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Exploring Lyonesse: Where Myth, History, and Rising Seas Collide
From Arthurian epics to submerged cities, Lyonesse shows how folklore and history intertwine to shape a region’s cultural identity. Tristan and Isolde, miniature of the XV century, cropped -- public domain image By Samantha Sudol For centuries, the waters off Cornwall’s Atlantic coast have kept a secret: the legendary drowned land of Lyonesse. Stories of a prosperous kingdom swallowed overnight by the sea have persisted in Arthurian tales, medieval manuscripts, and Cornish fo

The Left Chapter
Apr 125 min read


How a British Overseas Territory Became the Largest Holder of U.S. Debt
The Cayman Islands sits at the heart of a network of British financial jurisdictions. Together, they manage trillions in assets, influencing global capital flows and investment networks. Flag of the Cayman Islands -- Dickelbers, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By John P. Ruehl China, which was the largest holder of U.S. government debt as recently as 2019 , has cut its holdings to the lowest level since 2008 , driven by changing trade patterns, geopolitical concerns, and

The Left Chapter
Mar 218 min read


How Accent Discrimination Reinforces America’s Deepest Divides
The American Southern accent reveals how linguistic prejudice reinforces classism, regionalism, and subconscious bias across generations. Plate with a quote from the film Forrest Gump at Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurant in Hollywood, California, USA. -- Prayitno, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Madeline VanArsdale [Author’s note: IPA stands for International Phonetic Alphabet. It is an alphabet of symbols, not entirely unlike the Latin alphabet, which is used to guide pronunc

The Left Chapter
Mar 1410 min read


The Next Frontier of Climate Accountability: Making Big Food Pay Its Ecological Bill
The “polluter pays” principle transformed the energy industry half a century ago. Now, as industrial agriculture drives climate breakdown, deforestation, and water scarcity, experts say it’s time to apply the same rule to our food systems—and make corporations, not consumers, bear the cost of the damage. Representational image -- Wilfredor, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons By Alex Crisp The “ polluter pays ” principle is a cornerstone of environmental regulation. It raises

The Left Chapter
Jan 98 min read


The Powerful Who Stand with Israel
Trump and Netanyahu with a number of US officials at the White House, September 29, 2025 -- public domain image By Vijay Prashad On 26 October, Caroline Willemen of Médecins Sans Frontières stated that Israel continues to use the need for humanitarian aid in Gaza as “means of pressure”. “The humanitarian situation in Gaza has not improved significantly”, she told the press, “as water and shelter shortages persist and hundreds of thousands of people continue to live in tents

The Left Chapter
Oct 28, 20254 min read


Charter Cities Attempting to Create a New Atlantis
From deregulated economic zones to experiments in private governance, charter city projects aim to reshape how we live. Their rise...

The Left Chapter
Sep 5, 20259 min read


America Is Still Using Diquat, a Toxic Weedkiller Banned in Much of the World
Despite mounting evidence of serious health risks, the U.S. continues to allow diquat use on farms. A Canadian farmer spraying diquat on...

The Left Chapter
Aug 30, 202512 min read


Questioning the Corporation
From trading posts to tech empires, corporations continue to grow in strength. Without reform, their power may soon eclipse public...

The Left Chapter
Aug 8, 202513 min read


The Enclosure of the Commons and the War Economy: A Feminist and Anti-Colonial Critique
The war economy relies on the enclosure of the commons. By reclaiming the commons, we can build a world based on cooperation, ecological...

The Left Chapter
Jul 31, 20257 min read


Around the World in Nine Festivals: How Music Unites Us Across Borders
From the deserts of California to the forests of Belgium, these iconic music festivals showcase the power of sound to bridge cultures,...

The Left Chapter
Jul 25, 20258 min read


How Much of the Past Should We Bring Back to Life?
Mammuthus primigenius -- Smithsonian Institution, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons By Brenna R. Hassett There is an incredible amount of...

The Left Chapter
Jun 21, 20254 min read


What Motivates People to Move Megaliths?
Stonehenge from a distance -- Noushin Nabavi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Andrew Califf How humans moved large rocks to...

The Left Chapter
Jun 14, 20258 min read


Strategic Partnerships or Strategic Surrenders?
Keir Starmer and Hristijan Mickoski, May 16, 2025 -- Number 10, OGL 3, via Wikimedia Commons By Biljana Vankovska Macedonia’s state...

The Left Chapter
May 27, 20255 min read


United Steelworkers Lead Mobilization Drive as American Unions Face Growing Vulnerability
The USW must navigate factionalism while championing labor rights amid rising anti-union pressures and global trade fragmentation. By...

The Left Chapter
May 9, 20257 min read


Will Trump Return to the Iran–US Nuclear Deal?
Trump and Netanyahu at the White House, February, 2025 -- public domain image By Prabir Purkayastha After a White House meeting between...

The Left Chapter
Apr 24, 20257 min read


Archaeology Can Now Tell Us How People Have Muffled and Challenged Economic Inequality Across History
By Gary M. Feinman Without archaeology, there is no way to truly examine economic inequality, its causes, and its consequences over very...

The Left Chapter
Apr 19, 20254 min read


First, They Came for the Venezuelans
Trump is turning deportation into a weapon of mass destruction. None of us—undocumented immigrants, people with papers, naturalized...

The Left Chapter
Mar 25, 20255 min read


Our Ability to Think in Terms of Numbers Is Universal, Abstract, and Independent From Language
Frederick L. Coolidge explains the link between numerosity and language. morebyless, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons By Marjorie Hecht...
Michael Laxer
Jan 24, 20255 min read


The Controversy Over Cannibalism
A panoramic view of Cheddar Gorge in Somerset, UK - Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC BY-SA 3.0 By Brenna R. Hassett A recent...
Michael Laxer
Dec 26, 20245 min read


Why Do the Israelis Bomb Palestinian Homes in the Middle of the Night?
By Vijay Prashad At 10 p.m. on the night of October 28, 2024, the Israeli air force struck a five-story building in Beit Lahiya, in the...
Michael Laxer
Nov 28, 20246 min read
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