The Cultural Apparatus, Materialist Aesthetics, and the Critique of Eurocentrism
November 1, 2026
John Bellamy Foster discusses the tradition of cultural analysis in Monthly Review with Jennifer Ponce de León and Gabriel Rockhill. "MR's approach…over its long history," Foster explains, "has been a product of its deep commitment to historical materialism." Drawing parallels between Bertolt Brecht's observations during Hitler's rise in Germany and an analysis of MAGA-style fascism under Trump today, it becomes clear that "control of the intellectual and cultural life of the nation is integral to the neofascist project." However, there is also hope, as culture "constantly emerges from below in revolutionary new forms, which cannot be entirely repressed."