we moved into a new house recently, and immediately got into an argument with our younger siblings over who could claim the basement as their own. we won (http://gph.is/2EAZENq (#oldersibling)), but our siblings definitely made their displeasure clear. please, let us know if we’re displeasing you! email us your complaints and suggestions.

big idea: the queen is dead, long live the republic

well maybe she’s not dead just yet, but the British monarchy should be. https://www.cbs.com/shows/oprah-with-meghan-and-harry-a-cbs-primetime-special/video/i6UW_WTQjLrEeOoObMmlwrFLTTypvuZm/cbs-presents-oprah-with-meghan-and-harry-a-primetime-special/ (Oprah’s interview last Sunday) is still in the headlines, and we’d like to take the opportunity to talk about how stupid monarchy is. it’s past time for the UK and its commonwealth (s/o to our canadian readers) to ditch their queen & establish a republic.

first, consider how morally bankrupt the idea of hereditary leadership is. we don’t care who your daddy is - you don’t deserve to be the head of state unless your citizens select you in a fair way. let’s be clear - the queen is only the head of the UK because her great-great-great-grandpa was the most vicious and powerful warlord of his day.

second, consider how reprehensible the specific institution of the british monarchy is. don’t forget that the crown oversaw the rape and plunder of colonies and https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/07/british-royal-family-slavery-reparations.html (profited off of slavery for half a millenium).

finally, consider how damaging the monarchy currently is to the UK. to this day it does not have a written constitution in part because no one is willing to answer the question of what power the queen actually has. because she is unelected, she refuses to take political positions, even when something patently undemocratic occurs, like Boris Johnson’s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_British_prorogation_controversy (attempt to shut down Parliament) in 2019.

so yeah, that was a rant, but it’s always worth reminding people of how worthless monarchies are. the queen isn’t just a powerless and maybe slightly racist old lady. she’s the living embodiment of an unjust society which refuses to take a clear-eyed look at its history.

story to watch: big labor has its mojo back

the house passed the https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/09/us/politics/house-labor-rights-bill.html (PRO act) this week, the most significant pro-union legislation in years. that, combined with Joe and even a https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/03/12/amazon-union-not-helping-working-class-economy-column/6947823002/ (leading senate republican) vocally supporting the unionization effort at an Alabama Amazon warehouse, it’s clear that the labor movement has had a great week.

to put things in perspective, the percentage of ‘muricans in labor unions has dropped from 30% of the workforce after WWII to just 10% today. studies show unions lead to higher wages and safer workplaces, regardless of gender or race.

https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1366191901196644354?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1366191901196644354%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.npr.org%2F2021%2F03%2F01%2F972410944%2Fbiden-backs-amazon-warehouse-workers-union-drive (Joe’s video) is the most pro-union statement a president https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/01/biden-amazon-union-video-472315 (has ever made), and with Amazon being the second largest private employer in the US, any unionization efforts there are a huge win. looks like https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/im-jeff-bezos-and-im-your-dad-now (daddy Bezos) may be losing control.

the PRO act would repeal state anti-union laws, allow gig workers to unionize, and imposes penalties on union-busting by businesses. it’s unlikely to pass the...