Dear Readers,
Due to high costs, the editorial board along with the leadership of the Communist Party has been forced to take cost cutting measures. This includes layoffs of two valuable and committed staff persons along with changing both the format and frequency of PA. The number of times we print will change from 11 to 6, and the glossy cover will be eliminated. Each issue will contain the same amount of reading material: however, the changed format will mean printing without pictures and therefore a reduced number of pages.
The PA editorial board remains committed to insuring the same quality of editorial work and content. In fact, we will work even harder to improve it. We also intend to maintain our concept of PA as a magazine of politics, culture and ideology, but with longer and deeper articles.
We want to strongly encourage you to continue to follow PA online as our publication expands its presence there. In this world of 21st century publishing, more of our resources have to be devoted to publishing in the interactive online environment, where print, video, audio, and telephone are combining into one powerful platform. The fact is that the press – be it capitalist or working-class – is in transition from hard copy to electronic publishing, and we must become part of it. Already we have 3 times the number of regular readers online as we do in print and this number is sure to grow.
We look forward to working, struggling and dynamically interacting with you to achieve our goal of a new society and the realization of the scientific socialist and communist idea. If you have any questions about your subscription, we can be reached at
In struggle,
PA Board
Departments:
4: Letters
5: Marxist IQ
6: Commentary
Viva Frida: A Tribute
By Claire Carew
Standing Up for Public Education
By Ben Sears
An injury to one is an injury to all: House passes anti-discrimination bill
By Political Affairs
12: Book Reviews
Fellow Travelers: A Novel
Reviewed by Martha Kramer
The People’s State: East German Society from Hitler to Honecker
Reviewed by Tony Pecinovsky
14: Poetry
Full Moon
By Carolyn Gregory
Notes on the Long Poem
(Tuscaloosa, AL)
By Michael S. Harper
Can We Have Some Peace and Quiet Please?
By Eliot Katz
30: International Notes
Features:
16: How Goldman Sachs Plays Both Sides and Wins
With fingers in every pot, Goldman Sachs has been a leading light of the capitalist class.
By Lawrence Albright
18: Setting the Record Straight: Doris Lessing is Politically Incorrect
Nobel Prize winner Doris Lessing accuses Marxism of abusing language. Novelist Phil Bonosky responds.
By Joel Wendland
20: The Housing Crisis and the Economy: Interview with Art Perlo
What are causes and solutions for the housing crisis?
By Political Affairs
22: On the Ropes: US Imperialism Today
Far from stable, US imperialism is on the brink of disaster.
By Gerald Horne
26: Warning: Climate Crisis May be Hazardous to Your Health
Global warming will have disastrous public health side-effects.
By David Lawrence
28: Private Eye, Public Activist: Dashiell Hammett and the Detective Novel
Celebration of the life and work of America’s first great detective writer.
By Norman Markowitz and Eric Green
32: Last Exit to Utopia: A Traveler's Guide to a New Society
Thinking through the transition to socialism.
By David Cavendish
36: Managing Markets and the Socialist State: An Overview
What is a working-class government and what are its main goals?
By David Pena
40: Capitalism vs. Labor: The Pullman Strike Showdown
By Jon Allen
44: La crisis del mercado de la vivienda y la economia: Entrevista con Art Perlo
Por Political Affairs
