The Welfare State Is a Poverty-Fighting Machine
Anyone who tells you the welfare state doesn’t reduce poverty is lying. Last year, even the United States’ tattered system of social provision cut poverty by two-thirds.
19508 Articles by: James Bloodworth
James Bloodworth is a writer and journalist from London.
Bernie Has Been Vetted, and He Can Beat Trump
Bernie Sanders is a democratic socialist, vetted after four years in the national limelight, who polls repeatedly show can demolish Trump. The media should lay to rest the dominant narrative that the United States is a center-right nation with a public committed to capitalism.
The Tyranny of Structurelessness
Jo Freeman’s “The Tyranny of Structurelessness” brilliantly details how movement organizations founded on “structurelessness” and “leaderlessness” can give rise to authoritarianism and invisible hierarchies. We reprint her classic essay here in full.
Ask Labor Jane: How Can We Build Industrial Unionism in Education and Health Care?
Jane McAlevey argues that to build the power required to make huge gains for workers, we can’t organize different kinds of workers separately from each other. We need wall-to-wall organization in workplaces to build an antiracist, antisexist trade union movement.
I Am Free — but Turkey Is Not
Max Zirngast, the Jacobin contributor jailed for several months in Turkey, was acquitted on all charges last week. Here, in his first English-language article since the ruling, he reflects on the trial, the repressive state of Turkish politics — and why he’ll keep fighting for democracy and socialism.
Socialism and the Self-Checkout Machine
A $1,000 a month check won’t cut it, but there’s a real democratic socialist response to automation that could make us all happier and give everyone more leisure time.
Getting Andy Ngo and His Fascist Friends Off Our Streets
The far right turned liberal Portland into a site of fascist violence. The Left is battling to oust them for good.
Elizabeth Warren’s Strategy Within the Democratic Party Is All Wrong
Anyone who wants to enact “big, structural change” will find themselves stymied by the Democratic Party establishment. So why is Elizabeth Warren cozying up to that establishment?
“War Creates Its Own Weather”
Democratic socialist Tom Gallagher is primarying Nancy Pelosi, with a focus on America’s disastrous foreign policy of endless war. In a world without capitalism, he says, “we could eliminate a lot of military spending and war.”
Workers and Renters of the World, Unite!
Although unions seek higher wages from employers, much of that extra pay goes straight to the landlords. To build workers’ power, we need decommodified and democratically controlled land and housing.
Yes, the United States Needs to Withdraw From Afghanistan
When President Trump scuttled talks for a peace deal in Afghanistan, liberal media heaved a sigh of relief. But despite the risks, an end to the US occupation is a precondition for peace in the country.
Elizabeth Warren’s Health Care Plan Still Leaves a Lot of Unanswered Questions
Everyone is clear on exactly where Bernie Sanders stands on Medicare for All. But despite the release of her health care plan this week and embrace of the phrase “Medicare for All,” Elizabeth Warren’s precise health care proposal remains murky.
Ending the “Independent Contractor” Misclassification Sham
Misclassifying workers as independent contractors hurts workers and enriches bosses, and is central to the business strategy of companies like Uber and Lyft. California state legislators passed AB 5 this week to stop this exploitative model. It’s a victory that must be defended from Uber and Lyft’s fightback.
No Hugs for Rahm
Former Chicago mayor and Obama staffer Rahm Emanuel was a featured commentator during Thursday’s Democratic debate. It was, unsurprisingly, completely terrible.
Norway’s Socialist Left Is Ascendant
Norway’s Labor Party took a hit in this week’s elections. But the radical left surged — showing that socialist politics are still alive in the Nordic country.
How Medicare for All Looks From Britain
The terrifying experience of getting sick on a visit to America reminded me why Brits cherish our National Health Service. The NHS doesn’t just make the United Kingdom healthier — it creates a spirit of equality that changes people’s entire mentality about health care.
Joe Biden Cleared a Very Low Bar in Last Night’s Debate
Pundits are declaring Joe Biden the winner of last night’s debate. They’re conveniently ignoring the lies he told about his civil rights and immigration record.
Medicare for All Would Cut Poverty by Over 20 Percent
Medicare for All doesn’t just provide everyone with the care they need, free of charge. It’s also a potent anti-poverty program, reducing poverty by over 20 percent and increasing poor people’s incomes by 29 percent.
Witzel’s Unholy War
Bolsonaro’s Brazil is ruled by a politics of death: who deserves it, who is spared, and who gets to dispense it. Meet the most skilled practitioner of this politics: Rio governor Wilson Witzel.
Elizabeth Warren Is Thirty Years Too Late
Both Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are political throwbacks. But whereas Warren wants to fix the policies that went astray in the Clinton era, Sanders wants to change the economic foundations of American life.