The Road Beyond Social Democracy
What would it take to go from reforms within the capitalist system to a democratic socialist society?
20182 Article(s) by: Yi San
Yi San is a freelance writer based in New York.
For Struggling Workers, Appeals to Democracy Aren’t Enough
After decades of rising inequality and stagnant wages for workers, a large majority of people in the US now reject belief in the American dream. These voters won’t be won over by calls to defend a democracy they feel has let them down.
This Health Records Giant Is Undermining Your Privacy Rights
Epic Systems, the largest electronic health records company in the US, is pushing users of its ubiquitous online health portal MyChart to sign away their rights to sue the company if it mishandles their sensitive information.
The AI Revolution Might Be Running Out of Steam
Despite massive investment and grand promises, AI companies are struggling to deliver returns. The bubble may be deflating, but like the dot-com crash, the aftermath could consolidate power in the hands of tech giants.
Cuba Is Breaking New Ground in Developing Drug Treatments
Cuba has developed its own infrastructure for producing medical treatments that has a remarkable track record despite the US blockade and other material constraints. One new drug has the potential to alleviate the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.
Abraham Lincoln Knew Violence Must Be Addressed at the Root
Abraham Lincoln is often invoked in calls for civility and reconciliation across the partisan divide. But Lincoln himself understood that such reconciliation was impossible in his own time until justice had been served and slavery abolished.
Jimmy Kimmel’s Cancellation Is Peak Hypocrisy
After campaigning on ending censorship and cancel culture, Donald Trump is making the list of things you’re not allowed to say in America longer and longer. ABC’s cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show signals that not even comedians are safe.
The Economic, Political, and Cultural History of Menswear
Menswear expert Derek Guy talks to Jacobin about where Western men’s clothing traditions came from, how they have evolved, and how they’re being continually reinterpreted.
The New Defense Bill Could Further Privatize Border Control
This year’s congressional defense spending bill would further entrench the military’s role at the US border and, for the first time, allow the Department of Defense to outsource border security work to private contractors.
What Americans Think of Democratic Socialism
A new national poll shows democratic socialism has made enormous strides over the last decade. But to grow beyond blue strongholds, its champions will need to continue to anchor campaigns in bread-and-butter economics.
Bolsonaro Is Finished. But Bolsonarismo Remains a Threat.
The historic sentencing of former president Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years in prison signals the health of Brazil’s fragile democratic institutions. But it cannot provide a neat ending to the Right’s long-running assault on Brazilian democracy.
The Double Standards of Czech Foreign Policy
The Czech Republic’s prime minister, Petr Fiala, boasts of his defense of democracy and the rule of law. Yet faced with Israel’s crimes in Gaza, the Czech government can forgive its Western allies anything.
RIP to Robert Redford, a Star Who Knew How to Play the Game
Robert Redford was a man of the Left until the end and a patron saint of independent cinema. He will be missed.
Tech Capital Is Dominating American Politics
While Donald Trump assaults civil liberties and the social safety net, Democrats are lost. Capital’s continued dominance of both parties and Big Tech’s machinations in particular are key to understanding our political crisis, argues Thomas Ferguson.
The Left Needs Utopian Thinking
Conservative apologists for the status quo often stigmatize their opponents as “utopian.” But socialists and feminists shouldn’t be afraid of the term, since utopian thought can play an important role in helping us develop practical alternatives.
The Right Is Using Charlie Kirk’s Murder to Attack Free Speech
Over the past week since the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk, we’ve watched conservatives unabashedly take ownership of “cancel culture” and crack down on free speech right before our eyes.
Your Therapist’s Notes Could Become Fodder For AI
Tech companies are marketing AI-based note-taking software to therapists as a new time-saving tool. But by signing up, providers may be unknowingly offering patients’ sensitive health information as data fodder to the multibillion-dollar AI therapy industry.
Spanish Cycling Protests Reject Israeli Sportswashing
The Vuelta a España, Spain’s premier cycling stage race, saw the participation of team Israel–Premier Tech, organized to promote Israel’s reputation. Thousands of protesters disrupted the race on Saturday to decry the team’s sportswashing of genocide.
Borders Books
Some recommendations from the Republic of Letters.