Each election year, politicians make endless appeals for the votes of the middle class. But who, and what, is the middle class? David Roediger looks at the political history of an unwieldy category, from its Cold War role as a bulwark against Communism to the Democratic Party’s rebranding of working class voters to the radical … Continued
There is abundant evidence that the Trump administration has grossly botched the handling of the Covid pandemic. But, unfortunately, such mismanagement is not limited to the most obvious offenders. Public health expert Michael Fine discusses the mishandling of the coronavirus, from the White House to the World Health Organization to the CDC and to the … Continued
Belief conjures up political fanaticism and blind religiosity. But evolutionary anthropologist Agustín Fuentes argues that belief is also connected to our capacities to imagine, create, and change the world for the better. He reflects on why the ability to commit passionately and wholeheartedly to an idea is a central part of what makes us human. … Continued
The conventional economic wisdom holds that humans started to use money as an outgrowth of bartering — and that money represented a great leap forward for civilization. That couldn’t be further from the truth, argues David McNally. Money, he contends, has not been a benign development, but has since its inception been tied to warfare … Continued
Brilliant theorist of non-violent social change or Cold War defense intellectual and strategist? Gene Sharp has had a tremendous influence on progressive ideas and activism since the early 1970s and his ideas are so pervasive that at times they appear to be without a history, just part of the air we breath on the left. … Continued
The protests spurred by police killings of African Americans and other people of color has finally brought the punitive nature of the U.S. state into national view. Writer JoAnn Wypijewski argues that for at least the past half century we’ve been witnessing a particularly punishing turn by the state, often fueled by moral panics about … Continued
The widespread protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd are continuing without any end in sight, despite curfew orders. Radical scholar Jordan Camp places the upheaval that’s taking place within the larger history of urban rebellions in the United States, from Watts in 1965, Detroit in 1967, Los Angeles in 1992, Ferguson in 2014, … Continued
While the United States is in the throes of upheaval over police murders, we take a historical look back at another time of great social ferment: a century ago, when the workers of Seattle shut that city down. The first major general strike in the United States coincided with the last widespread pandemic — the … Continued
Smartphones have rapidly become a necessity in the U.S., including for the working poor. During Covid, we’re using them more than ever to work — if we’re lucky enough to still have work — or to stay in touch with each other. Sociologist Nicole Aschoff argues that much of the discourse about our personal use … Continued
The coronavirus has laid bare the divisions and inequalities of our society. It’s also exposed the stark differences in possible approaches to the pandemic. Radical scholar Alexis Shotwell argues that we need to frame our fight as one for collective care, rather than containment and control. She discusses solidarity and the lessons of the HIV/AIDS … Continued
