How Antonio Gramsci’s Ideas Went Global
Antonio Gramsci was twentieth-century Italy’s greatest intellectual. Fifty years ago, the English translation of Selections from the Prison Notebooks allowed his unorthodox Marxism to spread worldwide.
19274 Articles by: Opal Lee
Opal Lee is a writer.
At COP26 in Glasgow, the Spirit of “Red Clydeside” Inspires Protests for a Green New Deal
The Scottish and British governments are each using the Glasgow COP26 summit to boast of their green credentials. But recent protests by trade unions in Glasgow show that worker solidarity is the best defense of a livable planet.
Byron Brown Might Beat India Walton Despite a Career of Corruption and Failure
The career trajectory of Byron Brown, the write-in incumbent running against socialist India Walton for mayor of Buffalo, is familiar to US cities: a young reformer who took on the city’s corrupt establishment — and who soon embodied the very corruption he’d run against.
Squid Game’s Strike Flashbacks Were Modeled on Our Real-Life Factory Occupation
Squid Game’s director says he was inspired by the 2009 Ssangyong Motor strike undertaken by me and my coworkers. Now millions around the world have glimpsed our struggle — but it’s far from over, and our wounds have not healed.
Spain’s Right-Wing Supreme Court Is Riding Roughshod Over Democracy
Podemos MP Alberto Rodríguez has been stripped of his seat in Congress following an unjustified assault conviction. His removal shows how a Supreme Court packed with right-wing judges is undermining Spain’s basic democratic standards.
Society, the Cult Horror Film Where the Monster Is Class Conflict
The 1989 cult horror classic Society is remembered for its sensational effects and disturbing undertones. But it’s the movie’s grisly portrayal of the rich exploiting the poor that’s the scariest thing of all.
“Economic Freedom” Rankings Don’t Tell Us Anything About Capitalism
Conservatives and libertarians love to cite studies ranking different countries’ levels of “economic freedom” as evidence for the glories of capitalism. There’s just one problem: the rankings are nonsense.
The Egyptian Revolution Has Not Yet Been Defeated
Alaa Abd el-Fattah is one of the most famous of Egypt’s 60,000 political prisoners. His latest book, You Have Not Yet Been Defeated, is a damning indictment of the authoritarianism and violence of the Egyptian state.
At Paris’s Milipol Convention, Smiling Far-Right Politicians Play With Sniper Rifles
Milipol is the world’s biggest trade fair for homeland security. Last week’s event in Paris was a photo op for far-right politicians like Éric Zemmour that illustrated how the French state is militarizing its response to social protests.
Meet the Gaggle of Ghoulish Capitalists Haunting Canada
Just in time for Halloween, Jacobin casts light on a few terrifying monsters stalking the lives and nightmares of Canadians everywhere.
Finland’s Public Childcare System Puts the Rest of the World to Shame
In Finland, 70 percent of preschool children attend a full day care service supported by the government. There’s absolutely no reason why countries like the United States can’t do the same.
No, Marxism Isn’t Economic Determinism
Critical theorist Axel Honneth accuses Marxism of having a narrowly economic idea of human emancipation. That’s wrong — and his own work could use a more structural understanding of social conflict and how progress really happens.
Stop Forcing Workers to Stand on the Job
Many workers in the United States are forced to stand up while performing duties they could fulfill while seated. It’s pointless and mean-spirited — they deserve the right to sit down.
Documents Show How the US Government Used Social Media to Intervene in Venezuela
Outrage over alleged Russian intervention in US elections has been widespread. But documents obtained by Jacobin reveal that the US has intervened in Venezuelan elections by training opposition forces to use Facebook against President Nicolás Maduro’s party.
The New Dune Is Too Somber for Its Own Good
I can’t help but wonder what Denis Villeneuve’s new Dune movie might have been had it chucked those handsome but cold visuals and embraced a wilder approach.
British Miners Built Their Own Power and Culture. Deindustrialization Wiped It Away.
Miners’ labor militancy transformed British politics and culture in the twentieth century. Then neoliberalism destroyed coal miners’ institutions and communities, upending British politics at the entire working class’s expense.
Bolsonaro Massacred Brazilians. Brazil’s Senate Wants to Try Him for Crimes Against Humanity.
Far-right Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro’s refusal to act over COVID-19 doomed the country to a 600,000 death toll. This week, the Brazilian Senate voted to put him on trial — bringing hope he’ll finally be held to account for his murderous actions.
Don’t Forget to Worry About Inflation!
Throughout the inflationary years of the 1970s, nearly half of Americans saw rising prices as the most important problem facing the country. Today, despite the best efforts of inflation alarmists, only 5 percent of Americans think it is.
Bernie and Progressive Dems Can’t Succeed Without Mobilizing Their Supporters
The negotiations around the Build Back Better Act have consisted of one concession to moderates after another. The pattern won’t change without a strategy that plays to the progressive movement’s strengths.
The Socialist Dune?
Since its publication in 1965, Dune has been claimed by both Right and Left — but its political and ecological critiques make its return to the big screen apt for an era of capitalist crisis.