The Nonaligned Babel
In the center of Baghdad is a high-rise hotel, resembling a modernist version of the towers of ancient Babylon. Its transnational history reveals a different Tower of Babel altogether.
21053 Article(s) by: Abigail Torre
Abigail Torre grew up in Chile and now lives in Berkeley, California where she is cochair of the East Bay chapter of Democratic Socialists of America.
The Pentagon Budget Is Obscene, Even Without the Right-Wing Culture-War Amendments
The House and Senate are fighting over the Pentagon budget — not because anyone objects to an obscene level of military spending but because it’s become yet another a proxy for the culture war. The Left should oppose the budget for the right reasons.
Issue 50: Misery Index
Crunching the numbers on the class war.
The Life and Death of Saddam Hussein
The Iraq War began with a failed attack on Saddam, but it didn’t end with his execution.
Manufacturing Consensus
We sat down with Noam Chomsky to talk about the march to the war in Iraq and its awful consequences.
The Iraq Invasion 20 Years Later
How the American political class brought a disaster to the Middle East.
Yes, the Iraq War Was (Kinda) a War for Oil
In the immediate aftermath of the Iraq invasion, the US and British governments tried to launch a radical experiment in oil privatization. Iraqi trade unions spearheaded a brave campaign to thwart their plans.
“A Free Homeland and a Happy People”
Iraq’s Communist movement has survived nine decades filled with tragedy and fleeting success. Can it shape the new Iraq?
Bill Clinton’s War
Years before Dubya, President Clinton tried to get the public on board for military escalation with Iraq.
Just How Bad Were UN Sanctions Against Iraq?
The impact of UN sanctions on Iraq has been difficult to quantify — and that’s part of the problem.
The Postpresidential Speeches of George W. Bush
Now here’s a man with some wisdom to dispense.
Southern California Hotel Workers Are on Strike Against Automated Management
On top of issues like low pay, workers are up against faceless algorithmic management that can punish them for various offenses — including for refusing to cross picket lines. Workers at a hotel in Southern California are on strike against this practice.
Sowing War, Reaping Profit
For some, the Iraq War is a gift that keeps on giving. The most notorious defense contractors of the Iraq War era are still raking in cash — as are the legislators who enable them.
Iraq’s Misery
Decades of war and sanctions left their imprint on the country.
Artist Dora García Considers Alexandra Kollontai and Mexican Feminism
The newest of artist Dora Garcia’s films on feminist revolution, Amor Rojo’s simultaneous exploration of Soviet feminist Alexandra Kollontai and today’s Mexican feminism is the most compelling yet, but it misses the politics of the contemporary moment.
Mobile, Alabama, Just Diluted the Black Vote Through Annexation
Last week’s annexation vote in Mobile, Alabama, added thousands of white residents, reducing the black-white voter gap in the majority-minority city. It’s an effective strategy used by city elites to artificially inflate conservative political power.
Free Boris Kagarlitsky
Sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky, a prominent Russian Marxist, has been detained by Vladimir Putin’s FSB on fabricated charges of “justifying terrorism.” His arrest shows how the Russian state is silencing critics of its war.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte Is Gone, but the Turn to the Right Continues
Dutch premier Mark Rutte has resigned, pitching his country toward snap elections. He brought down the government in a conflict over migration — and there’s every sign his conservative party, the VVD, will now embrace the nationalist right.
Latin America Has Lost One of Its Last Great Revolutionaries
Adolfo Gilly witnessed some of the most dramatic events in Latin American history and wrote about them with unparalleled clarity. With his recent passing, the Latin American left lost one of its most compelling voices.
The Strike Is One of Workers’ Most Powerful Weapons Against Exploitation
Hollywood writers and actors are on strike together for the first time in over 60 years, and they could be joined soon by a UAW strike at one of the “Big Three” automakers. It’s a good time to remember: the strike is one of workers’ greatest weapons.