Labour Against Empire
In 1922 communist militant Shapurji Saklatvala was elected on a Labour Party ticket, becoming the first MP of color in the party’s history.
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Just Flip the Switch
The trailers for Elysium promised a class-struggle masterpiece, but for all its triumphs the film's politics don't quite measure up.
Michael Bloomberg Isn’t Going Anywhere
As badly as Michael Bloomberg performed in his first debate last night — and he was gloriously bad — he’s not going anywhere. Even if he doesn’t get a nomination, his billions will be a massive weapon for Bernie Sanders opponents within and outside the Democratic Party.
Blood on His Hands
As head of SOUTHCOM, Trump’s pick for Homeland Security secretary facilitated atrocities across the Americas.
There’s No Substitute for Mass Working-Class Parties
Robert Michels developed his “iron law of oligarchy” after seeing the bureaucratization of the early socialist movement. His warnings are relevant today — but the path to social transformation still runs through building mass, working-class political parties.
Making Sense of QAnon With Q: Into the Storm’s Cullen Hoback
With his HBO documentary series Q: Into the Storm, filmmaker Cullen Hoback manages to demystify QAnon, exposing the mechanisms that underpin the right-wing conspiracy theory — above all, how it gives its followers a way of making sense of the spectacular failure of so many powerful institutions.
The Japanese Communist Party Has Been a Vital Presence in Japan’s Politics
The Japanese Communist Party turns 100 today. Its activists challenged the authoritarian emperor system of prewar Japan, and it remains an important countervailing force in a deeply conservative and conformist political culture.
How Britain’s Red Wedge Tried to Bring Pop Into Politics and Politics Into Pop
In the 1980s, British musicians like Billy Bragg and Paul Weller tried to mobilize Labour support through the group Red Wedge. The rise and fall of Red Wedge tells us a lot about how culture might be used to advance socialist politics.
Stop Trying to Make Us Worship the Royals
The last week has seen wall-to-wall praise for the royals across the British press, with Prince Philip painted as everything from a military genius to a trailblazing feminist. But the compulsory cap-doffing isn't just a bit of ceremony inherited from the past — it's part of a very modern deference to the wealthy and privileged.
US Media Rejected Trump’s Absurd Election Fraud Claims — But Accepted Them From the Latin American Right
US media outlets like the New York Times rightly dismissed bogus claims of electoral fraud by Donald Trump. Now they need to start applying the same standards to Latin America, where such claims have been used to justify the violent overthrow of elected left-wing governments.
In France, Just Like the United States, We Can’t Breathe
Cities across France are seeing a historic wave of protest against racism and the killing of young black people. The French revolt was sparked by the demonstrations in the United States — but it’s fueled by police brutality at home.
Vivian Gornick: “It Is Thrilling for a Small Life to See Itself as Connected to Something Large”
Vivian Gornick’s recently reissued The Romance of American Communism is in high demand these days by young socialists grappling with the meaning of their activism. In an interview, Gornick is slightly skeptical of the reborn socialist movement — and even the book itself. But although she says “I wouldn't have written that book today, I'm not sorry I did write it.”
The Killer Is David Fincher at His Most Bland
David Fincher’s new movie The Killer is supposedly a metacommentary on hit-man films — and possibly on the director himself. Or that could just be an excuse for how boring it is.
Yemen Could Have Peace — If the Saudis Stop Demanding Victory
Yemen’s rich and complex history was upended by its catastrophic civil war beginning in 2014. A peace agreement could help Yemenis recover the frustrated hopes of the 2011 uprising — if Saudi Arabia stops demanding victory for its allies.
The John Birch Society Won by Losing
A new book by historian Matthew Dallek traces the John Birch Society’s enduring influence over American politics and reveals how the deep roots of the reactionary right stretch from Congress to the Supreme Court.
Tucker Carlson Isn’t an Anti-Imperialist — He’s a Rabid China Hawk
Tucker Carlson can’t be credited for dissenting against US war fever when he spent years on his Fox News show stoking major tensions with China.
In Today’s Russia, Dissent Means Keeping Hope Alive
In Russia, signs of opposition to the war in Ukraine haven’t developed into a mass movement. State repression has closed off the avenues of mass politics, forcing dissidents into mainly symbolic protests.
The Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict Is a Product of the Soviet Union’s Collapse
The war in Ukraine has overshadowed the ongoing battle between Armenia and Azerbaijan. But both conflicts show the Soviet Union is still unraveling — with devastating, bloody consequences.
There’s No Outbidding the Right-Wing Politics of Strength
Defeating Donald Trump will require going beyond rational appeals to economic self-interest.
“Debt Is to Capitalism What Hell Is to Christianity”
A new series with Yanis Varoufakis explains how elites used the financial crisis to terrorize Europe’s populations into submission. In an interview, he tells Jacobin why the anti-austerity movement failed and why the center is converging with the far right.