New Future

Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond, who died last week, made Scottish nationalism mainstream. His independence promise was caught in a key contradiction, seeking to make Scotland a model social democracy within globalized capitalism.

When Édouard Manet debuted his painting Olympia in 1863, critics were shocked by a nude who looked like “the Queen of Hearts after a bath.” Today they are more interested in the black maid beside her — but also essentializing ideas about race.

The threat to a true democracy that promotes material well-being, equality, and social solidarity is deeper than Donald Trump. It comes from a capitalism that can never make its peace with democracy.

Amazon claims it has markedly improved workplace safety at its notoriously dangerous warehouses in recent years. A closer look at the data for the corporation’s workplaces in the US and Canada shows Amazon still boasts abysmal injury rates.

Once banished to history books, scurvy is making a comeback in wealthy countries thanks to soaring economic inequality. While the rich swim in spirulina kombucha and kale smoothies, the poor are skipping out on oranges and broccoli.

One of the great labor scholars of the 20th century, David Montgomery was determined to place workers at the center of US history. For Montgomery, rigorous historical analysis couldn’t be divorced from engagement with the working class.

It doesn’t often make national headlines, but the city of Richmond, California, has been home to a successful progressive political reform project in recent years. Here are ten lessons for other municipal reformers from the Richmond Progressive Alliance.

Trump supporters will never go see The Apprentice, and anti-Trumpers won’t be able to bear two hours watching the bane of their existence rise to wealth and power. This lack of a clear audience spells an unfortunate box-office bomb.

When Israel began its war on Gaza, it initially felt pressure to deny responsibility for attacks on hospitals and refugee camps. A year of unflinching support from the US has convinced Benjamin Netanyahu that he no longer has any such need to pretend.

Two joint-employer rulings by the NLRB challenge Amazon’s strategy for dodging unionization among DSP delivery drivers. If scaled up, the recent worker organizing spurred by the rulings could present serious disruptive threats to Amazon's entire operation.

Despite facing a uniquely flawed opponent, Kamala Harris is still running neck and neck with Donald Trump. To shore up support among key constituencies, she needs to champion popular pro-worker policies — and stop underwriting Israel’s genocide.

Tech bros promising “community engagement” are trying to cash in on health equity. Silicon Valley’s answer to social welfare involves slapping a progressive label on subscription social services while monetizing the safety net.

In the 1950s, France engaged in an ambitious effort to modernize its empire by embracing local customs and promoting limited home rule. Revolutionary Warfare by Terrence Peterson outlines this failed attempt to create a modern ideology for colonialism.

While running his coal company Bluestone, Governor Jim Justice ushered the mines of West Virginia deep into the grasp of global financial capital — at the expense of West Virginians. Why should Swiss bankers get paid before West Virginia teachers?