New Wings for Socialism

New Wings for Socialism

New Wings for Socialism Seventeen years ago, in 1990, I began an essay with a poem of Bertolt Brecht.  It was a poem about a man in Europe in the Middle Ages who put on “things that looked like wings,” climbed to the roof of a church, and tried to fly.  He crashed, and the…

Venezuela Defines the Future of the Region

Venezuela Defines the Future of the Region

Venezuela Defines the Future of the Region Guaidó’s self-proclamation as Venezuelan president is the most ridiculous and dangerous coup attempt in recent years. With the shameless backing of Washington, the Venezuelan rightwing intends to place a complete stranger at the helm of the state.   This time around, the starting signal was neither a terrorist…

Venezuela: What Activists Need To Know About The US-Led Coup

Venezuela: What Activists Need To Know About The US-Led Coup

Venezuela: What Activists Need To Know About The US-Led Coup Two things stand out about the US coup in Venezuela. First, it is unusually open. Typically, the US tries to hide its coups. Second, the coup is built on a series of obvious falsehoods, yet the bi-partisans in Washington, with a few exceptions, keep repeating…

Building Productive Workers’ Army in Venezuela

Building Productive Workers’ Army in Venezuela

Building Productive Workers’ Army in Venezuela A conversation with Sergio Requena of the Productive Workers’ Army . Born in 1974 in Puerto Ordaz, in the industrial heartland of Venezuela, Sergio Requena is a worker at CVG Carbonorca (state-owned plant producing anodes, a component needed to process aluminum). He is a key player in the formation…

Venezuelan Commune Activists Vow to ‘Take the Offensive’

Venezuelan Commune Activists Vow to ‘Take the Offensive’

Venezuelan Commune Activists Vow to ‘Take the Offensive’ Representatives of 74 communes—institutions of popular power elected from grassroots communal councils—from across Venezuela gathered in Lara state towards the end of August to participate in the inaugural National Assembly of Communes.   The meeting of more than 300 commune activists was held to try to strengthen…