Slimer on Coke, Muncher on Zoloft
Ghostbusters’ Slimer embodied the hedonistic greed of the Reagan era. But the reboot’s Muncher is a reflection of our sad and depressed 2020s.
16 Articles by: Daniel Bessner
Daniel Bessner is the Joff Hanauer Honors Associate Professor in Western Civilization in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. He is also a non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and a contributing editor at Jacobin.
The Barack Obama Memoir: Don’t Trust the Process
From his new memoir, it’s clear that Barack Obama believes process is politics. But no amount of “process” will solve the problems that plague us — for that, we need the political will he could never muster as president.
How the QAnon Cult Stormed the Capitol
Perhaps the strangest thing about the media coverage of the Capitol Hill rally was how little of it focused on the visible presence of QAnon. What’s behind the Q cult, and how can we confront it?
Trump Is a Threat to Democracy. But That Doesn’t Mean He’s Winning.
The violent attempt to stop the certification of the electoral vote shouldn’t be ignored. But fascism isn’t on the brink in America. Pretending we’re on the precipice of losing our democracy plays into the hands of those who want to give new, repressive powers to the security state.
The General Who Brought Down the American Empire
In 2002, the Pentagon staged a $250 million war game known as the “Millennium Challenge.” It was supposed to be a fixed fight — until a retired Marine lieutenant general, playing the role of a Middle Eastern country, brought the US military to its knees.
Are the Democrats Losing on Purpose?
It looks like Biden won a narrow victory. But when Democratic candidates lose elections, is there any accountability for the Democratic Party operatives responsible? They don’t lose their jobs; they don’t even seem to take a pay cut.
The US “War on Terror” Has Created at Least 37 Million Refugees
A new study finds that America’s “war on terror” has displaced at least 37 million people around the globe. The US left has a responsibility to push an internationalism that aids the victims of American imperialism — and acts in solidarity with workers no matter their country of origin.
The Bernie Sanders Doctrine on Foreign Policy
We talked to Bernie Sanders foreign policy adviser Matt Duss about the internationalism that animated the Vermont senator’s 2020 campaign.
Michael Brooks Was a True Internationalist
Michael Brooks believed that every person, regardless of where they were born or where they lived, was worthy of fundamental human respect — and his dream was to create a more just world, not only for Americans, but for every working person on Earth.
How We Should Remember D-Day and the Struggle Against Nazism
On the 76th anniversary of D-Day, to honor those who perished in the struggle against fascism, we could do little better than to combat imperial hubris wherever we find it, including at home.
The Last Thing We Need Is a “New Cold War” With China
With Joe Biden releasing racist anti-China ads and Donald Trump trafficking in his usual toxic xenophobia, it’s becoming clear liberals and conservatives alike are trying to stoke a New Cold War with China. Democratic socialists must stand against it.
As President, Bernie Sanders Should Use Executive Orders Aggressively — Just Like FDR Did
From the creation of the Civil Works Administration to the Office of Scientific Research and Development, Franklin Delano Roosevelt radically remade the American state using the power of executive orders. If Bernie Sanders wins the White House, he should do the same.
There’s No Such Thing as Good Philanthropy
In the world of philanthropy, George Soros is about as good as it gets. But allowing plutocrats, even progressive ones, to decide what’s best for the rest of us is fundamentally unjust and undemocratic.
On Foreign Policy, Bernie Stands Alone
Bernie Sanders is the only candidate who has absorbed the sobering lessons of US empire and embraced the internationalist traditions of democratic socialism. When it comes to foreign policy, there is only one candidate of the Left.
An Empty Tale
The foreign policy establishment is responding to Trump-era brutalities by demanding more, not less, aggression and empire.
The Weimar Analogy
Comparing Trump’s America to fascist Germany only fuels elites’ antidemocratic fantasies.