Up from Liberalism

Jacobin #20

by Jacobin

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics

120 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Jacobin is a leading voice of the American left, offering socialist perspectives on politics, economics, and culture. The print magazine is released quarterly and reaches over 10,000 subscribers, in addition to a web audience of 600,000 a month.

Reviews

[Timothy Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can no longer vote for these moderate, corporate welfare giving, market economy fixes all politicians in the Democratic party. This issue is total gloom. The highlights are that President Clinton gutted welfare and continued the disassociation from the base of working class voters, union members and minorities that Carter began. These Democrats have used these groups to get elected and then abandoned them over and over again without ever suffering any repercussions. The party requires a total revolution, maybe the one that Sanders is pushing for and Jeremy Corbyn is pushing for in GB. Their labour party has been gutting any working class philosophy for decades as well. Neither group wants to reform the system but wants to work within the current constraints of a market economy with very limited governmental restraint or regulation. "The Dem. party lacks not only the interest but also the institutional capacity to act as a class vehicle in American politics and that won't change."
The system of choosing presidential nominees is grossly undemocratic and guarantees that candidates as disgustingly moderate and purified like Hillary will win out over populist candidates who look to upend the future philosophy of the party.
Trade Unions have not been much better in terms of leading the cause towards progress. Once in power they become alienated from their members, more moderate, and are more worried about getting a deal done rather than getting contracts that actually solve the problems that their members need solving.

[Emma Caterine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the historical context was interesting but overall part of the unfortunate descent by parts of the US Left into increasingly hapless and opportunistic Bernie-mania.