The mass criminalization and incarceration of African Americans has received increasing attention in recent years, thanks to social movements. But the role of African American leaders in locking up black people is much less known. James Forman Jr., son of the Civil Rights leader, discusses the confluence of forces – including class differences within the … Continued
It was an epoch-making event, buoyed by hopes of human emancipation, that still shapes our notion of revolutionary change today. The Russian Revolution, which took place a hundred years ago, was born out of war and poverty, and profoundly altered the course of the 20th century. The writer China Miéville recreates those days of revolution, … Continued
The fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline led to a remarkable level of protest and solidarity, bringing together native people from all over North America, as well as their allies. It also witnessed a remarkable level of repression. Investigative journalist Will Parrish discusses leaked documents that expose the role of a private security firm TigerSwan, … Continued
Despite the precariousness that it creates, why does capitalism survive? Radical theorist Silvia Federici discusses how capitalism perpetuates itself by dispossessing and dividing us, while putting the job of reproducing the workforce squarely on the shoulders of the working class, especially women. She considers the missteps that the feminist movement made in confronting the rise … Continued
In recent years, mothers have found themselves in the cross hairs of the legal system, blamed for a wide range of risks to their children and unborn fetuses. Cases have abounded where pregnant women have been committed out of suspicion of behavior that might affect their fetus, or even charged with murder after having a … Continued
Our capitalist world seems mired in crisis, beset by low growth and instability. Immanuel Wallerstein, the father of world-systems theory, argues that the current malaise goes beyond the periodic fluctuations of the business cycle. According to him, capitalism’s days are numbered: in 20 to 40 years it will be gone. What replaces it may be … Continued
In the early 2000s, left and center left governments came to power across Latin America – in countries such as Bolivia, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, and Ecuador — ushered in on a wave of resistance to neoliberal policies. The so-called Pink Tide provided much needed inspiration to leftists around the world. But things haven’t turned out … Continued
Evidence shows that the more curious we are, the better we learn and the happier we feel. And yet much of our schooling discourages curiosity and our curiosity shrinks with time, for complex reasons. Developmental psychologist Susan Engel reflects upon what drives — and inhibits — curiosity. Resources: Susan Engel, The Hungry Mind: The Origins … Continued
For the last forty years, unions and the left more broadly have been in decline. Clearly the business class went on the offensive during this time, but is that the whole story? Veteran organizer Jane McAlevey argues that the left abandoned deep organizing just at the moment when the right was organizing its grassroots, and … Continued
The last three years have been the hottest on record. But, rather than urgently addressing global warming, we now have a government helmed by a climate denier, who has chosen the head of Exxon Mobil as his Secretary of State. Are we doomed? Leftwing environmentalist Tom Athanasiou thinks not. He believes the Trump backlash provides … Continued
