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The Unz Review •�An Alternative Media Selection$
A Collection of Interesting, Important, and Controversial Perspectives Largely Excluded from the American Mainstream Media
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There is an impulse people have to celebrate “simplicity” as virtuous. There is an idea of the “noble savage,” that is the idea that primitive people are romantic and experience life at some greater level than more intelligent people. This concept was integrated into left philosophy, but it seems to have universal appeal in the... Read More
So nice to have you back on this podcast, Dr. Stein and Michael Hudson. Really great to be here. It's an honor to be with both of you. And let's get started with the debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, Dr. Stein. I want to know what is your reaction to that. Just briefly,... Read More
"Get a job!" That's the cliched response to panhandlers and anyone else who complains of being broke. But what if you can't? That dilemma is the crux of an evolving silent crisis that threatens to undermine the foundation of the American economic model. Two-thirds of gross domestic product, most of the economy, is fueled by... Read More
A tepid defense of the Welfare Pill
source: @ScottMGreer on X Scott Greer has a recent YouTube podcast Don’t Take the Welfare Pill, denouncing the embrace of welfarism on the dissident right. Greer is a reactionary and an elitist who promotes White identity based on preppy WASPs and fraternities. While a degree of elitism is needed, the reality is that country club... Read More
The Democratic Party had one last chance to implement the kind of New Deal Reforms that could save us from another Trump presidency and Christian fascism. It failed. Joe Biden and the Democratic Party made a Trump presidency possible once and look set to make it possible again. If Trump returns to power, it will... Read More
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If we were to pinpoint the key to America’s success through the two World Wars and the standoff with the Soviet Union, it would be its vibrant economy and impressive manufacturing capabilities. This self-evident economic prowess has been reduced to that of an enigma. A substantial portion of the American empire’s value today is imaginary.... Read More
The Politics of Natalism and Wealth
The Great Class Swap (Introduction) Matt Yglesias endorses the Great Class Swap Radically Unconventional Solutions to Inequality (including Universal Orphanhood) What would the Great Class Swap look like if implemented The Great Class Swap is more of a thought experiment, philosophical outlook, and metric to judge a society by rather than a concrete political agenda.... Read More
Lyndon Johnson, cautioned that his support of the Civil Rights Act was too bold and politically risky, famously responded: "What else is the presidency for?" The United States of America is one of the richest, if not the richest, nation-states in the history of the world. It also is the most unequal. So its people... Read More
The Great Class Swap is a philosophical response to the societal problem that too much wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few while too much population growth is in the underclass, with both trends squeezing out the middle. The Great Class Swap is a social experiment in which wealth is redistributed from the... Read More
Won't you please kill the homeless woman who lives on a bench on the median strip of the street near my apartment building? She doesn't bother me. As far as I know, she doesn't bother anyone else either. The woman who lives in the middle of the street is nice. I like her. Last week,... Read More
I have been following financial commentator, Peter Schiff, since the Ron Paul movement and his Senate run. Schiff was one of several, including Michael Burry, to forecast the 08’ financial crash. Now he is predicting a Depression that will be much worse than the 1930s. That is because it will be inflationary rather than deflationary.... Read More
While Anthony Oliver’s, Rich Men North of Richmond is untimely, it is still relevant to ongoing political and social issues. Despite the song being adopted as a MAGA anthem, Anthony Oliver stated that neither party represents him. He slammed partisan Republicans for hijacking the song, because Republicans are also “Rich Men North of Richmond.” If... Read More
The Schism Between “Racist” Whites
In a 2015 article, John Derbyshire drew a distinction between “Goodwhites” and “Badwhites.” The “Goodwhites” were the well-meaning anti-racist white liberals, whereas the “Badwhites” were those who dared to differ with modern egalitarian orthodoxies. Since everyone in Derb’s dichotomy was white and no mention was made of the often stark class differences among them —... Read More
The United States recently became the first medically advanced country with shortening rather than lengthening lifespans. Princeton University economists Anne Case and Angus Deaton in their 2020 book Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism associate this decline in life span with economic inequality rising to levels not previously recorded. To find a very... Read More
oliveranthonyoo
I’ve been especially taken by the “Rich Men North of Richmond” phenomenon that’s so big in the news these days (it’s late August of ‘23). As you know—no need for a lot of exposition here—it’s a song by a heretofore unknown singer/songwriter who goes by the name of Oliver Anthony. As The New York Times... Read More
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As everyone on earth is too well aware, a couple weeks ago, a ginger-bearded hillman with gynecomastia and dogs took the world by storm with a song about how he is poor and it’s the fault of rich people. His name is Oliver Anthony or Anthony Oliver. (I legit don’t remember – it’s a stage... Read More
I don’t typically like people whining about being poor. I mean, I get it, people feel like there are circumstances outside of their control that are weighing heavily on their personal lives, and this is true – but whining about it always comes across poorly. So, when I heard Oliver Anthony’s song “Rich Men North... Read More
homelessadultmansittingonthestreetintheshadow
Trust the late, much-missed Anthony Bourdain, the Kerouac of cooking, to blurt out the truth when nobody else would as to the root causes of homelessness. Other than libeling the poor as mental drug addicts, the rest—conservatives and liberals in cahoots—call for denser development (as greedy developers lick their chops), and certainly none of those... Read More
While the broke genius archetype may be a meme, the topic of the intelligent yet poor is especially relevant to how we view issues of wealth, privilege, status, and societal incentive structures. A stereotypical demographic profile of the smart but poor, might be of a starving artist or NEET, especially the terminally online underemployed intellectual... Read More
The prospects for UBI in light of inflation, automation, polarization, and consolidation of power
It could not be better timing for Universal Basic Income to rise in popularity and enter the public discourse, and then inflation sets in. Overall there is currently less discussion of UBI then during the 2020 election and the pandemic. The stimulus checks have been blamed for causing inflation, with the overall money supply increasing... Read More
iranianpovertyim
A previous column, “The Hell With Hunter; Call Joe In For Hearings On Treason, Cancel The Neocons While You’re At It,” ventured that, “If the GOP were seriously working for Deplorables, and not engaged in tit-for-tat political gotcha among elites—they'd pursue First Principles driven congressional oversight.” Biden would, duly, be summonsed for a hearing not... Read More
The other day, I caught myself using the phrase "earn a living." For the first time in my life, I questioned myself. The idea that one must "earn a living" is the fundamental assumption of capitalism. When you stop to think about it, that's some extreme libertarianism. Americans are constitutionally guaranteed the right to speak... Read More
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The Crumbling of America In June of 2013 an Interstate bridge on a main commercial corridor between Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, Canada, collapsed and fell into the river below after being hit by a truck. This was not a high-speed collision; the truck simply bumped one of the main support pillars at low speed, but... Read More
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Introduction In an earlier essay on the 1917 Jewish revolution in Russia,[1] I related this quote: “The [Jews] systematically exterminated the clergy, the wealthy, the business class, the intelligent educated class, all the high-achieving segments of the population, leaving Russia with a population of ignorant workers, peasants, and a powerful Jewish ruling elite.” This is... Read More
Recommends Synthetic Insects Instead
Matthew Ehret and I covered 30 stories on this week’s False Flag Weekly News. Fortunately, the one below did not make the list. If you appreciate the way FFWN combs through each week’s news stories in hopes of separating fact from fiction, absurd reality from barely-more-absurd parody, then by all means contribute to this week’s... Read More
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The US has one of the most deeply-ingrained nationalistic ideologies of any nation. Accompanying the grand mass hysterias of patriotism and freedom, one of the most pervasive links in the ideological chain that creates the American sense of identity is a belief in “The American Dream”, an imaginary ideal that offers a rags-to-riches path to... Read More
An Intellectual and Political History
Just over a decade ago, minimum wage laws had largely vanished from the American political debate. Although they still remained on the books, they had fallen sharply in real terms, with the federal figure of $7.25 per hour being roughly one-third lower than at its 1968 peak. Relative to the overall productivity of the American... Read More
Our rulers seem to think all whites live in wealth, security, and comfort. This myth is one of many that make it impossible to have an honest conversation about race. Here are five films about America’s impoverished and decidedly not privileged white underclass. Wanda (1970) A directionless woman meanders through the Pennsyltucky’s dingy and criminal... Read More
For years, Washington has formulated a strategy for world domination that saves the political headache that comes with committing boots on the ground. The United States approaches country X. Country X has a government system or policy Uncle Sam doesn’t like. An envoy is dispatched and demands it change. When nation X affirms its rights... Read More
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Introduction For years, I’ve wanted to go to southern West Virginia and do original reporting on what’s alternatively called “the white death” and “the opioid crisis.” It is the greatest social malady of our time, and people who read this publication should care about its resolution more than anyone else. After more than a year... Read More
Cape Town, 2021
In boxing, there are bangers and dancers, but the very best, a Meldrick Taylor, say, could concuss and rupture yet still pirouette with finesse. If you waltz too much, you’ll lose fans. Even with a perfect record of 50-0, cake walking Floyd Mayweather has detractors. South African Corrie Sanders was no juking pussy. Although his... Read More
Penang, Malaysia, 2019
Last year in South Korea, I went into a fried chicken place and asked for half a bird. Misreading my hand gestures, the lady gave me a full one, but chopped up. It’s standard in South Korea to gorge on an entire chicken, while downing mugs of beer. Their BBQ restaurants also stuff you with... Read More
Notes on the World’s Motherlode of Moral Hypocrisy
Among the more nauseating elements of what has become the American national character is the moral preening, the lecturing of others on the virtuousness of the Exceptional Nation, on America’s incontinent goodness and sense of superiority. The world isn’t buying it. The internet makes fraud impossible. Start with the domestic. The whole world can see,... Read More
Guests Michael Hudson & Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove: April 21, 2021 (transcribed May 3, 2021): Jim Vrettos: So, Michael, Jonathan. Thank you so very, very much for being here. Jonathan, you're from... We're looking at you from North Carolina there and Michael is in Queens. You've both had tremendous influence in your respective fields. Spiritual economic activist... Read More
putinhero
Why is Vladimir Putin standing up to the richest and most powerful men in the world? Why is he bad-mouthing their "pet project" Globalization and trash-talking their "Great Reset"? Does he really think these corporate mandarins and "silver spoon" elites are going to listen to what he has to say or does he realize that... Read More
The Biden Election Thief is not yet inaugurated, but the Democrat and Republican establishment has already closed ranks against President Trump and the American people. The House and Senate, backed up by neoliberal Junk Economists Larry Summers and Paul Krugman and billionaire owned presstitute media, blocked President Trump’s effort to boost the Covid relief package... Read More
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The racial wealth gap has become a heated issue as part of the ongoing woke crusade, but rather than the economic elite, it is average, workaday White Americans who are the scapegoat. White millennials in particular—ironically given their role as some of the most vocal carriers of the woke torch—will be the primary bearers of... Read More
A new study by Northwestern University found that 29 million Americans, 11%, sometimes or often cannot afford to eat. This is a drastic rise from 2018, where only 8 million reported hunger. The culprits cited are the high unemployment rate, COVID-19 school lock downs that prevent children from getting their subsidized means, and the inadequacy... Read More
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They Say Goodbye. We Say Hello
[center/] In 1850, when Western nations were the richest on earth, capitalists created the first market economy. By privatizing credit, land, and labor, they allowed human society to be regulated by the market. In 1950, when China was the poorest nation on earth, communists created an organic economy by subordinating credit, land, and labor to... Read More
Truck driving remains one of the last few professions in America that can provide stable and decently compensated employment Workers in this field are generally thought of as white men from the heartland of America. During the Covid lockdowns truckers have managed to keep stores stocked, yet at the same time, they have also been... Read More
COVID-19 has created the ideal medium for a summer of continuous protest. Political protests and demonstrations used to be weekend affairs during which angry leftists shouted at empty government offices before shuffling home Sunday afternoon to gear up for the workweek. With 1 out of 4 workers having filed for unemployment and many more working... Read More
blm1nj
The ongoing anti-white rampage of the Unpopular Front -- Millennial lumpen-bourgeoisie, black criminals, academics, journalists, and woke capital -- has led to more questions than answers. Some call them communists, but the terrorists do not have any economic demands. On the contrary, they have a close relationship with corporate America. Conservatives are desperate to link... Read More
Economic activity across the country has collapsed, GDP is shrinking at the fastest pace on record, and the economic data is worse than anytime in history. Every sector of the economy is contracting and every economic indicator is pointing down. According to economist Nouriel Roubini, the country is headed towards a decade of "depression and... Read More
With the world becoming so stupid, by design, there is no mind or focus left to pay attention to any of the arts, so beauty is increasingly perverted and language sickens, by design. Numbed by nonstop media sewage, just about every man is divorced from his own thoughts even, so of course he can barely... Read More
We can save the economy. We have to throw the landlords under the bus to do it. At this writing, 26.5 million Americans have lost their jobs to the national lockdown necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Added to those who were unemployed before the coronavirus crisis, we will soon face jobless numbers equivalent to or... Read More
As thousands line up in bread lines amidst an economic meltdown, Jewish pimps are aggressively recruiting unemployed women to work as "camgirls" on their porn sites. The modern left, which has embraced cultural liberalism, has taken up the cause of "sex work" as a chic and novel repudiation of "fascism." Some women choose this profession,... Read More
The City’s Socialist-Communist Government Is at a Loss as to Why
Le Monde has an interesting article on Parisian social housing policy which is quite indicative of how quaint official French thinking is on immigration-gentrification-segregation-inequality-cum-terrorism: Following the terrorist attacks of January 2015, the President of the Republic, François Hollande, gathered several interministerial committees, announced a series of measures in to promote social cohesion, and managed to... Read More
In one of the poorest neighborhoods of Bogota, Belen, I saw two people bleeding in the middle of the road. One person was clearly dead. A group of onlookers was moving frantically, shouting loudly. There was an attempt to resurrect an injured man. I asked the driver to inquire whether our help was needed, but... Read More
In May of 2014, Frank Bruni wrote an article for the NYT titled ‘America the Shrunken’, in which he detailed what he called “the downward arc of a diminished enterprise” that was the USA, quoting friends who claimed their children would live in a more impoverished America, that the reign was over and the slide... Read More
In July of 2013, Rose Aguilar wrote a wonderful article for al-Jazeera [1], in which she discussed the dire hunger crisis that envelops the US today. In her article, she brought back a memory of something I had long forgotten, an event that so outraged the American public that the government was temporarily forced to... Read More