Maoism and Its Complicated Legacy
Despite its massive length, Julia Lovell’s Maoism: A Global History doesn’t offer us a clear way to understand Maoism and its legacy.
Articles by: Alex de Jong
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Alex de Jong is editor of the socialist journal Grenzeloos and an activist in the Netherlands.
Inside the Khmer Rouge’s Killing Fields
Amid the devastation of war, Pol Pot's genocidal regime came to power and led to the death of over a million Cambodians. Its roots didn't lie in its "utopianism," but in imperialist war and authoritarianism.
The Decline of the Low Countries
The far right swept to record success in last week’s Dutch elections. Yet the vote also saw Geert Wilders’s PVV overshadowed by more traditionalist reactionary forces.
The Indonesian Counter-Revolution
The Indonesian genocide was one of the great crimes of the twentieth century. Its victims were leftists who struggled against colonialism and fought for Indonesian self-determination.
Muddying the Revolution
We should be honest about the Communist Party of the Philippines’ record, including its assassinations of left-wing activists.
Indonesia’s Red Slaughter
From 1965 to 1966, the Indonesian military and its allies massacred hundreds of thousands of Communists — often with the active aid of Western, democratic governments.
Bangladesh’s Incomplete Revolution
The Left in Bangladesh has struggled for generations against Islamism and authoritarianism.
Being Brave Because It Is Right
Seventy-five years ago today, Dutch socialist revolutionary Henk Sneevliet was killed by the Nazis.
The Right’s Model Nation
The Dutch left has been unable to counter the Islamophobic far right, and it will show in tomorrow's general elections.
The Rojava Project
A Road Unforeseen is an inspiring account of the autonomous Kurdish region in Syria, but it glosses over Rojava's contradictions.
Unfriendly Terrain
In the Netherlands, the Right is dominating debates on European integration and refugees.
The New-Old PKK
The PKK has continued to struggle for justice in Kurdistan. But its democratic transformation leaves much to be desired.
The War Is Over
In the Philippines, one of the world's longest running communist insurgencies is being worn down by the passage of history.
The Forgotten Massacres
Fifty years ago, hundreds of thousands of Indonesian communists were slaughtered — all with the support of the US.
From Sect to Mass Party
The Dutch Socialist Party went from fringe force to national contender. But lost its soul along the way.