The Outrageous Optimism of Jean-Paul Sartre
The French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre died forty years ago today. Sartre’s philosophy and political values can still inspire struggles for freedom today.
19289 Articles by: Jonathan Sas
Jonathan Sas has worked in senior policy and political roles in government, think tanks, and the labor movement. He is an honorary witness to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. His writing has appeared in the Toronto Star, National Post, the Tyee, and Maisonneuve.
Noam Chomsky: In Response to Coronavirus, “You Can Do Something”
In a new interview, Noam Chomsky gives his thoughts on the coronavirus pandemic, the depravities of capitalism, and the urgent need for a new era of solidarity and labor struggle.
Does Israel Have the Right to Cage Two Million People in a Coronavirus-Ravaged Prison Camp?
For thirteen years, Israel has kept two million Palestinians in Gaza chained inside the world’s largest open-air prison camp. Now the global COVID-19 pandemic is bearing down on the occupied enclave. What will happen if thousands of desperate civilians try to escape?
The Media Had a Formula for Reporting Sexual Misconduct. Then Joe Biden Was Accused.
For nearly three weeks after it surfaced, Tara Reade’s sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden was ignored or downplayed in the media. A Jacobin analysis shows that she’s been covered unlike any other accuser in the post–Me Too era.
“I Knew I Wouldn’t Be Able to Afford It”
In the latest installment of our “Modern Health” column, we hear from a dancer who was badly injured on the job. Despite having insurance, he didn’t seek full treatment — because he knew he couldn’t afford it.
We Should Have a Democratic Debate About Trade-Offs Between Public Safety and Privacy
Locked down, smartphones are giving many of us some comfort and connection now. But the hardware and software that make our phones so indispensable are also tracking us twenty-four hours a day. This crisis will only open the door to more privacy intrusions in the name of public health.
Your Boss Is Spying on You
With millions of people now working from their homes, frantic bosses are buying high-tech surveillance software to track their employees’ every keystroke. It’s the latest example of how capitalism is built on employer despotism.
We’ve Got Another Seven Videos and a Podcast Out This Week
From the case against Joe Biden to the economics of a feasible socialism and a new EP Thompson podcast, we have a busy week of audio and video content for you.
I Literally Wrote the Case Against Joe Biden. But I’ve Got Some Free Advice for Him
Pundits are panicking about whether the Left will help Joe Biden defeat Trump. The former vice president probably doesn’t want it, but here’s some advice for him from the author of Yesterday’s Man: The Case Against Joe Biden.
Donald Trump’s Plan for Uninsured Coronavirus Patients Is Outflanking Joe Biden
Donald Trump has decided to use federal dollars to directly foot the bill for uninsured COVID-19 patients, while Joe Biden is still clinging to the Affordable Care Act. It’s a boneheaded move that is allowing mainstream Democrats to be outflanked by Trump on health care.
Argentina’s COVID–19 Lessons
The United States’ COVID-19 response has paled in many respects to Argentina’s. But it’s not just Argentina’s public health response that the United States should learn from — it’s also the country’s history of popular resistance that will be crucial to fighting unequal and undemocratic responses to the pandemic.
The Leaked Labour Party Report Is Shameful. It’s Time for an Investigation.
This weekend’s revelations about the conduct of Labour Party staff in undermining the party’s 2017 general election campaign and abusing elected representatives are shameful. They demand an immediate and full investigation.
We Won’t Forget What the Bernie Sanders Campaigns Accomplished
As Bernie Sanders listened to tired and dejected working people across the country, he said he wanted them to “feel less alone.” We are indeed not alone. United behind a common program, with full knowledge of our friends and enemies, we must keep forging on.
We Need Unions to Organize Worker Fightback During the COVID-19 Crisis
Throughout the US, bosses are putting workers’ lives in danger by forcing them to work in hazardous conditions during the coronavirus pandemic. Workers need to fight back to stop them — and they need unions’ support.
Turns Out, If You Like Your Private Insurance, You Still Can’t Keep It
Amid spiraling unemployment, a new study finds that 35 million Americans are about to lose their health insurance. Tragically, the coronavirus is making the case for Medicare for All better than any policy paper ever could.
Chile’s Feminist Revolt Continues in Lockdown
This International Women’s Day, Chile’s feminist strike was bigger than ever, building on the anticapitalist protests that erupted last October. Now that a lockdown means street protests are no longer possible, feminists are thinking of new and creative ways to resist.
This Pandemic Won’t Save the Climate From Big Oil
Global oil prices have plummeted in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. But that doesn’t mean the giants of the industry are facing terminal decline: Big Oil could bounce back stronger than ever.
Mass Politics, Not Movementism, Is the Future of the Left
Bernie Sanders is out of the race, but we can’t retreat to the subcultural politics that were hegemonic on the Left before his campaigns began. Mass politics is still our way forward.
Bernie Must Retool His Campaign Organization, Not Dismantle It
Bernie Sanders has officially suspended his campaign, but its infrastructure is our best hope at organizing to win a just response to the coronavirus pandemic. Bernie can’t dismantle that infrastructure now — we need it more than ever.
Even in a Pandemic, Workers Can Fight Back
During the Great Depression, radicals played key roles in helping organize the worker upsurges that led to the New Deal’s pro-worker policies. We can do the same today in fighting back against the economic misery and unsafe working conditions of the coronavirus pandemic.