Political Science Commons^™

The Right-Wing Attacks On The Academic Left In India, Raju J. Das

Class, Race and Corporate Power

While right-wing attacks on the ideas of democracy and socialism in academia are a worldwide trend, in the remainder of the paper, I will focus on India, considered to be the largest democracy in the world. India has become a hotbed of right-wing politics, led by an authoritarian Hindu-nationalist government of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). There are various reasons why this has happened which this paper will not discuss (Das, 2020a; Jaffrelot, 2021; Vanaik, 2017). Suffice to say that the BJP is the political wing of the fascistic paramilitary organization called RSS (or, National Volunteer Corps) which, in part …

Academic Marxism In The Crosshairs: What Is At Stake In The U.S.?, Robert E. Latham

Class, Race and Corporate Power

This essay considers the nature of attacks on academic Marxism in North America, still the center of capitalist power worldwide. Its main aim is to reflect on what is at stake in the surge of anti-Marxism associated with the right, specifically relating to the academy. While the far left poses little threat to the core of liberal capitalist power in the state and economy (and if anything is helping “do work” for the centre against the far right), the far right has made Marxism, especially academic Marxism, a core target and framing for its battle against liberal power and the …

Preface, Raju J. Das, Robert E. Latham

Class, Race and Corporate Power

The three articles were originally presented as papers on a panel organized by Robert Latham, at the Socialist Studies Conference at York University in 2023. While more or less focused on Marxism in academia, the articles deal with different regional contexts: Hyun Ok Park deals with South Korea, Robert Latham with the US, and Raju Das with India.

Building Global Labor Solidarity: Where We Are Today (Early 2024), Kim Scipes

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Labor activists have long-been encouraging workers to build international labor solidarity to empower each other and to improve all workers’ lives and well-being going back to before the First International. This tradition, while dismembered by the Cold War between the US and the UK on one hand and the Soviet Union on the other, has been resuscitated since the 1970s, with efforts by activists, scholars, and some workers to build cross-national border solidarity across the globe for workers, an effort that is growing.

This paper details these efforts, dividing the work between 1978-2011 and 2011 to today, listing some of …

Capitalism, Global Militarism, And Canada’S Investment In The Caribbean, Tamanisha J. John

Class, Race and Corporate Power

At the end of the 1990s, there existed a belief that a growing Canadian military involvement in the Caribbean region was unlikely if it was not associated with Canada’s interest in Latin America (Klepak 1996). This view had such a large impact that today there is a dearth of information on Canada’s military involvement in the Caribbean region. Lacking systematic investigation, two myths have perpetuated: first that Canada has no stake or interest in Caribbean security, insofar as those interests cannot be tied to Canada’s interests in Latin America; and second, that all expressions of Canada’s involvement in Caribbean security …

Lepaio Condemns Afl-Cio Leadership’S Bullying Affiliates On International Affairs, The Editors

Class, Race and Corporate Power

A statement from the Labor Education Project on AFL-CIO International Operations (LEPAIO) reprinted with permission.

The LEPAIO condemns the AFL-CIO’s leadership for bullying affiliates on international issues, and especially regarding the current Israel and Gaza war. LEPAIO, an organization of labor unionists and supporters, has long challenged the AFL-CIO’s international leadership “labor imperialism” in its international operations.

Academia, Marxism, And Sociology: A Warning From "The History Man", Tom Brass

Class, Race and Corporate Power

An essay by Tom Brass which examines how popular culture formed the negative image of sociology as taught at the 1960s new universities by portraying it as following Marxist fashion and thereby failing to anticipate the shift to the anti-Marxism of the cultural turn. It concludes by considering why and how such academic fashion is constructed and reproduced, and examines implications for the kinds of hegemonic trends encountered in social science publications.

The Working Class And Ecological Crisis - An Interview With Victor Wallis, Victor Wallis

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Raju Das and Robert Latham interview Victor Wallis about his work and the environmental crisis of capitalism.

Labour Power Matters And Capitalist Racism - An Interview With Ken C. Kawashima, Ken C. Kawashima

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Raju Das and Robert Latham interview Ken C. Kawashima about his work and lessons for workers involved in the struggle today.

The Profits Of (The Critique Of) Patriarchy: On Toxic Masculinity, Feminism, & Corporate Capitalism In The Barbie Movie, Bryant W. Sculos

Class, Race and Corporate Power

This article explicates the political, social, economic, and cultural contribution of Barbie (2023). Through a critical and normative analysis of four different prominent reviews of the film, this essay explores the quality of discourse surrounding Barbie, with particular emphasis on its feminist critique of toxic masculinity and lack of a coherent criticism of capitalism.

The Liberal Ideology Of Oppenheimer, Ronald W. Cox

Class, Race and Corporate Power

The Oppenheimer film centers its narrative too closely to the great man myth of history. As a result, powerful themes such as the politics, economics and morality of the U.S. decision to use two atomic bombs in World War II are diluted by a rigid focus on a singular personality.

What Does Working Class Voter Really Mean?, Ronald W. Cox

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Understanding how class interests are articulated in U.S. elections has a problematic history in the social sciences as a result of a poor conceptualization of class. Recent scholarly articles by political scientists contribute to this problem by promoting a narrative that the two U.S. political parties are undergoing "realignment" of class interests. This article challenges that narrative by critiquing the way that class is defined and measured, arguing that Weber should be replaced by Marx.

Cambridge Analytica: Military Psy-Ops Privatized, Adam D. Hernandez

Class, Race and Corporate Power

This article argues that Cambridge Analytica was developed and operated with the primary objective of pushing far-right nationalist leaders who promoted neoliberal policies in favor of economic elites. Its origins, primary means of funding, and even its techniques were the results of its status as a subsidiary of SCL Group, a firm well entrenched within the military industrial complex and right-wing politics. Furthermore, an examination of many of its most prominent operations shows a long trail of support for right-wing ideologies. The case study of Cambridge Analytica contrasts the narrative that privately-contracted disinformation companies are fringe, mercenary entities. Rather, the …

Explaining The Proliferation Of U.S. Billionaires During The Neoliberal Period, Rob Piper

Class, Race and Corporate Power

This article explains the proliferation of U.S. billionaire wealth during the neoliberal period (1980 to the present). Using the work of scholars, investigative journalists, and government researchers, it examines descriptive evidence from the past forty years of the economic, social, and political trends associated with the capital accumulation that led to so much wealth being concentrated with so few individuals. It further creates a theoretical framework of institutional factors (or “drivers”) that help to understand how these trends link together to provide a comprehensive explanation for the increase of billionaires in comparison with other economic gauges like GDP, income distribution, …

Critical Political Science Cancels Its Participation In The 2023 Apsa Conference, The Editors

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Press release from the Caucus for a Critical Political Science (CCPS) announcing the decision of the CCPS Coordinating Council regarding the 2023 APSA Conference and the UNITE HERE LOCAL 11 struggle. Republished by the editors of Class, Race and Corporate Power in solidarity with CCPS and UNITE HERE 11.

Sociology: A Guide To Action Or To Analysis In The Global Climate Change Crisis? A Call For Action By The Social Sciences And The Humanities, Kim Scipes

Class, Race and Corporate Power

The debate over the purpose of sociological research has historically been one between Marx and Weber: is sociology’s role to analyze society (ala Weber) or to change it (Marx)?

The issue of climate change and environmental destruction is one that has been relegated to the margins of Sociology, being seen as an “environmental” issue. The changes we’ve seen so far, however, show how this has had and is having a major impact on human beings and, at least in the United States, is having a major impact on the culture of the country, both in general and specifically on different …

"White Malice: The Cia And The Covert Recolonization Of Africa" By Susan Williams, (Public Affairs Press, 2021). A Review Essay, Kim Scipes

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Africa has long been looked at by outsiders as a continent that is hopelessly mired in corruption and incapable of social and economic development. This especially pertains to sub-Saharan Africa, overwhelmingly populated by black people, thus fitting the trope of white supremists that black people cannot successfully govern themselves.

This book by Susan Williams annihilates the lie. Williams details the impact of stealing millions of people for enslavement, the subsequent colonization of the continent by Western European powers and then, after the decolonization of a number of these countries, the recolonization of the continent by the United States operating explicitly …

Banshees Of Late Capitalism: War, Ecology, & Alienation, Bryant W. Sculos

Class, Race and Corporate Power

This review essay explores the concepts of war, ecology/human-nonhuman relations, and alienation through a critical analysis of McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin (2022).

Class (Aaa) Conflict: 100 Years Of Exploitation, G. Nelson Bass Iii, Ronald W. Cox

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Major League Baseball continues to operate with an antitrust exemption courtesy of a 1922 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. That exemption is especially relevant for how MLB officials establish the conditions and terms that govern the relationship between major league teams and their minor league affiliates. Recently, the formation of advocacy groups such as Minor League Advocates has led to several lawsuits against MLB’s violations of state labor laws through the terms of their minor league player contracts, which pay players well below state minimum wage levels. These lawsuits are posing challenges to the legal validity of the antitrust exemption. This …

Theory And Class Struggle: Three Interviews, Raju J. Das, Robert E. Latham

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Raju Das and Robert Latham interview Lilia Monzo, Tom Brass, and Alfred Saad-Filho in the initial piece for the new "Theory and Class Struggle" section of Class, Race and Corporate Power.

Theory And Class Struggle: An Introduction To The Section, Raju J. Das, Robert E. Latham

Class, Race and Corporate Power

An introduction to our new section "Theory and Class Struggle" by the Section Editors - Raju Das and Robert E. Latham.

The Comedy Of Cancel Culture In A Post-Carlin United States: On The Politics Of Cultural Interpretation, Bryant W. Sculos

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Taking the form of a critical review of the HBO documentary George Carlin's American Dream, this essay explores the character of George Carlin's political and cultural criticism, its implications for contemporary debates about so-called "cancel culture," and the broader political significance of cultural interpretation.

Politics Of Love, And Love Of Politics: Towards A Marxist Theory Of Love, Raju Das

Class, Race and Corporate Power

Romantic love, like many other kinds of love, appears to be just a relationship between two individuals, but upon closer analysis it is more than that. Love is a deeply social process. It is also more than a spontaneous neuro-biological impulse. Love involves conscious activity, both subjective and material. Love is a social process both at the level of human society and at the level of class society, including capitalism. Private property relations and related logics of accumulation in all forms of class society shape relations of love. Love in capitalism reproduces love with capitalism. Because love is social, it …

The Iranian Crisis Of The 1970s-1980s And The Formation Of The Transnational Investment Bloc, Mazaher Koruzhde

Class, Race and Corporate Power

The events surrounding the Iranian Revolution in the 1970s and 198s significantly contributed to the formation and consolidation of a U.S-Saudi transnational investment bloc.

One Hundred Years Of The Dialectic: Reflections On “Marxism And Philosophy”, Daniel Skidmore-Hess

Class, Race and Corporate Power

In a recent article appearing in Spectre Journal, Darren Roso concludes his discussion of “Weimar’s Marxist Heretic: Reading Karl Korsch Today” by stating that “It is, perhaps, a good but dark time to read authors like Korsch who articulated something timeless about revolutionary Marxism.” What Roso finds “timeless” is the importance of “timeliness” in “absolute” commitment to human liberation. One might hesitate before a timeless absolute, yet it is noteworthy that the text that is most central to the intellectual legacy of Karl Korsch (1886-1961) has now reached its centenary and Roso may well be correct to claim that is …

The Transnational Investment Bloc In U.S. Policy Toward Saudi Arabia And The Persian Gulf, Mazaher Koruzhde, Ronald W. Cox

Class, Race and Corporate Power

U.S. policy toward Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf is driven by the economic and geopolitical interests of a U.S.-Saudi transnational investment bloc that derives steady profits from the region.

Absolute Impunity: On The Legacies Of 9/11 & The Policies Of The War On/Of Terror, Bryant William Sculos

Class, Race and Corporate Power

It has been a little over twenty years since the attacks of September 11, 2001, and thus we are also going to be coming up on twentieth anniversaries of some of the most heinous restrictions on civil liberties in US history (though there is a lot of competition) and the twentieth anniversaries of instance after instance of unjustifiable atrocities committed in the name of the Stars and Stripes. Through autoethnographic reflection in conversation with Netflix’s Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror (2021) and Spencer Ackerman’s Reign of Terror: How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America and Produced Trump (2021), …

Louis Proyect: A Fierce And Uncompromising Spirit, Jeffrey St. Clair

Class, Race and Corporate Power

This is a tribute to Louis Proyect by Jeffrey St. Clair, published originally in Counterpunch, August 30, 2021. Louis contributed film reviews to this journal, with his usual wit, flair and unadorned appreciation for works of art that have a political and artistic passion. We had the pleasure of conversing with Louis on social media. He will be missed.

The Owners Phony Proposal Will Not Address Competitive Balance, Ronald W. Cox

Class, Race and Corporate Power

The owners of major league baseball are once again negotiating with the MLB Players Association to draft a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, as the current agreement expires on December 1, 2021. This article dissects the opening “pitch” that the owners have recently made to the players at the beginning of this negotiating process, locating the owner-player battle in the context of how revenue is distributed within the business of baseball.

This article was originally published in Just Baseball in August of 2021.

Eleven Theses On Socialist Revolution, Chris Wright

Class, Race and Corporate Power

It is an open question whether socialism will ever exist on a national or international scale. But if it will, it will come about in ways different from what both Marxists and anarchists have traditionally thought. In this article I present eleven "theses" regarding how it might be possible for the world to achieve an economically democratic civilization in an era of unprecedented crisis. In the process, I try to explain what has gone wrong with attempted socialist revolutions in the past.

This is reprinted with permission. The article originally appeared in Counterpunch, August 27, 2021.