Hurricane Empire
Puerto Rico’s devastation by Hurricane Maria was a man-made disaster, rooted in American empire.
19186 Articles by: Opal Lee
Opal Lee is a writer.
The Karl Marx of Music
Composer Hanns Eisler was a lifelong communist and self-described Jacobin. His music provided the soundtrack for both the tragedies and triumphs of German antifascism.
Donald Trump, Lumpen Capitalist
The most important thing about Donald Trump isn’t his psychological condition — it’s that he’s a capitalist. And a particular kind of capitalist at that: a lumpen capitalist.
“We Were Terrorizing Some of the Most Exploited People on Earth”
An interview with Spenser Rapone — the “commie cadet” that got kicked out of the military for standing against US imperialism.
The Mayors and the Movements
In 2015, a wave of social movements lifted left-wing mayors to power in Spain. Their experience in office shows the importance of linking institutional power to bottom-up mobilization.
Ending Economic Conscription
How can we take on the American military machine? By starving it of recruits and building up the civilian welfare state.
The ABCs of Socialism Is Back
By popular demand, we just reprinted our democratic socialism primer. Copies are only $5.
Bolsonaro’s Most Dangerous Supporters
Establishment outlets like the Economist insist the Brazilian military is a moderating influence on the far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro. But precisely the opposite is true.
“Cops Are at War Out There”
A culture of racism, paranoia, and authoritarianism permeates American police departments. Piecemeal reform won’t be enough.
A World for the Many
The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) is key to the fight against Turkey’s brutal Erdoğan regime. But its struggle is also about building a different kind of world order.
The Centrist Charade
For many in today’s commentariat, politics is about mediation between irrational tribes rather than conflict between competing interests.
Bolsonaro’s Conservative Revolution
Jair Bolsonaro’s core support lies with wealthy Brazilians. But the far-right figure wouldn’t have gotten this far if he hadn’t also established a formidable base among the poor.
Raided by the Machine
Yesterday morning, French police raided the home of Jean-Luc Mélenchon. The leftist leader was quick to point the blame at Emmanuel Macron.
The World Would Be a Better Place Without the Rich
They coarsen our culture, erode our economic future, and diminish our democracy. The ultra-rich have no redeeming social value.
How We Can End the Saudis’ War in Yemen
Saudi Arabia’s apparent murder of Jamal Khashoggi has provided the best chance yet to end US support for the Saudis’ vile war in Yemen. Now is the time to ramp up the pressure.
The Poisoning of Flint
Racism, inequality, and austerity politics were the culprits in the poisoning of Flint, Michigan. And residents are still living with the consequences.
The Resentful and the Damned
Matteo Salvini’s hard-right Lega used to want independence for Northern Italy. Today, the party is building a reactionary base in the South.
A Chance to Exorcise Mexico’s Dirty-War Ghosts
Fifty years ago, police and military forces massacred hundreds of students in Mexico City, sparking a brutal dirty war in Mexico for which no one was ever brought to justice. Andrés Manuel López Obrador could change this.
The “Design Thinking” Delusion
A corporate management technique called “design thinking” promises a frictionless path to saving the world, one brilliant idea at a time. It’s a neoliberal dream — but it’s making its way into politics.
Save Our Brutalism
Five decades since the craze for Brutalism, most of the discussion about these buildings is about tearing them down. But the radical social vision that drove their rise has largely been forgotten.