Sending Arms or Twisting Arms: The U.S. Role in the Ukraine War

In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United States has backed the government in Kyiv with military hardware and economic assistance. The Biden administration has also done its best to constrain Russia's ability to wage war even as it has been careful not to provoke a direct confrontation or spur escalation on Russia's part.There are two primary scenarios for how the war plays out in the future. Either Ukraine will follow the "Croatia scenario" by pushing Russian troops entirely out of the country and potentially setting into motion the political downfall of Vladimir Putin. Or, in the "Korean scenario," the war will settle into a period of stalemate after the first year of surprising reversals.This backgrounder, prepared for the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, explores the causes of the war in Ukraine and the actions of different actors in the conflict to date. It also lays out different scenarios for how the conflict may proceed depending on events both internationally and in the United States, and makes the case for a robust international diplomatic response whatever the war's outcome

Does the CDC Surgical Wound Classification adequately predict postoperative infection in lower extremity fracture surgery?

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the utility of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Surgical Wound Classification (SWC) in predicting surgical site infection (SSI) after orthopaedic trauma procedures. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Level I academic trauma center. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Adult patients with operatively treated fractures of the leg, ankle, and hindfoot between 2007 and 2022. INTERVENTION: N/A. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Presence of SSI was determined by selective chart review of patients who met the screening variables for repeated procedures, open fracture, abscess or wound debridement, intraoperative cultures, or infectious disease consultation (n = 551). RESULTS: Two thousand seven hundred ninety-one fractures among 2780 patients (n = 11 with bilateral fractures) were included. The overall infection rate was 2.3% (n = 63), and SWC was significantly associated with infection rates (I/clean: 1.0%, II/clean-contaminated: 3.4%, III/contaminated: 6.2%, IV/dirty: 9.8%, P < 0.001). When compared with Class I, Classes II through IV had increased odds of infection (odds ratio [OR] II: 3.5, P = 0.012; OR III: 6.8, P < 0.001; OR IV: 11.0, P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis of Classes II and III demonstrated no difference in odds of infection. When stratifying open versus closed fractures, there was no statistical association between CDC SWC and odds of infection. CONCLUSIONS: The CDC SWC has notable limitations for patients with orthopaedic trauma, with ambiguity of classification assignment and decreased discriminatory ability within the central classes. While overall SWC is associated with infection, the relationship seems to be confounded by the effect of open versus closed fractures. Alternative classification systems may have improved utility for stratifying risk in orthopaedic patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III

Right Across the World

In a post-Trump world, the right is still very much in power. Significantly more than half the world’s population currently lives under some form of right-wing populist or authoritarian rule. Today’s autocrats are, at first glance, a diverse band of brothers. But religious, economic, social and environmental differences aside, there is one thing that unites them - their hatred of the liberal, globalised world. This unity is their strength, and through control of government, civil society and the digital world they are working together across borders to stamp out the left. In comparison, the liberal left commands only a few disconnected islands - Iceland, Mexico, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain and Uruguay. So far they have been on the defensive, campaigning on local issues in their own countries. This narrow focus underestimates the resilience and global connectivity of the right. In this book, John Feffer speaks to world’s leading activists to show how international leftist campaigns must come together if they are to combat the rising tide of the right. A global Green New Deal, progressive trans-European movements, grassroots campaigning on international issues with new and improved language and storytelling are all needed if we are to pull the planet back from the edge of catastrophe. This book is both a warning and an inspiration to activists terrified by the strengthening wall of far-right power

COVID-19 and the Global Economy

If the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed anything, it is that the world economy rests on the foundation of modern medicine. COVID-19 is exposing the global economy’s fragility. It is not the first time that economic globalization has faced challenges. But this time, fundamental changes are afoot. The global economy post-pandemic will necessarily look different, says John Feffer.</jats:p