Commentary Archives

"France's efforts to expand and enshrine the emergency laws in the constitution have created a sense that the legal framework of the French Republic, and all that it stands for, is under threat."

Shaky Foundations

by Ken Silverstein,

The Clintons' so-called charitable enterprise has served as a vehicle to launder money and to enrich family friends.

Greece, Europe, and the United States

by James K. Galbraith,

“A progressive Europe—the Europe of sustainable growth and social cohesion—would be one thing. The gridlocked, reactionary, petty, and vicious Europe that actually exists is another. It cannot and should not last for very long.”

Part of the Problem

by Christopher Beha,

Jonathan Chait's flawed attack on David Bromwich's critique of Barack Obama's presidency

A Legitimate Distinction

by Christopher Beha,

In defense of the PEN America Center's decision to give Charlie Hebdo its Freedom of Expression Courage Award

Proxy Syndrome

by Mujib Mashal,

Afghanistan fights fire with fire in its war against the Taliban

New Power Generation

by Hilton Als,

Why I write about Prince

An Excerpt From “How to Rig an Election”

by Victoria Collier,

Why the Help America Vote Act has done anything but.

The Democratic Argument for Compulsory Voting

by Simon Liem,

Mandatory voting would greatly expand American electoral participation—and help the Democrats.

Syria’s Summer of Stalemate

by Anand Gopal,

Looking back on Taftanaz and the slowly shifting course of Syria's revolution.

Samuel James’s Scenes From Nigerian Oil-Refining Communities

by Yumna Mohamed,

This month’s issue of Harper’s Magazine features ”The Water of My Land,” a portfolio of photographs by Samuel James, who spent two months this past February photographing life in the…

Christopher Hitchens’s Very Personal Handbook on Cancer Etiquette

by Trevor Quirk,

It is strangely humbling to read the last writings of a dying atheist whose opinions seemed of near-stratospheric condescension, and who stood among a group of modern anticlerics who consider…

The Citizen Kane Era Returns

by David (David J.) Sirota,

David Sirota is a Denver-based syndicated newspaper columnist, radio host, and the author of three books, including Back to Our Future: How the 1980s Explain the World We Live in…

Pyramid Insurance

by Jeff Ernsthausen,

Why are multilevel-marketing companies making big donations to state attorney-general candidates?

Decoding the Syrian Propaganda War

by Anand Gopal,

Anand Gopal writes frequently about the Middle East and South Asia. He is the author of “Welcome to Free Syria,” in the August 2012 issue of Harper’s Magazine. His book…

A Q&A with Sue Savage-Rumbaugh

by Benjamin Hale,

In 2011, Time magazine recognized Sue Savage-Rumbaugh as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World for her research into language among bonobo apes, which has profoundly altered…

On Libya’s Missing Men

by Guy Martin,

All images © Guy Martin/Panos In the spring of 2011, photographer Guy Martin came across a wall covered with photographs of missing men outside the central courthouse in Benghazi,…

High and Dry

by Wil S. Hylton,

Wil S. Hylton is a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine and the author of “Broken Heartland: The looming collapse of agriculture on the Great Plains,” from the…

A Brilliant Life: Remembering Alexander Cockburn

by Ken Silverstein,

Alexander Cockburn passed away on July 21 at age 71. He wrote many pieces for Harper’s Magazine over the years, among them “The Tedium Twins,” a classic of humor writing…

The Price of Gun Control

by Dan Baum,

Dan Baum is the author of Gun Guys: A Road Trip, which will be published by Knopf in March. He wrote “Happiness Is a Worn Gun: My concealed weapon and…

A Uniformly Useless Flap

by Alan Tonelson,

Alan Tonelson is a Research Fellow at the U.S. Business & Industry Educational Foundation and the author of The Race to the Bottom: Why a Worldwide Worker Surplus and Uncontrolled…

How Mary Kay Cosmetics Sells Women on “Having It All”

by Virginia Sole-Smith,

Virginia Sole-Smith is a reporting fellow with the Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute. Her article “The Pink Pyramid Scheme: How Mary Kay cosmetics preys on desperate housewives” appears in…

The American Model Won’t Work for Europe

by William Pfaff,

William Pfaff has been contributing to Harper’s Magazine since 1961. Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel is not the only European convinced that the European crisis, now a political as well as…

The Literary Response to Radical Atheism

by Christopher Beha,

Christopher R. Beha is an associate editor of Harper’s Magazine. His first novel, What Happened to Sophie Wilder, was published in June by Tin House Books. In the current issue…

Commentary

From the Archive

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Certain Certainties

Marriage of Myths

Angels and Wildfires

American Rage

Dealmaker in Chief

Trump’s Tomatoes

State of Emergency

Shaky Foundations

Greece, Europe, and the United States

Part of the Problem

A Legitimate Distinction

Proxy Syndrome

New Power Generation

An Excerpt From “How to Rig an Election”

The Democratic Argument for Compulsory Voting

Syria’s Summer of Stalemate

Samuel James’s Scenes From Nigerian Oil-Refining Communities

Christopher Hitchens’s Very Personal Handbook on Cancer Etiquette

The Citizen Kane Era Returns

Pyramid Insurance

Decoding the Syrian Propaganda War

A Q&A with Sue Savage-Rumbaugh

On Libya’s Missing Men

High and Dry

A Brilliant Life: Remembering Alexander Cockburn

The Price of Gun Control

A Uniformly Useless Flap

How Mary Kay Cosmetics Sells Women on “Having It All”

The American Model Won’t Work for Europe

The Literary Response to Radical Atheism

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