When the people on the streets in Iran use the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom," the freedom they refer to is freedom from domination. Iranians are living under a regime that limits what they can say, how they dress, and how they may gather and organize. Their government is imprisoning, torturing, and killing people who are … Continue reading Freedom: Challenging Domination or License to Dominate?
The Production of Apathy
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The Chasm of the Political in Postmodern Theory
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The Left and the Rule of Law
The recent election called on us to fight hard—and in the streets if necessary—to protect the rule of law and our formal processes of electoral democracy. Did I really just say that I wanted to protect the “rule of law”? For the past four years many of us on the left have found ourselves in … Continue reading The Left and the Rule of Law
Rethinking Freedom, Government, and Expertise in the Time of COVID-19
by Cynthia Kaufman and Carlos Davidson With the COVID-19 crisis we are being asked, and in many cases ordered, by the government to drastically change our lives: not to go to work unless it is essential, not to socialize in large groups, or in some places not to go out at all, except for essential … Continue reading Rethinking Freedom, Government, and Expertise in the Time of COVID-19
Belonging and Social Change: A Critique of the Politics of Wokeness
We are in an amazing and dangerous time, where the chronic social problems which have caused so much trauma over so many years are coming to be seen as urgent and in need of attention by a rapidly increasing number of people. As so many people become “woke” to these problems, it is important that … Continue reading Belonging and Social Change: A Critique of the Politics of Wokeness
Building Democracy to Fight the Nativist Attack: A Review of ‘The People vs. Democracy’
As someone who came to politics opposing US government policies, I’ve been surprising myself lately by how much I end up talking about the importance of “rule of law." I'm used to being the one to criticize how bad our laws are, how unfairly they are enforced, and how oppressive government actions are. But there … Continue reading Building Democracy to Fight the Nativist Attack: A Review of ‘The People vs. Democracy’
Owning Our Shit: The US Role in Global Migration
Trump's comments about shithole countries are no surprise and it reflects the racist worldview we know he holds. While much of the discussion around the statement has focused on how racist it was, less commented on has been how profoundly it misunderstands the nature of immigration. The US is a nation of immigrants, the descendants … Continue reading Owning Our Shit: The US Role in Global Migration
It May Actually Be Worse Than You Think: Assessing the Integrated and Funded Machine We Are Up Against
When Trump first came to power, like most progressive, leftist, and liberal people I know, I was terrified. It seemed possible that we were on the verge of fascism. Could Trump unleash thugs onto the street to act with impunity against people from vulnerable groups, as Hitler’s Brown shirts did? Could the constitution … Continue reading It May Actually Be Worse Than You Think: Assessing the Integrated and Funded Machine We Are Up Against
Counterhegemony
Getting out of this Mess by Building support for Economic and Social Justice The election was terrible and means huge setback in the things we who support social and economic justice care about. For the climate it may mean the difference between the possibility of building a sustainable future and getting to the changes too late … Continue reading Counterhegemony
Cynthia Kaufman 