Author: Dan La Botz

DAN LA BOTZ is a Brooklyn-based teacher, writer and activist. He is a co-editor of New Politics.

Cornel West for President?  Part 5 – Clifton DeBerry, The First Black Candidate for President 1964.

The first Black candidate for president was Clifton DeBerry, the nominee of the Socialist Workers Party in 1964, running against right-wing Republican Barry Goldwater and liberal Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson. Harassed by the FBI, DeBerry would have a tough row to hoe.

Cornel West for President? Part 4 – Angela Davis for Vice-President 1984 and 1988

Davis’ loyalty to the  CP led her in 1980 and 1984 to accept the party’s assignment that she be the running mate of diehard Stalinist party leader Gus Hall.

Transatlantic

Dramatic, Beautiful, and (Perhaps a Little too Much) Fun

Review of a Netflix series on the efforts to get refugees out of Marseilles in 1940-41

Cornel West for President? Part 3 – Shirley Chisholm 1972 Campaign

The most important Black candidate of the radical 1960s and 70s, if we judge by votes and delegates, was Shirley Chisholm.

Cornel West for President? Part 2 – The Black Candidates of 1968

Here we turn to look at the experience of four Black presidential candidates in 1968.

Adolfo Gilly, Great Latin American Left Intellectual, Dead at 94

Adolfo Gilly, one of the great Latin American left intellectuals of his time, has died at the age of 94.

Boy Murdered by French Police, Protests Follow, Macron Calls them “Inexplicable,” After all, Race Doesn’t Exist in France

I say he was a French boy, because in official circles in France and in society at large race does not exist and so therefore neither does racism.

Hugo Blanco, Peruvian Revolutionary, Dead at 88. I Met Him Once. It Was a Magical Experience

Blanco, the Peruvian revolutionary is dead. I met him once back in 1996. It was an experience of magical realism.

Cornel West for President? What Does the Left Think? Part 1

West’s candidacy will take place in the left lane of American politics usually occupied by other groups such as the Green Party and the Democratic Socialists of America.

Book Review Essay: Mexico, Transnational and World Revolution

While I admire the political values of these two scholars, I don’t find either of these books satisfying because they like many other authors perpetuate the romantic view of Ricardo Flores Magón.

On the Anniversary of Russia’s War on Ukraine: Analyzing the Roots of Russian Imperialism

Ukraine has long been a victim of Russian imperialism, pre-capitalist, capitalist, Soviet, and then state-capitalist.

Nicaragua: Ortega Strips Nationality from 94 Opponents

Years ago, the famous Nicaraguan poet Giaconda Belli wrote,

¿Qué sos, Nicaragua

Para dolerme tanto?

What are you, Nicaragua

To hurt me so?

The lines seem particularly poignant and appropriate now.

Nicaragua: Ortega and Biden Make a Deal

The release of the prisoners now makes it possible for President Biden and Blinken to make a deal with Ortega that would improve his situation—removing the sanctions—while increasing U.S. influence in Nicaragua. Ortega accused the opponents he imprisoned of being traitors working for the United States, but it is he who wants a closer relationship with Washington.

The 2022 Midterms

We Are Not Back to Normal, We Are Facing Normalization

Dan La Botz analyzes the 2022 US Midterm elections and challenges facing the left.

Staughton Lynd and the Labor Movement

Introduction by Dan La Botz

Staughton Lynd looks at Stan Weir’s strategy for labor and Dan La Botz looks at Lynd.

DSA and Russia’s War on Ukraine: Toward a Mass Movement of Solidarity with Ukraine

A critique of the DSA International Committee’s stance on Ukraine

Letter from an American to Russian Soldiers as Christmas Approaches

Putin could end this war today if he wanted. So could you and your comrades in arms if you refuse to fight or simply begin to go home.

Czech Grandmothers with Ukraine

A Conversation with Czech Activist Anna Ŝabatová

A sketch of a long-time human rights activist

Mike Davis (1946-2022): Miscellaneous Encounters with “A Real Marxist”

Mike Davis, the revolutionary socialist social and culture critic, has died. 

Bartolomé de Las Casas: Defender of the Indians—and, By the Way, of Ukraine

Over 400 years ago, long before Woodrow Wilson or Vladimir Lenin, Bartolomé de Las Casas developed a theory of the right of nations to self-determination that can be applied to many other countries today, including Ukraine.

The United States and China in Latin America: Rival Imperialisms

The United States has long dominated Latin America, but today—in fact for the last twenty years—it is being challenged by China, which has invested billions and established political and some military relationships with many governments in the region.

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