The Baffler

Baffler no. 86 is now available online and in print. “Tight Ship” is dedicated to efficiency and incompetence alike, with stories on municipal socialism and militarized governance, taxation and invasive biology, Central African beer and the “pork cycle.”

For over a century, Mexico’s government has entrusted certain civil matters to the military. AMLO and Claudia Sheinbaum have continued this tradition in the name of fighting corruption and increasing government revenue. Neither goal has quite panned out. thebaffler.com/salvos/bridge…

Poetry from Baffler no. 86: “WHAT IS YOUR PREFERRED MUSICAL GENRE?” by Osdany Morales, with translation from Harry Bauld. thebaffler.com/poems/what-is…

In a gaming industry rife with monopolies, layoffs, delays, and a rightward drift into cyberlibertarian cant, indie games were supposed to be the exception. Instead, studios like Thekla have replicated the worst instincts of big tech. thebaffler.com/latest/blockh…

Mexico’s military oversees matters far beyond that of a typical army or navy. Its role in civilians’ day-to-day has only expanded under the drug wars. thebaffler.com/salvos/bridge…

“As more and more people are uprooted and unroofed, we can either attempt to block migrants with walls—both bureaucratic and bollard style—or welcome them.” thebaffler.com/outbursts/the…

Why are the Mexican armed services running the country’s customs, overseeing ports, and building infrastructure—in other words, taking over functions of the state? thebaffler.com/salvos/bridge…

When we abandon human rights in favor of fortifying our borders, we renounce principles of hospitality that have been foundational to civilization since the beginning. In 2020, @jbwashing wrote on welcoming the stranger. thebaffler.com/outbursts/the…

Pete Hegseth is in trouble—and staring down the possibility of an impeachment. Last year, @Jasper_Craven wrote on the defense secretary’s warrior mindset and misogynistic bent. thebaffler.com/salvos/battle…

“While graft, kickbacks, and crony capitalism are part of the landscape, the military has acted at times with an impunity that shocks even the most jaded Mexican onlooker.” thebaffler.com/salvos/bridge…

We’re hosting a double issue-launch party with our friends at @tribunemagazine! Help celebrate the success of “Tight Ship” and “Empire Now.” Thursday, 11/19 7-10pm T.J. Byrnes 77 Fulton St. NY, NY

In our new issue, Ricardo López Cordero reports from Mexico, where the military has taken over several state functions while profiting immensely from the largest documented corruption scheme in the nation’s history. thebaffler.com/salvos/bridge…

“Hospitality and mutual aid—not border walls or detention centers—are what serve as our real protections. In a time of global upheaval, climate change, and pandemic, we need different models and analogies besides war and invasion.” thebaffler.com/outbursts/the…

“I noticed the units affixed to store entryways, sidewalks, balconies, and even the primary facades of historic townhouses, like remora symbiotically clinging to a shark.” thebaffler.com/odds-and-ends…

What better way to draw college kids to your new country than with influencer propaganda and the promise of quick sex with young soldiers? thebaffler.com/stories/after…

When the Democrats take control of Congress in January, they must begin the work of rolling back Trump’s attacks on refugees. From the Archives: @jbwashing writes on how to restore the meanings of habeas corpus and asylum. thebaffler.com/outbursts/the…

In pursuit of cooler homes and lower costs, New Yorkers are purchasing mini-splits, an alternative that requires unwieldy outdoor condensers. Tom Wilson photographs their unconventional placements. thebaffler.com/odds-and-ends…

The Iranian tradition of brickwork has lasted for millennia, through Mongol invasions and Western sanctions. @yarbatman lays out its history and future in our new issue. thebaffler.com/salvos/brick-…

Why did the Biden administration fully commit itself to facilitating atrocities in Gaza—even at the cost of its own hold on power? “Crossing the Red Line” offers an up-close look at the equivocating and hang-wringing that enabled a genocide. thebaffler.com/latest/known-…

Baffler no. 86 features new fiction from Claudia Ross. Read “After the War” on our site now. thebaffler.com/stories/after…