United States

This year’s U.S. Perspectives will bring up to date key aspects of last year’s extensive World and U.S. Perspectives documents. In the past 12 months, the contradictions of the world capitalist system have continued to build up, resulting in violent explosions of the class struggle in one country after another, and preparing even more explosive developments for the coming period.

In the U.S., Labor Day is officially celebrated in September, and has all but lost its original political and class character. But the real origins of May Day can be traced right to the United States and the bitter struggles of working men and women for better wages, rights, conditions, and the eight-hour day.

We wish all our readers a red May Day! Here we briefly look at the historical origins of this day of struggle. 

A recent event in Portland Oregon highlighted the interest that average people have in the ongoing events in Oaxaca, showcasing the dormant political energy that many are desperately trying to direct into action.

On February 9, 1950 Senator Joseph R. McCarthy of Wisconsin claimed that there were no fewer than two hundred Communists in the State Department. This outrageous allegation unleashed a witch-hunt against everyone who was even slightly "tainted" with left wing, progressive or even vaguely democratic opinions in public life.

The war in Iraq is the most important issue on the minds of American workers and youth. There is an entire generation whose world-view has been entirely shaped by the epoch of war, revolution, and counter-revolution through which we are living. Are the Democrats really doing anything to change the situation?

In the recent election for union leadership, members of the Teamsters union were confronted with a choice. On the one side stood Jimmy Hoffa Jr., who campaigned on the basis of forming a “partnership” with the employers. On the other side stood the challenger, Tom Leedham, who has pressed for mobilizing the membership to act in their own interests and strike in order to win gains.

The end of the 19th century saw the birth of imperialism. Germany, France, Britain and Belgium struggled to gain possession of markets, territory, raw materials and spheres of influence. Originally published in the book Marxism and the USA, published by and available from Wellred.

This was the period of the most violent labor conflicts in the history of the United States. The first of these occurred with the Great Rail Strike of 1877, when rail workers across the nation went out on strike in response to a 10-percent pay cut. Originally published in 2005 in the book Marxism and the USA, published by and available from Wellred.

In order to understand the ideas of Marxism, it is first necessary to approach them without prejudice. This is difficult, because until now, the great majority of Americans have only heard of Marxism in connection with that monstrous caricature that was Stalinist Russia. Originally published in 2005 in the book Marxism and the USA, published by and available from Wellred.

The colossal potential of the United States is destined to play a decisive role in the future socialist world order. At the present moment in world history, the role of the USA on a world scale does not reflect its real potential for good, but only the rapacious greed of the big multinational companies that own America and control its actions in their own selfish interests. Originally published in 2005 in the book Marxism and the USA, published by and available from Wellred.

Ever since September 11, Americans have been trying to make sense of the kind of world that could produce such horrors. Suddenly all the contradictions in the world situation were brought home to bear in a most brutal manner. Originally published in 2005 in the book Marxism and the USA, published by and available from Wellred.