Why Capitalism’s Origins Matter
A new book defends a Marxist theory of the origins of capitalism. Along the way it shows why understanding the transition from feudalism can help us make sense of the present.
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Anyone Noting Israel’s Crimes Will Be Accused of “Blood Libel”
Genocide apologists have declared the New York Times’s Nicholas Kristof’s report on Israeli soldiers’ rape of Palestinians is “blood libel.” If that sounds familiar, it’s because they’ve said the same thing for three years about every Israeli war crime.
We Need to Move Beyond Robot Doomerism
“The robots are coming” need not be understood as heralding the apocalypse. An automated society in which states and worker-owned enterprises use technology to serve public ends while meeting individual needs is entirely consistent with the good life.
Scotland Has No Escape Route From Britain’s Political Crisis
The Scottish National Party won its 5th consecutive term in office last week. But the party’s tepid brand of centrism still looks worn out, and the only big advances came for Reform on the right and the Greens on the left.
Montreal’s Guillotine Gate Is a Tempest in a Teapot
The pearl-clutching hysterics from Quebec’s chattering classes over a labor group’s decapitation of a papier-mâché dummy reveal less about political violence than about ruling-class fragility.
Boys, Beasts, and a Bloated Lord of the Flies
Jack Thorne’s Netflix adaptation of Lord of the Flies drowns William Golding’s brutal clarity in arty excess, muddled psychology, and a strangely sentimental plea for sympathy for boys.
Americans: We’re Broke. Donald Trump: No, You’re Not.
Donald Trump and the Republicans are insisting the economy is great and unhappy Americans are deluded. Just like Democrats under Joe Biden, they’re lying to themselves and everyone else — and will eventually pay the price.
Nobody Wants Data Centers in Their Backyard
New polling shows that most Americans hate the prospect of data centers being built in their communities. The opposition is entirely predictable, not least because data centers seem to offer little benefit to people living near them.
Trump’s Deportations of Palestine Activist Students Aren't Over
After successfully challenging deportation orders in court last year, Palestinian student activists Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Mahdawi are facing renewed attacks from the Trump administration. Their persecution is meant to chill political speech broadly.
British Fascist Tommy Robinson Is Taking to the Streets Again
September’s Unite the Kingdom rally was the largest far-right demonstration in modern British history. This Saturday, fascist influencer Tommy Robinson will again lead a vile mob through London streets, protected by police.
Philly Wants to Send a Socialist to Congress
Philadelphia congressional candidate Chris Rabb is candid about his democratic socialist politics, saying, “Socialists need to expose the role of both parties in our crisis and point toward a future where the working class holds power.”
Gustavo Petro’s Last Push to Phase Out Fossil Fuels
Colombia hosted a global summit on phasing out fossil fuels last month. Gustavo Petro’s left-wing government is confronting powerful oil and mining interests, but making Western countries follow suit is not easy.
Socialism Has a Future. Central Planning Doesn’t.
Central planners had a rational vision: replace the anarchy of the market with conscious coordination. Vivek Chibber explains why calculation and incentive problems undermined that vision, but a different sort of socialism can still flourish.
How Mohammed Mossadegh’s Liberal Anti-Imperialism Collapsed
In the 1950s, Iran’s secular government nationalized its oil reserves as part of its anti-imperialist agenda. Its overthrow by the US and UK, enabled by Iranian business and religious elites, paved the way for the reactionary revolution that later replaced it.
Corporate Democrats Still Don’t Understand Housing
Cambridge socialist City Councilor Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler argues that solving the housing crisis means building more homes while fighting for affordability and tenant power.
Abdallah A., a Nonperson Because of His Instagram Posts
Abdallah A. lived in Germany since he was two months old and last year gained German citizenship. But now he’s been stripped of it because of pro-Palestinian Instagram posts, in a disturbing legal case that points to the rise of citizenship-on-probation.
Zohran Mamdani’s Budget Is a Step in the Right Direction
Up against a governor who vowed not to tax the rich, Zohran Mamdani delivered a New York City budget that isn’t transformative but protects public goods and makes progress on his affordability agenda.
The Profit Motive Behind New Alzheimer’s Treatments
Big Pharma and industry-funded advocacy groups are promoting Alzheimer’s blood testing that could label millions of Americans as sick — despite dangerous treatments for early diagnoses of the disease.
Trump Wants Wall Street to Manage Your Retirement
Donald Trump is peddling a new plan that would steer Americans’ retirement dollars into Wall Street markets. Instead of shoring up the social safety net, financial experts warn that the White House is moving to privatize it.
The Surveillance Economy Is Here. This Is How We Fight Back.
Rejecting surveillance capitalism means insisting, clearly and unapologetically, that markets should serve the people — not the other way around, writes NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Commissioner Sam Levine.