Malka Older

Malka Older is an affiliated research fellow at the Center for the Sociology of Organizations at Sciences Po. She is the author of an acclaimed trilogy of science fiction political thrillers, beginning with Infomocracy, and a new collection of of short fiction and poetry, ...and Other Disasters.

Articles by Malka Older
In an aerial view, traffic creeps along Virginia Highway 1 after being diverted away from Interstate 95 after it was closed due to a winter storm.
In an aerial view, traffic creeps along Virginia Highway 1 after being diverted away from Interstate 95 after it was closed due to a winter storm.

Traffic Jams Are a Very American Disaster

Argument
Malka Older
German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier holds a paper with a graph of German GDP in Berlin on Jan. 27.
German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier holds a paper with a graph of German GDP in Berlin on Jan. 27.

GDP Didn’t Save Countries From COVID-19

Argument
Malka Older
People line up outside a mass COVID-19 vaccine center at the Millennium Point center in Birmingham, England, on Jan. 11.
People line up outside a mass COVID-19 vaccine center at the Millennium Point center in Birmingham, England, on Jan. 11.

Scarcity and Ethics

Argument
Malka Older
Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump
Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump

Democracy Is Still Not Safe in the United States

Argument
Malka Older
U.S. President Donald Trump, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, and moderator Kristen Welker participate in the final presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, on Oct. 22.
U.S. President Donald Trump, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, and moderator Kristen Welker participate in the final presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, on Oct. 22.

Campaign Debates Are Democracy Theater

Argument
Malka Older
Working in bipartisan pairs, canvassers process mail-in ballots in a warehouse at the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections headquarters in Glen Burnie, Maryland, on Oct. 7.
Working in bipartisan pairs, canvassers process mail-in ballots in a warehouse at the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections headquarters in Glen Burnie, Maryland, on Oct. 7.

Why We Still Need Democracy

Argument
Malka Older
A protester carries a “Register to Vote” sign during a peaceful demonstration against police brutality in Los Angeles on June 6.
A protester carries a “Register to Vote” sign during a peaceful demonstration against police brutality in Los Angeles on June 6.

Building a Shared Worldview Among Democrats and Republicans Could Be More Dangerous Than Healing

Argument
Malka Older
Residents line up for cooking gas in Palu, Indonesia, on Oct. 9, 2018, following the earthquake and tsunami that hit the area the month before.
Residents line up for cooking gas in Palu, Indonesia, on Oct. 9, 2018, following the earthquake and tsunami that hit the area the month before.

The Only People Panicking Are the People in Charge

Argument
Malka Older
French President Emmanuel Macron is seen on a tablet screen in Montpellier, southern France, as he speaks from the Élysée Palace in Paris during a televised address to the nation on April 13.
French President Emmanuel Macron is seen on a tablet screen in Montpellier, southern France, as he speaks from the Élysée Palace in Paris during a televised address to the nation on April 13.

Why Politicians Ignore Disaster Predictions

Argument
Malka Older
Employees of the Istanbul Municipality wearing protective gear disinfects a subway carriage to prevent the spread of the COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus, in Istanbul on March 12, 2020.
Employees of the Istanbul Municipality wearing protective gear disinfects a subway carriage to prevent the spread of the COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus, in Istanbul on March 12, 2020.

Disasters Like The Coronavirus Don’t Happen In a Vacuum

Argument
Malka Older
American actor George Clooney takes part in a press conference in central London to present a report on atrocities in South Sudan on Sept. 19, 2019.
American actor George Clooney takes part in a press conference in central London to present a report on atrocities in South Sudan on Sept. 19, 2019.

Satellite Surveillance Can Trace Atrocities but Not Stop Them

Argument
Malka Older
Turkish-backed Syrian fighters patrol the northern Syrian Kurdish town of Tal Abyad on the border with Turkey on Oct. 31.
Turkish-backed Syrian fighters patrol the northern Syrian Kurdish town of Tal Abyad on the border with Turkey on Oct. 31.

The Kurds Are the Nation-State’s Latest Victims

Argument
Malka Older
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