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Puerto Rico’s Independence Movement Is Gaining Strength

Cruz Bonlarron Martínez Jacobin
Since the 19th century, the choice between independence and incorporation into the US has been a central issue for Puerto Rican politics. Support for the left-wing Puerto Rico Independence Party is now surging among the country’s youth.

Trump’s Constitutional Dictatorship

Mark Danner The New York Review of Books
Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan’s inside account of the Trump administration portrays a president with a vast appetite for power but who repeatedly backs down when the costs of his actions become too high.

How Slaves’ Resistance Secured Liberal Democracy

Jake Subryan Richards Project Syndicate
The history of slavery in the Americas is one of rebellion, solidarity, and democratic invention. A recent book traces the depth and creativity of enslaved people’s resistance, whose legacy continues to inspire social-justice movements.

Repression in the Classroom

Paul Buhle Monthly Review
Repression on campus is back in a big way, as readers far beyond the classroom know today. The saga of the Cold War years, once seemingly distant, now has lessons that we ignore to our peril.

Who Bankrolled the American Revolution?

Adam Gopnik The New Yorker
Our history too often sidesteps the question of finances. But sonorous ideals don’t keep an army supplied with uniforms, guns, and grub.

Philanthropy for Radicals

Claire Dunning Dissent Magazine
The Garland Fund was not a typical foundation, but its history shows the potential role philanthropy can play in moments of rising authoritarianism—and the tensions inherent in that role.
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