Ballet Against Austerity
Ballet and classical music shouldn’t belong to the elite. The Paris Opera’s free, outdoor performances for striking French workers point to a radical redefinition of what work, play, and the arts could be under socialism.
19667 Articles by: Opal Lee
Opal Lee is a writer.
The Long Shot of Democratic Socialism Is Our Only Shot
Mass workers’ movements transformed much of the world in the twentieth century, but they couldn’t overcome the power of capital. Today, we need a new democratic socialism to remake politics and revive working-class organizing.
In Last Night’s Debate, Joe Biden Continued Rewriting His History on Foreign Policy
How can Joe Biden reconcile his history as one of the Democrats’ leading hawks with the party’s more antiwar direction today? Simple: lie through his teeth.
The Man Who Murdered Rosa Luxemburg
On January 15, 1919, the leaders of the German revolution were murdered by far-right soldiers enraged by the rising socialist movement. The man who masterminded the killings was Waldemar Pabst — a fanatical nationalist officer whose paramilitaries became the rank and file for Nazism.
Joe Biden Is Still Lying About His Role in Invading Iraq
Listening to Joe Biden at last night’s Democratic debate, you would’ve thought he was a staunch antiwar activist in the lead-up to the Iraq war. But don’t let Biden rewrite history: he was one of the invasion’s biggest backers.
“Capitalism Won’t Save Black People”
khalid kamau was elected to the South Fulton, Georgia, city council in 2017. In an interview, he discusses the ties between racism and capitalism and why socialism shouldn’t be written off as a white movement.
At Tonight’s Debate, They’re Coming for Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders is emerging as the Democratic front-runner — which is why the knives will be out for him at tonight’s debate. To win, Sanders needs to do what he does best: pivot the conversation back to the issues that matter, like an economy that works for the many instead of the few, opposing war, and defeating Donald Trump.
Our Anger at Rising Housing Costs Is Not Misplaced
Debates around gentrification often focus on “misplaced anger.” But everyday frustrations are central to socialist politics.
Spain’s “Progressive Government” Is Already Under Siege
The PSOE-Podemos coalition promises to roll back recent attacks on labor rights and provide a negotiated solution to the Catalan crisis. But the new government’s moderate tone hasn’t placated the business and institutional establishment — and they’re already working to thwart its plans.
The Fascists’ Historian
Giampaolo Pansa topped Italy’s bestsellers’ lists by retelling the Resistance from the “side of the losers.” His works promised to shine a light on anti-fascist crimes — and handed the resurgent far right a narrative of victimhood.
What a Bernie Sanders Presidency Would Look Like
Bernie Sanders often argues, “Beating Trump is not good enough.” This is an understatement. The world quite literally depends on us winning a political revolution. Only Bernie has a plan for that.
Social Security and Medicare Are Not Safe With Joe Biden
When we look at their long records, the truth is glaringly obvious: Social Security and Medicare are not safe in Joe Biden’s hands. They are in Bernie’s.
Spain’s First Communist Minister Since 1939 Was Just Sworn In Today
Today Alberto Garzón was sworn in as a minister in Spain’s new government — the first communist to take up such a role since the Civil War. He spoke to Jacobin about what it means to be a communist today and how Spain’s social movements can shape the next government’s agenda.
The Rogue State Is on the Rampage Again
The US has long been a lawless aggressor and a threat to peace, but in the past it at least tried to prettify its policies. By openly refusing to leave Iraq at the request of its government, Donald Trump has let the mask slip.
India’s Left University Is Fighting Back
India’s left-wing Jawaharlal Nehru University has been the epicenter of the country’s movement against university tuition fees. A violent attack this month by militants affiliated with the fascist, government-aligned RSS movement, has galvanized solidarity with their movement nationwide.
Brace Yourself Sanders Supporters, It’s Going to Get Ugly
Bernie’s surging in the polls so get ready — we’re all about to be deluged by manufactured controversies. This weekend, the Warren campaign, in concert with a media itching for controversy, tried to turn a nonstory into a scandal and attack Sanders with a narrative recycled from Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign.
The Scott Morrison Honeymoon Is Over
Right-wing Prime Minister Scott Morrison came to power in Australia tapping into a wellspring of resentment and touting his support for fossil fuels. But now with catastrophic bushfires sweeping across the country, his approval ratings are in free fall.
We Can’t Cede Transparency to Liberals
Without transparency in politics and in the institutions that govern our daily lives, we can’t build socialism.
Globalization Isn’t the Problem — Capitalism Is
The Right has hijacked the vision of a life beyond neoliberal globalization. It’s time for a new progressive internationalism, one that puts solidarity and justice over corporate profits.
Elon Musk Is Planning for Climate Apocalypse
Tech CEOs like Musk sell themselves as visionaries of a liberated future. They are, of course, only looking out for themselves.