Manners — Revolutionary and Bourgeois
It's easy to dismiss manners as simply markers of social hierarchy. But manners can perform an egalitarian, progressive function — and they're essential to any democratic organization.
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What We Should Remember on Armistice Day
World War I wasn’t a war for democracy — it was a catastrophic, barbaric conflict that left tens of millions of people dead and set the stage for anti-democratic rollbacks for years to come. Anti-war socialists were right to oppose it.
The Baku Commune
The story of the Baku Commune’s leaders, who pursued power democratically and nonviolently, belies many of the myths of the Russian Revolution.
The US Blockade Against Cuba Is an Act of War
For sixty years, the United States’ blockade against Cuba has worked to hinder the island’s development and prevent it from trading even with third countries. It’s time Washington stopped its cruel punishment of its smaller neighbor.
From Compromise to Power
Over the course of 1917, the Petrograd Soviet transformed from a body willing to negotiate with capital to one ready for revolution.
Wall Street Is Mostly to Blame for Rising Commodity Prices
The mainstream narrative is that Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine single-handedly caused an inflationary surge in commodity prices. But in fact, it was Wall Street speculators reacting to Putin’s war that forced up prices.
Telling the Story of Australia’s Soviet Diaspora
Australian historian Sheila Fitzpatrick has spent her career documenting the history of the USSR. She tells Jacobin about her latest project, which looks at the Soviet citizens who migrated to Australia and their complicated relationship with their homeland.
How Boris Johnson’s Party Shielded Russian Oligarchs’ Cash
Bankrolled by the finance sector, Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party has made the UK a safe haven for the dirtiest money in the world.
No, Western Troops Shouldn’t Be Sent to Ukraine
France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, suggested on Monday that sending Western troops to Ukraine can “no longer be ruled out.” The idea is dangerous and impractical.
Europe Is Sanctioning Critics of Israel and Militarism
Sanctions were once sold as a gentler foreign policy tool for exerting pressure on dictatorships and terrorist organizations. Yet measures like banning individuals from having bank accounts or traveling are increasingly used to chill free speech in Europe.
How Right-Wingers Hijacked Green Politics in Norway
Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago 1,234 miles off coast, has become a site of climate change–fueled conflicts around immigration and workers’ rights. Right-wingers have used the crisis to advance their own agenda — offering a cautionary tale for the Left.
No, It’s Not the US’s Hemisphere
Donald Trump speaks of an expanded Monroe Doctrine that asserts US domination across the Americas. Chilean ex-diplomat Jorge Heine told Jacobin about the need for a new nonaligned movement that can resist imperialist claims.
Was Karl Marx an Orientalist?
Scholar Kevin B. Anderson discusses Marx’s surprising conclusions on race and national oppression.
What Happened to the Arab Spring?
It's been five years since the start of the Tunisian uprising. What was won — and what remains — in the Arab Spring?
We Spoke to Russian Socialists Who Are Protesting Vladimir Putin’s War
On Friday, Russia’s parliament passed a law threatening 15-year jail sentences for critics of the war on Ukraine — but on Sunday, thousands still took to the streets in protests. We spoke to Russian socialists about why they’re refusing to give in.
“Turkey Is Reviving Islamic State in Rojava”
Turkey’s invasion of northern Syria is its latest effort to destroy the nascent democracy in Rojava. Where Kurdish-led forces crushed the Islamic State, its fighters are now coming back into the open.
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.
African Unity Can’t Take Place on France’s Terms
Last Sunday, the military rulers of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger quit West African economic union ECOWAS. It’s a major blow to the regional integration project — and a rebuke to Emmanuel Macron’s efforts to interfere in France’s former colonies.
German Rearmament Is a Terrible Idea
In Germany, podcaster Ole Nymoen has become public enemy number one for supporters of the government’s rearmament campaign. He spoke to Jacobin about his new book against militarization and on the need for a renewed peace movement.
The Tragic Failure of the Soviet Experiment Doesn’t Mean We Should Reject Socialism
Like many socialists around the world, G. A. Cohen invested the Soviet Union with his hopes for a more just and equal society. In time, he grew disillusioned with the USSR — but he never stopped fighting for a better world.