Those Who Study and Those Who Know
Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan series refuses to simplify the systems of capitalist and patriarchal domination it describes.
19186 Articles by: Opal Lee
Opal Lee is a writer.
Freeing Education From the Market
Austerity measures have radically restructured the Greek education system — and the Syriza government is only making matters worse.
A Human, Not a Myth
We should resist constructing self-serving myths about political figures — even someone as heroic as Winnie Mandela.
Going the Last Mile
Trump’s specious attacks on Amazon missed the real issue: the giant retailer is exploiting USPS workers to fill in the gaps of its own union-busting model.
The Socialist Case Against the SAT
No matter how you look at it, the SAT is designed to create human hierarchies.
Red Oklahoma
A century ago, Oklahoma had the strongest socialist movement in the US. Today, there are signs it’s being reborn.
The Second Time as Farce
The remake of Death Wish is a failure — because the law-and-order politics animating the original film triumphed long ago.
An Attack on Sex Workers
FOSTA supporters say the bill would crack down on illegal sex trafficking. But the real victims would be sex workers.
The Kurdish Dilemma
Will the most promising democratic experiment in the Middle East be allowed to survive? The answer increasingly depends on the geopolitical whims of the Trump administration.
The Medicaid Patchwork
In theory, Medicaid is America’s national health insurance program for the poor. But there’s nothing “national” about it — and the poor suffer as a result.
Coding and Coercion
Unions have been trying to organize software engineers for decades, with little success. Here’s a look at the organizing campaign that might turn things around.
The Oklahoma Strike Is At a Crossroads
Oklahoma schools have been closed more than a week. But faced with Republican intransigence, the strike has now reached a critical turning point.
Performances in Misdemeanorland
Every year, thousands of misdemeanor defendants pass through New York City’s lower criminal courts. Many find themselves trapped in a Kafkaesque nightmare.
The Dumb Money
The definitive explanation of why Bitcoin is stupid.
Corbyn Under Fire
For weeks, Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party has been the target of a defamatory campaign meant to undermine it.
The Other West Virginia Teacher Strike
This year’s strike wasn’t the first time West Virginia witnessed an organized teachers’ rebellion.
The Bankers’ Coup
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is the only federal agency that protects ordinary people from Wall Street. That’s why it’s being dismantled.
Wall Street Is Trying to Embezzle Puerto Rico’s Hurricane-Relief Money
Puerto Rico’s federal relief funds are being earmarked for bondholders.
Bangladesh’s Incomplete Revolution
The Left in Bangladesh has struggled for generations against Islamism and authoritarianism.
Why Israel Kills
Nonviolent struggle against violent occupiers is politically effective. That’s why Israel fears and represses it.