Culture

Former President Donald Trump waves from the steps of Air Force One

The Surprisingly Durable Myth of Donald Trump, Anti-Imperialist The Surprisingly Durable Myth of Donald Trump, Anti-Imperialist

The Establishment focus on personal scandals helps cover up the former president’s reckless belligerence.

Apr 17, 2023 / Jeet Heer

Emma Cline’s Novel of Pool Parties and Class Conflict

Emma Cline’s Novel of Pool Parties and Class Conflict Emma Cline’s Novel of Pool Parties and Class Conflict

Full of suspense and subterfuge, The Guest turns a story about a summer on Long Island into a thriller about what it takes to survive.

Apr 17, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Jennifer Wilson

The Liberal Discontents of Francis Fukuyama

The Liberal Discontents of Francis Fukuyama The Liberal Discontents of Francis Fukuyama

“The End of History?” was more than just commentary; it was an announcement of victory. And yet, nearly a quarter-century later, its author remains unsure if liberalism truly won.

Apr 17, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Daniel Bessner

The Palo Alto System

The Palo Alto System The Palo Alto System

Malcolm Harris’s new history of his hometown dispenses with the sentimental lore and examines how it has long been the seedbed for exploitation, chaos, and ecological degradation.

Apr 17, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Jonathan Lethem

Donald Trump and Fred Trump in 1987

Donald Trump Sinks to a New Low by Dog-Whistling an Old Racist Tune Donald Trump Sinks to a New Low by Dog-Whistling an Old Racist Tune

Insinuating that special prosecutor Jack Smith changed his name might seem like an odd tactic for someone whose family name was Drumpf—unless you know the history.

Apr 14, 2023 / David Margolick

Ronald Reagan and Bob Hope at a USO appearance at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina

How Woke Bob Hope Got Canceled by the Right How Woke Bob Hope Got Canceled by the Right

The conservative comedian spoke out for gay rights and gun control, and got boycotted and ostracized by friends on the right, including Ronald Reagan.

Apr 14, 2023 / Ben Schwartz

Live to fight another day: A scene from the Texas Observer’s victory party.

The Brief Death and Miraculous Resurrection of the “Texas Observer” The Brief Death and Miraculous Resurrection of the “Texas Observer”

Progressive media is not a “business.” It’s a labor movement.

Apr 13, 2023 / Gabriel Arana

A scene from “How to Blow Up a Pipeline”

The First Great Action Movie About Climate Justice? The First Great Action Movie About Climate Justice?

A conversation with Daniel Goldhaber about adapting Andreas Malm's How to Blow Up a Pipeline into a politically-minded thriller. 

Apr 13, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Sam Russek

Edward Norton and Mia Maestro in Extrapolations

The Banal Politics of “Extrapolations” The Banal Politics of “Extrapolations”

The new Apple TV series knows the world is going to shit but is uninterested in the kind of change needed to prevent this from happening.

Apr 12, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Jorge Cotte

Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, presides during a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on what Republicans say is the politicization of the FBI and Justice Department and attacks on American civil liberties on March 9, 2023.

Representative Jim Jordan’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Hearings Representative Jim Jordan’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Hearings

The Ohio representative’s debut in the scandal business represents a considerable falling off from the party of Joseph McCarthy and Henry Hyde.

Apr 11, 2023 / Francis Wilkinson

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