John le Carré’s Novels Weren’t Just Spy Thrillers — They Were High Literature
One year ago today, novelist John le Carré died at age eighty-nine. His talent for turning spy novels into great literature was unmatched.
18 Articles by: Todd Chretien
Todd Chretien is an organizer, author, translator, and high school Spanish teacher. He has contributed to several books, including Socialist Strategy and Electoral Politics, and is editor of Eyewitnesses to the Russian Revolution.
“Our Task Is to Defeat Bolsonarism and Put an End to His Authoritarian Project”
Housing organizer and socialist Guilherme Boulos recently shocked Brazil by forcing a runoff for mayor in the largest city in the Western Hemisphere, São Paolo. In an interview, he lays out his vision for the position, how to embed the Brazilian left in the country’s working class, and how to “place the periphery in the center.”
Brazil’s Recent Election Was a Blow to Jair Bolsonaro
The political situation in Brazil remains quite reactionary, even after Jair Bolsonaro’s party lost ground in Sunday’s election. But the far-right president’s violent agenda took a hit — and that’s worth celebrating.
Portland, Maine Voters Delivered a Series of Huge Working-Class Victories on Election Day
Democrats performed poorly on Election Day, but many working-class ballot measures won across the country — like in Portland, Maine, where a coalition of the Democratic Socialists of America, racial justice activists, labor, and others won victories on a $15 minimum wage, local Green New Deal measures, banning police use of facial recognition software, and rent control.
The Rich in Portland, Maine, Are Spending Big Money to Defeat Left Politics
Through running a slate of left-wing candidates and ballot referenda on issues like a $15 minimum wage and rent control, leftists in Portland, Maine, are fighting for the right of working-class people to live in the city. Portland’s wealthiest residents are shelling out huge amounts to try to stop them.
Over 4,000 Shipbuilding Workers Are on Strike in Maine
The Bath Iron Works strike of over 4,300 shipbuilding workers in Bath, Maine — by far the largest strike in the United States right now — is approaching its third week. Management has cut off health insurance, laid off over 200 members of a sister union local, ramped up subcontracting, and called in strikebreakers.
Who’s Afraid of Karl Marx?
Brazil’s far-right president Jair Bolsonaro stokes his base’s fears by warning of the “communist threat” posed by “cultural Marxism.” But if you don’t make a living off exploiting workers, there’s no reason to be afraid of Karl Marx and his friends.
Spain’s “Progressive Government” Is Already Under Siege
The PSOE-Podemos coalition promises to roll back recent attacks on labor rights and provide a negotiated solution to the Catalan crisis. But the new government’s moderate tone hasn’t placated the business and institutional establishment — and they’re already working to thwart its plans.
We Must Call a Coup a Coup
In November, the Bolivian military forced Evo Morales to step down: the classic definition of a coup. Despite the evidence, some commentators — even on the Left — have failed to identify it for what it was: an elite plot to oust a progressive president whose program of reforms had transformed the lives of many of the country’s most excluded people.
The Military Coup that Overthrew Our Government Was Revenge Against Indigenous Bolivians
One week after being ousted by the military, Bolivian vice president Álvaro García Linera writes that the force behind the coup against Evo Morales was elite revenge — stealing power back from the poor and indigenous Bolivians who benefited most from his presidency.
President Correa to Jacobin: “Clearly What Happened in Bolivia Was a Coup”
In an exclusive interview, Ecuador’s former president Rafael Correa spoke to Jacobin about the coup against his ally Evo Morales in Bolivia and the mass resistance to his rightward moving successor Lenín Moreno in Ecuador.
Revolutionary Socialists in the Democratic-Socialist Moment
Right now, democratic socialism is on the rise in American society. Revolutionary socialists who have kept the torch of socialism burning during the lean years will now have to merge with democratic-socialist demands of the current moment.
Solidarity With Glenn Greenwald
Last week, the Intercept exposed Lula’s persecution for the farce that it was. Now journalist Glenn Greenwald, his family, and the Intercept are under attack by Bolsonaro and his followers. They deserve our solidarity.
The European Left Needs a Vision of the Future
The European Union remains steeped in crisis, and yet the challenge from the radical left looks weaker than ever. Popular discontent doesn’t automatically lead to positive change: it has to be galvanized around a realistic alternative.
The King Stands Naked
The gilets jaunes movement has discredited not just Macron, but the entire French elite.
Before February
The February Revolution erupted 100 years ago today and swept away a blood-soaked monarchy.
The Left Alternative to Peronism
Argentines go to the polls Sunday. What’s the state of the country’s left, electorally and in the streets?
Juan Perón’s Many Heirs
Ahead of Sunday’s elections, the Argentine left is operating in a political landscape still dominated by Peronism.