire Files on Jan 29, 2023

Legendary rapper Immortal Technique joins Abby to discuss the escalating tensions of the post-Trump era, the duopoly playing Americans, right-wing cooptation of conspiracy theory and deep-state critique, teaching real history and much more.

Why You Should Be A Socialist In 2023

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Dandelion Salad

Second Thought on Dec 23, 2022

You’ve probably heard a lot of talk about socialism becoming more popular over the past few years. There’s a reason for that! The capitalist system has shown itself to be incapable of solving the problems it creates, and more and more people are living a worse life than their parents or grandparents. What’s going on here, and is socialism the way forward?

Michael Hudson and Radhika Desai: Multipolarity and the Decline of US Hegemony

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by Michael Hudson
Writer, Dandelion Salad
January 25, 2023

Geopolitical Economy Report on Jan 13, 2023

Introducing Geopolitical Economy Hour: This is the first episode of a show being hosted every two weeks by economists Radhika Desai and Michael Hudson. They present the program and discuss the rise of the multipolar world and decline of US hegemony.