Search Result(s) for: “Japan”
Not the Fall of Saigon — Its Liberation
Fifty years since the triumph of national liberation forces, Catalyst editor Vivek Chibber explores the true story of the Vietnam War — not as a tragedy of American overreach but as a triumph of Vietnamese resistance.
A Thousand Flowers for Ryuichi Sakamoto
After a spell in a Marxist youth movement, Ryuichi Sakamoto’s constantly inventive music came to soundtrack the consumerist mania of the 1980s Japanese boom. But in his most recent work, the late composer turned back to experimentation and activism.
Corporate Interests Are Inflaming US-China Tensions
In a global economy defined by overproduction and underconsumption, American and Chinese corporations are struggling to extract profits from developing nations. Without massive wealth redistribution, consumption won’t return to stable levels.
“I am not here as the accused, I am here as the accuser of capitalism”
100 years ago today Scottish socialist John Maclean, accused of sedition for his revolutionary organising, delivered an iconic defence of socialism from the dock.
A Corporate Kidnapping Case Confirms That the Bad Times Are Already Here
A newly translated best-selling Japanese crime novel set in the 1990s fictionalizes the real-life kidnapping of a candy company CEO. It’s as comprehensive a critique of postwar Japanese society as can fit in a mystery-genre story.
The World Survived the Cold War Because It Feared Nuclear War
Many thought that, with the end of the Cold War, the world had seen the last of big-power nuclear brinksmanship. But the Ukraine crisis has revealed that leaders have forgotten the lessons of that era.
We Shouldn’t Underestimate the Incredible Danger Posed by the Taiwan Crisis
The media isn’t conveying how serious the Taiwan situation is. China is willing to fight for the island — possibly with tactical nuclear weapons — and if war comes to the Taiwan Strait, the US has a high chance of losing.
Kobayashi and the Class Struggle
The stories of Japanese communist Takiji Kobayashi represent the best of proletarian literature.
It’s Not Just Trump
You can't understand the North Korean conflict without understanding the history of US imperialism.
The US Started Both the Old and New Cold Wars
In an interview with Jacobin, Vivek Chibber discusses why the US desire for global dominance was responsible for the Cold War — and why the United States is inflaming new rivalries with Russia and China today.
Making the World Safe for Big Business
The Trans-Pacific Partnership is about expanding US hegemony in East Asia.
A Guide to the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Attacks
Today in 1945, the United States committed one of the most horrific atrocities in military history. Why?
On Shōgun
FX’s miniseries Shōgun takes place at the time of first contact between Europeans and the Japanese people.
The Rebellion in Hong Kong Is Intensifying
Massive demonstrations in Hong Kong have forced the government to shelve a bill that could muzzle dissident voices. But the protesters are still on the streets — and they’re demanding the resignation of Hong Kong’s chief executive.
The World After American Decline
Donald Trump has abandoned the project of neoliberal globalization in a desperate bid to reverse America’s decline. It’s cut the ground from underneath Washington’s junior partners and left the European Union floundering.
The Return of Nuclear Proliferation
A recent article in the establishment security journal Foreign Affairs makes the case for nuclear proliferation among America’s allies. Not only are its arguments unsound, but they also understate the willingness of the US’s rivals to respond in kind.
Remaking Globalization for an Era of Trade Wars
Few economists have had a greater impact on the way we talk about global trade and China’s role in the world economy than Michael Pettis. He spoke to Jacobin about Donald Trump’s tariffs and why inequality is at the heart of the trade war.
“The Police Know Guerrilla Warfare”
The violent state of US policing cannot be understood apart from the country’s Cold War crusade. During those decades, cops at home and military personnel abroad exchanged techniques and tactics to mete out repression and thwart leftist insurgencies.
The Olympics Is a Racket
The world’s top athletes coming together in a spirit of friendly competition is a beautiful vision. But the Olympics have become a machine for the ruthless extraction of profit at the expense of working-class people.