The Gospel According to Mark Fisher
A new collection of the late critic Mark Fisher’s essays imparts three vital lessons: society exists, capitalism is not forever, and the Left must fight to win.
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The Limits of “Experiencing” the Climate Crisis
While most of the world bakes, burns, and floods, the US East Coast, the cockpit of American capitalism, has largely avoided extreme weather events, lulling many into a false sense of security. Confronting the climate crisis requires thinking beyond our everyday experiences.
We Must Call a Coup a Coup
In November, the Bolivian military forced Evo Morales to step down: the classic definition of a coup. Despite the evidence, some commentators — even on the Left — have failed to identify it for what it was: an elite plot to oust a progressive president whose program of reforms had transformed the lives of many of the country’s most excluded people.
No, Liberal Pundits: Joe Biden Hasn’t Actually Been a Progressive All Along
In the latest media parlor game, the players try to convince each other that Joe Biden could actually campaign as a progressive. We already know the answer: he can't, because his record is so abysmal.
“Patriotism” Is a Dead End for the Left
Labour’s new leader, Keir Starmer, wants the Left to embrace patriotism. But rather than bowing to the totems of faith and flag, Labour should be drawing on the best of its own traditions — those of dissent, mutual aid, and a radical solidarity that refuses to be content with inequality or injustice.
Joe Biden’s Promises Were Meant to Be Broken
Contrary to the rosy predictions of liberal pundits, Joe Biden has not embraced the Left or its priorities. The only viable left strategy under a Biden administration will be one of confrontation.
Donald Trump Was a Monster Forged by the American Free Market
Donald Trump is the grotesque embodiment of market principles. In climbing back from his disastrous four years, one of our aims must be to wrest back democracy from the market.
Here’s What We Learned About the Far Right From Donald Trump’s Presidency
Despite his authoritarian tendencies, Donald Trump never came close to dragging us into fascism. But he did drag us further toward a xenophobic, anti–working-class, right-wing-populist abyss. Those forces will continue to destroy American and global politics — if we don’t take them on and defeat them.
There’s Never Been a Better Time to Abolish the Monarchy
Conservatives on both sides of the Atlantic love Britain’s monarchy because “royals” are emotionally potent mascots of extreme inequality and deference. There’s no reason this heinously undemocratic institution should exist.
Right-Wing Billionaire Ken Griffin Is Florida’s Problem Now
The Citadel CEO spent $179 million trying to make Illinois a conservative hellscape. Now he’s taking his talents to South Beach.
Canada’s Noxious Conservatives Are Duking It Out for Party Leadership
The position of Canada’s Conservative Party boss is up for grabs. On offer from the three front-runners are right-wing populist libertarianism, Tory nostalgia, and evangelical culture war. Canada’s left should pay attention.
In Defense of Slavoj Žižek
Slavoj Zizek has made some serious missteps in recent years — but he remains an important theorist for the Left in our postmodern, neoliberal era.
Liberal Freedoms Were Won Despite, Not Because of, Capitalism
Leftists have often dismissed liberal freedoms as a justification for capitalist domination. This is wrong. Exploited and oppressed people across the globe fought for these rights against an illiberal elite.
There’s Trouble in El Salvador’s Bitcoin Paradise
Between the growing authoritarianism of his government and the massive popular pushback to his absurd new Bitcoin law, the honeymoon for El Salvador’s young, self-styled “disrupter” president Nayib Bukele is over.
Mark Zuckerberg’s “Metaverse” Is a Dystopian Nightmare
The Facebook founder intends to usher in a new era of the internet where there’s no distinction between the virtual and the real — and no logging off.
Living in the First Draft
Sheila Heti’s Pure Colour is a novel for our time of uncertainty.
The USA Is Living Under Political Capitalism
The form of capitalism we currently live under is one in which wealth extraction depends increasingly less on market power and more on political maneuvering.
LSD Capitalism Promises a Bad Trip for Us All
Silicon Valley figures like Peter Thiel and Elon Musk are getting excited about the growing market in psychedelics. Their rising quasi-medical use provides profit opportunities for a few — but it’ll be a bad trip for the rest of us.
Hegel Is Still an Important Thinker for the Left
In the last century, liberals claimed that Hegel had inspired fascism, and socialists accused him of having held back Marxist theory. Today the German idealist has drifted into obscurity. A new book makes the case for his contemporary relevance.
The Empty Promises of Pierre Poilievre’s Pocketbook Populism
Canada’s Pierre Poilievre is attempting to refashion ruling-class ideas as populist politics. He has no actual solutions for our current crises. But in today’s political environment, his message may resonate — and the consequences could be disastrous.