In recent years, the desirability of locking up millions of Americans in prison has been seriously questioned both on the left and right. It would seem, however, that domestic violence is very different than the non-violent drug offenses highlighted by critics of mass incarceration. On the face it, shouldn’t this be where police intervention and … Continued
Given the disparities between the lifespans of whites, African Americans, Native Americans and other groups, it might seem to be sensible to gear medicine along racial lines. But sociologist Leslie Hinkson argues that it represents a dangerous turn in science and healthcare. She discusses race, biology, and debt. (Encore presentation.) Resources: Nadine Ehlers and Leslie … Continued
Are we facing a new Cold War with Russia? Does that country represent a serious threat to the United States? Tony Wood separates myths from facts about Russia’s domestic and foreign policy — and whether Putin represents a return to the authoritarian Soviet past. Resources: Tony Wood, Russia Without Putin: Money, Power and the Myths … Continued
What’s America’s largest public healthcare system? It’s not Medicare, which isn’t a provider of healthcare, just a payer. It’s the Veterans Health Administration, which looks after nine million ex-service members. Healthcare journalist Suzanne Gordon discusses why we should care about the Veterans Health Administration – and the push to privatize it. Resources: Suzanne Gordon, Wounds … Continued
In 1805, a remarkable slave rebellion took place — not in the Atlantic, but in the Pacific, and involving an unusual ruse. And it illustrates, argues historian Greg Grandin, something fundamental about freedom and unfreedom in the New World. Grandin examines the historical event, immortalized by Herman Melville, in which insurgent slave leaders maintained a striking … Continued
In the 2000s, various left-leaning governments swept to power in Latin America, known as the Pink Tide, raising the hopes of many around the world. But their successes were limited, and in places like Brazil, center-left governments have now been replaced by the hard right. Gianpaolo Baiocchi reflects on the crisis of the left in … Continued
Do protest marches work? It’s a tactic the left returns to again and again, since the iconic March on Washington in 1963. Grassroots organizer L.A. Kauffman argues that they do have a positive impact, but not in the ways we usually expect. Resources: L.A. Kauffman, How to Read a Protest: The Art of Organizing and … Continued
Fear is a central part of American life — and has been so at least since the early Cold War, according to historian Elaine Tyler May. She argues that while there are many things that Americans should be deeply concerned about, including climate change and vast wealth inequality, we are obsessed with threats like crime, … Continued
Half a century ago, revolt broke out around the world, making the year 1968 synonymous with left-wing rebellion. In France, students and workers paralyzed the country during a heady month of massive wildcat strikes and factory occupations, during which the government feared it would be toppled. Donald Nicholson-Smith discusses May ’68 and the Situationist ideas … Continued
Open any world history book and you’ll read that the Neolithic Revolution was the key turning point in human history, when hunter gatherers gave up roaming in small egalitarian tribes and settled down to farm. Out of that, civilization was born, with all the benefits and ills connected to it: the rise of cities, the … Continued
