Review of four books on the history of telephone operators in the US.

The Knights of Labor grew to become the largest nineteenth-century labor union in the US after winning a major railroad strike in 1885. It then collapsed due to intense, sometimes violent, opposition from employers and the state.

Review of “The Rise and Repression of Radical Labor” by Daniel Fusfeld

Review of “Brotherhoods of Color” by Eric Arnesen

Review of David Brody’s book on the main themes in the history of American workers.

Overview of academic literature on the history of domestic servants in the US.

Review of “China Transformed” by R. Bin Wong

Eugene Genovese argues that slaves as a social class laid the foundation for black national culture while enriching US culture. Slave rebellions prior to the late 1700s largely did not seek to do away with the entire slave system, but later slave rebellions were revolutionary attempts to topple slavery.

Workers are not unthinking robots who blindly respond to stimuli.

The furor surrounding Professor Ward Churchill and his criticisms of US foreign policy are premised on racism. Churchill's criticisms are basically right and he should not be fired.

A history of three union locals in early 1900s Montana. The divergent evolution of each local is explained by class struggle, ethnic strife, and conflicts within the capitalist class.

Who wins elections makes no difference because all politicians must do what the elite want.  Elections are a scam whose function is to neutralize resistance movements and deceive ordinary citizens into thinking they control the state.

Bill Clinton’s Presidency gives us an example of what we can expect if the Democrats take power this November: more of the same.

Imperialism and the U.S. Democratic party. Despite their sometimes dovish rhetoric, the democratic party has a long and bloody history of imperialism & mass murder.

The United States does not belong in Iraq and should immediately withdraw.  US intervention in Iraq only brings death & destruction, while perpetuating imperialism and propping up a puppet dictatorship.

The torture of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers, made famous by the 'torturegate' scandal, is not an isolated incidence but part of something larger. The US is rebuilding Saddam's old dictatorship, but with new people (subordinated to Washington) on top.

Capitalism is exploitative and authoritarian. It cannot be reformed and should be abolished in favor of a classless society based on self-management.

Thought control in American society operates through many mechanisms including the media, education system, and language manipulation. Its primary function is to maintain support for the dominant socio-economic system.

Bush claims to be combating terrorism while sponsoring it, launched an imperialist war of aggression against Iraq, and is waging a class war in favor of the rich. It is not merely Bush's whim that brings these policies about, but the way American society is set up.