The 2014 Jacobin Mixtape
The last year in Jacobin, lovingly compiled.
Jacobin published a bit over 450 essays this year. That’s a lot of material — around fourteen books worth, in addition to the four actual books we put out. So in case you missed anything, below is a rundown of some of the magazine’s recent hits and what to look forward to in 2015.
Before we continue, we know that everyone has been inundated with donation appeals from organizations asking for cash. Many of them definitely deserve it. We hope that Jacobin has a place on your list, too. Today is the last day for $14 gift subscriptions, and all donations until midnight will be matched.
We reached four times as many people online (824,243 and counting this month alone) than we did this time last year. Most of those folks read online for free. We’re finally closing in on 10,000 subscribers, but we still rely on a tiny base of small donors to keep things going.
There’s never been a more important time to support the magazine.
January
January saw the release of “Alive in the Sunshine,” our thirteenth edition. The issue was anchored by a title essay from Alyssa Battistoni that discussed environmentalism and the universal basic income. Also in that issue was “In the Name of Love,” Miya Tokumitsu’s critique of the class ideology behind exhortations to “do what you love.” That essay quickly became Jacobin’s all-time most-read and shared piece.
Elsewhere, Adam Hanieh covered the political economy of the Gulf States, and Jeffery R. Webber took a critical look at the Evo Morales administration.
February
We vaguely recall this month being really fucking cold. But Jacobin managed to release, with the help of our friends in the Chicago Teachers Union’s CORE Caucus and many others, Class Action: An Activist Teacher’s Handbook.
Over 4,000 copies of the booklet were freely distributed to educators and school support staff in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Knoxville, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, and elsewhere to help support rank-and-file activity.
On a less triumphant note, we also published several pieces discussing the United Auto Workers’ defeat in a key Chattanooga, TN unionization drive.
March
Jacobin mourned the passing of Tony Benn, covered the protests in Venezuela, and released the first three paperback books in our series with Verso.
April
Spring at last! Micah Uetricht spoke to Kim Moody about the labor movement, A.W. Gaffney examined Obamacare, and Penny Lewis wrote on American war crimes in Vietnam.
May
We celebrated May Day by giving you a special symposium on Capital in the Twenty-First Century. Thomas Crowley continued a trilogy of articles on India by examining the country’s floundering left.
Europe voted, Cinzia Arruzza explained how they voted. Ted Fertik explored the history of the Working Families Party in the lead-up to their terrible decision to endorse Andrew Cuomo for governor again.
June
Remember that month everyone was watching the World Cup? We released our fourteenth issue, “A World to Win,” centered on the issue of socialist strategy, but with plenty of other highlights.
These blurbs are getting progressively shorter, but the essays covered are getting even better — promise.
July
As Palestine was terrorized by bombs and bullets, Greg Shupak exposed the cruel logic of Israeli violence.
Nivedita Majumdar explained “Why We’re Marxists,” and Robin Marie Averbeck said why liberalism isn’t an alternative for her.
August
As the world witnessed the tragic and unnecessary Ebola outbreak, Leigh Phillips broke down its political roots. A new tide of protests began after the police murder of Michael Brown.
Dan O’Sullivan looked at the wrestling industry’s exploitative history. Robert Brenner and Suzi Weissman mourned the decline of ILWU militancy.
September
Jacobin covered the Scottish independence referendum, which for a brief moment had Great Britain’s ruling class trembling.
Daniel Lazare used 10,000 words well to lacerate Timothy Snyder’s Bloodlands. Avi Asher-Shapiro didn’t need nearly as many to reveal Uber’s deleterious impact on workers.
Jonah Birch and Paul Heideman demolished the racist “culture of poverty” arguments that just won’t go away. Johanna Brenner wrote on the promise of socialist feminism.
October
We released our longest and best issue yet, “Paint the Town Red.”
November
We got Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to write for us. That was cool.
Rebecca Burns explored the way new forms of housing discrimination are hurting communities of color.
December
We remembered Leslie Feinberg’s life of struggle and capitalism’s role in the death of Eric Garner.
No war but class war in the North Pole. But let it commence on a scientific basis.
Can we criticize Foucault? Sí se puede. How about abolishing the Senate?
2015
In January, expect lots of coverage of the upcoming Greek elections, including discussions of what exactly a Syriza government could do once in power. Our next issue, themed around technology, will be released by March and well-worth the price of admission. The rest of the year should be even better.
Thanks again for your support, and happy New Year.