Base and Superstructure

Alienation, autonomy, and ideology

Page 26 of 117

An empty New York City street in the early pandemic era that's often a target of contemporary nostalgia.

Nostalgia for the Early Pandemic

May 4, 2023 /

Lately I’ve noticed lots of people seem nostalgic for the early pandemic time of spring and summer 2020. Especially young people. You can hear it in how they talk, especially online. I’m not the only person who has noticed this.

But the nostalgia didn’t take the form I might have guessed. People’s lives certainly changed in 2020. Things happened! And then, in many cases, their lives went back to how they were before 2020. Lots of people didn’t like the return to pre-2020. But they weren’t latching onto the features I initially expected.

So, what’s going on here? Why do people seem to miss the quarantine days of March 2020 or the protest and uprising days of June 2020.

Here are some thoughts.

Continue reading

May Day poster with three workers and a caption that reads, "None of us are safe until all of us are safe."

May Day

May 1, 2023 /

Way back in 2018, I wrote a short post explaining the U.S. holiday ‘Labor Day,’ focusing on its differences from the international holiday May Day. Among other things, I posted out to readers that both holidays originated in the United States! Before, of course, the U.S. decided to eff things up and try to stamp out May Day.

Which it failed to do. Sort of. I’ll refer readers to the Labor Day post I linked above for the full details. But, suffice it to say, the U.S. government – with a notable helping hand from right-leaning, anti-communist unions – played its part in the stifling of a workers’ tradition that started in our own country.

It’s a bummer. But it does teach us the lesson that we of the left have started deep traditions before. We can do it again.

Image Source
Map of the United States showing people behind bars and the Monopoly man representing capitalism. The map represents police budget debates.

Police Budget and the Justice Center

April 27, 2023 /

I wrote a few weeks ago about a debate in Iowa City over a police budget freeze. In that post, I framed the issues in terms of national debates over ‘defund the police’ and the failure of activist groups to build a majority coalition.

In this post, I’ll apply a local lens. We had a county debate a decade ago on funding for a jail expansion. Local politicians proposed that we build a ‘Justice Center’ to relieve jail overcrowding and other issues. But voters twice rejected the proposal. That old debate provides key insights into the current police budget debate.

Continue reading

career journal image. Typewriter in center of imagine with two arms and hands scrolling paper through it.

Starting a Career Journal

April 24, 2023 /

Over the last few months, I’ve started a career journal! I did so after reading the book Leaving Academia.

So far, it’s not a lot. I’ve written about the things I like and don’t like about both my current job and past work. I’ve thought and written about the priorities I have for my career. And I’ve written some things about how my career relates to the things I do in my own time and the time I spend with my family and friends.

So far, I don’t think I’ve learned anything world shattering. But I have used it as a reminder to myself of what’s important in my life. And while my career is certainly a factor in all that, it’s not one of the most important things. And that’s OK. Sometimes we need a reminder like that.

For readers: have any of you started a career journal? Thinking about starting a career journal? If so, I’d love to hear how it’s going for you. Drop a comment and let me know!

Image Source
Double photo of author Alec Nevala-Lee and the cover of his book Astounding, which features a futuristic sci-fi cover. Used as the cover photo of the April Reading List 2023.

April Reading List (2023)

April 20, 2023 /

Now that we’re into an actual spring, rather than that wave of snow we got in March, let’s take a look at some spring reading!

This month’s list features everything from comedy to sci-fi and radical politics. I hope you enjoy, and let me know what you’ve been reading lately!

Continue reading

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2025 Base and Superstructure

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑