A Direct Democracy Strategy for the Left
Ballot initiatives can push policy to the left, rebuild a fighting working-class political base, and prepare movements to govern democratically.
18483 Articles by: Enver Motala
Enver Motala is an associate of the Centre for Education Rights and Transformation (CERT) at the University of Johannesburg and of the Centre for Integrated Post-School Education and Training at the Nelson Mandela University.
The Rich Are Hoarding Their Wealth Using Charity Funds
Wall Street–backed charity funds provide ultrawealthy donors with massive charitable tax breaks — yet operate without any requirement to ever distribute the money to working charities.
Centrists Are Exploding France’s Left-Wing Alliance
This July, the New Popular Front defied expectations to beat Marine Le Pen and win France’s parliamentary elections. But the alliance now faces a split, as centrist parts of the Parti Socialiste rebel against the pact with France Insoumise.
America’s Public Health Crisis Demands a Populist Solution
While Joe Biden protected a failed health care status quo, Donald Trump promises disruption. But we need more: a radical reimagining of public health that empowers working people as both recipients and providers, not consumers in a broken system.
No, the Fight for the Climate Isn’t “Over”
The fate of our climate depends on much more than just which party controls Washington. Despite their current celebrations, polluters will remain vulnerable under President Trump.
Economic Inequality Is Even Worse Than You Think
Many people know that economic inequality has grown significantly over the past few decades. But it may shock you just how much global wealth is controlled by a tiny capitalist class — and how much power that gives them.
How Karl Marx Became a Communist
In his new biography of Karl Marx, Bruno Leipold puts his subject in historical context. Marx, he tells Jacobin, was engaged in a political struggle against utopian communists and republicans unable to recognize the incompatibility of freedom and capitalism.
How Claud Cockburn Invented Guerrilla Journalism
In Believe Nothing Until It Is Officially Denied, Patrick Cockburn explores the fascinating life of his father, journalist Claud Cockburn, whose cutting prose spoke truth to power with charm and wit.
The Hidden Story of Britain’s Anti-Apartheid Militants
At the height of the apartheid regime’s power, South African revolutionaries recruited and trained young British workers to assist them in the underground armed struggle to topple the racist state.
When Irish Grocery Workers Stood Against Apartheid
Forty years ago, eleven Dublin supermarket workers walked out on strike to refuse the selling of South African fruit — an act of defiance that would make Ireland the first Western nation to ban apartheid goods.
Smile 2 Is a Smart Allegory for Dehumanizing Capitalism
The horror film sequel Smile 2 portrays life in a world where people are valued only for their productivity, forced to smile through their exploitation, and left feeling that self-destruction is the only exit. But there is another way.
Nationalist Leader Promises a Self-Sufficient Romania
Far-right candidate Călin Georgescu pulled ahead in the first round of Romania’s presidential election last Sunday. His denunciation of “globalists” and the European Union is more rhetoric than practical program, but it resonated with many crisis-hit voters.
Even in Exile, the Left Must Fight to Popularize Its Vision
After Trump’s victory, the Left must confront right-wing faux populism while facing a Democratic establishment hostile to the class politics that could actually defeat it. We can’t stop now, but we must organize on our own terms.
The Human Cost of Trump’s Tariffs
Donald Trump’s sweeping 25% tariff on Canadian and Mexican goods means fewer jobs, lower wages, and higher prices for regular families. Workers will be caught in the cross fire of a political power play.
The “Battle of Seattle,” a Quarter Century Later
Twenty-five years ago today, a broad progressive coalition of protesters blocked and eventually shut down the Seattle World Trade Organization meetings. A longtime activist-journalist reflects on the long twists and shifts made by the American left since then.
Gen Z Is Super Weird
From monarchism to eco-fascism, internet subcultures have given rise to a new generation of “e-deologies.” Amber Frost dives into the meaning of Zoomer politics.
Jair Bolsonaro Has Been Implicated in a Plot to Murder Lula
Brazil’s federal police are investigating a plot by far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro and his allies to prevent Lula from taking office in 2023. They’ve now charged the conspirators with scheming to murder Lula, his vice president, and a senior judge.
Sure, Phones Drive Anxiety. But So Does the Economy.
As psychologists blame smartphones for our mental health crisis, they overlook decades of economic decline and growing inequality. Their narrow focus on tech diverts attention from the political and systemic changes needed to address a much deeper problem.
Trump 2.0 Means More Pain in the Middle East
Joe Biden has facilitated a devastatingly brutal war by Israel against Gaza. Donald Trump is about to make it much worse.
“Solidarity Is the Only Thing That Can Save Us”
Without cultivating a strong sense of solidarity with mass numbers of people we’ll never meet, we’re doomed to slip further into atomized isolation and defeat.