The World That Made Stalin — and the World That Stalin Made
Some aspects of Stalin’s life will always remain a mystery. But a fresh look at the Soviet dictator’s formative years can help us understand the rise and fall of the system he built.
19391 Articles by: Ryan Switzer
Ryan Switzer is a PhD candidate in sociology at Stockholm University. He researches right-wing politics in welfare states.
The Health Care Lobby Is Trying To Buy Corporate Immunity From Both Parties
A health care lobby group hired Trump’s former lawyer and gave millions to Democrats — now criminal nursing home and hospital execs may get special protections from COVID lawsuits.
How Local Civil Rights Protests Produced an Increase in War on Poverty Spending
Three social scientists crunched the numbers and found that counties where the Civil Rights Movement was active received almost 50 percent more War on Poverty spending than those counties that didn’t — and the more active the movement, the more funding received. It confirms what the Left has long argued: protests get the goods.
Bob Woodward Made Himself Complicit in Trump’s Coronavirus Crime Against Humanity
To boost book sales, celebrity journalist Bob Woodward concealed a tape of Donald Trump that contained information about the pandemic that may have prevented thousands of deaths. This isn’t hyperbole. This is peak 2020 insanity.
Australian Unions Can Win the Fight Against COVID-19 — And Against Neoliberalism
Australia’s employers and federal government have failed to halt COVID-19, while the country’s public health system and union movement have stepped up. The Australian labor movement now has an historic opportunity to push for an alternative to neoliberalism.
Workers at Minneapolis’s Surly Brewing Company Say the Brewer Is Busting Their Union
Two days after Surly’s beer hall workers went public with a union campaign, management announced it would be closing the location indefinitely. The Minneapolis company says the shutdown was in the works for weeks — a claim workers say is absurd.
Modi Is Making Dissent in India a Crime
Narendra Modi’s government is clamping down on political dissent as part of its Hindu-nationalist project. The Indian authorities have used bogus charges of “terrorism” and “conspiracy” to keep critical intellectuals locked up for years at a time.
After 2020, There’s No Going Back to the Old America
Coronavirus has brought the United States to its knees not only due to our system’s countless weaknesses, but also because of our delusional self-assessment. Despite all evidence to the contrary, many believed that this country was invincible. That fantasy has been destroyed.
Donald Trump’s Executive Orders Are Covering Both His Left and Right Flanks
Trump’s recent flurry of executive orders on “anarchist jurisdictions” and diversity training have him moving hard to the right to shore up his base — but, perhaps more worryingly, moving further left to keep Americans from losing their homes during a crisis than Obama did.
Workplace “Anti-Racism Trainings” Aren’t Helping
Donald Trump hysterically considers it a Marxist plot, but corporate “anti-racism training” isn’t a practice that anyone should defend. It doesn’t actually combat racism and it helps bosses consolidate their power over employees under a veneer of social justice.
Kanye’s Dark Twisted Presidential Fantasy
Kanye West’s bid for president didn’t come out of nowhere. He’s always been a contradictory figure, and arrogance always mingled with his nuance and consciousness.
Politicians Come to Selma Every Year to Commemorate the Civil Rights Struggle, But Nothing Changes
Democrats use Selma, Alabama as a political prop and ignore the city’s current struggles. Residents told Jacobin that they need real help, not just annual photo ops with Oprah and Joe Biden.
Donald Trump Is Undermining Social Security – Will Democrats Stop Him?
Donald Trump’s plan to suspend the collection of the payroll tax risks both the financial well-being of workers and Social Security. Instead of outsourcing the case against Trump to Republican opponents of Social Security in the Lincoln Project, Democrats need to stand up for popular social programs.
The Labor Abuses of Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen DeGeneres’s reputation as the kindest celebrity in America has finally been shattered. But it’s not just her “mean streak” that’s the problem — it’s that she’s an exploitative boss, who cheated her employees at the height of the pandemic.
University Administrators Are Lobbying for Protection From COVID Lawsuits
Reopening schools right now is extremely dangerous — which is why many colleges and universities are lobbying in Washington for immunity from COVID-related lawsuits.
Centrists Are Pining for a Golden Age that Never Was
As the political center has withered in recent years, self-described moderates have often expressed nostalgia for the “normal” politics of the 1990s. But the era of Blair and Clinton really wasn’t a golden age of progress — and it brought a wave of market fundamentalism still sowing havoc today.
The Long-Term Dangers of Joe Biden’s Terrible Campaigning for President
Joe Biden may indeed win in November. But he has run an inconsequential and pathetic campaign — one that could pose enormous dangers in the coming years.
Here Is One Graph Everyone Should See on Labor Day
On this Labor Day, remind everyone you can that if we hope to ever rebuild an economy that works for everyone, we’re going to need many more workers in unions and a much stronger labor movement.
Remembering My Friend, David Graeber
David Graeber will remain for me a model for how to live to the fullest a scholarly and activist life.
Under Capitalism, There’s No Such Thing as a “Fair Day’s Wage for a Fair Day’s Work”
We’ve got some bad news for you on Labor Day: your boss is exploiting you. Karl Marx explains how.