John le Carré’s Novels Weren’t Just Spy Thrillers — They Were High Literature
One year ago today, novelist John le Carré died at age eighty-nine. His talent for turning spy novels into great literature was unmatched.
19144 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.
With US Backing, Israel and the Gulf Dictatorships Became Best Friends
Joe Biden has continued Donald Trump’s Middle East policies — ignoring Palestinian demands for justice and sealing an alliance between Israel and Gulf state dictatorships.
Honduras Can Break Free of Washington and Neoliberalism
Since a US-backed coup toppled leftist president Manuel Zelaya in 2009, Honduras has been in crisis. The election of socialist Xiomara Castro is a chance to break the cycle and take on neoliberalism.
In Latin America, the Long Shadow of Colombia’s Far-Right Is Receding
Led by former president Álvaro Uribe, Colombia’s far-right bloc has exported its politics across Latin America. Fortunately, thanks to inspiring street protests and an electoral challenge from the left, Colombia may not be a regional bastion of reaction for much longer.
A Party Fighting for Socialism Has to Put Workers Front and Center
Set to win 18 seats in parliament, the Workers’ Party of Belgium is the fastest-growing force on the European left. Newly elected leader Raoul Hedebouw tells Jacobin how his comrades built an explicitly Marxist party with mass appeal.
Hate Petty Bureaucracy? Become a Socialist.
Right-wingers oppose social programs like Medicare for All on the grounds that they create “powerful new bureaucracies.” But it’s means-tested benefits, not universal programs, that empower bureaucrats to act like petty tyrants.
The Power of the Dog Is a Tamped-Down Melodrama of Masculinity
Right at the point that director Jane Campion should have pushed us all the way to the edge of our seats with fever-pitch intensity in The Power of the Dog, she pulls back to the solemnly serious. Just give us the melodrama, Jane!
Linton Kwesi Johnson’s Dread Dialectics
The dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson fused Jamaican music, linguistic innovation, and socialist politics. A new study finally treats his work with the seriousness it deserves.
France’s Pro-Nazi Vichy Regime Still Has Defenders
France’s collaborationist Vichy regime aided Nazi Germany during World War II. With far-right candidates surging in the upcoming presidential election, it’s clear there are still people in French political life who think that was a good thing.
Israel Is Trying to Push War With Iran — and the US Press Barely Cares
Top Israeli officials, now on an official visit to Washington, are pushing for US military action against Iran. It’s a dangerous provocation that should be mainstream news.
The Great American Teacher Exodus
Chronic disinvestment in public education, a corporate reform model that punishes student poverty, and the pandemic’s disruption of school life are making it impossible for teachers to do the job they love. Many educators are reaching their breaking points.
The Job Market Is Strong — but Not Strong Enough to Chip Away at Corporate Profits
Thanks to COVID-related developments like expanded unemployment insurance, US workers have seen wages increase. But corporate profits have grown even more — meaning labor’s share of the economic pie is still small compared to its 20th-century peak.
A New Report Shows Just How Brutal Amazon Warehouse Work Can Get
A new report finds that Amazon warehouses in Minnesota have more than double the injury rate of non-Amazon warehouses, with a sky-high turnover rate and black workers making far less than their white counterparts.
Seattle’s Capitalists Couldn’t Defeat Kshama Sawant
Seattle socialist city councilor Kshama Sawant has been subject to repeated corporate-backed attempts to remove her from office. Last night, she defeated yet another. Despite attacks from some of the world’s most powerful capitalists, Sawant isn’t going anywhere.
Israel Is Hell-Bent on Sabotaging US Nuclear Negotiations With Iran
You’d think that Israel might feel obligated not to drag the United States into another disastrous military conflict in the Middle East, this time with Iran. But no: Israel is doing everything it can to sabotage US-Iran nuclear negotiations and stoke a war.
Starbucks Workers in Buffalo Just Won Themselves a Union
Starbucks was designed from its inception to be union-proof. But yesterday workers in Buffalo, New York, managed to win the first union at the company in the US. It’s a landmark victory, and it can be replicated elsewhere.
Who Owns Frantz Fanon’s Legacy?
Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth captures the revolutionary possibilities of decolonization. Yet the book has been marred by a misreading that ignores Fanon’s socialism and class analysis, and turns the great thinker into a prophet of violence.
Despite Record Profits for Canada’s Big Banks, Customer Fees Keep Going Up
This year alone, Canada’s big banks have made over $57 billion in profits. They are celebrating this windfall by paying out $19 billion in bonuses to their executives. Meanwhile, transaction fees and other bank charges continue to rise.
Democrats Chose Bad Policy Over Truly Universal Childcare
Democrats’ half-baked childcare proposal opened itself up to Republican attacks. There’s an easy solution: scrap the byzantine and expensive scheme Dems have concocted, and just give everyone universal childcare.
Teacher and Pennsylvania State Senate Candidate Paul Prescod: “The Rich Need to Start Paying”
Paul Prescod is a socialist, teacher, and longtime Jacobin contributor who is running for Pennsylvania state senate. In an interview, Prescod discusses his roots in labor, an agenda for Pennsylvania left elected officials, and why he plans to be an “organizer-in-chief.”