The Left Archives

Practical Politics: Meagan Day and Micah Uetricht’s Bigger Than Bernie

When we comment on a political movement, we should avoid depicting it either as destined for victory—a noble upswelling of the common people against the forces of evil—or as destined…

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10 min

Is Liberalism Genocidal, Racist and Elitist?: A Reply to Domenico Losurdo’s Counter-History

Liberalism can refer to many things: a philosophy, a disposition, an educational style—even a brand. But it is primarily thought of as a political doctrine originating in the seventeenth century,…

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8 min

Politics

What Kinds of Liberal Freedoms Should Democratic Socialists Support?

One of the biggest controversies on the contemporary left today concerns the relationship between leftism and liberalism. People often use the word liberalism to refer to a location on the…

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9 min

John Stuart Mill, Socialist?

In those days, I was a democrat, but not the least … a socialist… [later], our ideal of ultimate improvement went far beyond democracy, and … would class us decidedly…

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8 min

Politics

Why is Left-Wing Writing Often So Bad?

Many people accuse the major intellectuals on the political left of writing very poorly. Needlessly verbose, difficult and ugly left-wing writing is often seen as little more than a screen…

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8 min

Politics

Why Keir Starmer Matters

On the night of the last UK general election, I was sitting in a pub in North London, on the edge of Jeremy Corbyn’s constituency. It was a cold evening…

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5 min

Why the British Left Should Champion Free Speech

Frustratingly, standing up for free speech has come to be associated with the political right in recent years: the assumption being that the censorious practices of cancel culture and no-platforming…

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11 min

Politics

“United States of Socialism: Who’s Behind It, Why It’s Evil, How to Stop It” by Dinesh D’Souza

Everyone who uses his brain knows that Socialism, as a world system sincerely applied, is a way out. It would at least ensure us getting enough to eat even if…

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8 min

Politics

The Courage of Moderation in an Angry America

Shortly after Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19, Twitter issued a reminder: “tweets that wish or hope for death, serious bodily harm or fatal disease against anyone are not allowed and…

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5 min

Politics

Progressivism and Conservatism: Beyond the Labels

The words progressive and conservative have at least three distinct meanings: their generic definitions, the political ideologies to which the words correspond, and the lifestyles they imply. These are all…

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7 min

Politics

Why the Socialist Left Should Vote for Biden

Since Bernie Sanders’ defeat in the Democratic primaries, there has been a feisty debate here on the socialist left about what we should do next. Some of us tried very…

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7 min

Politics

Institutions vs. Individuals: How We Judge Our Political Opponents

Most policy approaches can be divided into two broad categories: those that address institutions and root causes, and those that focus on individuals and effects. For instance, in the context…

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9 min

The Viewpoint Hypothesis: Improving How We Define Left and Right

Image by Gerd Altmann It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so. For a long time, people assumed…

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5 min

Politics

Towards a Post-Progressive Political Perspective

Photo by Martin Sanchez Ever since I cast my first vote—in 1980, for Jimmy Carter—I’ve identified as a progressive. But, now that the progressive worldview has come of age, dominating academia…

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4 min

Politics

Corbyn, Labour and Anti-Semitism: Why It Still Matters

Image by Kevin Walsh, Preston Brook, England – Jeremy Corbyn Liverpool rally In an interview with Oz Katerji, which forms part of a podcast series on why Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour…

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8 min

Politics

The Ten Books Every Leftist Should Know: A Reply to Dennis Prager

In a 4 January column for the Daily Wire, Dennis Prager, talk show host and founder of the partisan YouTube channel Prager U, opines that it is often very difficult…

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The Left

Practical Politics: Meagan Day and Micah Uetricht’s Bigger Than Bernie

Is Liberalism Genocidal, Racist and Elitist?: A Reply to Domenico Losurdo’s Counter-History

What Kinds of Liberal Freedoms Should Democratic Socialists Support?

John Stuart Mill, Socialist?

Why is Left-Wing Writing Often So Bad?

Why Keir Starmer Matters

Why the British Left Should Champion Free Speech

“United States of Socialism: Who’s Behind It, Why It’s Evil, How to Stop It” by Dinesh D’Souza

The Courage of Moderation in an Angry America

Progressivism and Conservatism: Beyond the Labels

Why the Socialist Left Should Vote for Biden

Institutions vs. Individuals: How We Judge Our Political Opponents

The Viewpoint Hypothesis: Improving How We Define Left and Right

Towards a Post-Progressive Political Perspective

Corbyn, Labour and Anti-Semitism: Why It Still Matters

The Ten Books Every Leftist Should Know: A Reply to Dennis Prager

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