Martin Luther King’s observation in the late 1960s regarding the black rebellion in the United States remains sadly pertinent. Continue reading
Racism, Class Solidarity and Systemic Change
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Tag Archives: democratic left
Naomi Klein and the Politics of the Green New Deal
“Winning is a moral imperative. The stakes are too high, and time is too short, to settle for anything else.” Naomi Klein addressed these words to the British Labour Party, but they aptly express the urgency of the climate movement today. Continue reading
What Immigration Policy for the Left?
What should be the left’s policy on immigration? The sensitivity of the topic sometimes precludes an open discussion. Meanwhile, right-wing populists and nativists are building considerable constituencies in many countries by exploiting anti-immigrant sentiments. Even in progressive Sweden, the influx of migrants since 2015 has propelled the far-right Sweden Democrats to third place in party rankings. We avoid the topic at our, and democracy’s, peril. Continue reading
Nationalism versus Internationalism: What Path for the Left?
Internationalism has been the default position of the left. Suspicion of nationalism stems from its long association with a single ethnic or religious group, excluding the ‘other’ and defusing class solidarity. But is the default position valid any longer? Continue reading
Karl Polanyi and the Rejuvenation of Today’s Disoriented Left
Nearly everyone agrees that the left is a mess. The main clash in most Western countries today pits mainstream neoliberals against right-wing authoritarian populists, with the latter channeling the rage instigated by the policies of the former. The mainstream social-democratic parties in Europe are in electoral free-fall. The ‘Pink Tide’ in Latin America has rapidly receded (with a couple of exceptions). And far-right populism is becoming the movement of the traditional working class. A crisis may erupt at any time in the form of another financial meltdown, an ecological disaster, an authoritarian reaction or a foreign-policy miscalculation. Continue reading
Social Democracy is Dead. Long Live Social Democracy!
Everyone agrees that the left, especially social democracy, is a mess. But what should be done about it? Continue reading
Youth: Vanguard for the Next New Left?
With the decline of the traditional working class and its growing defection to right-wing populism, progressives have searched for an alternative social agent. Could it be youth? Continue reading
The Origins of Today’s Fascist Tendency
In responding to the threat of today’s fascist tendency, an effective strategy depends upon a robust diagnosis. It is clear that right-wing populists, the harbingers of this tendency, are channeling the resentment and rage of substantial segments of national populations. But where precisely does the anger come from? Continue reading
Learning from Bernie Sanders
A vision is a story about our common future that touches our hearts as well as our minds. To be effective, the story must, in simple words, portray a future that people would want to inhabit and identify some practicable steps for getting there. The left globally has not been effective lately in presenting such an attractive story-line. But there is an exception: Bernie Sanders, who emerged from obscurity as an independent Senator from Vermont to nearly capture the Democratic Party’s nomination for president. Continue reading
Revolt of the Working Class
The working class is in revolt against neoliberalism. But there is a problem. The revolt is led, not by the left, but by far-right populists. How did this happen? And how should the left respond? Continue reading