Social Justice

Martin Shkreli

‘Pharma Bro’ Goes to Jail, But His Worst Crimes Remain Legal

Punk Patriot By Asher Platts December 17, 2015 Martin Shkreli finally goes to jail! Photos of the “Pharma Bro’s” perp walk populated many of our facebook feeds in celebration of this unscrupulous capitalist finally getting his just desserts. This is reason for celebration, right? Well, sort of. The real crime that brought Mark Shkreli into the public limelight was his price-gouging of Daraprim, a drug used to treat toxoplasmosis in patients with AIDS. He had recently purchased the intellectual property rights to Daraprim and therefore controlled the production and sale of the drug. He proceeded to increase the price of…


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On Berniebots and Hillary Hacks, Dean Screams, Swiftboating and Smears

counterpunch July 27, 2015 by John Halle While arguably less brain dead than the Obamabots of a few years back, Bernie Sanders has his share of uncritical supporters willing to ignore his disgraceful stands on Israel, his failure to use his campaign to call for reductions in the U.S. military and the war crimes perpetrated by it, his recent capitulation to the Ed Reform agenda, as well as the reality that his economic program is essentially that of the moderate center a generation ago, far from the socialist transformation which the left correctly sees as necessary for the survival of…


Pope Francis: Solving the Climate Crisis Requires New Economic and Political Models

Green Education and Legal Fund by Mark Dunlea The Pope’s urgent plea for global action to address the climate crisis recognizes that effective solutions will require a fundamental re-ordering of economic and political priorities, starting with addressing poverty, inequality and democracy. His Encyclical – On Care for Our Common Home – reflects the call by climate justice advocates to make common cause with other movements for social, racial and economic justice. The United State, as the major climate change contributor and denier, has led the effort for decades to block effective international remedies. Many hope that the Pope’s moral leadership…


Supporting Sanders sends the wrong message

Socialist Worker by Gloria Mattera June 10, 2015 The decision of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders to run for the Democratic Party presidential nomination has led to a vibrant debate. On May 31, at the Left Forum in New York City, Gloria Mattera, co-chair of the Green Party of New York State* and a coordinating committee member of System Change Not Climate Change*, was part of a panel discussion on “Should the Left Support Bernie Sanders?” Other panelists included Ashley Smith of the International Socialist Organization, Bhaskar Sunkara of Jacobin magazine and Winnie Wong of People for Bernie. Audio of their…


Left, Independent Political Action Conference: Unprecedented Cooperation

New Politics by Dan La Botz May 5, 2015 Some 200 political activists from a variety of independent political organizations, as well as individual activists, carried out a rich discussion and an amicable debate about how to collaborate in the work of building a large political alternative to the left of the Democratic Party. Participating in the Future of the Left/Independent Politics Conference, in an unprecedented spirit of cooperation, national, state, and local candidates and activists, as well as elected officials from the Green Party, the Peace and Freedom Party, the Richmond Progressive Alliance, Socialist Alternative, and the Vermont Progressive…