J. D. Vance Got His Faux Populism From Internet Weirdos
Vance’s political rebrand as a self-styled right-populist wasn’t an organic reaction to what he saw in deindustrialized Appalachia. He was radicalized by online discourse goblins.
19068 Articles by: Ryan Switzer
Ryan Switzer is a PhD candidate in sociology at Stockholm University. He researches right-wing politics in welfare states.
Britain’s Riots Are Designed to Terrorize Muslims
For years, the far right has benefited from a growing rot in British politics, as politicians and the media promote Islamophobia. Now the establishment refuses to confront these riots for what they are: domestic terrorism by white supremacists.
Argentina Was the Pioneer of Latin American Socialism
By the late 19th century, Argentina had the first organized socialist party in Latin America. Its activists took ideas from Europe but gradually developed their own distinctive perspective, adapting socialism to Argentine national conditions.
The US Keeps Pouring Money Into Nuclear Weapons
The Pentagon is now carrying out a $2 trillion, multiyear plan to build new nuclear-armed missiles, bombers, and submarines. That means increasing the risk of a disastrous exchange of nuclear attacks — but it’s great business for major weapons contractors.
How the Frankfurt School Used Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud
The theorists of the Frankfurt School wanted to promote a critical Marxism that wasn’t hobbled by one-dimensional economic determinism. In doing so, they also drew on the thinking of Friedrich Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud.
With Shared Software, Landlords Are Teaming Up to Raise Rents
San Francisco has banned RealPage, a software company that computer-generates recommended rents for landlord clients in what some are calling a price-fixing scheme. It’s a step toward curbing rent-raising collusion between landlords.
Across Europe, Gaza Has Become a Litmus Test for the Left
Ahead of the recent French elections, pundits widely expected voters to punish France Insoumise for its strong pro-Gaza stance. It didn’t happen. Around Europe, left-wing voters are galvanized by parties who defy the pro-Israel mainstream.
A New Wave of Pro-Public-School Organizing
Right-wing efforts to undermine public schools are designed to shock the public into permanently lowering our expectations for what public schools can be. Those efforts may be backfiring.
The Tim Walz VP Pick Shows America’s Politics Are Changing
The most significant thing about Tim Walz becoming Kamala Harris’s running mate isn’t his progressive record. It’s that such a record is now considered an asset by top Democratic leaders.
A Brief History of the Democratic Party
The Democratic Party, and the US political system as a whole, is a very strange beast.
Britain’s Far Right Feeds Off Mainstream Political Racism
For the last week, Britain has witnessed a horrifying wave of racist violence targeting Muslims and organized by far-right activists. The violent fascist gangs are feeding off the legitimization of racist ideas by Britain’s mainstream parties and media.
J. D. Vance Wants to Gut Biden’s Consumer Protections
J. D. Vance has cosponsored 24 GOP attempts to gut Biden administration consumer protections, from air quality standards to cracking down on junk fees. His voting record offers a glimpse of what’s to come under a potential second Trump administration.
We Need a New Peace Movement to Prevent Nuclear War
It’s the anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and tensions between nuclear powers are spiking again. Citizen movements against nuclear weapons have always been crucial to avoiding nuclear war, and we need them as much as ever.
Josh Shapiro’s Palestine Record Should Disqualify Him as VP
Joe Biden stepping down offered a chance for Kamala Harris to reset the worst of his bloody complicity in Israel’s Gaza genocide. Harris picking Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro as vice president would signal a doubling down on Palestinian slaughter.
Paul Foot Showed What Journalism Could Be
The investigative journalist Paul Foot embodied a spirit lost among members of his profession today. He was unflinching in his criticism of the powerful but held himself to the highest standards of journalistic rigor, which even his critics admired.
France Insoumise Faces an Enigmatic Path Forward
In July’s French elections, Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s France Insoumise yet again beat expectations. Its focus on leader and program have proven to be an electoral asset, but its top-heavy structure risks undermining its longer-term sustainability.
Seamus Heaney Was a Reluctant Radical
Irish poet Seamus Heaney was often cast as a national treasure who avoided taking sharp partisan stances. But his work is also deeply colored by his quest for artistic authenticity — and the moral questions on which he could not keep his silence.
Stop the Nonsense: Justin Trudeau Is No Marxist
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s farcical labeling of Justin Trudeau as a communist echoes hysterical historical precedents. The rhetoric underscores a cynical misunderstanding of both Trudeau’s policies and communism.
When People in Flint Got Sick, the Government Covered It Up
The Flint, Michigan, water crisis is one of the worst human-caused environmental disasters of our era. It was also one of the most egregious cover-ups of our time, with new investigative reporting revealing how politicians scrambled to muzzle sick residents.
Backing Israeli Apartheid Isn’t Just Immoral — It’s Illegal
Last month, the International Court of Justice issued a damning assessment of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land and the apartheid system it has built. All states now have a clear obligation to impose sanctions on Israel until the occupation ends.