The Streetcar Hustle
We need bold new transit projects. But Bill de Blasio’s streetcar plan shows we won't get them by catering to private developers.
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How Sean McElwee’s “Normie-Progressive Theory of Change” Doomed Samelys López
The story of how one extremely wrong Data for Progress poll kneecapped a socialist congressional candidate in the Bronx.
A “Red-Red-Green” Coalition in Germany: A Nice Idea, But Not Very Likely
With the announcement that Olaf Scholz will lead Germany’s SPD into the 2021 elections, chances for a revival of social democracy in the heart of Europe appear grim. But prospects for the radical-left Die Linke aren’t looking much better, either — stalling hopes of a break with Christian Democratic dominance.
The Polish Right Can Be Defeated
The success of Poland’s right-wing Law and Justice Party is alarming, but there is room for left alternatives to grow.
Cautionary Tales From the New Left
In a new memoir, New Left leader Michael Ansara wants to impart lessons from his own time as a campus activist to today’s protesters. But his later role in a corruption scandal that set back Teamsters reform for decades offers its own cautionary lessons.
The EU Comes Out of Its Elections Weaker and Meaner
Analysis of June’s European elections widely highlighted the rise of far-right parties. But the campaign also capped a much deeper shift: an EU trapped in a mood of decline and able to offer few forward-looking projects other than militarizing its borders.
Assessing AMLO: The Presidential Years
Despite powerful enemies at home and in the United States, Mexico’s left-populist former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador managed to not only win power but deliver on his promises to workers and the poor.
Common Nonsense
Extinction Rebellion’s cofounder Roger Hallam wants a mass revolt against climate change. But while his new book calls for activists to engage in “disruption” against politicians, it offers no blueprint for the workers who have the power to transform the economic structures that created our climate crisis.
Regrounding Hollywood
Gravity points us back to the sensation cinema practices of the silent era, and it’s dimly possible that the American film industry might save itself by learning, or re-learning, from them.
France Needs a President Who Isn’t for the Bosses
France’s first presidential debate on Thursday was hosted by employers’ group Medef. Entrepreneurs laughed when left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon called for wage raises, but he was deadly serious.
Worker Power Is the Only Solution to Canada’s Health Care Nightmare
In Canada, understaffed ERs, crumbling hospitals, and a government playing Russian roulette with public health have become the norm. At this critical juncture, the need for worker-led strategies in the health sector has never been more pressing.
Richmond Progressive Alliance’s Lessons for Local Organizers
It doesn’t often make national headlines, but the city of Richmond, California, has been home to a successful progressive political reform project in recent years. Here are ten lessons for other municipal reformers from the Richmond Progressive Alliance.
The Cuban Revolution Was a Revolution in Art and Culture
The Cuban Revolution was not just a transformation of the county’s political-economic order. It was a revolution in culture as well, bringing literacy to the masses and inspiring diverse artistic and intellectual ferment.
Anne Applebaum’s Dystopia of Rules
Anne Applebaum made her name on the Right, but conservatives’ illiberal turn created rifts between her and her former comrades. In Autocracy, Inc., she takes the side of liberalism against authoritarianism but misidentifies the causes of global disorder.
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.
The People’s Cult
Over 900 died at Jonestown in 1978 in a murder-suicide that shook the world. How did Peoples Temple go from emancipatory project to disaster?
Barboncino Workers Are Forming New York City’s First Unionized Stand-Alone Pizzeria
Workers at the Crown Heights pizzeria Barboncino are organizing a union with Workers United. It would be the first pizzeria of its kind to go union in New York — and perhaps not the last.
Private Equity’s New Venture: Youth Sports
Backed by Wall Street, the company Black Bear Sports Group is tightening its grip on youth sports. In a scheme only private equity could dream up, parents now can’t record their kids’ games — but they can pay a steep price to watch corporate recordings.
New York City Paraprofessionals Need More
Half a century ago, New York City paraprofessional educators waged a campaign to win their first contract as part of the teachers union. It’s a history the union can draw on to win needed advances for paras today.
Hollywood’s End Times
Independence Day: Resurgence reflects how little vision Hollywood — and neoliberalism — have left.