In Defense of Street Action
Direct action can persuade, it can inspire, and it can change circumstances on the ground.
Noah Berlatsky
Noah Berlatsky is a contributor to Pacific Standard and the author of Wonder Woman: Bondage and Feminism in the Marston/Peter Comics and Nazi Dreams: Films About Fascism.
Israel Doesn't Show Us How to Fight Fascism—but the Diaspora Can
Is it really wrong to have ties to a community based in a shared vision of God, justice, and hope, rather than in land and blood?
If You're Worried About Free Speech, Stand Up for Prisoners
The shuttering of a prison debate club shows the precarious nature of free-speech rights among American inmates.
'The Coddling of the American Mind' Is Sort of Brainless
A new book repackages old complaints about college kids, while also discouraging protest.
The Opioid Crisis Is Also a Crisis of Speech
Under the opioid panic, patients suffering from chronic pain can find themselves unable to speak openly with their doctors.
How Right-Wing Media Has Tried to Stifle Student Speech at Evergreen State College
A slanted version of the events at Evergreen College keeps driving the conservative news cycle—all while students suffer.
Mobley's Radical Pop
The indie musician talks about his new song cycle about racism—and loving a country that doesn't love you back.
Dear Leftists: Going on Tucker Carlson Is Not Going to Stop Imperialism
An anti-war movement that embraces authoritarianism and conspiracy theories is an anti-war movement that will lead us to more war.
Superhero Stories Aren't Myths. They're Anti-Myths.
Unlike myths, superhero sagas suggest that justice is actually attainable.
In the Fight for Free Speech, Sex Workers Have Been Left Behind
With SESTA, Congress gets it backwards: Speaking isn't dangerous for sex workers. Censorship is.
How to Fight Anti-Semitism in the Trump Era
Jonathan Weisman's new book argues that American Jews need to focus less on Israel and more on social justice.
Moving Left Won't Guarantee Victory for Democrats—but Expanding the Franchise Will Help
Why fighting voter suppression and expanding the rolls matter more than achieving progressive purity.
'Butcher's Block' Is a Horror Series About Class War and Cannibalism
Where other horror shows tell you to fear technology, Butcher's Block tells you to fear the rich.
How Anti-Leftism Has Made Jordan Peterson a Mark for Fascist Propaganda
When academics start complaining about "cultural Marxism," they're entering—wittingly or no—a realm of deep anti-Semitism.
Let's Put an End to 'Horseshoe Theory' Once and for All
Accusing the left of fascism only helps the real fascists.
Welcome to the Post-Racial Future. It's Still Pretty Racist.
In the fictional universe of Altered Carbon, the wealthiest humans have transcended race. Oddly, most of them are still white.
Justin Timberlake and the Whiteness of Country Music
On Man of the Woods, Timberlake's flirtation with woodsy iconography is an uncomfortable reminder that certain kinds of authenticity are reserved for white people.
Inside the Vicious Crackdown on Street Medics
By jailing medics, the government is stifling its citizens' basic right to protest.
Mr. Robot Is Not Your Socialist Hero
Can any show with an extraordinary hero advance egalitarian politics?
'Thor' Shows That Superheroes Can't Fight Imperialism, Even When They Try
The film believes imperialism is bad but can't quite bring itself to reach the logical conclusion.
Democrats Should Stop Chasing the 'Sensible Centrists'
They don't exist. Voter suppression, on the other hand, is very real.
Why Do Mainstream Pundits Keep Getting Student Protest So Wrong?
When commentators hasten to blame students and protesters, they engage in a sort of chattering-class solidarity—while empowering the true threats to free speech.
The World-Changing Power of Single Women
A new book charts the rise of unattached women through history—and makes the case for how they can change public policy.
The Philosophical Case for Children's Suffrage
Two philosophical, complementary arguments that prove young Americans deserve the franchise.
The Law’s Tougher on Sex Workers Today Than It Was in the 19th Century
How suffragettes, wartime paranoia, and 9/11 stripped Victorian entrepreneurs of rights and reputation.
Actresses and Sex Workers Aren't So Different After All
Do A-list advocates like Kate Winslet and Lena Dunham really know anything about sex workers? One hundred years ago, both would have been considered fallen women.
The Dark Side of Television's 'Golden Age'
Critics who champion TV's high-quality renaissance elevate the status of niche shows at the expense of those appreciated by "mass," lower-class audiences.
How Public Policy Made Indiana's HIV Crisis Worse
Political opposition to needle exchanges, reproductive health services, and other public health fixtures has helped create an outbreak in Scott County, Indiana.
When Sex Workers Join Academe
Current and former sex workers are taking a stand against their portrayal as victims and conducting studies of their own.
How the Rhetoric of 'Personal Responsibility' Warps Personal Relationships
In a new book, Allison J. Pugh explores how an ideology of independence can have negative effects outside the economic realm.
Is Racism Slowing Job Recovery?
Public sector job creation might be lagging because of anti-black sentiment.
Was Nazi Germany Everyone's Fault?
In a new essay collection, historian Richard J. Evans argues against the popular conception.
How Copyright Terms Restrict Scholarship
In order to write a book about the Wonder Woman comics, Noah Berlatsky had to resort to pirated reprints.
A Manageable Way Forward in the Arctic
In Edward Struzik's new book Future Arctic: Field Notes From a World on the Edge, he avoids the apocalyptic and offers a vision of how pragmatists could tackle some of the region's many environmental problems.
Plus-Sized Fashion and the Sociologist's Gaze
In a new book, Amanda M. Czerniawski details how the fashion industry objectifies plus-sized models. But can sociologists avoid doing the same?
Can Jack Bauer Convince You to Torture?
Fictional depictions of effective torture may be more persuasive than reasoned arguments.
What Is the Point of Academic Books?
Ultimately, they're meant to disseminate knowledge. But their narrow appeal makes them expensive to produce and harder to sell.
America Is Built on Torture, Remember?
The people arguing that torture contradicts our country's historical virtues are dead wrong.
The Neuroscience of Altruism
In The Altruistic Brain, neurobiologist Donald Pfaff makes the case that humans are hard-wired for good. But, Noah Berlatsky argues, that good is frequently defined and distorted by culture.
The Criminalization of Students
In her new book, Marsha Weissman gets insights on the school-to-prison pipeline from the students themselves.
The Answer to Implicit Racism Might Be in Children's Literature
Could diverse protagonists reduce racial anxiety?
The Long War Between Highbrow and Lowbrow
Despise The Avengers? Loathe the snobs who despise The Avengers? You're not the first.
What's the Difference Between Film and Reality?
Your brain isn't so sure, according to Jeffrey M. Zacks' new book Flicker.
Would Science Exist Without Religion?
Though religious thought was key to early scientific breakthroughs, purists tend to erase this part of history. In his new book, What Galileo Saw: Imagining the Scientific Revolution, Lawrence Lipking reminds us of the real story.
Why Don't Men Read Romance Novels?
A lot of men just don't read fiction, and if they do, structural misogyny drives them away from the genre.
Michelle Obama Trans-Truthers Reveal Persisting Prejudices
Black and trans women are still stereotyped as unfeminine.
Does U of I Care About Academic Freedom?
The university's decision to withdraw a job offer to professor Steven Salaita after he tweeted political commentary shows its disdain for an open learning environment.
Beyoncé Doesn't Perform for the Male Gaze
That argument denies her agency, her feminism, her fandom—and the fact that females can gaze too.
How Copyright Law Protects Art From Criticism
A case for allowing the copyright on Gone With the Wind to expire.