Elaine May Is the Greatest Director You’ve Never Heard Of
A new biography of writer-director-performer Elaine May makes a strong case for her canonization as one of our greatest comic talents. Unfortunately, Hollywood never knew what to do with her.
18497 Articles by: Ryan Switzer
Ryan Switzer is a PhD candidate in sociology at Stockholm University. He researches right-wing politics in welfare states.
Romila Thapar Is One of India’s Bravest Public Intellectuals
Romila Thapar has transformed our view of India’s past, questioning myths first devised by British colonial ideologues before they were taken up by Hindu chauvinists. Her courage and integrity have put her at odds with Narendra Modi’s government.
The Left Has Played a Key Role in the Palestinian Struggle
The rivalry between Fatah and Hamas has dominated Palestinian politics since the 1990s. Yet for many years, the main challenge to Fatah came from the groups of the Palestinian left, which have made a huge contribution to the national movement.
Why Did the UAW Lose in Alabama?
Many explanations of the United Auto Workers’ recent loss at Mercedes in Alabama don’t hold up under scrutiny. To understand the challenges the UAW ran into, we need a historical perspective on attempts to organize in the US South.
How the Left Organized the Filipino Diaspora
More than 10% of the population of the Philippines works overseas, sending back remittances that are crucial to the country’s economy. A new book outlines how the Left won this demographic — only to soon lose it.
The Remaking of the American Right
When the Clock Broke offers a tour of the ’90s, from Klansmen strangled on talk shows to a drugged-up George H. W. Bush running for office. Author John Ganz also argues that the far right of the ’90s was a precursor to Donald Trump, a claim reliant on distortions of past and present.
The Bikeriders Is Running on Fumes
Jeff Nichols’s The Bikeriders coasts on Austin Butler’s outlaw charm and an excellent performance from Tom Hardy. But neither can get this nostalgia piece into third gear.
The Far Right Does Not Challenge the Status Quo
The antiestablishment posturing and “pro-worker” claims of the far-right UK Reform party’s agenda make for good PR. They are also blatant lies.
Emmanuel Macron Is Now a Lame-Duck President
France’s president called snap elections to show the country was still behind him. It backfired massively — and last night’s first-round results suggest Marine Le Pen’s far right will dominate the new parliament.
Emmanuel Macron Has Handed Victory to the Far Right
Marine Le Pen’s allies celebrated a major advance in the opening round of France’s elections. Emmanuel Macron’s snap election gamble was a miscalculation — but the far right’s rise is also a product of his whole presidency.
The Effect of Class Consciousness on Political Preferences
Political preferences are often discussed through a one-size-fits-all middle-class lens. But empirical data shows that class significantly influences voting patterns, with growing class consciousness driving dissatisfaction with established parties.
We Can’t Win the School Culture Wars
Flash-in-the-pan school controversies distract us from the Right’s long-standing aim: destroying public education itself. To preserve this audacious experiment in democracy, we must bridge cultural and ideological divisions to find common ground.
University Endowments Suppress Dissent by Design
Endowments are meant to insulate universities from politics. But far from being apolitical, the arrangement prioritizes the whims of the market, the authority of financial experts, and the preferences of donors over the concerns of students and faculty.
The Lives of Seven Children Tell the Story of UK Inequality
The lives of seven children, each representing a different income bracket, reveal the stark realities of inequality in contemporary Britain. Even the best off of the seven is disadvantaged in the country with Europe’s fastest-rising child poverty rates.
Italy’s Far-Right Government Is Rewriting the Constitution
Italy’s center-left parties are right to call Giorgia Meloni’s planned constitutional rewrite a power grab. But after years under governments with little popular mandate, many Italians are ignoring these parties’ claim that democracy is under threat.
Illinois Amazon Drivers Just Went on Strike for a Contract
This week, Amazon drivers organized with the Teamsters in Skokie, Illinois, went on strike over the company’s violations of labor law. The workers are demanding Amazon recognize and bargain with their union.
The Supreme Court Just Legalized Bribery
The Supreme Court just gutted a key federal bribery statute this week, handing down a ruling that allows powerful interests to give gifts to politicians as rewards for favors.
In Italy, an Exploited Punjabi Farmworker Is Left to Die
Last Monday, Punjabi farmworker Satnam Singh suffered critical injuries in an accident on an Italian farm — and then his boss left him to die. The shocking case showed how Italian agriculture treats migrant workers’ lives as the cheapest of commodities.
Biden and Trump Debated Who’s More Supportive of Israeli War Crimes
Despite the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, the topic of Israel’s genocide came up only briefly in Thursday’s presidential debate. But Trump and Biden said enough to make it clear that they’re competing over who’s more pro-Israel.
Britain’s Populist Pivot Is Failing to Fix Its Problems
Trapped within the insular tone of post-Brexit politics, British politics has never been so saturated with populist rhetoric. It has also never been so detached from the interests of its people.