Christmas with the International Brigades
James R Jump was one of thousands of British volunteers to spend Christmas 1937 fighting fascism in Spain. In a diary entry, he remembers festivities on the frontlines with the International Brigades.
3626 Articles by:
Billy Anania
Billy Anania is an art critic, editor, and journalist in New York City.
Jamaica’s Christmas Rebellion
On Christmas Day 1831, 60,000 enslaved Africans in Jamaica rose up against their masters – the largest uprising ever in the British West Indies, and a milestone on the road to abolition a few years later.
Do Unto Others
At its most radical, Christian teaching is a condemnation of a world exploited by the rich – and an injunction to fight for the liberation of the world’s poor and oppressed.
How Chile Beat the Far-Right
Gabriel Boric’s landmark victory in this month’s Chilean election was built on the foundations of the 2019 protest movement – but also showed a Left capable of building alliances beyond its traditional strongholds.
When Sunday Schools Taught Socialism
The end of the nineteenth century saw the birth of an important but little-known movement in British working-class history: Sunday schools dedicated to teaching the values of socialism.
It’s a Wonderful Life vs. the FBI
In the paranoia of post-war America, J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI set its sights on a potential source of dangerous communist subversion: Frank Capra’s family Christmas classic ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’.
How Chile’s Left Won
Gabriel Boric’s victory in Chile is a vindication of the mass movement which took to the streets in 2019 – and points towards a country ready to bury Pinochet’s legacy for good.
63. The New Authoritarianism: An Interview with George Monbiot
This week, Adele Walton speaks with George Monbiot about the Tories’ crackdown on democracy through new policing legislation – and how we can resist this authoritarian ‘step over the brink’.
Remembering Greg Tate
Celebrated critic Greg Tate passed away earlier this month. His music writing contained multitudes, mixing together politics, poetry and theory – and earned him renown as the ‘godfather of hip-hop journalism’.
The Case for a Universal Public Health Service
Covid has proved beyond doubt that health is linked to social factors like housing, work and education. In the wake of the pandemic, it’s time for a new, comprehensive and universal approach to healthcare.
The Airbnb Assault on Manchester
From 2016 to 2020, more than 250 whole properties were added each year to Airbnb listings in Manchester – a city with thousands on its housing waiting list.
The West Midlands’ Lost Labour
Photographer Janine Wiedel’s 1979 series ‘Vulcan’s Forge’, now back in the West Midlands for the first time in decades, captured the region’s traditional workplaces on the eve of deindustrialisation.
Learning the Lessons of the NHS Strike Ballot
Last week, trade unionists working in the NHS failed to meet the 50% threshold in a strike action ballot. To build the industrial strength so many NHS staff need, we have to understand why.
Rishi’s Next NHS Raid
Rishi Sunak says he’s worried about the cost of keeping up Covid boosters in a stretched NHS budget. There’s a solution to that: fund the NHS properly.
Remembering Richard Rogers
The architect and Labour peer Richard Rogers, who passed away this weekend, was a great spokesman for the social possibilities of architecture – but his work also revealed its limits.
Shetland College: Another Milestone in Education Privatisation
The privatisation of Shetland College this August was a milestone in the sell off of higher education institutions – but trade unions are fighting to ensure that it remains committed to a public service ethos.
The Christmas Class War
For many workers, Christmas is the toughest time of the year as long hours combine with low wages and despotic bosses. If we want the festive season to be enjoyed by everyone, it’s time to organise.
Goodbye to Boris?
Last night’s defeat in North Shropshire has led many to predict Boris Johnson’s imminent demise. But few potential successors are in strong positions, suggesting the Tories’ problems may just be beginning.
The Energy Crisis: Only Nationalisation Will Do
There is a solution to the constant chaos that unaccountable energy giants force millions of people to endure: public ownership.
Replacing Boris Johnson Is Not Enough
After the North Shropshire by-election defeat, there have been calls to replace Boris Johnson with another Tory leader – but the problem with this government isn’t personality, it’s policy.