The Wizard of Oz’s Greenback Conspiracy
Many of the fantastical elements of The Wizard of Oz were drawn directly from the monetary debates of the 1890s.
19134 Articles by: Opal Lee
Opal Lee is a writer.
Barbara Ehrenreich Made Socialist Ideas Sound Like Common Sense
Barbara Ehrenreich was driven by both her undying anger at the profound injustices of life under capitalism and a fervent hope that the world doesn’t have to be this way.
Making Ends Meet in the Cinematic Apocalypse
The radioactive mutants have taken the highways, and the microchips have been implanted in us, but there are still bills to pay.
Germany’s Funny Money
After World War I began and the imperial German government withdrew coins from circulation, local municipalities and businesses printed their own “emergency money” featuring striking imagery from German history, culture, and politics.
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Three Thousand Years of Longing Is the Genie-Professor Love Story You Never Asked For
Three Thousand Years of Longing, director George Miller’s whimsical follow-up to Mad Max: Fury Road, finds him returning to the gentle storytelling he perfected in the Babe films. Too bad this one’s a slog.
Corporate France Says: Hands Off Our Private Jets
French tycoons face rising scrutiny over their use of private jets for even the shortest flights. Business lobby group MEDEF’s summit struck down all criticism of the superrich — and set out plans for an energy transition that puts their interests first.
Jair Bolsonaro Is Laying the Groundwork for a Coup in Brazil
Brazil marks two centuries of independence from Portugal today. Far-right president Jair Bolsonaro is using the occasion to help create the mood music for a coup against Brazilian democracy after an October election that he expects to lose.
The Trade War Comes to the Middle East
For the last two years, Washington and its allies have sought to consolidate influence in the region. This bid for hegemony is coming up against a new force: Chinese capital.
Yes, You Should Worry About Inflation
For a generation, the Left dismissed any concerns about inflation as elite fearmongering. But now inflation is here. And it’s hurting workers more than anyone.
The Biden Administration Is Still Allowing For-Profit Colleges to Scam Student Borrowers
In the wake of student debt forgiveness, for-profit colleges are still defrauding students with loans they can’t pay back. The Trump administration repealed an Obama-era law meant to punish them — and Joe Biden’s Education Department has yet to reinstate it.
The Jackson Water Crisis Is a Disaster Created by Austerity
Jackson, Mississippi’s water crisis is an omen of climate disasters to come. But August floods were only the straw that broke the Jackson water system’s back. More fundamentally, the crisis is the result of decades of disinvestment and austerity.
Mikhail Gorbachev’s Project Was a Noble Failure Thwarted by Forces Beyond His Control
When he became the last Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev wanted to democratize the USSR without embracing free-market capitalism and end the Cold War without enabling US domination. The world is still haunted by his inability to achieve those goals.
John Fetterman Is Right About Many Things — but He’s Dead Wrong on Palestine
There are many things to like about Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman. But his dismal position on Palestine is a reminder of how foreign policy is so often the weak spot of progressive politicians.
Lucy Dacus on Her Approach to Life as a Musician, Bernie, and More
We spoke with indie singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus about being a musician during the pandemic, her supergroup boygenius, the state of the music industry, and her very public support of and admiration for Bernie Sanders.
Trader Joe’s Workers Are Unionizing — and the Company Is Union Busting
Two Trader Joe’s stores have now unionized, raising the question of whether the chain could be the next Starbucks. But the company may at least be following in Starbucks’s footsteps in one way — by engaging in illegal union busting.
Italy’s Communists Found Fleeting Hope in Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev’s ascent stirred enthusiasm among Italy’s Communists, who had long dreamed of reform in Moscow. The Soviet leader was inspired by the Italians’ more democratic, pluralistic approach to Communism. His failure would doom Eurocommunism, as well.
Gorbachev Couldn’t Reform the Soviet System — but a Better Socialism Is Possible
Soviet premier Mikhail Gorbachev, who died last week, was a tragic figure. He tried to build a humane socialism on the rotten foundations of authoritarianism. Today, without the albatross of Stalinism, we can fight for an entirely different kind of socialism.
Minor League Baseball Players May Be the Next Group of Workers to Unionize
When you think of poorly paid workers, minor league baseball players probably aren’t the first group that comes to mind. But minor leaguers suffer paltry compensation — and a drive to unionize them is now officially underway.
Why Starbucks Workers United May Offer a Key to Labor’s Revitalization
This Labor Day, the overall situation for US labor remains bleak. Yet the Starbucks union campaign has spread across hundreds of stores, offering a model for other unions. In tough times, Starbucks workers are giving hope to the labor movement.