Culture

David Bromberg performing.

Welcome Back Welcome Back

Altercation catches up on summer events and releases.

Sep 22, 2015 / Eric Alterman

Getting God Out of Football

Getting God Out of Football Getting God Out of Football

Believers and non-believers alike should welcome Aaron Rodgers’s and Arian Foster’s dissent against the constant invocation of Christ in football.

Sep 21, 2015 / Dave Zirin

1892 Populist poster

Bernie, Donald, and the Promise of Populism Bernie, Donald, and the Promise of Populism

Both candidates have been mislabeled as populists. The movement of that name was a genuine people’s rebellion that reinvigorated democracy. We can do it again.

Sep 21, 2015 / Naked Democracy / William Greider

In Cuba, Pope Francis and Fidel Castro Baptize a New Era

In Cuba, Pope Francis and Fidel Castro Baptize a New Era In Cuba, Pope Francis and Fidel Castro Baptize a New Era

Pope Francis and Fidel Castro share a long, intertwined political history—one that also points forward to a global ideological realignment.

Sep 21, 2015 / Greg Grandin

The Kiss (III)

The Kiss (III) The Kiss (III)

A writer imagines a secret courtship before the advent of technology.

Sep 21, 2015 / Dispatch / Robert Walser

Pope Francis waves as he arrives to lead his Wednesday general audience in Saint Peter's square at the Vatican.

Why Is the ‘Radical Pope’ About to Canonize a Priest Who Helped Enslave and Murder Native Americans? Why Is the ‘Radical Pope’ About to Canonize a Priest Who Helped Enslave and Murder Native Americans?

It's time to confront, not celebrate, the other American slavery.

Sep 18, 2015 / Back Issues / Richard Kreitner

Star Trek

What Can ‘Star Trek’ Teach Us About American Exceptionalism? What Can ‘Star Trek’ Teach Us About American Exceptionalism?

The quintessentially American urge “to boldly go,” regardless of consequence, has gotten humanity into a heap of trouble.

Sep 17, 2015 / John Feffer

Are Colbert’s New Politics Softer, or Just More Subtle?

Are Colbert’s New Politics Softer, or Just More Subtle? Are Colbert’s New Politics Softer, or Just More Subtle?

A political comedian reviews the first of the new Late Show.

Sep 16, 2015 / Katie Halper

No, We Shouldn’t Privatize PBS

No, We Shouldn’t Privatize PBS No, We Shouldn’t Privatize PBS

As Sesame Street partners with HBO, it’s important to remember the vitality of public television.

Sep 14, 2015 / William F. Baker and Evan Leatherwood

September 12, 1880: H.L. Mencken Is Born

September 12, 1880: H.L. Mencken Is Born September 12, 1880: H.L. Mencken Is Born

“What ails liberalism, as a practical scheme of reform, is its naive and irrational belief in law, a superstition that has cursed the human race long enough.”

Sep 12, 2015 / 150th Anniversary / Richard Kreitner

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