A War for Oil?
What Donald Trump wants from Venezuela’s oil fields is not money but power.
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The Iraq War Playbook, Now for Iran
The Trump administration's recent bombing of Iran suggests that elites have failed to learn the lessons of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
We Rarely See Films as Fresh as I Love Boosters
Boots Riley’s remarkably easy confidence and visual flair in I Love Boosters is a tonic in an era of boring CGI slop. He’s one of the most compelling filmmakers working today.
The Panamanian Right’s Dirty Alliance
Panamanians have taken to the streets to protest neoliberal austerity, Canadian mining, and US military presence. Raúl Mulino’s right-wing government, closely allied with North American interests, has responded by arresting thousands.
Climate Apartheid
When the wealthy are able to insulate themselves from the worst effects of climate breakdown, the poor are forced to bear the costs of a crisis they did not cause.
Khalid Bakdash and the Tragedy of Syrian Communism
Khalid Bakdash became the first communist MP in any Arab country when he was elected to the Syrian parliament in the 1950s. Bakdash’s party was once a major political force, but it faded into irrelevance after forming a coalition with the ruling Baʿathists.
Donald Trump Rules Over a GOP in Disarray
The electoral victories of Donald Trump and remaking of the Republican Party in his image can’t hide a basic fact: his party is fractured and weak.
For 50 Years, Morocco Has Denied Western Sahara Freedom
Morocco has illegally occupied Western Sahara for half a century. From Henry Kissinger to Donald Trump, US government officials have worked tirelessly to help the Moroccan monarchy maintain its oppressive rule over the Sahrawi people.
Defend Cuba From US Efforts to Crush It
Donald Trump’s efforts to blockade Cuba’s fuel supply aim to create chaos. Now more than ever, Cuba needs practical international solidarity to resist US imperialist bullying.
A Post-Order World
As US power declines, it is destroying the norms and institutions that once organized its international projection of authority. While the US is losing its leadership role, no single power is replacing it as a global hegemon.
AI Hype Is Real. So Is AI Risk.
Bernie Sanders and AI whistleblowers warn that the tech poses grave risks to humanity, while many on the Left call this alarm “criti-hype” — an exaggeration of AI’s power that benefits Big Tech. But AI poses real dangers that we can’t afford to ignore.
The Women Who Fought Japan’s Empire
Japanese colonialism is infamous for its brutalization of women, abducted and forced into sex slavery. Less known is women’s role in fighting against the Japanese Empire, brilliantly brought to life in two recent novels.
Donald Trump Is Making Canada Nationalistic Again
Donald Trump’s latest musings about annexing Canada have put Canadian right-wing populists in an awkward position. As Pierre Poilievre and Doug Ford embrace nationalistic rhetoric, they’re also hedging their bets to keep trade and defense ties intact.
How the US Intervened to Sabotage Angola’s Independence
Fifty years ago today, Angola gained its independence after centuries of Portuguese domination. But US officials like Henry Kissinger were already working hard to orchestrate a devastating proxy war that snuffed out the hopes of national liberation.
Germany’s New Chancellor Is a Man Without Qualities
Friedrich Merz, Germany’s new chancellor, is the worst possible man for the job. Throughout his career, he has held a dogged commitment to a neoliberal ideology that has destroyed Europe’s social fabric.
Between the Donroe and Carney Doctrines
At Davos, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney set fire to liberal platitudes. His actual politics, however, do quite the opposite.
“Elbows Up” in the Shadow of the US
Canada’s new declarations of independence disguise continued economic and cultural reliance on its threatening neighbor. From Mark Carney’s trade diplomacy to the literati’s self-congratulation, Canada can’t imagine a freedom that isn’t defined by the US.
Sven Beckert’s History of Capitalism Is Too Light on Theory
Sven Beckert’s Capitalism: A Global History ranges impressively over time and space, from medieval Yemen to modern-day Cambodia. But we need a clearer political economy of capitalism to make sense of the material that he provides us with.
The Thailand-Cambodia War Was About Shoring Up Elite Power
Thailand and Cambodia shocked observers by going to war last month. The destructive border conflict doesn’t stem from an upsurge of popular nationalism: the political elites in both countries needed a distraction to shore up their flagging legitimacy.
The Big Tech Deep State
Digital technology was sold as a liberating tool that could free individuals from state power. Yet the state security apparatus always had a different view — and now it’s taking back control of its own creation.