FDR’s Wartime Strategies Can Power a Just Transition Now – Martin Hart-Landsberg Pt. 2/2

Talia Baroncelli

In part two, economist Martin Hart-Landsberg underscores the importance of planning for a just transition and transformation of socio-economic relations. Hart-Landsberg examines FDR’s Defense Production Corporation and War Production Board which were established to coordinate the U.S. economy’s rapid conversion from civilian to military production. The entrepreneurial class largely opposed these changes, fearing cuts to their bottom line. Yet FDR’s government, through experimentation with different strategies, was able to successfully…

Despite Gaza Ceasefire, Israel Accelerates Its Annexation of the West Bank – Rami Khouri

Talia Baroncelli

Palestinian-American journalist Rami Khouri outlines the Israeli far-right’s longstanding opposition to Palestinian self-determination and, as he says, the very right of Palestinians to exist. Khouri discusses how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, together with President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have shredded international law at every opportunity in their genocidal slaughter and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza. Yet despite Trump’s success in pressuring Netanyahu to agree…

Trump, God, and the Techno Philosopher Kings

Paul Jay

Trump’s inaugural speech avoided direct war rhetoric with China but signaled dangerous trends: a growing alliance between corporate elites and government, imperialist ambitions, climate denial, and authoritarian overreach. With tech CEOs at the forefront and Musk in a key government role, the fusion of state and corporate power mirrors Mussolini-style corporatism. From threats to seize the Panama Canal to deploying emergency powers domestically, Trump’s vision risks U.S. democracy and global…

Mini Doc: Why I am Opposed to the War in Vietnam – Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King

In honor of Martin Luther King Day, we republish his speech, Why I am Opposed to the War in Vietnam. King’s speech broadened the scope of the Civil Rights Movement to include economic and global justice, linking the fight against racism to opposition to war and militarism. King criticized the U.S. government for prioritizing military spending over addressing domestic poverty and inequality. He famously argued, “A nation that continues year…

Debunking the IMF Myth: South Korea A ‘Free Market Miracle’? – Martin Hart-Landsberg Pt. 1/2

Talia Baroncelli

Despite being (mis)characterized by the IMF as a free-market “success story,” South Korea’s development model involved state planning and import controls for decades prior to the 1997 East Asia debt crisis. Economist Martin Hart-Landsberg, Professor Emeritus at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, explains how capitalist globalization materialized and morphed in East Asia, often to the detriment of its worker population. With Trump’s inauguration nearing, Hart-Landsberg sheds light on why…

Historic Victory for Sri Lankan Left – Can They Deliver? – Devaka Gunawardena Pt. 1/2

Talia Baroncelli

In November 2024, Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s National People’s Power (NPP) coalition won a two-thirds majority in Sri Lanka’s general elections, marking a historic win for the Sri Lankan left. NPP’s victory came at a time of prolonged economic crisis exacerbated by the crushing terms of Sri Lanka’s IMF agreement. Political economist Dr. Devaka Gunawardena traces the factors leading to Sri Lanka’s economic woes and how international sovereign bonds (ISBs) held…