Free Speech Is a Left-Wing Value
Early American socialists like Eugene Debs fought for free speech rights as a bulwark against state tyranny and employer despotism. We should take up their radical struggle for civil liberties today.
19514 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.
Macri’s Dirty War
Mauricio Macri claims that expanding the Argentine military’s power will fight drug trafficking. But it’s more likely to repress social movements and threaten democratic rights.
Trump’s Sadism — and Democrats’ Accomodationism
Trump’s address last night confirmed yet again that he’s a border security sadist. Our response should be simple: let them in.
A Socialist in Every District
Mayors, state representatives, the presidency, Congress: in 2020, democratic socialists should run candidates at every level across the country.
Why the Differences Between Sanders and Warren Matter
Elizabeth Warren is no centrist. But Bernie Sanders would be the most progressive president in US history — and he’d have a movement to back him up.
The “Choice” Bait and Switch
The rhetoric of “choice” in politics isn’t about expanding freedom — it’s about distracting us from demanding justice.
Stop Trying to Redefine Medicare for All
As Medicare for All gets more and more popular, both Republicans and Democrats in Congress are desperate for more and more ways to water it down.
The Long Shadow of the Prison Wall
The Showtime mini-series Escape at Dannemora is a brutal portrait of the quintessential American prison town — where dehumanization reigns, no matter which side of the wall you’re on.
This Is How We Do It
Mainstream politicians and media are losing their minds over Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. They’re terrified of how her approach could transform American politics.
Hope and Dread in 2019
You already know all the reasons to fear 2019. Here are all the reasons to welcome it.
Charlie Hebdo and the Gilets Jaunes
The reaction to the Paris terror attacks in 2015 identified Charlie Hebdo with freedom of speech. Yet the magazine’s anti-working-class smears are today used to silence the gilets jaunes.
Sweden Has a 70% Tax Rate and It’s Just Fine
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s suggested 70 percent marginal tax rate has conservatives and centrists freaking out. But Sweden shows that soaking the rich is the smart thing to do.
The Revolt in the Trenches
One year after the Bolsheviks ended Russia’s participation in World War I, revolutionary soldiers in Bulgaria forced their government to do the same.
Why the LA Teachers Strike Matters
This week’s Los Angeles teachers strike starkly poses the question: will the public or privatizers control public education?
Reclaiming the Best of Karl Kautsky
Denounced and then lost to history, the radical Karl Kautsky’s thought still offers a compelling vision of how to democratize all aspects of our lives.
Talking About Power
The Social Democrats have collapsed. Die Linke is divided. Will the German left ever be able to contend for power?
Franco Never Left
Spain’s far right is enjoying its biggest breakthrough since the 1970s. But it grows from a reactionary swamp that has festered ever since Franco’s dictatorship.
Politics Is Not Harry Potter
Liberals love Harry Potter because it presents a world they desperately wish was a reality — one where the magic of facts and reason and elite education were enough to vanquish the ills of society.
The Roots of Karl Marx’s Anti-Colonialism
Through his relationship with the Chartist radical and labor poet Ernest Jones, Karl Marx came to realize the necessity of opposing slavery and colonialism in ending capitalism.
“I Will Always Stand up Against Injustice”
Jacobin contributor Max Zirngast has finally been released after spending three months in a Turkish jail. Here’s his first extended interview.