Jacobin (magazine)

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Jacobin'' (magazine)}}{{media}}
'''''Jacobin''''' is an [[United States|American]] [[socialist]] magazine and de facto associated with the [[Democratic Socialists of America]].<ref>[https://weeklyworker.co.uk/worker/1195/walking-the-tightrope/ Walking the tightrope: Jim Creegan looks at the quandary posed by Jacobin magazine and the new DSA] by Jim Creegan (22.03.2018) ''Weekly Worker''.</ref> Alongside ''[[The Nation]]'', it is easily the furthest left publication in America that still has any relevant reach.

== Political stance ==
''Jacobin'' places itself in firmly in leftist politics and advocates democratic socialism.<ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2020/10/towards-democratic-socialism-poulantzas-state-power Towards A Democratic Socialism]</ref> And they are not kidding on the socialism part,<ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2021/03/eugene-debs-marxism-socialism-nationalism-democracy The Cold War Is Over. It’s Time to Appreciate That Eugene Debs Was a Marxist.]</ref><ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2017/06/eugene-debs-world-war-i-jail-canton The Canton Speech]</ref> sometimes flirting with revolutionary politics.<ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2021/03/rosa-luxemburg-tactics-of-revolution Rosa Luxemburg's "The Tactics of Revolution"]</ref><ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2020/10/karl-kautsky-ben-lewis-marx-lenin Karl Kausky Was Once A Revolutionary]</ref> As a socialist outlet ''Jacobin'' is willing to criticise liberalism<ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2020/10/the-trial-of-the-chicago-7-film-review-aaron-sorkin Aaron Sorkin Turned the Chicago 7’s Militancy and Defiance Into Bland Liberalism]</ref> for its double-standards<ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2020/11/emmanuel-macron-liberalism-without-civil-liberties Emmanuel Macron Is Creating a Liberalism Without Civil Liberties]</ref> on personal liberty versus the prioritization of property.<ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2020/12/liberalism-socialism-irving-howe What liberalism gets right- and wrong]</ref><ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2020/10/socialism-liberalism-marx Socialists Don’t Want to Destroy Liberalism. We Want to Go Beyond It.]</ref> Unlike [[Bernie Sanders]], ''Jacobin'' makes it clear that they are not referring to [[Nordic model|Nordic-style]] [[social democracy]], though they do acknowledge that it is a good model within the context of a capitalist economy.<ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2018/08/democratic-socialism-social-democracy-nordic-countries Democratic Socialism is not social democracy]</ref> Speaking of capitalism, they're pretty damn sure it'll end at some point, and it'll be replaced by either communism, socialism, or some flavor of right-wing [[dystopia]].<ref>[https://jacobin.com/2011/12/four-futures/ Four Futures]</ref>

''Jacobin'' claims to have very strong opinions on democracy,<ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2021/03/democracy-is-good-actually Democracy is good, actually!]</ref>  being very disdainful toward any attempts to manipulate or subvert democratic institutions, either directly or through loopholes.<ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2020/06/bolivia-coup-evo-morales-media-coverage "Defenders of democracy" aren't bothered by its end in Bolivia]</ref><ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2021/06/erdogan-sebahat-tuncel-peoples-democratic-party-hdp-political-repression-prisoners-kobane-kurds Erdoğan Will Never Defeat the Fight for Democracy in Turkey]</ref><ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2020/10/arundhati-roy-india-bjp-modi-delhi-protests-cremation Arundhati Roy: India’s Hindu Right Are Willing to Bury Democracy]</ref> However, some of its staff [[hypocrisy|praise and whitewash]] dictators and authoritarian figures like [[Vladimir Lenin]],<ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2014/07/the-lies-we-tell-about-lenin The lies we tell about Lenin]</ref><ref>[https://www.jacobinmag.com/2017/05/dilemmas-vladimir-lenin-tariq-ali-russian-revolution-democracy The Legacy of Vladimir Lenin]</ref> [[Fidel Castro]],<ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2020/08/happy-birthday-fidel-castro-south-africa-apartheid Happy Birthday, Fidel Castro. We’ll Forever Remember Your Solidarity With Our Struggle.]</ref><ref>[https://www.jacobinmag.com/2016/11/fidel-castro-obit-cuban-revolution-imperialism/ Fidel Castro (1926–2016)]</ref> and [[Hugo Chávez]].<ref>[https://www.jacobinmag.com/2013/03/venezuela-after-chavez/ Venezuela after Chávez]</ref><ref>[https://www.jacobinmag.com/2015/09/chavez-venezuela-bolivarian-revolution-bernie/ The Truth About Chávez]</ref>

''Jacobin'' has both praised and criticized the [[Brexit]]. An example is an article calling for [[Jeremy Corbyn]] to embrace Brexit,<ref>[https://www.jacobinmag.com/2018/04/brexit-labour-party-socialist-left-corbyn Why the Left Should Embrace Brexit]</ref> particularly a hard Brexit. Another article also advocated for the United Kingdom to withdraw from the [[European Union]] and opposed a second Brexit referendum.<ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2019/01/brexit-european-union-populism-democracy Leave the EU Already], originally published in January 2019</ref> The crux of the argument in the latter article is that the EU weakens democracy, and that calls for second referendums are nothing more than an attempt to subvert democracy. The article points out that [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] was the only country to put the Lisbon Treaty on a popular referendum, in which it was rejected (the other member-states had their legislatures rectify it). Later, Ireland had a second referendum in which it approved the treaty, and the second referendum had a higher voter turnout.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/oct/03/ireland-votes-yes-lisbon-treaty Ireland votes yes to Lisbon treaty]</ref>

== The good ==
*It is at least willing to critique the [[Democratic Party]] from the left, which is rare (and needed) in the US media.
* A deep analysis of the ruling class in the United States, including the often overlooked one-digit millionaires that control municipal politics by virtue of effectively owning the local economy.<ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2021/04/take-me-to-your-leader-the-rot-of-the-american-ruling-class Take Me To Your Leader: The Rot of the American Ruling Class]</ref>
* A deep analysis of the right-wing and reactionary politics behind the progressive facade of Silicon Valley, with a specific focus on Peter Thiel.<ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2021/10/peter-thiel-silicon-valley-tech-right-wing-libertarian-military/ Peter Thiel Embodies Silicon Valley's Conservative Past and Dystopian Future]</ref>

== The awful and cringe ==
* Betraying workers after purchasing the British magazine the Tribune,<ref>[https://paydayreport.com/jacobin-publisher-accused-of-reneging-on-wage-deal-in-takeover-of-british-magazine-the-tribune/ Jacobin Accused of Reneging on Wage Deal in British Takeover of Tribune Magazine]</ref> where founder Bhaskar Sunkara promised employment if they took a settlement of only 70% of the back wages they were owed; instead those workers found themselves unemployed
* Publishing another sympathetic piece,<ref>[http://archive.is/Aw2Wc archived]</ref> this time about militia man Ammon Bundy; the interview was retracted when it was exposed as a hoax<ref>[https://thinkprogress.org/how-a-racist-troll-pretended-to-be-ammon-bundy-on-twitter-and-punked-most-of-the-media-d2741bc103f/ How a racist troll pretended to be Ammon Bundy on Twitter and punked most of the media]</ref>
* Publishing articles by Angela Nagle,<ref>[https://www.jacobinmag.com/author/angela-nagle Angela Nagle tag]</ref> a plagiarist,<ref>[https://www.thedailybeast.com/kill-all-citations-sloppy-sourcing-plagues-kill-all-normies-book-on-sjws-and-the-alt-right Kill all citations: sloppy sourcing plagues "kill all normies" book on SJWs and the alt-right]</ref> who slammed the open borders manufactroversy in the Trump-friendly American Affairs<ref>[https://americanaffairsjournal.org/2018/11/the-left-case-against-open-borders/ The left's case against open borders]</ref> and went on Carlson's show to [[irony|attack the DSA]]<ref>[http://www.redwedgemagazine.com/online-issue/nagle-carlson-pence Theses on Nagle, or I See a Red Door and I Want to Paint it Brown]</ref>
* Publishing an article opposing the firing of [[Racism|racists]] and [[Nazi]]s (because how dare they face consequences!)<ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2020/10/fired-workers-racism-social-media Trying to get workers fired is the wrong way to fight racism]</ref>
* Interviewing Die Linke MP Sahra Wagenknecht,<ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2018/10/sahra-wagenknecht-aufstehen-die-linke-interview Interview with Sahra Wagenknecht of Die Linke]</ref> without making noise about her bigotry against immigrants and muslims<ref>[https://www.marx21.de/how-sahra-wagenknecht-can-do-a-better-job/ How Sahra Wagenknecht can do a better job]</ref>
* Doxxing a whistleblower during [[Trump]]'s first impeachment just as conservative "news" did<ref>[https://www.jacobinmag.com/2019/12/impeachment-donald-trump-nancy-pelosi-democratic-party What's the point of impeachment?]</ref>
* Making an eulogy for Eduard Limonov, the founder of the [[National Bolshevism|National Bolshevisk Party]],<ref>[https://www.jacobinmag.com/2020/03/eduard-limonov-obituary Obituary of Eduard Limonov]</ref> and glossing over the violence and bigotry of the NazBol gang<ref>[https://medium.com/@areidross/from-exile-to-dirtbag-edgelord-geopolitics-and-the-rise-of-national-bolshevism-in-the-u-s-84822021b0e8 From exile to dirtbag edgelord: Geopolitics and the rise of national bolshevism in the US]</ref>
* Had some bad takes on [[Ukraine]] in the leadup to their war with [[Russia]], blaming the conflict on [[NATO]] expansionism and even agreeing with [[Tucker Carlson]]'s apologia for Russia<ref>[https://jacobinmag.com/2022/02/neo-mccarthyism-russia-ukraine-bernie-sanders-putin-media The Media’s Neo-McCarthyism on Russia Is Getting Worse]</ref>

==References==
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[[Category:American media]]
[[Category:Media]]
[[Category:Socialism]]

Categories: American media, Media, Socialism