The Latest
The Case Against Mars
Contrary to the boosterism of billionaires, the need for space colonization must be argued for, not assumed. And the arguments aren’t good.
The Totality of the Evidence
As policymakers debate the right response to COVID-19, they must take seriously the harms of pandemic policies, not just their benefits.
When Will Capitalism End?
Rumors of its imminent death have often been greatly exaggerated.
Teaching African American Literature During COVID-19
“In a season of unimaginable death, my students emerged as visionaries. I hope to live to see the world they create.”
The Murderous Legacy of Cold War Anticommunism
How the Washington-backed Indonesian mass killings of 1965 reshaped global politics, securing a decisive victory for U.S. interests against Third World self-determination.
The Cruelty of Trump’s ICE Under COVID-19
The Trump administration has rejected calls for mass humanitarian release and continues to deport detainees to Latin America.
We’re Not All In It Together
The deep, growing divisions in U.S. society have an outsize effect in determining who suffers from this pandemic—as well as how the government responds.
From the Editors: The Right to Be Elected
What does gender equity in a democracy look like?
The Prophet of the Far Right
Michel Houellebecq’s Islamophobia and chauvinism have made him a favorite intellectual of right extremists. So why does he appeal to so many on the left as well?
The Tragedy of Costs and Benefits
In the fight against COVID-19, weighing costs and benefits is indispensable for moral clarity. At the same time, we must not forget its limits.
What 30 Percent Unemployment Looks Like
As we know from South Africa's crisis, political and social fault lines will shape the contours of joblessness.
In Toronto, Google’s Attempt to Privatize Government Fails—For Now
Sidewalk Labs would have turned a large plot of Toronto’s public land into a private lab for data collection. Cities need better digital governance to protect against such attempts.
Good Science Is Good Science
For the sake of both science and action in the COVID-19 pandemic, we need collaboration among specialists, not sects.
Mothering in a Pandemic
Society relies on the unpaid, invisible work of parents—mostly mothers—to care for children.
Sweden’s Relaxed Approach to COVID-19 Isn’t Working
With few restrictions and no tracing of the disease’s spread, the government is relying upon Swedish character and traditions to see it through the pandemic.
The Virus Has Seized the Means of Production
Virology is often confused with the invisible workings of capital.
COVID-19 Crisis Capitalism Comes to Real Estate
Proptech is leading to new forms of housing injustice in ways that increase the power of landlords and further disempower tenants and those seeking shelter.
Identity Politics and Elite Capture
The wealthy and powerful will take every opportunity to hijack activist energies for their own ends.
Models v. Evidence
COVID-19 has revealed a contest between two competing philosophies of scientific knowledge. To manage the crisis, we must draw on both.
Deaths of Despair
Boston Review talks with Nobel Prize-winning economist Angus Deaton about COVID-19, the relationship between culture, financial hardship, and health, and why capitalism’s flaws are proving fatal for America’s working class.
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