Planet of Slums, Mike Davis, and Verso/Jacobin

[Heretek]

Planet of Slums, title of a book on Verso books. Now it seems Jacobin is shit (idk, only recently heard of them), and Verso is tied to them in some way (even having a series titled 'Jacobin'), but this book, and some of the others by Mike Davis, seem like interesting reads. Additionally, they're on sale.

So has anyone read these, have an opinion on them, are they worth reading? Or of course we can use this to debate Jacobin and Verso and how 'good' they are. The opinion on Twitter from Anarchists to MLs seems to be Jacobin is shit, and this seems like a curious case of agreement. Then again I did see something about how intersectionality of feminism is bad for Marxism and socialism from them, so maybe they're just easy targets.

I know nothing about Mike Davis, and I only know Verso is a leftist publishing house with some connection to Jacobin.

[Jimmie Higgins]

I've read a few books by mike Davis and have found the useful and interesting for the most part. As a Californian I like his discussions of class and immigration in California history.

Twitter leftists are more shit than jacobin in my opinion. There's a lot to disagree with in jacobin (it was set up by left-Democratic socialists) but they don't just publish DSA perspectives and there's a lot to agree with in there as well.

In an atmosphere where there is a lot more openness to left-wing ideas but most of the new people being drawn in are very vaguely socialist or anarchist, this kind of publication does more of a service than some of the limitations of its politics harm. Whereas people talking shit on social media does not help the left and is out of touch with the possibilities and problems for the left at this time in my view.


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[The Idler]

Jacobin have at least one saving grace though, they aren't Trotskyists as far as I know and are closer to the real tradition of Marxian socialism.

[RedSonRising]

Jacobin definitely has a social-dem flavor at times, but it's a quality publication showcasing a variety of different viewpoints. The issue of Bernie Sanders and the usefulness of the Democratic Party, for example, was debated thoroughly within the publication itself.

Most often my impression after reading is that Jacobin wrote a poignant and accessible article on either modern capitalist developments or the unrecognized socialist roots of many modern cultural celebrations. Rather than, say, obsessing over Soviet Russia or revealing blatant sectarian prejudices. It's a vital voice among the left.

[ComradeAllende]

Jacobin's a pretty decent magazine, all things considered. I'd personally stay away from the daily articles and focus on the editorial issues, though, especially their early ones; a lot of the articles are written by (relatively) untested writers, whereas the magazine issues are mostly made by the core editorial staff and are pretty enjoyable.

Generally, I'd say that Jacobin is more inclined towards a reformist (as opposed to a soc-dem) perspective, but that's most likely out of pragmatism (given the strength of the Right and the weakness of the Left) than reluctance for revolutionary action.

[RioRevuelto]

As someone who only reads the articles posted online, I agree about Jacobin's "soft-left" and reformist approach to many issues, especially the disproportionate attention given to the Sanders campaign over the last year. It is also true that they really make a point of escaping centre-left, identity based and non-revolutionary politics, adding some interesting contributions on materialist theory in a language that is easy to understand and grasp for those who are just hearing about Socialism and Marxism for the first time in their lives (I'm thinking about their recent ABC of Socialism). So it's pedagogical in way... which means I'd expect their readers to emigrate to more serious platforms and reviews as they educate themselves politically.
On the other hand, I also feel that the English speaking word lacks those more serious theoretical outlets (as opposed to French language platforms, for example). From the academy, there's a lot written in English on Marxist and Marxian theory -but hardly accessible outside of universities. Jacobin, in a way, fills that gap.

Mike Davis is a very versatile writer who has contributed to several areas of theoretical and empirical knowledge with a coherent leftist focus. Probably impossible to label him as a traditional Marxist, but most of his categories for our contemporary world develop well within the framework of historical materialism. I definitely recommend reading his books and articles.

[cruxcommunista]

Jacobin is trash, through and through. It's a cheap way for petit-bourg kids masquerading as revolutionaries to propagate their ill-researched and pseudo-Marxist takes. It is a completely Liberal magazine. Look at this mess they just published on Syria, comparing it to ISRAEL and playing the 'there's no "democracy", save these people from dictatorship card' (soft-imperialism alert!) in Bashir Al-Maneh's article "Why Being Against Assad Matters Too."


Progressives stand in solidarity with the Palestinians, call for an end to Israel’s bombings, and demand that Israel be prosecuted for crimes against humanity. They also push their own imperial state to stop all military aid for Israel, stop feeding Israel’s colonial appetite, and stop shielding it from international justice.
Why is the Syrian case so different? The reality is that the Syrian catastrophe is even more acute. With half a million dead and millions displaced, the scale of the Syrian carnage is vast. Assad’s dictatorship would rather kill, besiege, and starve the population than allow them dignity and democracy. Either live in humiliation and servitude, leave, or die. No people should have to accept these miserable options.

They are out of their minds. They have no capability to critically analyze the conditions of the Global South, and the best modus operandi to achieve liberation therein. The whole gateway to leftism point of view is toxic, whether or not the goal is some sort of bridge pedagogy to incite further actual Marxist reading. Look at their readership! The are almost exclusively American Progressives. These individuals are already hostile to reading Lenin's work, for example, and wave around the occasional Luxemburg quote without actually taking the time to contextualize her words to understand her critiques -- to read even the introductory Reform or Revolution.

With all that being said, I do not mean shout in their faces. There are MANY alternatives to Jacobin's garbage. There is Counterpunch and Michael Parenti to read. I discussed this very matter with a friend / comrade, and they had a great suggestion on radicalization: the point is to offer these readings (or even just their basic messages) as alternative suggestions to the falseness I mentioned above, as to not 'scare' that type of individual away. Then, they are forced to defend their points and the all the holes in the Jacobin-style of thinking will expose themselves. That is when they will come to see things as they are, not through reading even more Jacobin and us crossing our fingers that they try something advanced. It is our responsibility to challenge them. Not aggressively per se, but with an air of persuasion and a keen ear.

That being said, I don't really have anything negative to say about Verso.