Assessing the Damage of New York City’s Budget
The theatrics of this year’s New York City budget brought to mind the fiscal and political conflicts of the 1970s — and the need to find a new vision for New York beyond austerity.
19691 Articles by: Yi San
Yi San is a freelance writer based in New York.
How Do We Act Morally in the Face of Climate Change?
As climate change produces more misery and fossil fuel capitalists refuse to stop releasing carbon, we will increasingly confront the question asked by Chuck Collins in his new novel: What does moral action look like against such an immoral status quo?
Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe’s Post-Marxism Can’t Give Us a Political Strategy
Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe claimed to have identified the fatal flaw of Marxism and developed a better framework for left politics. But their taboo against class “essentialism” means they can’t identify the strengths and weaknesses of capitalist power.
This Bastille Day, Narendra Modi Is Being Feted in Paris
Bastille Day is meant to be about freedom, equality, and brotherhood. But this July 14, Emmanuel Macron is rolling out the red carpet for India’s far-right premier — showing how little France’s military alliances conform to its supposed values.
This Little-Known Corporation Is Making a Fortune Kicking People Off Medicaid
As more than 17 million people stand to lose health insurance in the unfolding Medicaid eligibility review disaster, a little-known company called Maximus is set to make massive profits off of helping the government deny people health insurance.
Cynicism Made Janet Malcolm a Great Writer
Janet Malcolm had a talent for cynicism, which she marshaled readily in herself and took pleasure at uncovering in others. In her final book, Still Pictures, she asked whether the personal and emotional costs she paid for her success were worth it.
Dockworkers in Canada Have Shut Down the Country’s Critical West Coast Ports
Longshore wages and job security have declined while profits for terminal operators on Canada’s west coast have soared. Now 7,400 workers from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union are striking across 30 ports, fighting against job and wage cuts.
AOC Shouldn’t Have Endorsed Joe Biden
Leading left-wing politicians including Bernie Sanders, Ilhan Omar, and, most recently, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have already endorsed Joe Biden — even though primary voters haven’t yet had their say and most Democrats in polls don’t even want him to run.
Israel Has Turned the Occupied Territories Into a Laboratory for State Terror
Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territories has given it a special know-how in imposing military control over civilians. Governments around the world admire its example — and are ever keener to import its repressive technologies.
The Right Has Flipped the Real Vaccine Scandal on Its Head
The real outrage isn’t that people can get vaccinated, but that due to pharmaceutical greed and government inaction, billions of people can’t.
Germany’s Support for Ukraine Faces Doubts on the Home Front
NATO’s Vilnius summit is placing fresh demands on Germany to increase its military aid to Ukraine. Foreign Minister Anne Baerbock speaks stridently of the West’s role in the war — but Germans are increasingly reticent about it.
Redistribution Can Address the Cost-of-Living Crisis
Mainstream economists claim that we can only cure inflation if workers and the poor have less to spend. Instead, we need to think outside the box — by turning to tax-funded wealth redistribution and limits on profiteering.
Stop With the Political “Frenemies” Nonsense
The trend of political “frenemies” uniting to debate across partisan lines isn’t indicative of a triumph of humanity over politics, but rather how much the center-right and center-left agree on stoking more inequality, war, and rewards for elites.
The Arguments Against Student Debt Forgiveness Are All Bunk
There are very good reasons the US government should forgive student loan debt — not just for the debtors themselves, but for working-class people without college degrees too.
Littering Ukraine With Cluster Bombs Is Not Solidarity
Cluster bombs are banned by most of the world, US allies are opposed to their use, and Russia was widely condemned for deploying them over the last year. So why is the Biden administration sending them to Ukraine?
Adam Pickets Everything
During the ongoing Hollywood writers’ strike, comedy writer Adam Conover has been a constant presence on picket lines and on social media, explaining what’s at stake for strikers and how the union plans to win. We spoke to him about the strike.
RIP Alan Arkin, Hollywood’s Last Brilliant Mensch
Actor, director, musician, and certified New York “red diaper baby” Alan Arkin (1934–2023) was the rare Hollywood talent whose onscreen genius grew out of his own innate warmth and kindness.
Socialism Can Help Contain Humanity’s Worst Impulses and Encourage Our Best
Many critics of socialism claim that our nature as humans is too flawed and selfish for socialism to work. They’re getting things exactly backward. We need socialism to protect against human cruelty and encourage human kindness.
An Asian Clone of the IMF Won’t Solve Global Inequality
An Asian challenger to the International Monetary Fund has garnered support from China. But without a radical departure from the existing neoliberal model, more of the same international development financing isn’t the answer.
Boots Riley’s I’m a Virgo Is a Blast of Fresh Air
I’m a Virgo is a superhero satire about a 13-foot-tall black teenager making his way in Oakland. It’s far more wild and surprising than almost anything we normally see on TV.