Understanding North Korea, Beyond Its Palace Intrigue
Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo-jong, looks destined for power in North Korea. But political dynamics in the country are far more complex than Western observers often appreciate.
19239 Articles by: Frantz Durupt
Frantz Durupt is a journalist at French daily Libération.
Canada’s Political Elites Are Climate Criminals in the Pocket of Big Oil
The promises of environmental stewardship from Canada’s political establishment clash with its support for fossil fuel interests. With each mile of country that burns in wildfire, this unwavering support for the oil industry is looking more and more deranged.
The Housing Crisis Is Class War
A new book on the housing crisis in Canada poses the idea that the housing crisis is simply a result of the housing market working in exactly the way it was designed. To break this paradigm, the tenant class must organize and build political power.
Jean Baudrillard Grasped the Symbolic Life of Capital but Lost Track of the Material World
French thinker Jean Baudrillard developed a pioneering analysis of symbolism and consumption in modern capitalism with some valuable insights. But he lost sight of the material structures on which capital’s power depends and drifted into a political dead end.
Meet Andreas Babler, the Socialist Now Leading Austria’s Social Democrats
Against centrist elites, hard-right insurgents, and a rigged party bureaucracy, Andreas Babler’s leadership campaign has won against the odds to secure a socialist direction for Austria’s Social Democrats.
True Democracy Is Incompatible With Capitalism
In the past two decades, a succession of crises has led to the rise of authoritarian states, acutely showing how capitalism and democracy were never compatible to begin with.
A Canadian Lesson in How Not to Politick in a Right-Wing Stronghold
Alberta, Canada’s most conservative province, recently went to the polls. The purportedly left-wing New Democratic Party, in its attempt to court conservative voters, provided the Left with an abject lesson in acquiescence — a road map of exactly what not to do.
What Mayor Brandon Johnson Can Learn From Mayor Bernie Sanders
When he became Burlington’s mayor in 1981, Bernie Sanders was a socialist outsider who had to face down a hostile political establishment. His successful mayoralty may contain lessons for Chicago’s new progressive mayor, Brandon Johnson.
The Italian Communist Composer Who Wrote Revolutionary Music for the Working Class
Amid a historic upsurge of worker militancy in 1960s Italy, communist composer Luigi Nono turned his efforts to dramatizing the plight of exploited factory employees. The result was musically groundbreaking, and beloved by the workers who inspired it.
Daniel Ellsberg, American Hero
Few have contributed as much to resisting the horrors of war and the accompanying undemocratic regime of secrecy as Daniel Ellsberg, who died today at age 92.
For Fossil Fuel Company Suncor, Stock Buybacks Come Before Environmental Cleanup
While Suncor has failed to make basic improvements to a Commerce City, Colorado, refinery that is polluting the area, the company has massively increased payouts to shareholders — at the urging of one of the world’s largest hedge funds.
Architects Are Starting to See Themselves as Workers — and Organizing Unions
Though architects have long been seen as privileged creative professionals, they are finding themselves in increasingly de-skilled and exploitative work environments. It’s no wonder that they’re starting to unionize.
The Supreme Court Doesn’t Have the Final Say on Student Debt
If the Supreme Court rules against Joe Biden on student debt, it will be a major blow. But there is a more straightforward path for Biden to unilaterally forgive a lot of student debt.
There’s No Institutional Quick Fix to the Problem of Donald Trump
Institutions can’t stop Donald Trump — but democratic politics can.
Canada’s Wildfires Are Out of Control Because of Cuts to Firefighting Budgets
As wildfires burn across Canada, the struggle to contain the damage has intensified for fire crews. The severe cuts to emergency fire services in recent years, driven by right-wing policies, have led to a failure to prepare for this crisis.
Dorothy Thompson Was One of Britain’s Great Socialist Historians
Dorothy Thompson’s work on Chartism secured her reputation as one of the finest Marxist historians Britain has produced. She displayed a particular sensitivity to gender issues and encouraged creative dialogue between Marxist and feminist currents.
Pundits Keep Predicting China’s Imminent Collapse — and Keep Getting It Wrong
Frank Dikötter is the best-selling popular historian of China today. In his latest work on the post-Mao years, Dikötter joins a long line of those predicting the speedy demise of the Chinese system, letting ideology get in the way of analysis.
Why Political Strategy Needs Karl Marx
In recent years, the grand questions of strategy that once animated the Left have found a new home in the world of business and management. But strategy is an essential component of political activity, and it needs a Marxist analysis at its core.
Austria’s Bernie Sanders Beat the Establishment and Became Party Leader
For years, Austria’s Social Democrats have embraced the values of the free market and lost ever more working-class votes. Now, left-winger Andreas Babler has surged to the party leadership — and promises to transform his country’s politics.
Conservatives Say the Justice System Has Been Weaponized. Cop City Proves Them Right.
In the wake of the Trump indictments, conservatives are concerned that the justice system is being used to target political enemies. They’re right about that — but as the repression of Cop City protesters shows, they’re wrong about who the real targets are.