In 2013, Edward Snowden’s revelations of mass surveillance by the National Security Agency pointed to spying on a mind-bending scale. Journalist Pratap Chatterjee weights in on the connection between that mass data collection and drone warfare – and the state of surveillance and drone attacks five years on. Resources: Pratap Chatterjee and Khalil, Verax: The … Continued
What can Star Trek tell us about life after capitalism? Peter Frase discusses four possible futures in a world where workers are increasingly being replaced by machines — ranging from communist and socialist societies to ones in which workers are literally disposable. Resources: Peter Frase, Four Futures: Life After Capitalism Verso, 2014
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. Resources: Nadine Ehlers and Leslie R. Hinkson … Continued
Whether the U.S. is in or out of the Paris Climate Accord, woefully little has been done to stop global warming. Geoff Mann argues that the most serious effects from climate change won’t only be ecology, but also political. He discusses what possible political orders may take hold from the disruptions caused by a heating … Continued
From at least the Haitian Revolution to the present, black and brown people in the Western Hemisphere have linked arms in solidarity with each other. Historian Paul Ortiz discusses how we can’t understand the United States and its past without looking beyond its borders. Resources: Paul Ortiz, An African American and Latinx History of the … Continued
America’s unique place in the world, the dream of prosperity for the hardworking — these are some of the myths that the United States has told about itself, but which critic Eric Cheyfitz argues are now fraying. He discusses the role of ideology in the U.S., from the American Revolution to the present, and why … Continued
Consumer capitalism and the focus group appear to go hand in hand. But Liza Featherstone argues that the focus group has radical origins and, in convoluted ways, points to the potential for collective input in an egalitarian society. She discusses the history of focus groups for consumer goods and electoral politics. Resources: Liza Featherstone, Divining … Continued
Radio in the twentieth century, which you could tune into in your car or at home, had a mass audience and was a collective experience, for good or ill. Radio today, which can be listened to when and how you want it, is a more private and atomized affair. Historian Matthew Lasar discusses the social … Continued
Crime is way down, and law and order advocates argue that’s the result of expanded policing and other punitive measures. But sociologist Alex Vitale says there’s no evidence that’s true. He discusses how expanded policing is the flip side of neoliberal economic austerity and the slashing of social services. Resources: Alex Vitale, The End of … Continued
It’s the only mass broadcast institution the left has — but it may disappear, right when listeners are tuning in and donating in droves during the Trump years. Radio historian Iain Boal and former interim Executive Director of Pacifica and Chair of the Pacifica National Board Sherry Gendelman discuss the crisis that has brought Pacifica … Continued
