Communism in Words
A brief history of Esperanto, the language intimately tied to the common destiny of the working class.
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Legendary Leftist Filmmaker John Sayles on Matewan, Working-Class History, and Left-Wing Organizing
John Sayles is one of the most talented left-wing filmmakers in US history. We spoke with him about radical politics, independent filmmaking, and his legendary 1987 labor movie Matewan.
There Are Now Six Socialists in Albany Fighting for New Yorkers
Jabari Brisport is one of six socialists now in the New York State Legislature, the most in a century. We spoke to him about how he came to democratic socialism, how elected officials can help build working-class power, and why his top policy priority is to tax the rich.
The Forgotten World of Communist Bookstores
Communist bookstores were one of the most important public spaces for radicals in twentieth century America.
Red-Baiting Zohran Mamdani Won’t Work
No one should be surprised that Zohran Mamdani supports democratic control over the economy, the end goal of socialism. But he won because he combined socialist politics with practical solutions to the cost-of-living crisis facing working people.
Don’t Write Off US Union Organizing Before the CIO
The Congress of Industrial Organizations is often understood to the be the innovative, solidarity-based alternative to the American Federation Labor, its immediate predecessor. But the CIO had limits too — and the AFL had more to offer than it gets credit for.
Antisemitism and the Crisis of Liberalism
Contemporary antisemitism must be confronted. Yet liberals who insist on equating leftists like Jeremy Corbyn with the open antisemitism of right-wing figures like Donald Trump are not only blatantly dishonest, but prevent us from fighting anti-Jewish bigotry.
Steven Rattner, Kickback Hack
Meet the latest self-interested pundit urging Democrats not to move left.
A Century After “Ten Days”
John Reed penned the definitive account of the October Revolution — and paid a heavy price for it.
Sharing and Caring
The “sharing economy” invokes vague leftist sentiments while moving towards more precarious employment.
Why the Center Holds
Within the Democratic Party, institutions created during the New Deal and civil rights era have acted as barriers to insurgents on both the right and left.
Cowboys and Italians
In the 1960s, Italian filmmakers took the cowboy out of America. They gave the western a wild, blood-soaked makeover that revived the genre for global audiences and imbued it with new political relevance.
Socialism Means Expanding Democracy to All of Society
Socialism is again a major current in American life, and the Right has been freaking out over it nonstop. Socialists have to explain what we’re really for: giving people a say in how every aspect of their lives is run.
The Communist Folk Singers Who Shaped Bob Dylan
Before Bob Dylan was Bob Dylan, he was a disciple of Woody Guthrie. But Guthrie and his contemporaries were more than folk singers — they were blacklisted radicals, shaping American music while staring down the Red Scare.
The Romance of American Liberalism
Grading a century of liberal film presidents.
Remembering the Diggers
Though often forgotten, the Diggers of the English Revolution were egalitarian radicals well before their time. No account of socialist history is complete without them.
Michael Harrington, American Socialist
Democratic Socialists of America founder Michael Harrington, who died thirty years ago today, was a beacon of humanity, decency, and socialism throughout his lifetime.
Identity Crisis
The global left has moved away from social class as an organizing identity, allowing the Right to peddle a working-class identity politics untethered from the socialist vision.
Niccolò Machiavelli Was the Philosopher of Left-Wing Populism
For centuries, detractors of Niccolò Machiavelli have presented him as the founding father of political cynicism. But the Italian thinker was really a republican idealist whose support for popular rule can inspire struggles against the oligarchies of today.
Eddie Murphy Is So Much Better Than Coming 2 America
Eddie Murphy is one of the most talented actors alive. Yet his brilliance is wasted in this sloppy sequel to the classic 1988 film Coming to America.