Liberalism in Theory and Practice
Contemporary liberals are temperamentally conservative — and what they want to conserve is a morally bankrupt political order.
441 Article(s) by: Luke Savage
Luke Savage is the author of The Dead Center: Reflections on Liberalism and Democracy After the End of History and a writer on Substack.
The Nihilism of Moderation
When the survival of the planet is at stake, calls for moderation and compromise aren’t a mark of adult politics — they’re a threat to civilization.
Harry Leslie Smith (1923–2018)
The life of Harry Leslie Smith, a working-class rebel to the end, was a towering monument to socialist compassion, internationalism, and peace.
Wisconsin, Conquered
Republicans could not have conquered the labor stronghold of Wisconsin without the complacency of the Democratic Party.
American Politics Could Use More Conflict
Decrying “tribalism” is a favorite pastime of American elites, but the real problem is the unity among them.
Labour’s Socialist Realism
A new book of essays edited by UK Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell makes the case for economic democracy and charts the increasingly transformative thinking of Corbyn's Labour Party.
Baby Steps Are Not Enough
Yesterday's midterms were a rebuke to Trump. But America’s decades-long shift to the right won't be undone with Democratic Party liberalism.
Bread and Roses for All
More and more people are calling themselves democratic socialists. That’s a very good thing if you care about the cause of human freedom.
Frumocracy
David Frum's new book promises a searing indictment of Donald Trump. What it delivers is an elite-friendly defense of the rotten system that produced him.
The Hollow Courage of Bill Maher
Throughout his career, Bill Maher has delighted in scolding the powerless.
Twilight of the Technocrats?
Technocratic liberalism prides itself on having no ideology to speak of — which is itself the most dogmatic ideology of them all.
Empire of Sleaze
Trump’s populist image was always a mirage. His administration will be a Trojan horse for lobbyists, Washington insiders, and Wall Street.
Why Bernie Was Right
Wikileaks’ latest document dump vindicates Bernie Sanders' critique of Hillary Clinton and the Washington establishment.
The Case for Party Democracy
Critics charge that party democracy is the road to ruin for Labour and others. Here's why they're wrong.
The Democratic Deficit
The problem of the day isn't too much democracy. It's the accumulation of power by elites.
Farewell to Ford Nation?
Rob Ford's toxic political career grew out of an urban class divide that won't perish with him.
Social Democracy Without the Struggle
Michael Moore’s new film idealizes progressive reforms abroad while ignoring the political struggles it took to win them.
Sanders Is Not Trump
Equating the Sanders and Trump campaigns is meant to obscure their real political differences and defend the neoliberal consensus.
Canada’s Hollow Victory
Despite the defeat of Harperism in yesterday's Canadian election, the Liberals' victory leaves little to celebrate.
New Atheism, Old Empire
The “New Atheists” have gained traction because they give intellectual cover to Western imperialism.