Steven Soderbergh’s Kimi Is a Slick, Unmemorable Thriller
Kimi, the new thriller from director Steven Soderbergh, is an ordinary genre piece — so ordinary that not even its insistent topicality can make it seem more compelling.
19202 Articles by: Opal Lee
Opal Lee is a writer.
A No-Fly Zone in Ukraine Would Start World War III. It’s the Worst Idea Possible.
A growing chorus of voices is calling for Joe Biden to establish a no-fly zone — an action that would risk the future of human civilization.
Lula’s Road Back to the Presidency Will Be a Bumpy One
With Jair Bolsonaro and the Right in a state of disarray, Lula da Silva is weighing his path back to the Brazilian presidency. That path is littered with contradictions — many difficult, some potentially dangerous.
The Republican Party Is Waging a War Against Personal Freedom and Free Expression
Conservatives at the state level have adopted slogans like “individual freedom” and “choice” — to brazenly and hypocritically push measures that punish people for discussing banned topics or expressing the wrong opinions.
Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Is Not Just a Crime. It’s Also Wildly Irrational.
Very little about the horrific war that Russia is waging against Ukraine seems based on solid calculations by Vladimir Putin. It’s hard to imagine the war benefiting Russia in the long run. Why, then, is Putin waging it?
The US Blockade of Cuba Must End
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the beginning of the US blockade of Cuba, a collective punishment of the Cuban people for their independence from US control. The blockade needs to end.
The Batman Is Both Too Dark and Not Noir Enough
Men will literally become Batman instead of going to therapy.
How Trade Unions Are Helping With Ukraine’s Humanitarian Crisis
Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has already forced 1 million people to flee the country. Across Eastern Europe, organized labor is helping to welcome refugees.
Hershey’s Chocolate Workers in Virginia Are Unionizing
Some 1,300 workers at Hershey’s Virginia candy manufacturing plant are voting on whether to unionize. It’s the latest chapter in nearly a century of vicious anti-union skulduggery — and workers’ determined efforts to organize — at the chocolate giant.
Intel Wants Public Money to Make Rich Shareholders Richer
Intel is awash in cash, spending billions on stock buybacks that made shareholders even richer. Yet the Biden administration is poised to give the company a no-strings-attached bailout that could further enrich those same shareholders.
The Future of Brazilian Politics
The rule of President Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil has been grotesque. Is his power finally slipping?
Biden Proposes Massive Military Spending, to Private Contractors’ Delight
Joe Biden has requested more than $800 billion in military spending for the coming fiscal year. His spending plan won’t make the world safer, but it will probably funnel more than $400 billion in public money to private sector firms.
The Biden Administration May Protect a Corrupt Bank Linked to Russian Oligarchs
Credit Suisse, the bank whose donors gave over $100,000 to Joe Biden’s campaign, has ties to Russian oligarchs and has been repeatedly found guilty of serious financial crimes. Yet Biden’s administration is considering waiving any punishment for the bank.
Texas Republicans Trample Their Own Principles to Attack Trans Kids
By viciously attacking transgender kids and their families, Texas governor Greg Abbott and his conservative admirers have proven that they’re talking nonsense when they claim to care about shielding families from the overreach of government bureaucrats.
Biden’s State of the Union Was a Paean to Liberalism’s Complacent Status Quo
In his first State of the Union address, Joe Biden commendably stuck to most of the progressive policy stances he campaigned on in 2020 — but steered clear of identifying or pointing fingers at those culpable for the injustices he claims to want to remedy.
A Message From Russians Against the War
War is not Russia. War is Putin and his government. That is why we, Russian socialists and communists, are against this criminal war.
Joe Biden’s State of the Union Didn’t Offer Much for the Working Class
Last night, Joe Biden sounded like he was about to declare World War III. He won’t, thankfully — but he also won’t do much for working people.
Russians From All Walks of Life Are Opposing Putin’s War
If Vladimir Putin thought domestic support for his war on Ukraine would be universal, he seems to have miscalculated. From teachers and lawyers to artists, journalists, and the clergy, Russians have taken immense risks to speak out against the war.
Most Russians Didn’t Expect This War — And Could Soon Turn Against It
Both official and liberal media in Russia told the population that war wasn’t coming — until suddenly it did. Vladimir Putin’s failure to mobilize public opinion has drawn him into a potentially long and unpopular war.
Strangling Russia’s Economy Won’t End Putin’s War — But Could Be Disastrous for Civilians
The latest Western sanctions mean “total economic and financial war on Russia,” according to a European finance minister. There’s little reason to hope this will stop Putin’s war — but it will bring a longer-term attrition that mainly hurts ordinary Russians.