Netflix’s Squid Game Reality Show Is Kinda Great. Oh No.
Vox
Oops, they did it again (weaponized the desperation of the proletariat for fun).
Homeless America
Poet Philip Kolin depicts the plight of the homeless: “They give/American progress a bad name…”
Trump and His Evangelical Believers
The Guardian
Tim Alberta is a fine guide to the world of conservative US Christians, their dispiriting march to the right, and its ugly cost.
‘American Symphony’: Jon Batiste Gave Us the Best Music Doc of the Year
Rolling Stone
‘American Symphony’: The singer-musician-composer writes his magnum opus while his wife battles cancer in a moving ode to love, creativity, and the art of survival.
Why Turkey for Christmas and Thanksgiving?
Modern Farmer
Turkey is practical for serving to a large crowd. In England, King Henry VIII regularly enjoyed turkey on Christmas day a century before the Pilgrims’ feast.
Rustin the Liberal Biopic Versus Rustin the Labor Activist
Jacobin
Netflix’s new feel-good Bayard Rustin biopic, Rustin, claims the civil rights hero has been forgotten because of his sexuality. But it was his fiery and provocative class politics that makes him both controversial and prophetic today.
Taking Sides
California Rabbi Irwin Keller chooses no sides in the wars but pleads for unconditional peace.
‘Ballad of an American’: The Illustrious Life of Paul Robeson, Newly Illustrated
Monthly Review
Michael Yates reviews Ballad of an American, a newly released graphic biography of Black actor, singer, and activist Paul Robeson. The book gives an uncompromising look at a complicated, passionate man, wholly dedicated to the cause of liberation.
Portside Moderators: The Challenge to the Left in 2024
Portside
Can democracy in the United States survive naked dictatorial ambition and Christian nationalism in 2024? Here is how we -- the Portside moderators -- see it. And how you can help Portside.
The World That Municipal Socialists Built
Dissent
Urban socialists blazed a path toward social democracy. Leftists who want to reclaim this tradition face a whole new set of obstacles.
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