Gustavo Petro’s Final Year
Gustavo Petro became Colombia’s first left-wing president three years ago. With a hostile Congress threatening his landmark labor reform, he’s scrambling to make sure he’s not its last.
20378 Article(s) by: Elizabeth Mahony
Simon Clarke, Theorist of Capitalist Crisis
British sociologist Simon Clarke was one of the most sophisticated analysts of how and why capitalist systems descend into crisis. Clarke’s work on the contradictions of capitalism is a valuable guide as we face a new era of global economic turmoil.
Trump Gives Pentagon $1 Trillion as Medicaid Cuts Loom
The Trump administration wants to slash health care under the guise of “government efficiency.” In case you wondered how sincere that rationale is, they also want to funnel unprecedented sums to a military that can’t even pass an audit.
John le Carré Made Great Art Out of Cold War Ideology
John le Carré was one of the great postwar novelists, converting the experience of Cold War espionage into brilliant works of literature. Yet he did so without really questioning the ruling doctrines of the Western camp or Britain’s role in it.
Senegal’s Ousmane Sembène Was a True Cinematic Revolutionary
The Senegalese director Ousmane Sembène earned his reputation as the father of African cinema with a series of brilliant movies. Socialist and anti-colonial politics had a profound influence on Sembène, who was also one of Africa’s great novelists.
Capitalist Disorganization Has Enabled Trump’s Dominance
The GOP is now a hegemonic force in US politics. But much of that dominance is predicated on Donald Trump’s personal rule, itself made possible by internal GOP weakness and business elites’ political disorganization.
Donald Trump Is Doubling Down on All of Joe Biden’s Failures
Wars abroad, the affordability crisis, inflation, censorship of political speech — Donald Trump successfully exploited discontent with Joe Biden’s administration on all these issues and more. Trump is now making all of them far worse.
Today Is a Day to Celebrate Union Victory and Emancipation
April 9, the day that the American Civil War ended in 1865, should be a national holiday celebrating the defeat of the Confederacy, the end of slavery, and the triumph of liberty.
A Minecraft Movie Is as Bad as It Is Popular
Based on the best-selling video game of all time, A Minecraft Movie is officially a megahit. If this is Hollywood’s savior, we’re all doomed.
South Korea’s Presidential Impeachment Was Long Overdue
South Korea’s Constitutional Court has finally impeached disgraced right-wing president Yoon Suk-yeol after his failed coup last December. Yoon and his conservative allies have given a major boost to a far-right movement that is hostile to democracy.
Oligarchy, Empire, and Revolution in Central America
There is a direct line in Central America stretching back more than a century from US-backed military intervention, to support of reactionary oligarchies, to devastating neoliberal restructuring, to the migration crisis now exploited in US politics.
A More Graceful American Decline
The US trade war is a result of domestic elites’ refusal to accept America’s relative decline. The recent experience of Japan shows how economic decline can be managed.
Turkey’s Students Demand the Future
Students have taken the lead in the struggle to defend Turkish democracy. Their activism reflects anger at the jailing of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu but also a long erosion of social rights which has torn away their future.
The United States of Money Laundering
By refusing to enforce the Corporate Transparency Act, the Trump administration has gutted key protections against money laundering and financial crime. The message to kleptocrats worldwide is clear: the US is open for anonymous shell company business.
Frantz Fanon’s Algerian Years on Film
In French-ruled Algeria, Frantz Fanon was a psychiatrist and an active member of the National Liberation Front. A new movie portrays his commitment to the anti-colonial struggle.
A New Translation Breathes Fresh Life Into Charles Baudelaire
A new dual-language translation of Charles Baudelaire’s The Flowers of Evil offers English readers the best way of appreciating the poet who helped invent modernity.
Private Equity Is Getting Into the Airplane Repair Business
Private equity firms are increasingly gobbling up the companies that fix planes for commercial airlines, preying on an industry with already weakened oversight and further stoking the fears of aviation safety advocates.
Clocking Out of the Second Shift
The official statistics show that gender gaps in the division of household labor have closed significantly over time. Why are so many women still so frustrated?
Tariffs Are Splintering Donald Trump’s Coalition
One of the Right’s biggest funders and most important strategists, longtime Federalist Society head Leonard Leo, seems to be breaking with Donald Trump over tariffs.
The Other French Far-Right Leader Facing Corruption Charges
Marine Le Pen’s conviction shone a spotlight on her party’s misuse of public funds. Where the party already runs the government, in the southeastern town of Fréjus, its mayor, David Rachline, stands accused of a massive web of corruption.