On Friends, Foes, and the Thin Line Between Them

Nationalist Leader Promises a Self-Sufficient Romania

Far-right candidate Călin Georgescu pulled ahead in the first round of Romania’s presidential election last Sunday. His denunciation of “globalists” and the European Union is more rhetoric than practical program, but it resonated with many crisis-hit voters.

Leftist Elected Officials Should Always Vote No on the Military Budget

It should be a matter of course that self-identified leftist and progressive members of Congress should vote down the annual bloated, dangerous, war-profiteer bonanza that is the military budget.

Russia Beyond Supervillainy

In Russia, Vladimir Putin’s evil genius matters less than pressures from the ultrarich, US foreign policy, and the ravages of the neoliberal Yeltsin years.

Canada Is Showering Arms Dealers With Money While One in Four Can’t Afford Groceries

Soaring food costs are making it impossible for almost a quarter of Canadians to access basic groceries. Instead of strengthening safety nets, the Canadian government is lining the pockets of defense contractors.

Canada’s Military Trained Ukrainian Fascists. Now It’s Claiming “Russian Disinformation.”

A report from George Washington University reveals that the Canadian Armed Forces trained a far-right Ukrainian group. Despite corroboration by its own internal documents, the Canadian military is calling the report “Russian disinformation.”

Israel Is Brazenly Defying the Order to Prevent Genocide

Last Friday, the International Court of Justice directly ordered Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza and allow humanitarian aid. With its attack on UNRWA, Israel is blatantly violating that order, and the Biden administration has also put itself in the dock.

Socialists Fight for a Future Without War

War is nothing but organized killing, and there can be no justification for it. Today we must do what we can to support Ukrainian refugees and to show our solidarity with the brave protesters across Russia who insist that war is not carried out in their name.

Poland and Hungary Are Testing the Limits of the EU’s Liberalism

Before their illiberal turn, Poland and Hungary were lauded as postcommunist poster children. Both nations have combined moderately redistributive welfare states with attacks on civil liberties — but inflation is putting their growth model to the test.

Mikhail Lobanov Was Jailed Because Putin’s Cronies Are Afraid

Moscow-based socialist Mikhail Lobanov is a leading left-wing critic of Vladimir Putin. His jailing this Thursday reflects authorities’ determination to silence critics of the war, the disastrous effects of which are playing havoc on Russian society.

Persecuting Ordinary Russians Won’t End Putin’s War

Opposing Vladimir Putin’s horrific war in Ukraine is no reason to target ordinary Russians or Russian culture. Anti-Russian bigotry won’t bring peace to Ukrainians.

The Ukrainian Poet-Assassin Who Avenged the Pogroms and Got Away With Murder

Sholem Schwarzbard was an anarchist Yiddish-language poet from Ukraine. In 1926, he assassinated Ukrainian military commander Symon Petliura in revenge for deadly pogroms carried out by Petliura's armies in the Russian Civil War — and was found not guilty by a jury of his peers.

Keir Starmer Never Had Any Plans to Make Peace With the Left

Keir Starmer’s latest round of attacks on the Left should come as no surprise. He has made his career as a lackey for American imperialism and an opponent of socialists, inside and outside of the Labour Party.

Holding Putin Accountable Would Require an Actual Rules-Based World Order

Washington’s long-standing hostility to the International Criminal Court undermines any future war crimes prosecutions over Ukraine. If for no other reason, the US must join the rest of the world in accepting the court’s jurisdiction.

Russia’s Social Breakdown Isn’t the Product of a Unique National Psyche

Russia’s atomized citizenry and dysfunctional economy are often blamed on a unique national psyche. Yet the social breakdown in modern Russia is best explained in terms of its recent history, and the Soviet leadership’s failed response to its crises.

Impeachment Without Class Politics: An Autopsy

The impeachment proceedings are boring and will result in nothing — but they could have looked much different if the Democrats had pursued an impeachment focused on Trump’s flagrantly corrupt emoluments. The problem is, many House Democrats are incredibly rich themselves and don’t want to anger wealthy donors.

The European Union Was Designed to Stifle Democracy

Perry Anderson’s critical analysis of the European Union is a devastating indictment of liberal complacency. The EU is undemocratic by design, and we will have to confront it in order to transform a Europe riddled with inequality and exploitation.

Wartime Red-Baiting and Repression Paved the Way for Canada’s Current Suppression of Antiwar Voices

The historical repression of antiwar voices in Canada, often twinned with red-baiting, is resurfacing amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. This resurgence marks a worrying return to stifling dissent and limiting freedom of expression.

Ireland Should Resist the Pressure to Join the Western Military Bloc

Ireland’s neutrality policy has a complex history, but it has blocked Irish participation in disastrous wars and enabled some positive interventions in world affairs. We should resist pressure to scrap neutrality, whether or not it means formally joining NATO.

Noam Chomsky: “Every Time We Build Up Our Military Budget, We’re Attacking Ourselves”

In a new interview, Noam Chomsky discusses the hypocrisies of US empire and why, if we really wanted to build a decent society, we’d immediately slash the massive military budget.