Around New England

Boston Herald To Furlough 30 Employees In Coming Weeks

Matthew McDonald

The Boston Herald will begin furloughing many of its employees this upcoming Monday in a cost-cutting measure, the Boston Newspaper Guild reported on Twitter.

The Guild tweeted on Friday morning, April 17 that the Herald will be furloughing 30 staff members — news and sports reporters, photographers, and circulation and advertising staff — for periods of between two and five weeks. These furloughs will take place between April 20 and June 30.

Socialism? Supersize Us!
Commentary

Socialism? Supersize Us!

Joseph Tortelli

The definition of socialism is infinitely mutable. At different times in different places, the precise manifestation of socialism shows remarkable variety. Today, socialism is generally regarded as an unthreatening term. In a past era, the word had foul connotations after being adopted by the most evil totalitarian regimes in the history of the world: The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the National Socialist German Workers' Party. The self-proclaimed national and international socialists tag-teamed in 1939, invading Poland and igniting the conflagration of World War II.

Probably the most universal characteristic of socialism involves state (sometimes euphemized to "social") ownership of the means of production. This slogan possessed real power in the age of industrialization, when laborers endured long hours in Dickensian work conditions. Meanwhile nouveau riche capitalists replaced the landed gentry as the economic elite — or, in today's lingo, the one percent.

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