The past is present
Fifty years ago the ore freighter Edmund Fitzgerald sank in a Lake Superior storm. But more than the “gales of November” wrecked the Fitz. The ship was also the casualty of a globalizing neoliberal order which wrecked the American industrial economy.
At the 50th anniversary of the fight, the “Thrilla in Manila” emerges as not only the story of two extraordinary boxers’ pushing themselves to their physical limits, but also embodies creativity and entrepreneurship within the African American community, as well as a climactic event in the history of American sports in the 1970s.
Recent attacks on Tom Hanks and American universities highlight parallels between 2025 and the McCarthy era. But our moment has something the Cold War Red Scare didn't: the benefits of hindsight and mass resistance.
"Meeting Across the River" routinely lands last when fans rank their Born to Run favorites. But its noir mood was where the country was heading in the mid-1970s.
As the Trump administration calls for the return of domestic manufacturing, there is one industry that managed to resist the outsourcing process of the late 20th century. It only required the destruction of its labor unions.
In 1995, Democrats held up a Big Bird doll to laud the importance of children’s television and save public broadcast funding. This strategy does not seem likely to work in 2025.
The first 100 days of President Trump's second term marks a departure from established US foreign policy, focusing on dismantling international aid and agreements. His administration’s actions, including cuts to USAID and skepticism toward NATO, jeopardize global partnerships. Trump's approach favors unilateralism and transactional relations over multilateral cooperation, risking America's leadership and security in an increasingly authoritarian world.
Trump has floated the idea of creating a new category of (im)migrant worker to deal with the labor shortages caused by his own deportation program. This type of program has a long history in the United States. What Trump is proposing is a rerun of an old policy that attempts to codify white supremacy by solidifying Anglos at the top of society with a permanent (im)migrant underclass to make the economy hum for the benefit of the wealthy.
What is decoloniality, decolonization, colonialism, postcolonialism, and coloniality? Why is it important to learn about it now? This piece outlines five recommended texts on decolonization/decoloniality with summaries as a starting point for anyone intending to learn more.
The next chair of the Democratic National Committee will likely come from the Upper Midwest. To understand the politics of that region, we need to better appreciate the tradition of progressive, populist politics from Democrats in the Midwest.
Clio and the Contemporary 