Why the Green New Deal Has Failed — So Far
The Green New Deal program has enormous potential to generate mass popular support. But absent real leverage from labor, it's likely to be continually watered down into a toothless slogan for NGOs.
495 Search Results for: Barack Obama
“Jess La Bombalera” and the Pathologies of Racial Authenticity
Simply put, Jessica Krug was a minstrel act, a racist caricature. But while Krug’s persona was certainly offensive, what’s far more offensive is that there is a demand for this kind of performance in liberal academic circles.
Collusion Is in the Eye of the Beholder
Russiagate looks less like a righteous crusade for truth and justice and more like the typical shenanigans for which the FBI and US security state have long been known: prosecutorial overreach, entrapment, and the criminalization of foreign policy dissent.
The Politics of a Second Gilded Age
The mass inequality of America’s first Gilded Age thrived on identity-based partisanship, helping extinguish the fires of class rage. In 2021, we’re headed down the same path.
Joe Biden Isn’t an Electable Candidate
Donald Trump couldn’t ask for a better competitor for the presidency than Joe Biden, whose strategy appears to be a rerun of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign minus the brainpower. Biden isn’t the “electable” candidate — Bernie Sanders is.
The Long-Term Dangers of Joe Biden’s Terrible Campaigning for President
Joe Biden may indeed win in November. But he has run an inconsequential and pathetic campaign — one that could pose enormous dangers in the coming years.
Liberals Don’t Understand the American Empire
The Trump presidency briefly made liberals critics of US actions around the world — but now he’s gone, they’re back to believing America is the solution to the destruction it creates.
Bernie and the Millennials
The New Yorker is wrong. Young people are attracted to Bernie Sanders because of economic insecurity, not naive idealism.
The Cops Can Be Defeated — But Not by Taking Obama’s Advice
Barack Obama recently lectured protesters about the need to move past protesting and focus on electing Democrats. The former president misunderstands the power of protest, which is not just to “raise awareness,” but to actually disrupt the institutions that control policy and force them to make concessions.
Political Elites Aren’t Worried About Inflation
With the passage of a $2 trillion stimulus bill, deficit-phobia appears to be waning in Washington. But it’s not because lawmakers have been won over to redistributive policies — it’s because they think the working class is too weak to set off inflation.
No Quarter for Trump
President Trump has so many groups at home and abroad in his crosshairs, and he intends to pull the trigger. It is our responsibility to fight back.
No More Eric Garners
To end police violence, we must end policing as we know it.
Neoliberalism? Never Heard of It
The latest liberal parlor game is pretending there’s no such thing as neoliberalism. The game’s very popularity highlights neoliberalism’s enduring hegemony.
Kamala Harris’s Student Loan Forgiveness Flop
Kamala Harris’s student debt forgiveness plan is a joke. But it won’t be the last time she puts out policy proposals that masquerade as social justice initiatives but accomplish little. It’s what Obama and many Democrats before him did — only now, millions of people aren’t buying it.
What’s Next After Keystone XL?
The rejection of the Keystone XL is a victory for the planet. But it's also a reminder of how much more needs to be done.
Winnie Mandela (1936-2018)
Through her fearlessness and charisma, Winnie Mandela came to be seen by the people of South Africa’s townships as the Mother of the Nation.
Former Obama Staffer Jay Carney Is Amazon’s Top Flack
Jay Carney went from being Barack Obama’s press secretary to being Amazon’s top flack. But PR is only part of his job — his larger mission is to help Amazon ruthlessly exploit its workforce so it can expand endlessly.
Trump’s Record on Foreign Policy: Lost Wars, New Conflicts, and Broken Promises
Donald Trump claims he’s ending the “era of endless wars.” But over the course of his first term, he has come closer to starting new wars than ending the wars he inherited.
The 2024 DNC: All Vibes, Little Substance
The DNC revealed a Democratic Party still in love with the Obamas. The fantasy is that Kamala Harris will be a reboot. Brat summer is cooling — are you ready for an Obama autumn, heavy on feeling good and light on political substance?