We Should Immediately Nationalize SpaceX and Starlink
The slap fight between Donald Trump and Elon Musk has highlighted the absurdity of keeping so much of our space program and satellite internet infrastructure in the hands of a single oligarch.
19271 Articles by: Wouter van de Klippe
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Wouter van de Klippe is a freelance journalist and writer based in Europe. He is particularly interested in organized labor, social and environmental justice, and social welfare states.
The True Cost of Trump’s Golden Dome
Donald Trump’s federal budget includes massive increases in military spending, including funding for a Star Wars–esque missile defense system known as the “Golden Dome.” Both Trump and the media are likely underestimating the cost of this boondoggle.
Why Couldn’t John Sweeney’s AFL-CIO Revive US Labor?
In 1995, new AFL-CIO director John Sweeney had an ambitious plan to organize millions of new union members. As labor’s fortunes continue to decline 30 years later, understanding what went wrong in the Sweeney years may offer clues as to the path forward.
The Crime of Treating Housing as a Commodity
In New York City, working-class tenants are often victimized by predatory landlords. Their horror stories show the need for radical housing reform inside and outside the city.
South Korea’s New President Won’t End Its Political Crisis
Liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung won a comfortable victory in South Korea’s snap presidential election. But far-right forces are still gaining strength, especially among young men attracted by misogynist scapegoating of women.
Trump Mania Has Turned Democrats Into Confused Flip-Floppers
The irony of Democrats reducing their entire politics to reflexive opposition to Donald Trump is that, as a result, Trump now faces no credible opposition.
The Australian Greens Are Staying the Course
May’s federal election delivered a setback for the Greens, Australia’s largest left-wing party. But they’re doubling down on a program centered around the cost-of-living crisis and redistribution.
Can We Rebuild Mass-Membership Political Parties?
Today advocacy groups and consultants influence political parties more than voters and members. In The Great Retreat, political scientist Didi Kuo shows that this has hollowed out democracy and facilitated the rise of the Right.
The Fatal Flaws of the Futureless Left
The rise of doomers, preppers, and antinatalists on the Left reveals something deeper than the hollow posture of rebellion: a collapse of belief in tomorrow. A Left that chants “No future” isn’t just demoralized — it’s unserious, misanthropic, and bound to lose.
The FDA Is Approving Drugs Without Evidence They Work
Over the last several decades, the Food and Drug Administration has allowed pharma companies to sell hundreds of drugs to patients without adequate evidence that they work and, in many cases, with clear signs that they pose a risk of serious harm.
Ignore Elon Musk. Pay Attention to Russell Vought.
Elon Musk has been shown the door in the Trump White House. His erratic behavior and cringe antics made him an easy target for the media. But Musk was always carrying out Project 2025 author Russell Vought’s agenda — and Vought is still very much in power.
Karl Korsch and the Lost Futures of European Marxism
Karl Korsch was one of the most brilliant figures of interwar German Marxist culture before it was shattered by the rise of Nazism. His death in 1961 came just before the New Left began to rediscover his contribution to Marxist theory.
Democrats Are Going Extinct in Kentucky’s Coal Country
The last rural Democrat in Kentucky’s state senate just switched parties. Robin Webb is wrong that Republicans better represent her coal-country constituents, but she’s right that Democrats lost interest in them long ago.
The Bandung Conference Was a Symbol of Global Liberation
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Bandung Conference that brought together delegates from African and Asian countries as they were breaking free from colonial rule. Bandung became a touchstone for solidarity across the Global South.
To Unionize Amazon, Disrupt the Flow
Organizing logistics behemoths like Amazon and Walmart will require the labor movement to figure out how to disrupt the flow of goods across the supply chain rather than simply organizing individual workplaces — and that requires a major rethinking of organizing strategy.
France Can’t Ban Solidarity With Palestine
Emmanuel Macron’s government is calling for a ban on one of France’s largest Palestine solidarity campaigns. The proposal is repression of free speech — and makes a mockery of Macron’s attempt to sound more critical of Israeli crimes.
In Poland, Liberalism Takes Yet Another Hit
Establishment candidate Rafał Trzaskowski had the perfect résumé to become Poland’s centrist, pro-European president. His defeat to the hard-right Karol Nawrocki reflects the liberal establishment’s evaporating support among the middle and working classes.
Corporate Money Is Flooding NYC Council Elections
The last few years have seen corporate interests and pro-Israel groups teaming up to try to crush left-wing congressional candidates and challengers. Now that same strategy is rearing its head way down ballot: in the New York City Council elections.
The Economist Who Solved the Free-Rider Problem
Defenders of capitalism argue that cooperation is undermined by individuals’ tendency to take more from society than they contribute. The economist Elinor Ostrom refuted this idea, but without identifying capitalism as the real cause of exploitation.
The IP Machine Laughs at Itself
Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg mock Hollywood’s creative collapse in The Studio — while continuing to churn out sequels, reboots, and branded spin-offs.