History

History, News, Politics

What’s Going On in Belarus?

An interview with Dmitry Kosmachev, a member of the Minsk Socialist Circle, about the situation in Belarus, the current protests, and where they may lead.

8 min read

Capitalism, Class, History, media, Politics, Work

The Myth of the Middle Class

In the 1950s there arose the myth of America as a 'middle-class society.' How has this myth developed since then? What relation does it have to reality?

8 min read

History, Politics, War

The First Emancipation

Dramatic news spreads among the slaves. Their masters are at war! ... Soon it is rumored that any slave who crosses the lines into enemy-held territory goes free. A scene from the Civil War? No! From the War of Independence!

4 min read

Class, History, Housing

The Revolution of 7,200 BCE

The first known revolution took place 9,200 years ago in a Neolithic settlement in eastern Anatolia – present-day Turkey. There are no written records, but we know ...

2 min read

Book Review, History, Human Nature

After Shipwreck

When a group of people are stranded on an uninhabited island after a shipwreck, what sort of society do they form among themselves? And how does this affect their chances of survival? The historical record shows that groups based on cooperation and equality fare best.

4 min read

Book Review, History, Marxism

A New Ideology for China?

Huang Fenglin, Theory of Bipolar World – The Road to Communism Found in the Evolutionary Structure of World History (translation and revision of a text published in Chinese in ...

3 min read

History, Work

When Was Slavery Abolished?

The 13th Amendment to the US Constitution abolished slavery in 1865. Or did it? Has slavery ever been abolished?

3 min read

History, War

11 — 11 — 11 — 11: 100 Years Since the End of World War I

The Armistice ending WWI was signed 100 years ago today, with nearly 11,000 men being killed or wounded in the roughly six hours before it became effective.

4 min read

History, Politics

The Electoral College: Historical Background

Surprisingly, few people in the U.S. realize that when they cast their vote on Election Day for President of the United States, their individual part of the ...

4 min read

Archives, Class, History

A Hundred Years Ago: The Winnipeg General Strike

From the May 2019 issue of The Socialist Standard ‘The Winnipeg Strike will go down in history as a magnificent example of working-class solidarity and courage’ (Bill Pritchard). In February ...

5 min read