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Who Was Richard Holbrooke?
“He is simply one of the giants of American foreign policy,” President Obama said of him on Monday. Upon the news of the sudden death of Richard Holbrooke on December 13th, 2010, an elaborate state funeral was quickly arranged, carried out and reported. Attending Holbrooke’s funeral were such figures as Madeline Albright, Joe Biden,…
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American Left-Wing Music
Left-wing music has been a cornerstone of the American socialist movement throughout its entire history. Stemming from the early 1900s to the present day, a good number of musicians and bands have expounded socialism through their lyrics and song content. Whether it is in support of Marxism-Leninism or other various forms of leftism, music has…
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Review: “Triumph of the Will”
Triumph of the Will is a brilliant work of propaganda demonstrating how cultural hegemony can be used by those with power to suppress dissent and obscure material realities with artificial, idealized perceptions. If one were to watch this with the understandings and biases of your typical German citizen in that period, one would feel compelled…
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Update on North Korea
On Tuesday, November 23, the armed forces of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea responded to a deliberate act of military aggression when “South” Korean warships fired dozens of shells into the DPRK’s territorial waters, near the Yongphyong Islet. The attack, which can only be interpreted as nothing short of a deliberate provocation by the…
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Art and Marxism
Art can be understood as how we express ourselves, translating experiences, desires, emotions, and knowledge into concrete images, sounds, and so forth. All humans are artists and we all have a hint of creative spark within us. Marx noted that the fiction of his time had presented a greater image of truth than any politician.…
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Review: “Under the Bombs”
Basic Plot Under The Bombs follows the story of a woman named Zeina (Nada Abou Farhat) who returns to the south of Lebanon after the 33-day Israeli bombing campaign in search of her son, who has gone missing along with her sister during the bombardment. Upon her arrival in Lebanon, she meets a cab driver…
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Systems of Stratification: Gender in Capitalist Society
The capitalist system, by its very construction, requires systems of stratification to perpetuate itself. These systems serve many functions, but chief among them is as a means of dividing workers against one another. To distract and befuddle the endeavors of the working class, the capitalists champion reactionary ideological currents that turn the frustrations of the…
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Review: “Severe Clear (This is War)”
Severe Clear, or This is War, is a documentary made from footage shot by First Lieutenant Mike Scotti on his own personal camera as he is deployed in Iraq as part of the invasion force sent in to capture the city of Baghdad. The story follows him and his platoon from Lieutenant Scotti’s living quarters…
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The Truth about the Shelling of Yeonpyeong
U.S. Imperialists Seek War With North Korea If you live in the United States or any other imperialist or imperialist-subjugated country, you have doubtlessly heard the news reports of the recent North Korean “attack” on a South Korean island, laced with words and slogans like “provocative assault” or “military state,” or perhaps something about the…
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On Surrender: Taking the “Easy Way Out”
In times of struggle, there are always defectors and dropouts. No matter how vital a struggle is, no matter how crucial to the very survival and well-being of a people, there are always those who throw up their hands and surrender, who say “I’ve had enough” and either cease all activity on behalf of their…
The Red Phoenix
Real news for workers, by workers
