The Scientific World Is Far Too Obsessed With “Genius”
We’ve been conditioned to believe that scientific advances come from individual geniuses making breakthrough discoveries. That’s wrong.
19108 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.
Fernanda Melchor’s Novels Look Dispassionately at Violence and Poverty
Without moralizing, the Mexican writer Fernanda Melchor’s novels look unflinchingly at cruelty and poverty. Her work is a model for how to think about the ambiguity of human relations.
Democrats Are Still Boosting Antiabortion Congressman Henry Cuellar
A new super PAC run by top Democratic consultants just put a quarter of a million dollars behind Texas representative Henry Cuellar, who opposes abortion rights. With Roe v. Wade on the brink of being overturned, it’s unconscionable.
Joe Biden Is Delivering Big for the Border-Industrial Complex
Joe Biden may have dropped Trump’s racist justifications for a border wall, but the “border-industrial complex” is still alive and well — and still monstrously profitable.
With Abortion Rights Under Attack, Nancy Pelosi Is Siding With an Antiabortion Democrat
Even in the wake of news that Roe v. Wade may be overturned, the Democratic leadership is backing right-wing Texas representative Henry Cuellar against his primary opponent, Jessica Cisneros, a Berniecrat who favors abortion rights.
The Tories Gave Keir Starmer an Open Goal, but He Still Missed the Target
Last week’s election performance by the British Labour Party was deeply underwhelming. Despite enjoying every advantage, Keir Starmer has failed to convert a popular backlash against Boris Johnson’s government into support for his own plodding leadership.
The Two Souls of Pentecostalism
Early Pentecostal preachers railed against elites and uplifted the oppressed — a far cry from their recent efforts to elect right-wing populists like Donald Trump. There are deep contradictions at the heart of Pentecostalism, and they aren’t resolved yet.
Canada’s New Democratic Party Wants to Lower the Voting Age
Fearing the Left will sweep up the youth vote, conservatives have long opposed lowering the voting age — the worst possible rationale for refusing to expand the franchise.
Democrats Use Abortion Rights to Fundraise — but Don’t Fight to Protect Those Rights
The Supreme Court’s leaked ruling overturning Roe v. Wade is an antidemocratic abomination. The Democrats’ response so far has been a bad joke.
Texas Soldiers Are Unionizing After Facing Attacks by a Right-Wing Governor
In Texas, National Guard members faced painful cuts and absurd assignments by Republican governor Greg Abbott. So they did what many exploited workers before them have done: they organized a union.
Democrats’ Policymaking Apparatus Is Wildly Dysfunctional and Undemocratic
When Matt Bruenig realized a Democratic childcare proposal had major flaws, he did what seemed sensible: he publicly pointed out the bill’s flaws. Doing so set in motion a chain of events that reveals how Democrats turn bad ideas into bad policies.
Big Pharma Is Still Making Absurd Profits Off of the Pandemic
Pfizer is projected to rake in more than $50 billion from its COVID medicines this year. It’s a symbol of the drastic inequality created by a for-profit approach to global health.
I’m a Socialist, and I Just Beat the Labour Party in London’s Poorest Borough
In London’s poorest borough, I ran as an open socialist against the Labour Party to become mayor — and I won. Despite Labour’s conservative turn, the Left can win like I did: by going on the offensive.
The Australian Federal Election Offers a Choice Between Disaster and Disappointment
Scott Morrison is widely disliked, and his conservative government is divided, incompetent, and mired in corruption. Despite this, the Labor opposition’s platform is one of the most timid and conservative in memory.
By Gutting Its Own Public Universities, Alberta Is Showing Canada How to Destroy Education
Alberta’s premier, free-market champion Jason Kenney, is wreaking havoc on the province’s postsecondary education system — not just through cuts and privatizations but through a brutal reshaping of public education itself.
In France, a Left-Wing Bloc Is Uniting to Stop Macron
France’s Greens, Socialists, and Communists have joined a coalition supporting Jean-Luc Mélenchon for prime minister. He has proven that a transformative program is the best way to inspire millions — and to deny Emmanuel Macron a majority in parliament.
My Husband Died With Dignity. Everyone Should Have That Right.
My husband, Frank Cunningham, wanted nothing more than to live, but on his own terms. So when, at 81, his cancer made life unbearable, Frank thankfully had the choice to die peacefully. We all deserve that choice.
They’re Overturning Roe. We Should Overturn Their Power.
The Supreme Court’s impending decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is the product of plutocratic judges that serve right-wing interests over the wishes of the majority. There’s no clearer sign that we should radically curb the power of the Supreme Court.
Interest Rate Hikes Are Class War Against Workers
The Bank of England’s interest rate hike is an attempt to force the economy into a recession, increase unemployment, and lower wages even further. In other words, workers will be forced to pay even more for the cost of living crisis.
Workers in British Columbia Just Won Single-Step Union Certification
Before the anti-labor onslaught of the 1980s, union recognition in Canada was straightforward and democratic — all it took was a workplace majority to sign authorization cards. Now, decades later, workers in BC have won back this fundamental right.