In school we learn that, from its inception, the United States avoided the class sins of Europe, creating a level playing field without noblemen or kings, where those from the most humble backgrounds could succeed. Accordingly, class is usually missing from the history we’re taught. Yet historian Steve Fraser argues that the vision of American … Continued
Happiness seems elusive in our society, despite the many industries attempting to sell it through a multitude of products and services. What’s missing, according to feminist Lynne Segal, is the sense that our happiness is intertwined with the happiness of others. She calls for reclaiming radical joy, through collective life and activism. Resources: Lynn Segal, … Continued
It’s self-evident that unequal societies like ours are bad for the poor. However, as epidemiologist Richard Wilkinson argues, they’re also bad for everyone else, including the affluent, not only because inequality affects schools and healthcare, but because it also makes us anxious and unhappy. Wilkinson reflects on our psychological well-being in wealthy but unequal countries. … Continued
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
