Over at Jacobin, Melissa Naschek interviews New York University sociologist Vivek Chibber about identity politics and the Democratic Party. Here is a taste: Melissa Naschek: The Democratic Party has become almost synonymous with identity politics. How did the Democrats get […]
socialism
Worker solidarity and electoral victories “may not be possible without the support of people who might have all sorts of contradictory, even reactionary, views.”
I am not sure I am completely board with Bhaskar Sunkara’s piece at Jacobin, but it gave me a lot to think about: The Democrats went from being the party of justice and stability to the party of meritocracy and […]
The golden age of Wisconsin socialism
Here is historian Joshua Kluever at Jacobin on the rich history of Wisconsin socialism: From 1905 to 1945, the Wisconsin legislature passed over five hundred pieces of socialist-authored legislation. They accomplished this despite never holding more than 20 percent of […]
Raphael Warnock’s “American covenant” and where his vision for a Micah 6:8 nation goes off the rails
Raphael Warnock delivered a real stemwinder last night at the Democratic National Convention. Speeches like this remind me of why I felt compelled to argue in 2018 that the early civil rights movement provides the best historical model for evangelicals, […]
The tragedy of American communism
Maurice Isserman is the Publius Virgilius Rogers Professor of American History at Hamilton College. He is the author, most recently, of Reds: The Tragedy of American Communism. Over at The Guardian, Isserman writes: “I was struck by the mystery of […]
Should we fear “collectivism?”
Over at Jacobin, Luke Savage explains and counters the Right’s misunderstanding of “collectivism.” Here is a taste: Contrary to what the Right asserts, the Left is not animated by a rigid determinism that seeks to stamp out the individual or […]
Socialism needs Christian ethics
Dustin Guastella is director of operations for Teamsters Local 623. Check out his piece “Christianity, Morality, and Socialism” at Jacobin. We linked to this piece in Sunday night’s odds and ends. But after reading it more closely, I thought I […]
A case for 1950s nostalgia
Today’s socialists are not longing for the days of Jim Crow. But, as Dustin Guastella of Teamsters Local 623 in Philadelphia argues, neither should they throw out the idea that the 1950s was a great time for the American worker. […]
Are the 1619 Project and the 1776 Commission really that different?
I just read Zine Magubane’s review of Kenan Malik’s Not So Black and White: A History of Race from White Supremacy at Catalyst. Malik argues that both the 1619 Project and Donald Trump’s “1776 Commission” fail to recognize the importance […]
Is socialism undemocratic?
French philosopher Étienne Balibar does not think so. Here is a taste of his interview with Jacobin: The idea of liberty has itself been contested and challenged since its very origins in modern times because the very notion of “liberty” […]
Image of the Day: Happy birthday Eugene Debs and Bill Walton!
Shawn Fain’s Christian radicalism
Earlier this week I wondered why people were not talking and writing more about UAW president Shawn Fain’s Christian faith. Church historian Heath Carter has published the piece I was hoping for. Here is a taste of his Jacobin article […]
An introduction to Antonio Gramsci
The Italian communist was one of the most important thinkers of the 20th-century. If you are new to Gramsci, Mark Engler and Paul Engler’s piece at Dissent is worth your time. Here is a taste: Too often, mainstream political analysts […]
Cornel West vs. Bernie Sanders
Democratic socialists disagree over Joe Biden in 2024: I am a West fan, but I lean toward Sanders here. There are certain times in one’s life–hopefully only a few times–when doctrinal purity must be set aside for the greater good […]
Is Cornel West a Marxist?
Conservative political philosopher Robert George defends his friend and presidential candidate:
Can one oppose abortion and still be a democratic socialist?
Check out Matt McManus‘s review of Sohrab Ahmari’s Tryanny , Inc.: How Private Power Crushed American Liberty–and What to Do About It at Jacobin. As I noted in an earlier post, socialists really like this book despite Ahmari’s social conservatism. […]
A right-wing intellectual takes on capitalism. Some socialists are fine with it.
Some of you may know the name Sohrab Ahmari from his 2019 argument with David French over the meaning of conservatism. Since that debate, Amari has co-founded Compact, a journal critical of liberalism of both the left and the right […]
A socialist take on the Barbie movie
This week Current ran two great pieces on the Barbie movie. Check out Christina Bieber Lake’s “Barbie. . . and Ken” and Beatruce Scudeler’s “Material Girls.” Over at Current Affairs, Nathan Robinson interprets the movie through the lens of consumer […]
On the “human nature” argument against socialism
Opponents of socialism argue that socialism will never work because human beings are selfish and will always look after their own interests above the economic interest of others. In other words, an altruistic and cooperative society is impossible due to […]
Is capitalism secular?
Eugene McCarraher, the author of The Enchantments of Mammon: How Capitalism Became the Religion of Modernity, does not think so. He discusses his 2019 book with Peter Mommsen at the Plough podcast: Listen here. A taste of the transcript: Capitalism, […]