by Billy Wharton from Counterheg It is not everyday, though it is increasingly more common, that an “election” in the People’s Republic of China is more democratic than a political event in the United States.  The appointment of Kevyn Orr as the Emergency Financial Manager (EFM) of Detroit is one such moment.  Orr becomes the 14th such emergency manager appointed in the state of Michigan since... 

by Billy Wharton from The Socialist Webzine When we reflect on the death of a historically significant figure we measure them at their peak. So, when considering Hugo Chavez, we can dispel the disturbing images of the end – a cancer ridden warrior struggling to cling to life with his enemies cynically wishing him along to the grave.  We see instead Chavez, the hero of the resistance movement... 

“Tonight, Barack Obama was declared the winner of the U.S. Presidential election. Obama ran a centrist, lackluster campaign that was fueled by an avalanche of campaign donations from corporate America.  The losers were poor and working class people all over the country.” by Billy Wharton from The Socialist Webzine Although, Mitt Romney was the other corporate funded candidate in the race, it... 

by Billy Wharton from Counterheg  During an unusual moment of clarity in an otherwise vanilla stint as the Governor of New York State, Andrew Cuomo spoke frankly about the longer term ramifications of Hurricane Sandy.  Instability in weather patterns will require serious changes in the ways that New York City’s infrastructure is situated and protected.  The weather field, in Cuomo’s mind, is... 

Interview will Billy Wharton on the Wild Wild Left on Blog Talk Radio. Billy discusses healthcare, the presidential campaign, and the NY Yankees! from The Socialist Webzine Listen to internet radio with Diane G on Blog Talk Radio  Read More →

“The official unemployment hides the number of people who have given up looking for work.  The increase in manufacturing has mostly been a jobless one.” by Billy Wharton from the Socialist Webzine   A recent New York Times article “A Tale of Two Continents: The US Chose a Better Path to Recovery” trumpets the idea that “there can be little doubt that the American government handled the... 

April 4, 20125:00 pmto6:00 pm    In the seventh session of our Brooklyn College Socialist Shorts, we will be having a discussion with the SP-USA chair, Billy Wharton.  Bring a friend, pull up a chair, and join the discussion! Read Billy Wharton’s article on the NYPD shock doctrine here. Wednesday, Apr. 4th 2012, 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Starbucks off of Brooklyn College 33 Hillel Pl, Brooklyn,... 

March 16, 2012toMarch 18, 2012    Join the SPUSA panels and events at the Left Forum:   Runnin’ Red: An Insider’s Look at Being a Socialist Candidate In U.S. Elections Date: Saturday, 03/17/2012 Time: 12:00pm - 01:50pm Room: E300 Abstract: The inherent obstacles and challenges of waging a Third Party campaign in the United States are well-documented. From ballot-access... 

“The fact that the landlord was the only person interested in the fate of the family is a stunning, yet increasingly familiar, example of the social isolation many people experience today.” by Billy Wharton  from The Socialist Webzine  Sitting down to create a life plan is a time for, people, especially young people, to demonstrate their hopes for the future.  For the young the possibilities... 

“Yes, that’s right, think Cavemen Facebook. Without, of course, all the annoying Pokes, incessant updates and endless Farmville requests.” by Billy Wharton from The Socialist Webzine  Socialists are gaining allies in their efforts to transform capitalist society. The latest are a bit more odd then most. They were probably quite smelly. They lived in caves. And they had only very recently acquired... 

“Taken together, Ron Paul’s notion of economic liberty is an only slightly disguised version of the hyper-neoliberal ideas that have been circulating since the 1980s.” by Billy Wharton from The Socialist Webzine  You’ve seen them skulking around a variety of left-wing protests. First it was the anti-war movement. Then came Occupy. They usually have a funny look in their eye, their clothes... 

by Billy Wharton As thousands of protesters marched through Downtown Manhattan yesterday, I had a difficult task – explain why Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf was such a threat to GED students in New York City. The connection was not so straightforward, but May 12th was a day in which the parts of the City that normally operate in isolation were brought into comparison and conflict with each other. The... 

by Billy Wharton New statistics issued by the New York Police Department (NYPD) place the city at the top of the list of civil rights violators in the U.S. The department’s controversial policy of “Stop and Frisk,” or UF-250, produced more than 600,000 police stops in 2010. Police claim this policy has resulted in a drop in crime, while civil rights advocates see it as a tool for racial profiling... 

by Billy Wharton from Counterpunch Street politics arrived on September 11th this year. Every year since 2001, the focus of the day had been placed on the ceremonial commemoration of those killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center. This year, dueling demonstrations for and against the construction of the Park 51 Islamic Cultural Center turned Downtown Manhattan into a contested political zone....