America Broke Iraq Up Into Sectarian Pieces
Ghaith Abdul-Ahad’s A Stranger in Your Own City is a powerful account of the invasion and occupation of Iraq and its catastrophic effects on the Iraqi people. Every American should read it.
19097 Articles by: Zola Carr
Zola Carr is a doctoral candidate at Columbia University, working on a dissertation on the development of experimental brain implants for psychiatric disorder.
Joe Biden Has the Political Space to Push for a Cease-Fire in Gaza. He Just Doesn’t Want To.
Joe Biden’s steadfast support for Israel puts him in more political peril than calling for a cease-fire would. Either he doesn’t realize there’s a new political reality or he simply doesn’t care.
Socialist Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani Wants to End Columbia and NYU’s Tax-Exempt Status
Columbia and New York University are two of NYC’s biggest landowners, but they pay almost nothing in property taxes. Socialist state legislator Zohran Mamdani has proposed a bill to change that — and put the funds toward the city’s underfunded public colleges.
Let Bradley Cooper’s Maestro Be the Death of the Biopic
In Maestro, Bradley Cooper plays famed conductor Leonard Bernstein, but the film leaves out the complicating — and fascinating — real-life details for a more streamlined, tear-jerking product. It will doubtless do well at the Oscars.
Giorgia Meloni and Rishi Sunak’s Anti-Migrant Line Is the New Mainstream
Giorgia Meloni and Rishi Sunak’s extremist views on immigration are quickly finding foothold among European centrists, in a desperate, xenophobic attempt to create political blocs ahead of the European elections in June.
MORENA’s Next Chapter Will Be Written by Leftist Women
In Mexico, AMLO’s protégé, Claudia Sheinbaum, holds an overwhelming lead in the polls for the presidency, while Clara Brugada is aiming to become mayor of Mexico City. They will help determine whether the party has a future beyond AMLO.
The Miners’ Fight in Their Own Words
Based on the accounts of nearly 150 people directly involved in the 1984-85 miners’ strike, Robert Gildea’s new book is a powerful retelling of the seismic struggle that has divided Britain for decades.
Canada’s New Just Transition Bill Can Support Green Jobs or Greenwash — It Can’t Do Both
Justin Trudeau’s Sustainable Jobs Act, hailed by unions, is a good step toward a just transition. But if the Liberals cave to Conservative opposition, it will be yet another party policy failure and will achieve nothing but greenwashing for the oil sector.
A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin Have a Model for Today
Bayard Rustin and A. Philip Randolph’s Jobs and Freedom Strategy offers a path forward for a Left that has become increasingly insular, minoritarian, and powerless.
Vermont’s New AFL-CIO President Is a Democratic Socialist and Labor Reformer
Katie Maurice is a Democratic Socialists of America member and labor activist. She was recently elected president of the Vermont AFL-CIO on a platform of boosting rank-and-file participation and building power outside the Democratic Party.
To Crush Left-Wing Organizing, Canada Embraced Ukrainian Nazi Collaborators
Canada’s Nazi ovation gaffe in the House of Commons was just the tip of the iceberg. For years, the country deliberately admitted World War II Nazi collaborators in the hopes of dismantling political radicalism and suppressing labor militancy.
Continuing the Debate on Sweden’s Pandemic Response
In Sweden, a center-left government’s pandemic response emphasized individual choice over state intervention.
The Class Politics of Race
In Not So Black and White, Kenan Malik rewrites the history of the idea of race, demonstrating how identity politics is, despite its radical patina, a deeply conservative ideology.
Here Are the Big Union Contract Fights Looming in 2024
This past year saw a number of historic contract battles, from UPS to the Big Three automakers to Hollywood film and TV studios. Several big contract fights may be on the horizon in 2024 — here are some of the big contract expirations to watch.
Instead of Taking Trump Off the Ballot, Democrats Should Run a Better Candidate
The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled to remove Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 election ballot. The attempt will likely fail and backfire — but it’s indicative of American liberalism’s current distaste for the unpredictable messiness of democracy.
Identity Politics Is a Poor Substitute for Socialism
In No Politics but Class Politics, Walter Benn Michaels and Adolph Reed show how an identity politics that obscures class politics and ignores economic inequality only makes the many miseries around us worse.
The German Peasants’ War Was Europe’s Biggest Social Revolt Before the French Revolution
Five centuries ago, Germany experienced a massive popular revolt that spread through the countryside and towns. The German lords drowned the revolt in blood, but the popular demands for freedom and equality have resonated right up to the present day.
Real Wages Have Declined Under Joe Biden’s Presidency
Though inflation-adjusted wage growth resumed earlier this year, real wages are still down overall since Joe Biden took office. It’s not crazy to suppose that this could be affecting people’s attitudes toward the economy.
Bandcamp’s New Owner Has Gone After the Company’s Unionized Workforce
Bandcamp was meant to be an alternative to the corporate behemoths of music’s streaming age, giving a better deal to independent artists. But the company’s new owner, Songtradr, has suddenly laid off half its workers, putting Bandcamp’s future in jeopardy.
For Europe’s Left, International Solidarity Is More Rhetoric Than Reality
Through years of austerity, Europe’s radical-left parties spoke of a common challenge to EU neoliberalism. But without any real shared strategy, parties focused on domestic politics are rarely able to build collaboration across borders.