Escalation in the Donbas Risks a Disastrous War
Russian president Vladimir Putin has sent tanks into the Donbas on dubious pretexts. But a far bigger danger awaits if the West seeks an escalation that will only pour fuel on the fire.
232 Articles by: David Broder
David Broder is Jacobin’s Europe editor and a historian of French and Italian communism.
The Internet Platforms We All Use Should Be Publicly Owned and Democratically Controlled
Web3 shows how our online lives are increasingly being monetized. It’s time to take democratic control of the internet — turning the platforms we all use into free public services.
When France Executed Its Own Soldiers
In the beginning of World War I, hundreds of French soldiers were executed by the French army “to set an example” and keep other soldiers in line. Only now, more than a century later, has France’s National Assembly voted for their rehabilitation.
Biden’s Escalation With Russia Over Ukraine Is a Terrible Idea
Western governments are being called on to send more weapons to Ukraine — an arms buildup that will only escalate a potentially disastrous conflict. What we really need is a comprehensive peace settlement for the region.
A Party Fighting for Socialism Has to Put Workers Front and Center
Set to win 18 seats in parliament, the Workers’ Party of Belgium is the fastest-growing force on the European left. Newly elected leader Raoul Hedebouw tells Jacobin how his comrades built an explicitly Marxist party with mass appeal.
The Red-Green Alliance Won Copenhagen’s Election by Fighting for Affordable Housing
The left-wing Red-Green Alliance won November’s elections in Copenhagen with a tightly focused campaign on making housing affordable again, handing the city’s Social Democrats their first defeat in over a century.
Fighting French Fascism Means More Than “Anyone but Éric Zemmour”
Fascist TV pundit Éric Zemmour has announced his bid for the French presidency. His advance is part of a rising tide of Islamophobia and authoritarianism pushing France toward the far right.
Blind Faith in the Army Isn’t “Supporting Veterans”
British politicians increasingly seek to silence criticism of wars abroad by emphasizing the need to “respect our boys.” But, veteran Joe Glenton tells Jacobin, many recruits who’ve seen the British army from the inside aren’t happy about being used to launder its image.
The World’s Best Mayor Is a French Communist
Philippe Rio from Grigny, south of Paris, has been voted the world’s best mayor. He told Jacobin about the local social programs that have made his Communist administration a global success story.
Íñigo Errejón: Podemos Missed Its Chance to Transform Spanish Politics
A decade since the 15-M protests rocked Spain, the country has its first left-wing coalition government since the 1930s. But as Íñigo Errejón tells Jacobin, today it’s the nationalist right, not the heirs to 15-M, who are dominating the political agenda.
France’s Fascist Pundit Éric Zemmour Is Winning Already
French media is saturated with the fascist pundit Éric Zemmour and his absurd, racist talk of a “great replacement” of France’s white population by immigrants. Now, he’s weighing a bid for the presidency — and his talking points are already dominating the debate.
The Thomas Sankara I Knew
Burkina Faso revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara was murdered on this day in 1987. Joséphine Ouédraogo recounts her time as a minister in his government — and their final meeting before he was ousted in a bloody coup d’état.
When Italy’s Communists Made Comics for Children
For decades, Italy had the West’s largest Communist Party. A key part of the party’s communications to the masses of Italians were its comics, dedicated to resisting the right-wing influence of priests and fascists.
Pablo Iglesias: The Left Needs to Break the Reactionary Stranglehold Over the Spanish State
In Spain, a center-left coalition government faces opposition not just from right-wingers and business leaders but from parts of the judiciary and police. For Pablo Iglesias, it’s time the Left pushed back against right-wing dominance in the state machine.
The EU Stands for Capital, Not Internationalism
The auto parts firm GKN is laying off thousands of workers across Europe, sparking a series of strikes and protests. And rather than helping workers, the European Union is helping the company offshore their jobs.
The Climate Movement Can Win Over Workers
Working people can be won to support radical action on climate change — so long as decarbonization is tied to a vision of shared prosperity for all.
Pablo Iglesias: The Left Must Stop Francoites From Returning to Power
In his first article since withdrawing from frontline politics, Podemos founder Pablo Iglesias argues that Spain’s resurgent nationalist right is a threat to basic democratic freedoms.
The Many Farewells to the Working Class
For decades, the parties of labor have been slowly replaced by the parties of the educated. A Left that doesn’t acknowledge this as a problem has already been defeated.
How Cuba’s Communists Survived the Fall of the Soviet Union
The fall of the USSR in 1991 left Cuba mired in economic crisis and increasingly vulnerable to hostility from Washington. For the revolution to survive, it had to draw on its own domestic legitimacy — including its independence from the Soviet model.
Julius Deutsch, an Anti-Fascist Who Organized Workers on the Sports Field
Austrian socialist Julius Deutsch was a key figure in Red Vienna’s workers’ sports clubs. Founder of the Schutzbund workers’ militia, Deutsch and his comrades used the class pride built on the sports field to mobilize against rising fascism.