The New Dune Is Too Somber for Its Own Good
I can’t help but wonder what Denis Villeneuve's new Dune movie might have been had it chucked those handsome but cold visuals and embraced a wilder approach.
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British Miners Built Their Own Power and Culture. Deindustrialization Wiped It Away.
Miners’ labor militancy transformed British politics and culture in the twentieth century. Then neoliberalism destroyed coal miners’ institutions and communities, upending British politics at the entire working class’s expense.
Bolsonaro Massacred Brazilians. Brazil’s Senate Wants to Try Him for Crimes Against Humanity.
Far-right Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro’s refusal to act over COVID-19 doomed the country to a 600,000 death toll. This week, the Brazilian Senate voted to put him on trial — bringing hope he’ll finally be held to account for his murderous actions.
Don’t Forget to Worry About Inflation!
Throughout the inflationary years of the 1970s, nearly half of Americans saw rising prices as the most important problem facing the country. Today, despite the best efforts of inflation alarmists, only 5 percent of Americans think it is.
Bernie and Progressive Dems Can’t Succeed Without Mobilizing Their Supporters
The negotiations around the Build Back Better Act have consisted of one concession to moderates after another. The pattern won’t change without a strategy that plays to the progressive movement’s strengths.
The Socialist Dune?
Since its publication in 1965, Dune has been claimed by both Right and Left — but its political and ecological critiques make its return to the big screen apt for an era of capitalist crisis.
The Reconciliation Bill’s Gutting Is What Happens When Your Party Is Addicted to Corporate Money
The almost complete destruction of Democrats’ agenda in the reconciliation bill suggests that, despite some rhetoric to the contrary, the party is still intent on fulfilling Joe Biden’s promise to donors that “nothing would fundamentally change.”
Jeremy Corbyn’s Suspension Is a Monument to Keir Starmer’s Political Bankruptcy
British Labour chief Keir Starmer has now kept his predecessor suspended as a Labour MP on spurious grounds for an entire year. The ongoing saga of Corbyn’s suspension perfectly encapsulates the destructive and duplicitous nature of Starmer’s leadership.
Obama’s Failure to Adequately Respond to the 2008 Crisis Still Haunts American Politics
Meltdown, a new podcast from David Sirota and Alex Gibney, makes a compelling case that the failures of 2008 and 2009 — when Barack Obama had a chance to enact the visions of reform that swept him into office — are key to understanding American politics today.
Facebook Is Now Meta. And It Wants to Monetize Your Whole Existence.
Mark Zuckerberg’s turn toward the “metaverse” claims to put an extra digital layer on top of the real world. But Facebook’s new Meta brand isn’t augmenting your reality — it just wants to suck more money out of it.
New York’s Conflict Over Needles Is a Fight About What a City Is For
Economic elites and their press organs are up in arms over the decriminalization of syringe possession in New York. Beneath their reactionary bluster about “junkies” lies a stronger belief: that the purpose of a city is to provide investment opportunities for capital.
It’s Time to Put the Halloween Reboots Out of Their Misery
The second film in David Gordon Green and Danny McBride’s Halloween reboot can’t hold a candle to their 2018 installment — let alone the original.