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Showing 177 articles in Politics
Australian Rules Football Dreams of World Domination
The Australian Football League is a corporation that longs for global expansion. But in its greed and desperation, the league is undermining what makes the game great. Nat Fyfe thanks fans as he leave
For Roman Workers, Life Was Nasty, Brutish, and Short
Our images of the Roman Empire are dominated by the monuments and lifestyles of wealthy urban elites. An important new history shifts our attention to the 90% of Rome’s population whose brutally explo
Weekend Update #180: The Ukrainians Stop Pretending
Costs And Balances In Russian Oil; The Russian Spring Offensive After 3 Weeks
Africa’s Health Care Only Works for the Wealthy
Years of IMF and World Bank reforms have created two-tiered health care systems across Africa. In Kenya, the private sector is out of reach for most, but public health care has been wrecked by budget
An Undemocratic Union Was Key to César Chávez’s Sexual Abuse
The horrifying revelations of César Chávez’s widespread sexual abuse of young women and girls were in part rooted in the culture of unquestioning loyalty and top-down dictation that Chávez established
Israel and the US Have Been Waging War on Iran’s Development
From universities to medical research centers, Israel and the US have been systematically attacking Iran’s technical infrastructure. While claiming their only issue is with Iran’s rulers, they have ta
#341 Misaligned Expectations
What to Expect from the Islamabad Talks, Pakistan's Role in the Talks, and Geography Comes Back to Bite
Saturday discussion post
A dollhouse for your Saturday:
“AI polls” are fake polls
But they might be useful as something else: models.
Why the Cease-Fire With Iran Will Hold
The de-escalatory logic that will shape negotiations.
Ben Lerner Hears Ghosts in the Wires
Critics read Ben Lerner’s new novel, Transcription, as a commentary on smartphones. But with gothic style and a Victorian temperament, it meditates on a much older technology — the spectral quality of
Capitalist Profits Depend on Stealing Our Future
Capitalists have succeeded in arranging the future as a calculable source of extraordinary wealth, enriching a few in the present by imposing debts on the vast majority — and undermining the environme
Zohran Mamdani’s Toughest Task in 100 Days: Taxing the Rich
Zohran Mamdani’s early wins are a testament to what a talented left-wing municipal executive can accomplish even in the face of major obstacles. But much of his ambitious agenda will remain blocked if
Resource Competition With China Lay Behind Trump’s Iran War
The US war on Iran may have seemed like an irrational move by a president who is as reckless and impulsive as he is destructive. But there was a geopolitical logic behind the attack, based on Washingt
Serbia’s Government Is Targeting the Public University
The recent death of a student at the University of Belgrade triggered a police raid and fresh government attacks on education. Professors appear as the vanguard of a broad social movement, but their p
The girlboss was never a feminist ideal
The 2010s turned an eBay hustler into a symbol of corporate feminism she never set out to represent.
Thinking Live with Phillips O'Brien on War in Iran and Ukraine
A recording from Phillips P. OBrien and Timothy Snyder's live video
It’s Tech Versus Teachers as Strike Looms Over LA Schools
Los Angeles public school teachers have declared a strike deadline of April 14. The conflict forces the question of whether schools are an EdTech business opportunity or a public responsibility. UTLA
Iran Is Stuck in Permanent Crisis
War, and now a fragile ceasefire, is not bringing collapse in Iran but reinforcing and reorganizing its existing structures of power and inequality. In Western political circles, a recurring view has
Dostoevsky Cucks Himself?
Review of Demons, Part 3
Zohran Mamdani’s 100 Days of 21st-Century Sewer Socialism
In his first one hundred days as mayor, Zohran Mamdani has realized that New Yorkers — and all Americans — need to see the government working for them. Zohran Mamdani greeting workers at the site of t
Dark Money Is Flowing Into Trump’s Legacy Projects
Funneling millions to the Trump administration through undisclosed donations, a slew of corporations and lobbyists are potentially violating disclosure laws to help bankroll the president’s ballroom a
Zelensky Speaks The Truth And Trump Does Too, In A Way
Hi All,
Most politicians are charming and persuasive in person
Plus some Maine takes, Biden’s failure to prioritize, and speculation about Republican Spain
SCOTUS Is Siding With Capitalists Over Trump
The Supreme Court’s willingness to protect the Fed — in contrast to every other independent regulatory commission — reflects the strength of its loyalty to neoliberal capitalism over the Trump adminis
Hungary’s Narrow Path Out of Orbánism
Elections on Sunday could finally remove Viktor Orbán from power. Opposition forces have rallied behind rival candidate Péter Magyar, less out of belief in his program than from desperation at the cou
Europe’s New Defense Core
As America steps back, four countries will shape the continent’s security.
Venezuela’s Treacherous Recovery
The peril and promise of an economic boom in Venezuela.
The Iran War’s Real Lessons for China
U.S. tactical successes should give Beijing pause.
Thursday discussion post
A 10-day stay in Baltimore and they’ll pay YOU $5,100. What’s the catch?
The Strangest Week
From Hormuz to Budapest to DC, nothing makes sense
Australia Has a Serious Landlord Problem
Landlords dominate Australia’s parliament and Reserve Bank. Their policies make the housing crisis worse. In Australia, a cost-of-living surge comes in the context of a worsening housing crisis. (Lisa
Supreme Court Reform Ideas
I'm not a constitutional law scholar, but something clearly needs to be done.
Young Adult Novels, Starring Various Pundits, That I Made Up
Matt Yglesias & the Legend of Big Muggy. Everyone’s favorite contrarian blogger searches for a mythical giant turtle in the Amazon, risking life and limb in his quest to bring sensible centrism to cry
How popular is the Iran War?
Silver Bulletin approval ratings for the ongoing conflict.
The “Moderate” Think Tank Pushing Dems to Loosen AI Rules
Ascendant DC think tank Searchlight Institute, pushing Democrats to the center, has ties to megadonor Simone Coxe, whose Nvidia-linked money could boost AI-backed efforts to defend data center build-o
The Fight Against Trumpism Can Reinvigorate Labor
The danger posed by Donald Trump’s authoritarianism means that unions can’t afford to remain in a defensive crouch. And history suggests that fighting to defend and revive democracy at moments of maxi
Should race matter in college admissions?
On the premiere episode of The Argument, Matthew Yglesias and Jerusalem Demsas argue about the effectiveness of affirmative action.
Republican war-mongering is their worst economic policy
A repeated pattern of failure
Showing 40 of 177 articles