New York Is Finally Taxing the Rich
After a serious extra-parliamentary campaign in which DSA and newly elected socialist legislators figured prominently, the New York State legislature just passed the most progressive budget in years.
105 Articles by: Liza Featherstone
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Liza Featherstone is a columnist for Jacobin, a freelance journalist, and the author of Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for Workers’ Rights at Wal-Mart.
Defend Kshama Sawant
A cabal of tech corporations, real estate interests, and business lobbyists are trying to strip Kshama Sawant, the pathbreaking socialist on the Seattle City Council, of the seat to which she was elected by the city’s voters. Sawant deserves your support.
To Save America, Help West Virginia
Wielding a pivotal Senate seat at a moment when the Biden administration is prepared to spend trillions on fixing the climate, West Virginia is now in a position to make huge demands of the Democratic Party. We can’t let a blend of woke neoliberalism and elite condescension get in the way.
Andrew Cuomo Is the Sexist Boss Too Many of Us Have Dealt With
With sexist dress codes and personal harassment from the New York governor himself, women in Andrew Cuomo’s office found themselves facing one of the most pervasive forms of exploitation in the lives of working-class women: the boss’s attempt to control their bodies.
We Can’t Bookend Vivian Gornick
Vivian Gornick’s brilliant half-century writing career can’t be captured in a single essay or volume. To engage with her writing is to be left wanting more of her writing.
The Senate Just Took a Baby Step Toward the Feminist Goal of a Universal Child Benefit
On International Women’s Day, the good news is that the new COVID-19 relief bill will include a kind-of, sort-of universal child benefit — a policy that feminists have long called for. But the overly complicated, burdensome way the policy is implemented means that on this issue, the Left still has its work cut out for it.
On a $15 Minimum Wage, Democrats Are Shooting Themselves in the Foot — Again
Pushing through a $15 minimum wage wouldn’t just be an economic gift to workers — it would be a political gift from the Democrats to themselves. Inaction, on the other hand, would hand a historic favor to the far right. Biden is committing a huge blunder by wavering.
In the “Renter From Hell” Narrative, Landlords Are the Real Victims
The COVID-19 era eviction moratorium has given rise to a new journalistic genre: the “renter from hell” narrative, portraying landlords as the real victims of the crisis.
The Danger Posed by the Far Right to AOC and the Squad Is Very Real
The far right is dangerously obsessed with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her fellow left-wing members of Congress. They deserve the Left’s solidarity.
If Joe Biden Moves Left, You Can Thank the Left
Joe Biden has issued a raft of executive orders that are surprisingly progressive. But we know who to thank: the organized left, which has helped transform US politics.
Workers Are Standing Up to Far-Right Violence
In industries across the economy — from airlines to tech — the past two weeks have seen workers and their unions take the lead in combating Donald Trump’s far-right base.
It’s a Little Late for Mike Pence to Pose as a Brave Dissenter to Donald Trump
Mike Pence built his political career on theocratic extremism, Dickensian economics, and sycophancy toward Donald Trump. It’s a little late for him to be posing now as a defender of democracy and a counter to Trump’s authoritarianism.
How Amy Coney Barrett and Barack Obama Transcended Petty Partisanship to Crush Community Activists in Chicago
Community activists battling plans for a hideous Chicago shrine to Barack Obama have been dealt a series of blows in recent months. Perhaps most notable was a rebuff from none other than Amy Coney Barrett, whose decision in favor of Obama bore all the hallmarks of ruling class solidarity.
Any Politician With “McKinsey” on Their Résumé Is Unfit for Public Office
Revelations about McKinsey’s grotesque actions to further the opioid epidemic should remind us how closely entwined the company is with the Democratic Party. We should work toward a day when McKinsey’s presence on your résumé is as disqualifying as a gun manufacturer or a tobacco company.
Why Is Joe Biden Considering an Anti–Green New Dealer for Energy Secretary?
With Donald Trump’s defeat, the planet dodged a giant meteor. Now, it needs protection from Joe Biden, whose energy secretary short list includes fracking fanboy and enemy of the Green New Deal, Ernest Moniz.
There Was Actually a Lot of Good News for the Left on Election Day
Don’t let the gloom of Tuesday’s national elections obscure the remarkable results in lower-level races across the country. Dozens of socialists were elected to legislatures, while minimum-wage hikes, rent controls, and taxes on the rich to fund schools all won voter backing, even in very red places.
New York’s Elected Socialists Are Building a Movement
In New York this campaign season, something extraordinary happened: a dedicated effort by AOC and the state’s newly elected DSA-aligned socialist legislators to transform their campaigns into non-electoral socialist organizing vehicles within their districts.
Maybe Masks Really Are a Socialist Plot
The fight over pandemic prevention isn’t just about surviving the coronavirus. It’s about our potential to build a more collective and compassionate society. Despite Donald Trump’s absurdities, most Americans are ready and willing to adopt solidaristic measures.
Surprise “Air Ambulance” Bills Are the Latest Nightmare in Private Health Insurance
On top of skyrocketing medical costs, many Americans face staggering surprise bills for “air ambulances.” What’s no surprise is that the private equity industry is deeply implicated in this nightmare — and spending heavily to make sure no one puts a stop to it.
Public Schools Are Starting to Charge “Fees” for “Childcare”
In an alarming trend, financially strapped school districts across the country are introducing “fees” for looking after students. We need to stop the COVID-19–era privatization of public schools.