The Age of Class Dealignment
Over the course of decades, social democracy abandoned workers. Then workers abandoned social democracy.
19667 Articles by: Elizabeth Mahony
Finland’s Government Is Robin Hood in Reverse
In Finland, a coalition of conservative and far-right parties is slashing social spending and squashing unions. It’s an authoritarian brand of neoliberalism that is undoing welfare while giving tax cuts to high earners.
China’s Minor Literature
British literary magazine Granta has focused its latest issue on China during a time of growing geopolitical tensions. It introduces a contemporary Chinese literature written in the minor key by writers driven by political ennui.
Liberal Dominance of Cultural Institutions Hurt the Left
A new book, Polarized by Degrees, argues that college-educated voters have come to dominate the Democratic Party and cultural institutions while Americans without a college degree feel increasingly alienated by the party’s technocratic worldview.
Crypto Won Big in the 2024 Election
After pouring unprecedented amounts of money into races across the ballot this election season, the cryptocurrency industry will now have the most political influence it has ever had.
Anora: A Refreshingly Class-Conscious Indie Film
In keeping with the harsh realities of working-class life in America, filmmaker Sean Baker doesn’t deal in facile happy endings — not in his latest, Anora, nor in his other recent films. Living to fight another day is triumph enough.
On Democrats and Class, the Writing Was on the Wall
Two writers, Thomas Frank and Joan Williams, provided sharp insight into the Democrats’ hemorrhaging of working-class voters eight years ago. The Democratic Party ignored their perspectives. We asked them to explain how we ended up here — again.
Elon Musk’s DOGE Is Dumb. It Could Also Do Serious Damage.
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is equal parts asinine and dystopian. We can only hope that, by virtue of how insufferable all involved are, DOGE’s relationship with the Trump administration flames out spectacularly.
The “Fascist” With a Popular Majority
Donald Trump’s victory at the polls will inevitably reopen the “fascism debate.” But does a populist whose appeal cuts across diverse groups truly fit the fascist profile?
For FIFA Boss Gianni Infantino, Football Is Just a Cash Cow
FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s remodeling of the Club World Cup marks a new low in placing financial demands over basic sporting integrity. Football has long been ruled by money — but under Infantino’s lead, FIFA just makes up the rules as it goes along.
Democrats’ Antitrust Push Has Been Mostly Rhetorical
The Biden administration’s more aggressive approach to antitrust has been much discussed by proponents and critics alike. Yet the administration’s regulatory moves have really been small-bore tweaks around the edges, with little impact felt by voters.
We Can Do Better Than Bidenism
Bidenomics wasn’t ambitious enough, but the solution isn’t just more welfare.
Solidarity Has Saved Spanish Villages After Flooding
Flash floods in eastern Spain last month killed over 200 people. A massive solidarity effort by ordinary Spaniards helped to clean up devastated villages — and shamed the weak response by local authorities.
How US Sanctions Torpedoed Kamala Harris
The Biden administration’s sanctions on Russia didn’t just tank global markets; they also helped Kamala Harris lose the election. The Democrats’ fate was sealed by a Wall Street–fueled commodity frenzy that sent gas prices and grocery bills soaring.
Bosses’ Anti-Union Captive Audience Meetings Are Now Illegal
Captive audience meetings are a key tool for bosses to destroy union drives. With last week’s outlawing of such meetings by the National Labor Relations Board, labor has a window to take advantage before Donald Trump scales back worker rights.
Democrats’ Rhetoric on Trump and Democracy Was All Wrong
The Kamala Harris campaign went all in on discussing Donald Trump’s threat to democracy. The problem: it was far out of touch with the issues at the forefront of most Americans’ minds.
Labor’s Resurgence Can Continue Despite Trump
Donald Trump will do his best to undermine unions. But the labor movement still has momentum on its side and numerous opportunities to seize. Trump’s presidency has to be a time for labor action, not despair.
The Working Class Has Left the Building
Dealignment from the Democratic Party now extends to every working-class demographic group. Here’s some important data that shows the depth of the problem.
Why Influencers Like Jake Paul Are Taking Over Boxing
Influencers like Jake Paul have risen to prominence by fighting athletes who want an alternative to exploitative bodies like the UFC. His pro-Trumpism and call for a union to protect the rights of fighters represent the contradictions within combat sports.
Handsomely Funded to Ignore Genocide
Germany’s main parties each have a state-funded political foundation, meant to promote a culture of democratic debate. Boasting thousands of employees, they have enforced a collective silence on the genocide in Gaza out of obedience to German foreign policy.