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19216 Articles by: William G. Martin
William G. Martin teaches at SUNY-Binghamton and is co-author of After Prisons? Freedom, Decarceration, and Justice Disinvestment (2016) and a founding member of Justice and Unity for the Southern Tier; he covers local justice matters at www.justtalk.blog
Why the Left Keeps Losing — and How We Can Win
Being a socialist won’t stop being hard anytime soon. But if we want to start winning, socialists need to study the recent defeats of Syriza in Greece, Jeremy Corbyn in the UK, and Bernie Sanders in the US, along with the failures of twentieth-century social democracy and the declining relevance of Leninism.
They’re Not Sending Their Best People to Stage a Coup in Venezuela
The recent failed invasion of Venezuela by several clown cars worth of idiotic “freedom fighters” is almost too absurd to believe. But the goofballs aside, this misadventure can only be understood in the context of Donald Trump’s increased aggression toward Venezuela and open desire to overthrow its government.
We Can’t Lose the Right to Protest in the Age of Coronavirus
Concerns about the spread of coronavirus are legitimate, but the right to public protest must be upheld through the crisis. Unfortunately, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio has done the opposite, eroding our rights to assembly during the pandemic.
Michael Jordan Was a Capitalist Icon. The Last Dance Is His Mythmaking Commercial.
The Last Dance, ESPN’s highly touted series on Michael Jordan, is not a documentary. It’s a ten-hour exercise in mythmaking that gives Jordan one more chance to sell the corporate product that always mattered to him most: himself.
David Sirota Joins the Jacobin Team
Bernie 2020 senior adviser and speechwriter David Sirota will join Jacobin as an editor at large.
Coming Soon: Bipartisan Deficit Hawks Calling for Austerity
Right now, government money is flowing. But soon the self-appointed guardians of “fiscal responsibility” will call for cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and SNAP, while leaving the defense budget and large tax breaks for the wealthy intact.
Even in a Pandemic, the Knives Are out for Social Security
We’re in the middle of a devastating pandemic and economic crisis — but that hasn’t stopped both Democrats and Republicans from coming up with new ways to assault and destroy Social Security.
Australia’s Youngest Union Is Organizing Retail and Fast-Food Workers
In 2016, the Retail and Fast-Food Workers’ Union was formed in Australia. Representing some of the most undervalued, low-paid workers in the country, RAFFWU is already among the most radical unions, challenging both employers and the conservative fiefdom of the “Shoppies.”
An Economic Storm Is Going to Devastate Latin America Very Soon
Latin America has always been vulnerable to shocks from the global economy. But there’s no precedent for the COVID-19-induced slump that’s about to engulf the continent.
We Shouldn’t Need GoFundMe to Respond to Catastrophes. We Need a Strong Welfare State.
A telltale sign of a broken society is when medical workers are forced to beg for supplies on GoFundMe and parents have to write compelling stories to convince random people to pay for their kid’s cancer treatment. Instead of crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe, we need a generous welfare state that ensures everyone’s basic needs are met.
Governments and Corporations Have Deemed Immigrant Workers Expendable During the Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has exposed a deep contradiction at the heart of the US economy: immigrant labor is more essential than ever, yet immigrant workers continue to be under vicious attack by the government.
Which Way Forward for the Democratic Socialist Left?
What should socialists in the United States do “after Bernie.”
The EU’s Seasonal Farm Workers Are Still Forced to Travel During the Pandemic
Photos of Eastern Europeans flown West to pick strawberries despite the lockdown has focused attention on the plight of the EU’s migrant farm laborers. But as some of these workers told Jacobin, traveling across Europe to make ends meet isn’t new — it’s just much more dangerous now.
Ireland’s Green Party Is Ready to Help the Right Stay in Power
Ireland’s conservative establishment was on the ropes after February’s shock election result. But Leo Varadkar’s caretaker government has exploited the COVID-19 crisis to regain his authority — and is now counting on the Greens to keep the center-right parties in power as a recession looms.
“‘Can People Pay Rent This Month?’ The Consensus Was No”
Millions of people can’t pay rent because of the coronavirus-induced recession. In the absence of government action to help them, many are going on a rent strike. We talked to two Brooklyn rent strikers about why they organized their building to withhold rent and how other renters can do the same.
AMLO and Mexico’s Femicides
Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador was elected on a platform of ending corruption and fighting inequality. But he hasn’t made ending the rampant violence against women in Mexico enough of a priority since taking office.
Celebrating War Criminal George W. Bush to “Own” Donald Trump
George W. Bush and Donald Trump are both monsters. If you want to criticize Trump — which I encourage — find a way to do it without touting or pining for a war criminal.
Arab Workers and the Struggle for Democracy
Since 2011, Arab labor organizations and left parties have been central to movements for democracy and social justice in the Middle East. Frequently overlooked in Western media coverage, from Egypt and Tunisia to Algeria and Sudan, they’ve carried on this fight against tremendous odds.
“Bolivia’s Postcoup Regime Did Nothing to Stop the Virus”
Six months after the coup in Bolivia, Luis Arce is presidential candidate for Evo Morales’s MAS. Oliver Vargas interviewed him about the postcoup regime, its handling of coronavirus, and what the delayed election means for the Left’s chances of returning to power.