A Socialist Summer Reading List for the Dog Days of Summer
Just in time for your (hopeful) escape from the heat and the grind, here are the summer reading recommendations of Jacobin’s editors and staff writers.
20962 Article(s) by: Agathe Dorra
Agathe Dorra is a PhD researcher in political aesthetics at King’s College London
In Parma, the Working Class Defeated the Fascists on the Barricades
In August 1922, Benito Mussolini’s Fascists crushed a general strike by force. But on the barricades of Parma, the working class imposed a stunning military defeat on the Blackshirts — a victory that inspired enduring resistance against the Fascist government.
Joe Biden Wants You to Kill and Die for the Saudi Monarchy
The Biden administration is entertaining the idea of pursuing a US-Saudi mutual defense pact. How does the prospect of risking lives for the Saudi monarchy sound?
Two Decades After 9/11, the Horrors at Guantánamo Bay Continue
Despite its extensively documented record of torture and other horrific human rights abuses, the US prison at Guantánamo Bay remains open. The Biden administration should close it immediately and make restitution to its victims.
The Unfulfilled Promise of the Freedom Budget
Activist and organizer Norman Hill was present for every major development in the civil rights movement during the 1960s. He spoke to Jacobin about the arc of the movement, the legacy of its leadership, and the lessons for the modern left.
Dealignment Is Real. We Can Help Reverse It.
Matt Karp on how a political movement beating the drum for working-class populism can restore fraying ties between blue-collar workers and the Left.
Barack Obama Is a Climate Hypocrite
In refusing to acknowledge his past climate denial and promotion of oil interests, Obama is relying on liberals forgetting his actual environmental record. Worse, he’s telling other Democratic leaders that lip service can stand in for action.
The Right’s Attacks on Librarian Emily Drabinski Are a Homophobic Assault on Free Speech
In launching red-baiting, homophobic attacks on librarian Emily Drabinski, the Right has shown it cares little about freedom of speech. Liberals and leftists should stand with Drabinski — both because the attacks are absurd and because they won’t stop here.
Britain’s Minimum Wage Law Has Been an Abject Failure
Tony Blair’s government introduced a national minimum wage for the UK 25 years ago. When it comes to lifting people out of poverty, the minimum wage law has been a clear failure — its enforcement has been lax, and it’s never kept up with the cost of living.
Australia’s Greens Aren’t the Ones Blocking New Housing
Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese doesn’t have a real solution to the housing crisis. That’s why his Labor Party is trying to smear the Green Party as NIMBY antidevelopment activists.
Leftist Elected Officials Should Always Vote No on the Military Budget
It should be a matter of course that self-identified leftist and progressive members of Congress should vote down the annual bloated, dangerous, war-profiteer bonanza that is the military budget.
Gentrification Is Killing John Wilson’s Oddball New York
How To With John Wilson is an ode to weirdo New York. But that New York may not exist for long, as Mayor Eric Adams is determined to sand down the city’s nonconformist edges in the service of economic elites.
Global South Countries Need a New Legal Framework for Debt Relief
Global South countries currently seek debt relief at forums like the IMF and G20, where wealthy nations’ interests dominate the conversation. Low-income economies need a forum where they can collaborate to solve urgent problems rather than begging for relief.
The Oil Industry Makes Its Own Rules in Canada’s Tar Sands
An oil refinery processing tar sands crude without permits for over two decades showcases Alberta’s need for regulation. But with the Trudeau Liberals’ history of giving Big Oil no-strings-attached cash, it’s doubtful that the cavalry is coming anytime soon.
As Italy and Greece Burn, Their Leaders Obsess About Immigrants
EU leaders fearmonger about immigration while neglecting the real and deadly threats posed by climate change. The entire Euro-Mediterranean region should collaborate on behalf of displaced persons, against fossil fuel giants, and toward decarbonization.
Labour’s Left Needs to Regain the Insurgent Spirit That Made Jeremy Corbyn Leader
Keir Starmer has pulled Labour far from his campaign pledges while silencing his left-wing critics. The Left’s situation isn’t hopeless, but it needs to regain the radicalism it showed during Jeremy Corbyn’s first insurgency against the party establishment.
Japan’s Long Stagnation Is a Case Study for the Future of Western Capitalism
The major capitalist economies of Europe and North America have been experiencing low rates of economic growth and population increase. Japan has been in that position since the 1990s, and its experience offers some important clues about what the future holds.
Antonio Labriola Knew That Marxism Was a Philosophy of Action
Antonio Labriola played a major role in the development of Italian Marxism and inspired the thinking of Antonio Gramsci. Labriola knew that capitalism wouldn’t collapse of its own accord: only a socialist culture of activism could bring about a new society.
Private Equity–Backed Insurers Are Failing Policyholders
Over a million people have lost their health insurance thanks to the failures of Friday Health Plans and Bright Health, two private equity–backed insurers — illustrating the risks of private equity moving into the already-unstable health insurance market.
At the Big Three Automakers, Workers Endure Dangerous Work Speeds and Horrible Hours
The United Auto Workers are starting to negotiate their next contract with the Big Three automakers. As bargaining begins, workers at the companies say management is pushing unsafe work paces, more and longer shifts, and divisions between workers.