The centerpiece of this issue is our discussion of Class Power on Zero-Hours by the Angry Workers. Please read the introduction to that discussion to find out what it’s about.
We do have more. We’re pleased to be publishing a revised version of a chapter from an outstanding 2018 undergraduate thesis in the department of history at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, by Nick Goodell. The thesis was titled: “The Hour They Became Human: The Experience of the Working Class in the German Revolution of November 1918.” The chapter we’re publishing is titled: “ ‘The hated, cursed war and the hated, cursed, post-war,’ Soldiers Returning from the Western Front.” It provides a richly detailed account of the often times quite ordinary actions taken by ordinary soldiers—ordinary actions that, in sum, contributed to a grand social upheaval.
Recent rants from Trump and various members of his administration and supporters have alleged that Marxists, anarchists and agitators are behind militant police violence protests around the country. We’re not sure if very many are taking these allegations at all seriously but we do want to take advantage of the moment to illuminate what Karl Marx said, towards the end of his life, about developments in America. Therefore, we are republishing two interviews of Marx from American newspapers. We believe they illuminate his deep knowledge of and interest in American affairs and also capture much of his wit, wisdom and passionate commitment to human emancipation.
We have a letter from a long-time reader about his assessments of the evolving situations here in the United States.
We have a short note from Loren Goldner on some of the books he’s been reading under the covid lockdown in New York City.
Finally, we have a long essay by John Garvey on the current situation in the United States. He covers the epidemic, healthcare, science, the George Floyd uprising, the current repression and the possibilities of a future politics.
As always, comments are welcome.