Here we post an edited version of a talk by Virginia Rodino which opened a panel discussion on Abortion Rights in mid-May. Virginia is executive director of the Coalition of Labor Union Women, AFL-CIO, national executive board member of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, and a member of Marx 21 US.
Category: US Politics
Country marches against Texas abortion ban
Virginia Rodino and Clare Lemlich report on the national marches in October against Texas’ abortion ban, arguing that relying on the courts and the Democrats alone can’t safeguard our bodily autonomy.
Kick Over the Statues: Columbus’ Legacy is Nothing to Celebrate
With the holiday coming up, Eric Fretz and M. N. Dahan look back on Christopher Columbus’ role in slavery and native genocide, and at the recent wave of activism in response. Every year around this time the debate rises about why the United States still celebrates Columbus Day and its nationalist myths. Millions of American… Continue reading Kick Over the Statues: Columbus’ Legacy is Nothing to Celebrate
Pride, Trans Oppression, and Liberation
Adapted from a talk presented at Marx21’s national branch meeting celebrating Pride month, Clare Lemlich looks at the intertwined origins of sexism, homophobia, and transphobia, as well as the past and present struggles for LGBTQ+ liberation. Pride month can be bittersweet. We get to see the gains our movements have made, and there’s a kind… Continue reading Pride, Trans Oppression, and Liberation
100 days of Biden
Eric Fretz breaks down the first 100 days of the Biden administration, arguing that while certain reforms might appear dramatic, his presidency’s overall goal is to bolster profits and capitalist stability—and offer working people just enough to quell our discontent.
Coronavirus, global capitalism, and the state
Sean Cumming explores how governments have responded to the pandemic, explaining how states’ strategies reflect their place in the global capitalist system of production, and argues that keeping people safe from pandemics like Covid-19 can only be prioritized in a system that puts people and our environment before profit.
On the Anniversary of Roe v Wade, Continue the Fight that Won Legal Abortion
We cannot depend on Biden and Congress to defend abortion rights today from an increasingly anti-abortion Supreme Court. Four years ago, a massive Women’s March kicked off opposition to Trump. Those numbers, and a revival of the movements that won abortion rights in the first place, can not only secure those rights, but fight on for much more.
The end of a nightmare: where next after the US elections?
In the latest International Socialism journal, Marx21 members Iannis Delatolas and Clare Lemlich discuss Donald Trump’s electoral defeat and what next for the U.S. left. Click through for a link to the full article.
Fighting after the election
Marie Edwards breaks down the 2020 election results, arguing that although we are elated to see Trump go, the incoming Biden-Harris administration offers no solutions to the multiple crises we face. Instead, Marie writes, the need for a fighting, independent left has never been more urgent.
The state of the climate crisis post-election
Virginia Rodino looks at the destructive environmental legacy Trump leaves behind, arguing that Biden and the Democratic Party’s structural entanglements with the fossil fuel industry means they will not be able to address the climate crisis—unless pushed by the movements from below.
Marx21 US 