Article Subjects and Geography: Media

Tech Billionaires, the AI Threat, and Resistance

Tech Billionaires, the AI Threat, and Resistance

by Martin Hart-Landsberg

July 1, 2026

Martin Hart-Landsberg gives an in-depth account of the oligarchs of Silicon Valley and their embrace of transhumanist ideologies that celebrate individualism and technological advancement above all else. However, he asserts, all is not lost, as growing dissatisfaction with capitalism "is slowly but steadily helping to grow a movement of resistance"—a resistance that must recognize that it is not just tech billionaires but capitalism itself threatening humanity's chance at a better future.
Capitalism and Cognition: The Fate of Science in a System in Decline

Capitalism and Cognition: The Fate of Science in a System in Decline

by Helena Sheehan

July 1, 2026

The world is being roiled by a crisis of meaning, leading to a pervasive sense of despair and stagnation. Helena Sheehan gives an account of the present-day epistemological nihilism resulting from the corrosion of "the foundations of knowledge production"—that is to say, the devaluing of rigorous scientific inquiry and the rise of irrationalism. Marxism provides us with both an understanding of how this crisis of cognition relates to the "Structural Crisis of Capitalism," as well as the socialist opposition that seeks to resolve its manifold contradictions.
The Thermodynamics of Capital: Artificial Intelligence, Energy Crisis, and Ecological Crisis

The Thermodynamics of Capital: Artificial Intelligence, Energy Crisis, and Ecological Crisis

by Te Li

June 1, 2026

Te Li unravels the myth of digital dematerialization so heavily promulgated by Silicon Valley and other AI boosters, which presents the technology as a phenomenon that has escaped the material realm and thus, entropy itself. In fact, Li shows that the material and energetic requirements of AI places it squarely in the physical realm, then situates the technology within the context of the metabolic rift under capitalism.
Digital Imperialism and Emotional Tribute in East Asia

Digital Imperialism and Emotional Tribute in East Asia

by Jianlu Bi and Ting Zhou

June 1, 2026

"In the contemporary era of stagnant monopoly-finance capital," Jianlu Bi and Ting Zhou begin, "the maintenance of global hegemony…necessitates the systemic colonization of digital consciousness. In examining the presentation of Sino-Japanese political tension across three media outlets, the authors describe digitally manufactured hatreds that "serve a vital imperialist function: the prevention of horizontal class solidarity" that may threaten U.S. hegemonic power in East Asia.
Capitalism and the Crisis of Meaning in Our Times

Capitalism and the Crisis of Meaning in Our Times

by Helena Sheehan

June 1, 2026

Philosopher and frequent MR contributor Helena Sheehan considers the implications of living in a world in which a lack of meaning runs rampant, as well as how it is expressed in the literary world. If we lack coherent analysis, the varied crises of our times can seem disconnected and overpowering. A materially grounded Marxist worldview, she notes, allows us to clear away the fog of meaninglessness engulfing contemporary society and chart a path toward socialism.
Slipping into Gogol’s “Overcoat”: A Winter’s Tale

Slipping into Gogol’s “Overcoat”: A Winter’s Tale

by Andy Merrifield

May 1, 2026

Andy Merrifield reflects on Nikolai Gogol's short story "The Overcoat," tying it to "a distinctively Marxist problematic." In the protagonist of the tale, a Russian counsellor whose life is forever changed by the acquisition of a new overcoat, Merrifield finds a character who, like Marx, knows firsthand what a single coat can tell us about the structures of society.
The Material Basis of a Spectre: Why China’s Youth Are Rediscovering Mao

The Material Basis of a Spectre: Why China’s Youth Are Rediscovering Mao

by Yinhao Zhang

April 1, 2026

This article examines the resurgence of interest in Mao Zedong among China's youth, particularly at elite universities. This "Mao fever" reflects a complex mindset: indignation toward social inequality, uncertainty within a brutal job market, and a firm anti-imperialist and patriotic stance amidst the "New Cold War." In Mao’s legacy, a new generation is finding the guidance to navigate the sharpening contradictions of the present day.
Yellow Shades upon a Global Color Line: Historicizing Filipino America and the “Deadliest Phase of U.S. Imperialism”

Yellow Shades upon a Global Color Line: Historicizing Filipino America and the “Deadliest Phase of U.S. Imperialism”

by Michael Viola

April 1, 2026

Michael Viola explores the building of the Filipino identity in the context of U.S. imperialism. The broad-reaching effects of this "deadliest phase of imperialism," combined with pervasive anti-Asian racism in the United States, fuels the idea of a collective political project that "comes with the praxis, the power, and the price of a unique lineage" extending across an ocean and intimately connected to the dark history of U.S. militarism abroad.
From Classic Labor to the Labor of the ‘General Intellect’: The Impact of the Digital Intelligence Era on Socialist Labor Theory

From Classic Labor to the Labor of the ‘General Intellect’: The Impact of the Digital Intelligence Era on Socialist Labor Theory

by Te Li

April 1, 2026

Applying Marxist labor theory to the rise of artificial intelligence and its effects on workers, Te Li presents an understanding of labor in the age of increasing reliance on algorithms and digital technologies. As Li argues: "In the civilization of general intellect labor, where the knowledge economy dominates, knowledge-intensive labor such as scientific research, technological innovation, artistic creation, and education and training will become primary forms of labor."

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