Thank You, Jean-Luc Mélenchon
Jean-Luc Mélenchon narrowly failed to make the runoff in France’s presidential election. But there are signs that the French left can come back stronger than ever.
19386 Articles by: Alex Press
The Privatization of Water Is a Threat to Global Health
Water is a basic resource for all human beings. Yet market forces are increasingly privatizing water provision — not only making water unaffordable to poor and working-class people but posing a serious threat to public health in the midst of the pandemic.
Australian PM Kevin Rudd Was Toppled by Labor Notables Who Snitched for the US
Bob Hawke wasn’t the last senior Australian Labor Party figure to act as an informant for the US. In 2010, when Kevin Rudd lost the leadership to Julia Gillard, the US embassy knew everything.
How the Splits on France’s Far Right Helped Marine Le Pen Go Mainstream
Éric Zemmour’s presidential campaign didn’t go well — but it helped Marine Le Pen project a moderate image, including by denouncing his Nazi supporters. Far from a spoiler, Zemmour helped to shepherd traditional right-wing voters to her.
The Solution to Britain’s Cost of Living Crisis Is Higher Wages
The cost of living crisis is causing Britain’s biggest fall in living standards in decades. The only way to change this: wage increases across the economy.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon Is Fighting to Be France’s Last President
Emmanuel Macron claimed that France was missing a “king figure” — then spent five years ruling it like a monarch. His record has fueled Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s pledge to get rid of the presidency entirely and rebuild French democracy from the bottom up.
If You Want to Understand Marxism, Read G. A. Cohen
Socialist philosopher G. A. Cohen was a brilliant thinker who subjected Marxism to the same scrutiny he would any other ideology. If you want to see Marxism at its most nondogmatic and precise, you should read G. A. Cohen.
France’s Election Shows How the Neoliberalized Left Has Collapsed
France’s once mighty Socialist Party is polling at just 1 percent for today’s presidential election. With middle-class progressivism in a tailspin, only France Insoumise’s firm break with neoliberalism offers a path to recovery for the French left.
American Think Tanks Are Fueling the Mexican Right
In Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador faces an uphill battle in getting his energy reforms through Congress. American interests, vehemently opposed to the idea of a public energy sector in Mexico, stand in the way.
Colonial Nostalgia Continues to Define France’s Relationship to Africa
At home, French politicians mainstream far-right conspiracies about the replacement of whites by African immigrants. Abroad, they continue to intervene militarily and economically in the continent. Both are signs of a nation unwilling to accept its decline.
In France’s Election, Anti-Fascists Should Vote for Jean-Luc Mélenchon
With polls showing Marine Le Pen closer than ever to winning the French presidency, anti-fascists should use all possible means to stop her. Voting for Jean-Luc Mélenchon can block her path — and stop France’s decades-long slide toward far-right dominance.
Chaos and Breakdown Are at the Heart of Kanye West’s Wild Ride
The new documentary series Jeen-yuhs keeps Kanye’s recent tabloid absurdities out of the picture. But such turbulent antics and generalized disorder are an essential piece of the remarkable — and remarkably chaotic — career he has built.
Orbán’s Critics Dropped Their Principles — and Lost the Election
Hungary’s election was always going to be an uphill battle in the face of incumbent Viktor Orbán’s overweening power. But the opposition’s lack of a clear alternative meant it ran simply as an anti-Orbán front — and it failed to mobilize voters.
To Plan the Green Transition, We Need to Democratize the State
France’s election campaign has seen growing calls for greater ecological planning. But if the green transition is not to impose austerity by other means, it has to be planned by working people themselves.
El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele Is Yet Again Ramping Up His Authoritarian Violence
Nayib Bukele has overseen multiple violent crackdowns on basic civil liberties across El Salvador during his time as president. With his recent declaration of martial law against gangs, it’s only getting worse.
Workers Have Been Fighting Automation Ever Since Capitalism Began
Automation didn’t start in the age of robots and microchips. In the late 19th century, employers used machinery to break the power of skilled glass workers, and helped launch firms like Coca-Cola on a path to global domination.
On Support for Unionizing Amazon, Joe Biden’s Bark Has So Far Been Bigger Than His Bite
Joe Biden pledged to support workers’ unionization efforts at Amazon on Wednesday, saying, “Amazon, here we come.” But his failure so far to implement any of the recommendations of his task force on worker organization seems to speak louder than his words.
The Biden Administration Fed the Press Dubious Intelligence About Russia
White House claims that Putin was considering using chemical weapons in Ukraine were based on weak evidence, US officials have disclosed. The revelation should remind us all about the dangers of uncritically reporting government statements.
Marine Le Pen’s Populist Image Is an Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove
For years, Marine Le Pen has sought to break out of the far-right ghetto by pursuing a “populist popular front” beyond Left and Right. Today, her chosen reactionary themes have become mainstream — and she stands closer than ever to winning the presidency.
Sorry Grimes, Your Ex-Boyfriend Won’t Save Us
The avant-garde pop star Grimes has made a heel turn away from left-wing politics toward the Silicon Valley libertarianism of her ex Elon Musk. She calls herself “a bit of a socialist, but not economically.” Let’s just call her a manic pixie dream capitalist.