String Theory
Oh, what a tangled web we weave . . .
Blog
Papist Plots
Conspiracy theories about the Vatican are as old as the Catholic Church itself. Here are some recent ones.
Speak of the Devil
In the 1980s, Christian groups alleged that countless popular songs contained Satanic messages that could only be heard when played backward. The truth is more mundane.
TV Writers Say They’re Striking to Stop the Destruction of Their Profession
Television shows across the country are going dark because their writers have walked off the job. The strikers say they had no choice but to walk, as new technology and the squeeze from executives have put their very livelihood in serious danger.
New York’s Left Eked Out a Few Victories in an Otherwise Dismal Austerity Budget
Socialists and progressives won a few key demands in the New York state budget battles. But overall, Gov. Kathy Hochul rammed through an awful budget that will make life much worse for the state of New York’s working class.
How Pete Seeger Turned Green
Socialist Pete Seeger, born on this day in 1919, is widely acknowledged to be one of America’s greatest folk singers. Less appreciated is his environmentalism, which he always saw as inextricable from his left-wing politics.
The Dark Money–Backed Supreme Court Is a Threat to Student Debt Relief
A Supreme Court case brought by six Republican attorneys general to kill Joe Biden’s student debt cancellation plan is neglecting key evidence. The dark money–backed court appears willing to disregard its judicial principles and strike the measure down anyway.
Joe Biden’s Reelection Campaign Is Off to an Uninspiring, Oligarch-Driven Start
After talking with grassroots organizers for six minutes last Thursday, Biden spent the weekend hobnobbing with his real constituents: the hedge fund managers and executives he’s going to spend the next eighteen months begging for money.
Tax Private Jets Into Oblivion
Private jet ownership and usage has actually grown in recent years. There’s no justification for this. It’s time to raise taxes on private jets.
Turkey’s Election Is About Democracy Itself
Even before February’s earthquake claimed 50,000 lives, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had presided over many disasters in Turkey. Defeating him in this month’s election is essential if the country is going to turn away from permanent authoritarian rule.
We Don’t Just Need Medicare for All — We Need a National Health System
The founders of Physicians for a National Health Program put single-payer health care on the map. Now, discussing the next phase of the movement, they say even single-payer won’t be enough to fix the problems caused by continued privatization.
Tonia Lechtman’s Life Embodied the Struggle for Human Dignity
Tonia Lechtman was a Polish Jewish communist who was deprived of her freedom by five different dictatorships. Her resilience in the face of oppression was built on a determination to build a world fit for human beings.