In the Heights Is the Most Boring Movie of the Year
The controversy over casting in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical In the Heights obscures just how dull the film really is.
19682 Articles by: Karl Leffme
Karl Leffme is a socialist in New York CIty.
Keir Starmer Is Dragging Down the Labour Party
Labour held on in Batley and Spen in spite of Keir Starmer’s unpopular leadership, not because of it. An effective local campaign kept him as far away as possible. In thrall to focus groups and media groupthink, Starmer is still guiding Labour onto the rocks.
Donald Rumsfeld Was a Monster Only Washington Could Create
In a decades-long political career, Donald Rumsfeld was known for two things: covering his own ass and having few real political principles. Relentless warmongering powered his rise to the top in Washington — and led him to help orchestrate one of the worst disasters in the history of US foreign policy.
Debunking the Economist’s Myths of Free-Market Liberalism
The Economist’s liberalism is often framed as the politics of human rights and individual freedom, but its origins lie just as much in a fear of the masses and democracy.
Trader Joe’s Is Once Again Accused of Violating Workers’ Rights
When workers at Trader Joe’s flagship location collectively organized to challenge their pandemic-era treatment by the company, management responded by interrogating them. We spoke to a worker who filed a complaint with the NLRB over the crackdown.
India Walton Is a Sign of What the Socialist Movement Could Become
India Walton’s victory in Buffalo is an enormous advance. With a clear political strategy, the socialist movement could become less dominated by professionals and more driven by the working-class base it requires.
The Batley and Spen By-Election Showed Britain’s Political Class Holds Muslims In Contempt
Keir Starmer’s Labour Party narrowly avoided a second successive by-election defeat to the Tories yesterday. But the most important story of the campaign was the alienation of British Muslims from a political mainstream that openly despises them.
Give Bus Passengers Free Hotel Stays for Long-Distance Trips
Long-distance bus travel is far less carbon-intensive than plane travel, not to mention an incredible way to see the country. But the trips often aren’t pleasant. One easy way to change that: publicly subsidize overnight lodging for bus travelers.
The Fossil Fuel Companies Are Figuring Out Devious New Ways to Greenwash
The fossil fuel industry is trying to rebrand, using terms like “unabated coal” and “responsibly sourced gas” in an attempt to greenwash their commitment to continue burning fossil fuels.
Donald Rumsfeld Was a Bloodthirsty Warrior for the Free Market
The American warfare state’s upper reaches are filled with bloodthirsty megalomaniacs. But few have been as deranged as Donald Rumsfeld, whose appetite for imperial violence combined with free market zealotry produced one of the most spectacular failures in all of US military history.
In New York, the Socialist Electoral Project Is Strong
The New York City primaries have been a mess, with delayed results, botched results, and everything in between. But we do know one thing for sure: the question isn’t whether socialists will win any seats, but how many.
Fausto Gullo, Italy’s “Peasants’ Minister” Who Fought to Break Landowner Power
Italy’s first postwar agriculture secretary, Fausto Gullo, was a Communist who used his office to redistribute land and give peasants control over their lives. His reforms promised to democratize the South’s deeply unequal economy — only for conservatives to reassert the dead hand of landowner power.
India Walton’s Historic Victory in Buffalo Needs Defending
Buffalo mayor Byron Brown is launching a write-in campaign against socialist primary winner India Walton. Brown has bipartisan establishment support and organized money. Walton will need the Left to rally to her defense.
Corporate Lobbyists Declare War on Nina Turner
Corporate Democrats and lobbyists for Big Oil, Big Pharma, Fox News, and Wall Street are fundraising for Nina Turner’s primary opponent Shontel Brown in the Ohio congressional race.
100 Years of the Chinese Communist Party
The Chinese Communist Party turns 100 as a party of power in one of the world’s most important states. It’s been a long road from the CCP’s early years as a band of revolutionary outlaws that narrowly escaped obliteration by its enemies.
Donald Rumsfeld, Rot in Hell
Bush administration Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is dead at the age of 88. It’s a tragedy that Rumsfeld died before he could be put on trial for crimes against humanity.
How Capitalism Undermines Progressive Education Reform
The basic function of education under capitalism is to produce the next generation of compliant workers. We should fight instead for fully funded schools that empower students — while challenging the capitalist system that undermines progressive education reform.
Mexico’s Left Faces a Tough Road Ahead
Mexico’s midterm elections reflected left-wing president AMLO’s high personal approval ratings — but also brought setbacks for his Morena party. If it’s going to drive an enduring process of social change, Morena has to build a member-led organization firmly rooted in local communities.
The Socialist Architecture of Svetlana Kana Radević
Svetlana Kana Radević was one of the great architects of socialist Yugoslavia — her emphasis on public space showed what architecture can achieve when liberated from the constraints of the property market.
Bob Marley’s Peace Gesture Supported Radical Change in Jamaica
An iconic 1978 image shows Bob Marley uniting left- and right-wing party leaders on stage, calling for a truce. Misread as apolitical, his gesture was actually meant to rescue a socialist political movement in danger.