The Pentagon Loves First-Person Shooter Video Games
Video games are the most popular entertainment media on the planet — and one of the American war machine’s most effective propaganda tools.
20387 Article(s) by: James Bloodworth
James Bloodworth is a writer and journalist from London.
Sweden’s New Government Is Dominated by the Far Right’s Agenda
New Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson comes from a party called the Moderates. But his majority relies on the votes of the far-right Sweden Democrats — and their pressure is already visible in his plans for government.
Intel Is Laying Off Workers After Billions of Dollars in Federal Subsidies
Intel Corp. successfully pushed for congressional approval of a $76 billion subsidy for the chip industry. Now, it is laying off workers in an austerity regime while continuing to give shareholders massive payouts.
Democrats Went All In on the January 6 Hearings. Voters Don’t Seem to Care.
Recent polls suggest that the Democrats’ sidelining of economic issues to go all in on the Capitol riot hasn’t borne fruit. While voters are most concerned about inflation, they think the party’s main priority is January 6, which barely registers.
The Capitalist Market Can’t Solve the Climate Crisis — but Green Socialist Planning Can
Neoliberal policymakers present “green finance” as a market-based solution for climate chaos. But the investment scenarios they’ve devised for our transition beyond fossil fuels are really a form of economic planning — one that the Left should take control of.
If Democrats Want to Protect Abortion Rights in Office, They Must Address Economic Woes
Democrats running in the upcoming midterms are rightfully pushing the need to protect abortion rights, but they are failing to tie that push to a populist economic message.
Lula: The Socialism That We Build Will Be Defined by the People
In 1981, Lula da Silva spoke to the first Brazilian Workers’ Party convention about his country’s path to democratic socialism. Ahead of the second round of Brazil’s presidential election later this month, we reproduce his speech here.
Capitalism Is Coming for Our Snacks
From chip bags full of air to that suspicious dimple on the bottom of the peanut butter jar, food corporations are shamelessly reducing the treats-per-dollar ratio. Snacks are a small but key pleasure that the capitalists are quietly ripping away from us.
All of Us Should Be Able to Live Like Peep Show’s Jeremy
The British sitcom Peep Show depicts the life of a 2000s unemployed guy who lives comfortably. Today, austerity has all but destroyed the possibility of such a slacker lifestyle — an option we all deserve.
Kaiser Mental Health Care Workers Are on Strike for Safe Staffing Levels
At Kaiser Permanente in California, 2,000 mental health care workers have been on strike since August 15. They say Kaiser consistently fails to provide adequate staffing and wages, with patients waiting weeks or months for a second appointment.
To Fight Inflation, Jamaal Bowman Says We Need Price Controls
Driven by inflation, the prices of basic goods are spiraling out of control. The Fed’s solution of raising interest rates will hurt average workers. Rep. Jamaal Bowman is proposing a better solution: price controls.
The Batgirl Saga Turns Hollywood’s Capitalist Logic on Its Head
Defenders of capitalism insist that chasing profit is the only reason anything ever gets made. But when Warner Bros. Discovery killed Batgirl to take advantage of a tax loophole, it showed the opposite: the profit motive can stand in the way of creation, too.
Marxism Can Help Us Make Sense of the Medieval Crusades
The Crusades seem like a classic example of religious ideology triumphing over materialism. But a closer look shows that multiple class interests underpinned the crusading enterprise, from merchants seeking trade routes to peasants evading feudal oppression.
The 1962 Missile Crisis Was a Turning Point for the Cuban Revolution
Sixty years ago, the world seemed on the brink of nuclear war before the superpowers reached an agreement. The missile crisis led Cuba’s leaders to distrust their Soviet ally — an attitude that ultimately helped their revolutionary system to outlast the USSR’s.
Democrats Are Not Talking About the Economic Issues That Most Americans Care About
In the lead-up to the midterms, Americans’ number-one issue is the economy and the squeeze they’re feeling thanks to inflation. Republicans get this and are making that squeeze their top-line message. Why aren’t Democrats?
France Faces a Historic Squeeze on Public Housing
Emmanuel Macron promised he’d shorten France’s two-million-long waiting list for public housing. But the promised construction boom hasn’t materialized — and even poorly maintained housing is becoming ever more unaffordable.
To Fight Imperialism Abroad, Build Class Struggle at Home
The idea that workers in wealthy countries like the United States are part of a “labor aristocracy” bought off with the fruits of imperialism is nonsense. The best way to build a movement against US imperialism is to build the labor movement domestically.
The Rent Is Too Damn High for Joe Biden to Be Fundraising in Brentwood
As millions of Americans struggle with the high cost of living, the Democratic leadership seems out of touch. It could cost them in the upcoming midterms.
Capitalist Inequality Won’t Last Forever
You must have an incredibly dismal view of both human agency and human nature to believe that we will continue to live in the future much as we live today.
Mike Gold Was a Working-Class Hero
Mike Gold was a pioneer of proletarian literature and once one of America’s best-known writers. But his refusal to capitulate to McCarthy-era blackmail saw him written out of history.