Too Good to Be True

Publishers love a good story. And some of the best ones are completely bogus.

Stop the Arms Race Madness

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has fed calls for the West to radically step up its own military spending. An arms race only increases the risk of a conflict between China and the US — a global disaster that we must do everything in our power to prevent.

Germany Believes in Free Speech, but Not for Palestinians

This month, Palestinians mark the Nakba, the wave of ethnic cleansing that began their decades of displacement. But in Germany, trumped-up antisemitism allegations are being used to suppress the commemorations — showing that speech isn’t free for all.

How German Leftists Fell in Love with Arms Supplies

In Germany, even radical left-wingers who long distrusted state power are today calling for more tanks and jets for Ukraine. Lacking alternative solutions to the conflict, parts of the Left increasingly fall in behind the government’s call to rearm.

The Italian Communist Composer Who Wrote Revolutionary Music for the Working Class

Amid a historic upsurge of worker militancy in 1960s Italy, communist composer Luigi Nono turned his efforts to dramatizing the plight of exploited factory employees. The result was musically groundbreaking, and beloved by the workers who inspired it.

Israelism Is a Powerful Indictment of Pro-Apartheid Indoctrination

A new documentary called Israelism tells the story of young American Jews coming to question the narrative they were taught about “the only democracy in the Middle East.”

Daniel Bensaïd Breathed New Life Into Marxism for the 21st Century

The French Marxist thinker Daniel Bensaïd grappled with the history of socialist defeats to supply us with a road map for the present. The result was a brilliant reformulation of Marxism that can guide today’s left-wing movements in their struggles.

Israel Has Turned the Occupied Territories Into a Laboratory for State Terror

Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian territories has given it a special know-how in imposing military control over civilians. Governments around the world admire its example — and are ever keener to import its repressive technologies.

Only You Can Save Darfur

“Save Darfur” perfected a simple message: genocide is bad and must be stopped. But rather than examining the United States’ role in Sudan, it created a spectacle of American power and hierarchy.

The Life and Lies of George Santos

George Kennan Was No Friend of Democracy

Late in life, diplomat George Kennan became known as a “dove” on US-Russian relations. But after World War II his containment strategy played a major role subverting democracies in the name of fighting communism.

The Right Uses College Campuses as Its Training Grounds

Conservatives love to bemoan their supposed status as oppressed minorities in universities. But the college campus has long been a key site for the Right’s recruitment and training of future reactionary leaders and foot soldiers.

Germany’s Political Class Is Still Giving Unconditional Support to Israeli Apartheid

Israel’s far-right government has made its oppression of the Palestinians more blatant than ever. German politicians still won’t budge in their uncritical support for Israel, but public opinion in Germany is shifting in the opposite direction.

European Identity Isn’t an Antidote to Nationalism

The European Union’s supporters often call it an antidote to nationalism — yet today the bloc is hardening its borders against the outside world. With citizens unable to change its basic economic orientation, the EU is ever more obsessed by identity.

The “Happiness Industry” Is Anti-Political by Design

Happiness guru Arthur C. Brooks has found fertile ground in the self-help industry to disseminate his right-wing agenda, making a pretty penny convincing liberals that welfare programs and universal benefits have nothing to do with Americans’ well-being.

Left Politicians Are Showing How to Respond to the Horrors in Israel and Palestine

Democratic socialist politicians like Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib are right about the violence in Israel and Palestine: we should both be mourning civilian deaths and calling for an end to the Israeli occupation.

Liberal Centrism Won’t Stop Poland’s Descent Into Authoritarianism

For decades, Poland was held up as a successful example of transition to liberal democracy. But faced with the country’s slide into right-wing authoritarianism, the pitfalls of centrist politics are plain to see.

Europe’s Leaders Are Lining Up to Support Israel’s War on the People of Gaza

Israel’s government has declared war on Gaza’s civilians in the name of collective punishment, ordering them to flee their homes or face unrestrained violence. European leaders who have supported this war will bear responsibility for what happens next.

Cable News Keeps Inviting Defense Industry Shills to Explain the War on Gaza

As Israel mercilessly bombs Gaza, cable news channels are inviting defense officials turned industry consultants onto their shows to explain the war — and usually to justify the unjustifiable.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s Political Future May Be Over

Rather than bolster Benjamin Netanyahu in a “rally around the flag” effect, the October 7 attack on Israel has destroyed his standing with voters. Netanyahu's political career, which has fundamentally reshaped Israeli society, may be effectively finished.