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The Dangers of the Far Right’s Pro-Birth Rhetoric
A Little Green Scarves rally in Argentina -- image via X By Maisa Bascuas On 20 August, during the 23rd edition of the Council of the Americas in Buenos Aires, Javier Milei concluded his speech to the business elite by blaming the ‘little green scarves’ and voluntary termination of pregnancy (VTP) for the declining birth rate, the slowdown in economic growth, and the crisis in the pension system. The tactic is politically effective: it reduces a global demographic trend to a

The Left Chapter
Aug 275 min read


Argentina: The Streets Put a Stop to Milei’s Plundering
Mass protest in Argentina against the land bill on August 7 -- image via news video screenshot By Julian Bokser Javier Milei’s government recently suffered a double defeat. The first occurred in the streets, with massive protests against his plan to liberalize land purchases by foreigners. The second took place in the halls of the Argentine Congress, where he failed to secure enough votes to pass the bill as presented. Both defeats point to the same thing: a power project tha

The Left Chapter
Aug 174 min read


21st-Century McCarthyism: Cuba in the Crosshairs
Public domain image By Guillermo R. Barreto It happened on 25 May 2020, in Minneapolis, USA. George Floyd (a Black man) was arrested on suspicion of attempting to pay for a pack of cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. Police officer Derek Chauvin (a white man) pinned him to the ground and pressed down on his neck for more than 9 minutes. It was to no avail that George Floyd repeated ‘I can’t breathe’ more than 20 times. He lost consciousness and died of asphyxiation. In ot

The Left Chapter
Aug 115 min read


A Government Opposed to Peace is a Government Opposed to Life
Abelardo de la Espriella, May 25, 2026 -- Abelardo de la Espriella, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons By Laura Violeta Devia López There are just over three weeks left before Abelardo De La Espriella takes office as Colombia’s new president, despite the numerous allegations that cast a shadow over his election and, as usual, discredit the Colombian electoral system. The announcements already being made by Abelardo and his designated cabinet mark a significant change of course, not o

The Left Chapter
Jul 204 min read


What Is Humanitarian Education and Does It Help Build Peace?
Humanitarian organizations invest in education to promote safety, resilience, and social cohesion, but researchers continue to debate its long-term impact on conflict and human well-being. By Chloe Bruce Humanitarian education refers to educational initiatives developed or supported by humanitarian organizations to reduce suffering, protect vulnerable populations, and help communities recover from conflict and disaster. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees define

The Left Chapter
Jul 1118 min read


Why Do Societies Normalize Harm to Children in War, Poverty, and Public Policy?
From war and environmental disaster to poverty and public policy, children face systemic harm that societies often fail to recognize—and can choose to change. Representational image By Colin Greer and Reynard Loki Few ideas command more universal agreement than the belief that children must be protected. Across cultures, religions, and political traditions, they are regarded as uniquely deserving of care, safety, and opportunity. Yet a glaring contradiction emerges when we lo

The Left Chapter
Jul 413 min read


The US Public Isn’t Budging on ICE’s Immigrant Detention Policies
Around the nation, citizens are resisting the mass warehousing of immigrants—and finding some success. Alligator Alcatraz detention center, July 2025 -- SovNAT, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Sonali Kolhatkar As the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency rapidly expands its carceral powers, immigrant detention centers around the United States have been facing relentless public scrutiny. It appears the pressure campaigns are finally having an impact as some cent

The Left Chapter
Jul 35 min read


Women Face the Greatest Climate Risks but Are Critical to Climate Action
Women and girls are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis, yet women’s leadership and local knowledge are critical to building more resilient communities. Two women navigating flood waters (representational image) -- Djuulume, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Ruhi Bhasin The climate crisis is worsening many of the economic and social inequalities already faced by women and girls, making it harder to access health care, education, employment, and other necess

The Left Chapter
Jun 135 min read


From Declaration to Action: Building Working-Class Power and Completing South Africa’s Democratic Revolution
Image via Facebook By Molly Dhlamini South Africa witnessed a historic Conference of the Left convened by the South African Communist Party (SACP) from 29–31 May 2026. The gathering brought together communist parties, socialist organisations, trade unions, community formations, women’s organisations, youth movements, progressive intellectuals and academics, progressive traditional leadership, faith based organisations and international solidarity partners in what can confiden

The Left Chapter
Jun 126 min read


How Propaganda and False Information Are Undermining Humanitarian Work
From vaccine hesitancy to conflict-zone rumors, false information is making it harder for humanitarian organizations to build trust, protect civilians, and save lives. mikemacmarketing, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Chloe Bruce In today’s post-truth era, where “objective truth” has lost influence in the public sphere, it is becoming increasingly difficult for humanitarians, who seek to preserve human life, to carry out their work. “The post-truth era has dramatic reper

The Left Chapter
Jun 717 min read


The Conservative ‘Plan’ to Dismantle Public Schools in the US Is Entering the Home Stretch
The Republican Party’s crusade to cap or abolish local property taxes is the latest tactic in their effort to drain funding from public education. By Jeff Bryant In what is being touted as the “Golden Age of School Choice,” the option that is most popular with American families—to fund and attend their local public schools—is gradually being made less viable. Take North Carolina, for instance. For years, the Republican-dominated state legislature has chosen to cut the state’s

The Left Chapter
May 2911 min read


As Americans Struggle, Trump’s Wealth Soars
Trump is flouting regulations to reap billions for himself, as ordinary Americans teeter on the edge of economic ruin. Trump on May 19 -- public domain image By Sonali Kolhatkar President Donald Trump has brazenly engaged in what appears to be insider trading. A bombshell story published in Bloomberg on May 14, 2026, revealed that Trump made thousands of stock trades in the first quarter of this year with companies connected to the government. This isn’t fake news. Bloomberg

The Left Chapter
May 276 min read


Much More Than Just an Election: Colombia on the Verge of Finally Launching a Revolution for Life
Rally for Iván Cepeda and Aida Quilcué on May 15 -- image via X By Laura Capote This May, which began with International Workers’ Day, has seen us navigate one of the most defining moments in the regional landscape: the presidential elections in Colombia have entered their final phase. With four intense weeks shaping the scenario that will be fully unveiled on 31 May, when the elections take place, we will find out what the balance of power will really be in a country that t

The Left Chapter
May 199 min read


The Environmental and Social Impacts of Fish Farming and Industrial Aquaculture
Often promoted as sustainable, fish farming can increase pressure on wild fisheries, deepen global food inequities, and damage marine ecosystems. Asc1733, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Laura Lee Cascada Fish farming, a form of aquaculture, is now the fastest-growing form of factory farming worldwide. This rapid expansion can be attributed to the industry’s emphasis on buzzwords such as “climate,” “conservation,” and “sustainability.” While discussions about land-base

The Left Chapter
May 129 min read


How Human Ecology Shapes Social Democracy
Human ecology offers a framework for understanding how social systems in Nordic countries and New York shape participation, trust, and collective well-being. Skogn folkehøgskole folk high school, Norway -- Ragnhild Lovli, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Sandra Ericson The United States is a nation of extraordinary wealth and extraordinary contradiction. Tens of millions of Americans live in material insecurity, while aggregate wealth continues to expand. Institutional

The Left Chapter
May 59 min read


We can't solve homelessness in the US when the rent is just too damn high
A dangerous right-wing solution to homelessness is to hide the unhoused in out-of-sight detention camps. Image via X By Sonali Kolhatkar A 2024 Treasury Department report articulated the leading cause of homelessness in the United States: “For the past two decades, rents and house prices have been rising faster than incomes across most regions of the United States.” The logic of this claim—based on documented evidence—is straightforward. People aren’t earning enough to pay re

The Left Chapter
Apr 255 min read


Argentina, 50 Years After Its Darkest Night
Coup president Jorge Rafael Videla assuming power in 1976 -- public domain image By Julián Bokser It has been fifty years since the coup d’état of 24 March 1976, one of the most tragic chapters in Argentina’s recent history: a dictatorship that combined state terrorism with a structural transformation of its economy. Throughout the 20th century, the country experienced six interruptions of its democratic order—in 1930, 1943, 1955, 1962, 1966, and 1976—but the last coup ushere

The Left Chapter
Apr 14 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


How Informal Caregivers Use Storytelling to Build Community and Influence Policy
Sharing caregiving experiences helps people feel less alone, builds community, and strengthens the movement for better support and policy. Caregiver Seth Rogan testifies Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., before a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee in 2014 -- image via video screenshot By Birgitta Vaivai-Soderberg Caregiving is often a silent act of devotion—unseen, unacknowledged, and isolating. Millions of informal caregivers in the United States spend their time and energy

The Left Chapter
Mar 1214 min read


An Ex Guerrilla Runs for the Senate
Griselda Lobo Silva -- image via news video interview screenshot By Taroa Zuñiga Silva and Vijay Prashad You must imagine what it must have been for Griselda Lobo Silva, who was born and raised in a farm in La Paz (Colombia), to have seen these young people walk through her land when she was a young girl. Her mother had fallen ill, and Griselda was the one who had to leave school to take her care of her seventeen brothers and sisters. The farm was modest and their lives were

The Left Chapter
Mar 75 min read
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