In Tennessee, Socialists Are “On the Cusp of Something Incredibly Big”
Three socialists ran in this month’s Tennessee primaries. With endorsements from the Memphis chapter of Democratic Socialists of America, all three of them won.
281 Article(s) by: Liza Featherstone
Liza Featherstone is a columnist for Jacobin, a freelance journalist, and the author of Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for Workers’ Rights at Wal-Mart.
Where Do Sex Panics Come From?
Sex panics keep happening because they tap into Americans’ deepest fears about the need to protect innocents from the threat of evil — fears that are endemic among the Left as well as the Right. Meanwhile, lives are destroyed in the process.
The Left Needs to Stop Falling for Absurd Sex Panics
The absurd allegations against progressive Congressional candidate Alex Morse have now been exposed as a hoax. But they couldn’t have been better calculated to excite a Left prone to mindless sex panics.
DSA Electeds Are Carrying on the Socialist Tradition in New York
One hundred years ago, five socialists elected to the New York State Assembly were expelled for their views. Today, a slate of five Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates are following in their footsteps by fighting for working people and terrifying the political establishment.
Meet Marcela Mitaynes. She Just Gave Brooklyn’s Democratic Socialists Their First Big Upset In This Year’s Primaries
Marcela Mitaynes, a Peruvian immigrant and Brooklyn tenant activist, overcame long odds — with the help of the city’s Democratic Socialists of America chapter — to defeat her incumbent rival in last week’s primaries for a New York State Assembly seat. Her story underscores the power of socialism to connect radical politics with everyday struggles.
Melania Trump Is No Victim
A new book shows that the current first lady got to where she is through a combination of ambition, calculation, and persistence. But her path to becoming Donald Trump’s wife is tied up in the post-communist collapse in Eastern Europe — and the diminishing gender equality that followed.
Bill de Blasio Should Resign
Bill de Blasio campaigned as a reformer who would end stop-and-frisk and scale back racist police violence. But in the face of NYPD pushback, he has been a coward, blocking police reforms and letting the cops run wild in the streets. He should resign in disgrace.
The Left Loses a Lot. But Sometimes, We Win.
It's a dark time in the US and across the world, but the last two weeks actually give us some cause for hope. Cities are pledging to shift money from cops to public services, violent officers are being disciplined and fired, and a wave of left victories came in last week’s primaries.
Most Politicians’ Memoirs Are Terrible. Luckily, Ilhan Omar’s Isn’t.
Ilhan Omar, once a refugee, has become a major force in US politics. In her new memoir, she charts her journey from Somalia to the US Congress and explains why, despite hating her politics, she can’t help but admire Margaret Thatcher. Incredibly for a memoir like this, the book is actually good.
Trump’s LARPing as a Dictator Just Got a Little More Real
Donald Trump wants to use the Insurrection Act to deploy military troops on the streets of American cities. It’s an act of desperation that will probably backfire — but an alarming sign of the lengths he may be willing to go to save his disintegrating presidency.
A Socialist Takes on Big Real Estate in North Brooklyn
Emily Gallagher is running to be the first socialist in a century to represent her North Brooklyn district in the New York state assembly. Her focus on residential displacement and workers’ rights is drawing a steady flow of small donations — while big corporate money from companies like Lyft is being mobilized against her.
The Left in Lockdown
We’re living through a bewildering moment for socialists. We talk to radical organizers Adolph Reed, Barbara Smith, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, Jodi Dean, and Jane McAlevey about how they’re staying politically engaged under quarantine.
On Strike — No Rent
This May 1 in New York City, housing activists are organizing “Can’t Pay May,” a citywide rent strike that will dramatize the impossibility of making rent under lockdown — and the need for a radical overhaul of the housing system.
Unions Are Saving Our Lives Every Day
The coronavirus pandemic is a reminder that as long as they’re making profits, capitalists don’t care if we live or die. But unions, at their best, fight for everyone.
Mourn and Organize!
We all love Joe Hill, but his famous piece of advice — “Don’t mourn, organize!” — is only half right. Given the state of the world today, with Bernie Sanders out of the presidential race and hundreds of thousands dead from the coronavirus, we ought to be doing both.
How You Can Support Amazon Workers During COVID-19
Amazon workers are in an unprecedented fight with the retail giant over the company’s unsafe working conditions. Here’s how you can support the struggle — even if you can’t leave your house.
For Elite Democrats, Joe Biden’s Candidacy Means Ditching #MeToo
The Democratic establishment’s response to the latest allegations of sexual harassment against Joe Biden show the cynicism of a party elite that switches its feminism on and off whenever it’s expedient.
Hoarding Toilet Paper Won’t Help Us Fight Coronavirus
We all deserve a functioning state that can provide for everyone, and a society that values solidarity above all. That’s the only thing that can get us through the coronavirus pandemic.
“Everyone Belongs Here”
For Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialists of America–backed candidate for the New York State Assembly, organizing victims of the foreclosure crisis and supporting threatened immigrants are part of the same fight: the struggle for the right to a home.
Welcome to Our Movement, Warren Voters
Rather than dwell on Elizabeth Warren’s mistakes, let’s focus on her supporters. It’s good to see some of them switching to Bernie Sanders, and there ought to be many more — here are just a few reasons why.