Neoliberalism was the Grounding for the Sacrifice of Flint to Capital, yet Obama Thinks Neoliberalism will Save Flint

The poverty of thought in American policy making bears some similarity to the meager budgets of public water utilities. With the sacrifice zone of Flint present in the public consciousness, where cuts to indispensable public services were the cost of corporate tax cuts, the Obama administration is positioning private capital as the solution to the […]

Bernie Needs to Talk Austerity, and Podemos Can Show Him How

Bernie Sanders’ editorial in today’s New York Times is fairly representative of liberals’ general remarks on the Fed raising the federal funds rate. It notes the dangers of it causing a recession by making investment more expensive, and this just for the benefit of combating nearly non-existent inflation. Missing from his editorial and pieces like […]

The End of Kirchnerism in Argentina Suggests Lessons for the American Left and Bernie Sanders’ Leftist Populism

The American Left would do well to attend to today’s Argentine presidential elections. At a moment when the Global Left is making electoral strides in Portugal, Greece, Spain, and to a certain extent Britain with the election of Corbyn as opposition leader, the movement sees a recession in one of the ‘pink tide’ South American […]

It Matters that Bernie Sanders is Not Actually a “Democratic Socialist”

In a speech today Bernie Sanders articulated his vision of democratic socialism for the empire: “the wealthiest people and the largest corporations must pay their fair share of taxes”, that “democratic socialism means that we must create an economy that works for all, not just the very wealthy”. That these are the tenants of mainstream […]

Electoral Politics or Protest?

In the Fall issue of Dissent, Michael Kazin and David Marcus debate the extent to which the Left should participate in electoral politics, with Kazin arguing that Leftists should vote and canvas for Democrats, earning Democrats’ resolve for championing Leftist demands, and Marcus contending that the Left must eschew electoral politics and effect change through […]

Addressing the Elephant in the Room in the Gun Control Debate

Our major media sources have been disturbingly superficial in their published commentaries, reports and essays on gun violence. They note that despite a majority of Americans, even gun-owners, supporting increased background checks, even that a very modest form of gun control, Congress won’t pass such legislation. The common story is that the NRA buys enough […]

Trans-Pacific Partnership Passes Another Hurdle, the Next One Is Us

The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal passed another important hurdle today — a final deal between the twelve nations was struck, with the only remaining obstacles being passage in legislatures. No amendments can be made, rather Congress can only thoroughly approve it or disapprove it, such was the result of Congress voting to fast-track the trade […]

On Hillary Clinton’s Comments During her Meeting with Black Lives Matter Activists

Last week Hillary Clinton spoke with Daunasia Yancey and Julius Jones of Black Lives Matter after a town hall meeting, from which Yancey and Jones were prevented from entering by Clinton’s security. Video from the encounter is now available and it must be seen — Clinton is in politician mode but with her usual lack […]

Obama Approves Arctic Drilling & Clinton Says She Would Not — but She Would

A day after the Obama administration gave Shell the final approval to begin drilling operations in the Arctic, Hillary Clinton has tweeted, that most ethereal of political commitments, that it’s “not worth the risk”, which has been interpreted to mean that she is opposed to Arctic drilling. This talk of ‘risk’ makes it pretty clear […]

Against “Broken Windows” Policing: A Response to George Kelling

George Kelling, one of the two criminologists to craft the ‘broken windows’ theory of policing has an article up on Politico, that increasingly neoliberal online mag, arguing that his theory has been a success, and where it hasn’t, that failure is due to the community under siege not coming to police itself. Bull. Rather than […]