The Gilded Age Somehow Makes Class War a Bore
HBO hired Julian Fellowes to make a Downton Abbey out of 1880s NYC. But all the fussy costumes and jewelry in the world can’t bring The Gilded Age’s story of old vs. new money to life.
19505 Articles by: T Rivers
T Rivers is a pseudonymous journalist who covers East and Central Africa.
Mike Parker Was a Political and Moral Compass for the Left and Labor
Over many years, when the labor movement and socialism were at their weakest in decades, Mike Parker helped train a new generation of rigorous thinkers and activists in management’s latest schemes and how to fight back.
Honduras’s First Woman President Is a Socialist With a Vision
Honduras inaugurated socialist Xiomara Castro as president last week, ending the nightmare of the 2009 US-backed coup in the country. The challenges she faces are immense, but her presidency could be a key piece of a new left-wing surge throughout Latin America.
Oil Is Killing the Planet — And Driving Inflation
Today’s inflation isn’t just caused by a post-pandemic rebound in fuel prices, but a long-term exhaustion of oil production. We need to end our dependency on fossil fuels without it becoming the pretext for another wave of austerity.
Football Is Sinking in Crypto Snake Oil
Some of the world’s biggest football clubs are using their supporters’ loyalty to sell them blockchain assets, “fan tokens,” and NFTs. The crypto takeover of football promises to empower supporters — but in truth, it’s just marketing fluff for a web of pyramid schemes.
We’re in a Climate Crisis — But the Pipelines Keep Coming
Federal officials are approving fossil fuel projects that enrich shareholders, fleece customers, and exacerbate the climate crisis.
For Chobani’s Fair Trade Certification to Live Up to Its Promises, We’ll Need Organized Labor
Greek yogurt juggernaut Chobani touts its fair trade certification as proof that it treats its workers well. But fair trade certification glosses over the fundamentally unequal and exploitative power dynamics of bosses over workers, at Chobani and workplaces everywhere.
The Palestinian Novel After the Era of Mass Revolt
The history of the Palestinian novel cannot be separated from the broader political context of the struggle for liberation. As the emancipatory horizon in Palestine has diminished since the early 1980s, literature has shared in the sense of defeat.
Twenty Years of Horror at Guantánamo Bay
Twenty years since its opening, the United States continues to hold prisoners, most without charge, at Guantánamo Bay. The facility is an abomination that must be closed and its land returned to Cuba.
Cricket Has Always Been Shaped by Class Warfare
Discussing class in the context of cricket has long been taboo. But the maintenance of the class order in England serves as the driving force behind the sport’s development.
Portugal’s Election Will Decide If Working People Really Benefit From the Recovery
Today Portugal votes in snap elections, as prime minister António Costa seeks to end his center-left government’s reliance on far-left parties. If he succeeds, it will commit Portugal even further to a failed low-wage, low-investment model.
The British State Has Never Been Held Responsible for Bloody Sunday
Fifty years ago today, British soldiers killed 13 unarmed civilians on a civil rights march in Derry. Britain’s most senior judge, Lord Widgery, then published an official report on the massacre filled with lies, giving judicial sanction to murder.
In Mexico, MORENA Is on a Path to Win a Second Term
Andrés Manuel López Obrador has led MORENA through the first half of its six-year term. The party is on track to win six more years in office, but to secure victory AMLO must deliver on the energy and electoral reforms he has promised.
Trudeau’s Government Has Tried, and Failed, to Roll Back the Pink Tide
Justin Trudeau’s strategy in Latin America has been to attack the region’s progressive governments. He has failed miserably. Now, as left-wing governments mount successive wins across the region, Ottawa may find it played the wrong hand.
Mike Parker Knew Not to Trust the Boss
In the 1980s, corporations began promoting “quality of work life” and “lean production” schemes as a win-win for workers and bosses. But autoworker Mike Parker insisted these schemes were about better exploiting workers and undermining solidarity.
Teamsters Start the Year With a Bang, Demanding Better Contracts in Honor of MLK
The Teamsters’ Martin Luther King Jr Day mobilization was an encouraging early sign that recently elected union reformers intend to hit the ground running by organizing members around concrete contract demands. They’ll need that energy during contract negotiations in 2023.
The Tories Hate You
Banning protest, suppressing voters, and now diluting the Human Rights Act: the only right Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party cares about is its right to screw over British workers.
Will Gavin Newsom Pick Single-Payer or His Insurance Company Donors?
California governor Gavin Newsom is caught between his campaign pledge to establish a statewide single-payer health system and the private health care companies that bankroll him.
Getting Karl Marx and Friedrich Nietzsche Talking
Karl Marx believed in the self-emancipation of the working class, while Friedrich Nietzsche had nothing but disdain for the masses. But a provocative new book claims the two thinkers can be read together to develop a socialism for today.
Why Are Politicians and Media Fanning the Flames of War Panic in Ukraine?
Washington officials have been terrifying the world with warnings of an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine. But everyone else in a position to know seems pretty sure there isn’t one coming.