Israel Assassinated Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh
Earlier today, Israeli forces killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in cold blood. Tragically, it’s nothing new for Israel, which has made a regular practice of killing reporters.
19073 Articles by: Ryan Switzer
Ryan Switzer is a PhD candidate in sociology at Stockholm University. He researches right-wing politics in welfare states.
The Increasingly Violent Antiabortion Movement Is the Real Threat to Public Safety
The political establishment is volubly worried about peaceful protests outside the homes of antiabortion rights judges. But when arson, firebombing, and even murder are inflicted on abortion providers, it seldom seems even to notice.
Lean Production in Health Care Is a Disaster for Workers and Patients Alike
Relentlessly driven to boost profits, US hospitals have introduced a management system called “lean production” that seeks to cut out any inefficiencies. The result has been disastrous: overstressed workers, unattended patients, and a hit to worker solidarity.
Colombia’s Left-Wing Presidential Candidate Is Facing Vicious Right-Wing Opposition
Former guerrilla fighter Gustavo Petro may soon be Colombia’s first left-wing president. His candidacy has been met not only with smears, but credible threats of assassination from the Right.
The US-China Trade War Is About to Hit the Middle East
For the last two years, the US and its allies have engaged in a frenzy of infrastructure projects in the Middle East, seeking to consolidate influence in the region. This bid for hegemony is coming up against a new force: Chinese capital.
The Scientific World Is Far Too Obsessed With “Genius”
We’ve been conditioned to believe that scientific advances come from individual geniuses making breakthrough discoveries. That’s wrong.
Fernanda Melchor’s Novels Look Dispassionately at Violence and Poverty
Without moralizing, the Mexican writer Fernanda Melchor’s novels look unflinchingly at cruelty and poverty. Her work is a model for how to think about the ambiguity of human relations.
Democrats Are Still Boosting Antiabortion Congressman Henry Cuellar
A new super PAC run by top Democratic consultants just put a quarter of a million dollars behind Texas representative Henry Cuellar, who opposes abortion rights. With Roe v. Wade on the brink of being overturned, it’s unconscionable.
Joe Biden Is Delivering Big for the Border-Industrial Complex
Joe Biden may have dropped Trump’s racist justifications for a border wall, but the “border-industrial complex” is still alive and well — and still monstrously profitable.
With Abortion Rights Under Attack, Nancy Pelosi Is Siding With an Antiabortion Democrat
Even in the wake of news that Roe v. Wade may be overturned, the Democratic leadership is backing right-wing Texas representative Henry Cuellar against his primary opponent, Jessica Cisneros, a Berniecrat who favors abortion rights.
The Tories Gave Keir Starmer an Open Goal, but He Still Missed the Target
Last week’s election performance by the British Labour Party was deeply underwhelming. Despite enjoying every advantage, Keir Starmer has failed to convert a popular backlash against Boris Johnson’s government into support for his own plodding leadership.
The Two Souls of Pentecostalism
Early Pentecostal preachers railed against elites and uplifted the oppressed — a far cry from their recent efforts to elect right-wing populists like Donald Trump. There are deep contradictions at the heart of Pentecostalism, and they aren’t resolved yet.
Canada’s New Democratic Party Wants to Lower the Voting Age
Fearing the Left will sweep up the youth vote, conservatives have long opposed lowering the voting age — the worst possible rationale for refusing to expand the franchise.
Democrats Use Abortion Rights to Fundraise — but Don’t Fight to Protect Those Rights
The Supreme Court’s leaked ruling overturning Roe v. Wade is an antidemocratic abomination. The Democrats’ response so far has been a bad joke.
Texas Soldiers Are Unionizing After Facing Attacks by a Right-Wing Governor
In Texas, National Guard members faced painful cuts and absurd assignments by Republican governor Greg Abbott. So they did what many exploited workers before them have done: they organized a union.
Democrats’ Policymaking Apparatus Is Wildly Dysfunctional and Undemocratic
When Matt Bruenig realized a Democratic childcare proposal had major flaws, he did what seemed sensible: he publicly pointed out the bill’s flaws. Doing so set in motion a chain of events that reveals how Democrats turn bad ideas into bad policies.
Big Pharma Is Still Making Absurd Profits Off of the Pandemic
Pfizer is projected to rake in more than $50 billion from its COVID medicines this year. It’s a symbol of the drastic inequality created by a for-profit approach to global health.
I’m a Socialist, and I Just Beat the Labour Party in London’s Poorest Borough
In London’s poorest borough, I ran as an open socialist against the Labour Party to become mayor — and I won. Despite Labour’s conservative turn, the Left can win like I did: by going on the offensive.
The Australian Federal Election Offers a Choice Between Disaster and Disappointment
Scott Morrison is widely disliked, and his conservative government is divided, incompetent, and mired in corruption. Despite this, the Labor opposition’s platform is one of the most timid and conservative in memory.
By Gutting Its Own Public Universities, Alberta Is Showing Canada How to Destroy Education
Alberta’s premier, free-market champion Jason Kenney, is wreaking havoc on the province’s postsecondary education system — not just through cuts and privatizations but through a brutal reshaping of public education itself.