Socialists Must Reclaim Halloween
China Mieville on gothic Marxism, the Right’s strange appropriation of trick-or-treating, and socialists’ historic defense of the flagrantly imaginary.
20383 Article(s) by: Ryan Switzer
Ryan Switzer is a PhD candidate in sociology at Stockholm University. He researches right-wing politics in welfare states.
Reading Marx on Halloween
Life under capitalism is the experience of horror — and there is no better guide to it than Karl Marx.
The Monster and the Final Girl
The new Halloween is a serviceable remake of a truly great horror film.
The Ghost in the Machine
As capitalism spread in South America, local people made sense of their misery by telling stories of devils, demons, and hauntings.
Witches and Class Struggle
In sixteenth-century Europe, witch-hunting was class war by the elite.
Naturalizing Fear
Trump wants to end birthright citizenship for children born in the US to non-citizens. His plan shows how little has been added to the stock of anti-immigrant rhetoric over the past century.
We Don’t Have Time for Nihilism
We have to say, repeatedly, to everyone who will listen and everyone who tries not to: the hatred and murder we saw in Pittsburgh is the product of a political project of the Right. We have to transform our rage into solidarity and collective action against that project.
In Case You Hadn’t Noticed, Billionaires Are Taking Over the World
A new report from a Swiss wealth management company documents the relentless rise of the global billionaire class. Here are some highlights — translated into plain English.
Doubling Down After Pittsburgh
The residents of Squirrel Hill refuse to become debilitated in their grief. The world beyond them should do the same.
Unions Can Protect Trans Rights
The Trump administration is pushing a vicious anti-trans agenda. Unions are one of the best tools we have to fight back.
Are Workers the “Gravediggers” of Capitalism?
Karl Marx didn’t believe the working class would automatically end capitalism. He believed that actively engaging in class struggle can change workers’ consciousness — and change the world.
Against the Salary Cap
The NBA salary cap doesn’t benefit players or the fans — it lines the pockets of billionaire team owners.
Here’s What Jair Bolsonaro Thinks
Brazil has a fascist presidential frontrunner. Here are 20 of Jair Bolsonaro’s most racist and reactionary statements.
Latin America’s Right-Wing Turn
The far right is on the rise not only in Brazil but across Latin America — driven by the middle class that left-wing governments helped create.
Privilege Versus Democracy in Brazil
Jair Bolsonaro represents the rise of an authoritarian neoliberalism in Brazil and across the world. If he’s elected president, Brazilian democracy could collapse.
A Foot in the Streets
France Insoumise’s Farida Amrani is the frontrunner to replace France’s former prime minister Manuel Valls as MP for Évry. Jacobin spoke to her in an exclusive interview.
Educators Versus Exxon
To demand an end to Louisiana’s giveaways to ExxonMobil, Baton Rouge school employees this week took an extraordinary step: they voted to go on a political strike.
“We Have a Right to the Resources That We Create”
Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez is a democratic socialist running for Chicago city council. In this interview, she explains how austerity forced her to leave her native Puerto Rico, her vision for building working-class power in Chicago, and how to seize our “historic opportunity” to fight for socialism.
No More Health Care Half-Fixes
Attempts to fix America’s health care crisis that aren’t universal, simple, and don’t eliminate private insurance are doomed to fail. We need a Medicare for All plan that covers everyone, period.
Slaying the Dragons
There aren’t many European presidents who’d quote Marxist economists or praise Fidel Castro. But Ireland’s Michael D. Higgins is widely backed across the political spectrum.