Politics

Radical Movements and Political Power

Today’s social movements are grappling once again with a central challenge for the New Left: how to remedy injustice while maintaining vitality and independence from the political system.

The Radical Promise of Human History

A sweeping new history of humanity upends the story of civilization, inviting us to imagine how our own societies could be radically different.

Is Nuclear Power Our Best Bet Against Climate Change?

Beyond carbon emissions and safety, the debate must also confront how the choices we make now constrain the kind of world we can build in the future.

Abandoning Afghans from the Start

Tactical critiques of the war’s conduct are a distraction from U.S. imperialism.

Police Violence Is a Disability Justice Issue

More than half of disabled people experience long-term poverty, increasing the chances of violent police encounters.

Slouching Toward Humanity

Have efforts to conduct war more humanely helped to perpetuate it?

The Distributed Empire of the War on Terror

Drone attacks and U.S. involvement in Pakistan.

9/11 Forever

The legacy of September 11 continues to normalize state-sanctioned barbarity.

The Violent Logic of Humanitarianism

The U.S. occupation of Afghanistan sacrificed politics—the only viable route to peace—for massive corruption and violence.

Study the Warmakers

From drone strikes to counterinsurgency efforts, the work of the late historian Nasser Hussain highlights the importance of understanding the mechanics of the War on Terror, not just its effects.

Bad Information

We should blame conspiracy theories like QAnon on politics, not the faulty reasoning of individuals.

The Specter of Inflation

Democrats don’t lose elections because of rising prices. They lose when they cut spending and raise interest rates, sacrificing other goals at the altar of price stability.

Against Incrementalism

Center-left parties should learn that small-bore solutions are a waste of time.

How Not to Fix Gentrification

The community development industry has failed in the fight for fair housing. Despite claiming to involve residents, power and self-interest still have the final say.

The News Is Dead, Long Live the News!

Public interest journalism may not be salvageable. But more than being saved, it needs to be radically rethought.

The Battle for Okinawa

While Japanese and U.S. officials celebrate a demilitatization in the pacific islands, Okinawans protest persistent military colonialism.

We Don’t Know, But Let’s Try It

For economist Albert O. Hirschman, social planning meant creative experimentation rather than theoretical certainty.

Why Neoliberalism Needs Neofascists

We’re witnessing the last-ditch effort of neoliberal capitalism to rescue itself from crisis.

China and the Lure of Global Capitalism

The country’s explosive development has relied on markets—at the cost of earlier ideals.

The United States Can Afford More Refugees

East African countries host seven times more refugees than we do. Their policies look beyond their borders; so should ours.

What Does Europe Have Against Halal?

Food is becoming a target for anti-Islam politics.

What Isn’t Taught in Israeli Schools

A Palestinian mother’s perspective.

In the Common Interest

How a grassroots movement of American farmers laid the foundation for state intervention in the economy.

No Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies

The U.S. Department of Defense is ramping up the militarization of Guam. If we hope to withstand the forces of predatory global capitalism, we need to begin articulating alternatives.

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