When I attended the joint conference hosted by the Oberlin Politics department and the Oberlin Democratic Socialists of America, I had the privilege of interviewing Bhaskar Sunkara, the founding editor of Jacobin magazine and current president of The Nation magazine. I hesitated in publishing the interview, in part because we were all awaiting the outcome of the New York City mayoral election and the possibility of a democratic socialist being elected to one of the most consequential political offices in our nation. Two weeks after his election, I am now writing with confidence that a set of currents are beginning to coalesce into an unstoppable tidal wave of monumental historical importance. It is no longer the entire story that people are simply disenchanted with our current political and economic system. More people are starting to actively embrace a new form of politics after decades of it being cast aside as a pipe dream. Sunkara’s career offers a prime example of the work that is galvanizing this shift and what is required of those of us who want to sustain this transformation as one that will encapsulate the entire nation.
Having founded the largest contemporary American publication to explicitly label itself as socialist — generating a monthly online readership of over 3 million people globally — Sunkara is arguably one of the most important progressive political actors of the 21st century. He has made a career out of fostering a discursive space meant to demystify some of the core tenants of socialism and how those tenants can take shape through economic reform today.
“Our ideas are considered radical today because there’s something radically wrong with the United States,” Sunkara said. “I don’t think we should be afraid of the socialist label anymore. Conservative actors are going to call us socialists anyway. It’s not even that most people are opposed to it the way they were during the Cold War … In the end, what’s so radical to ordinary people about having good and stable jobs, being able to afford a house in a safe neighborhood, having kids, and letting them go to well-funded schools? These are basic things that over 60 percent of people want.”
The success that Jacobin has accrued within a decade and a half is indicative of the impact this type of work is already beginning to have in the U.S. Coupled with Mamdani’s election in New York City, it is becoming increasingly clear that the idea of an anti-capitalist alternative is not simply becoming less taboo than it was at the height of the Cold War; it is being actively embraced by millions of people nationwide. Sunkara’s work demonstrates that when postulating these alternatives, we should not be bound to the realm of electoral politics and the economy.
As Sunkara says, Jacobin publishes long-form academic pieces, “punchy articles talking about … great popular concern[s] and pop culture issues that are much lighter.”
The articles lining the magazine’s online front page confirms that description — from commentary about moderate Democratic party leaders lacking the ability to protect ordinary people from the Trump administration’s neoliberal crackdown, to articles excavating the histories of how cultural icons like Tupac Shakur emulated the inherently politically radical roots of hip-hop. That these conversations are being hosted on Jacobin demonstrates Sunkara’s understanding that socialism is a socioeconomic orientation that should be accompanying a broader shift in how people are living their lives. This multifaceted discourse serves as the ideological foundation that is enabling the next generation of politically-conscious citizens to advocate, fight for, and enact radical change in America — the likes of which we have not seen since the mid-20th century.
This work is already delivering material results — most recently with Zohran Mamdani, a Muslim American and self-identified Democratic Socialist, becoming the mayor of one of America’s most important cities. This is not anomalous. It should not simply be chalked up to the fact of New York City’s political landscape as a democratic stronghold. Bhaskar holds that it is plausible to duplicate what happened in New York in places like Ohio — though with an important caveat.
“I think we need to be flexible on the question of the Democratic party,” Sunkara said. When running on an economically progressive platform in a place like New York City, “it’s far better to be a Democrat than an Independent. [In other states,] it’s the exact opposite. Saying you’re a Democrat closes the door in a lot of the country, increasingly so in Ohio where even in traditional strongholds like Cleveland and other places, the old Democratic base … are just kind of giving up on the party even when really good candidates like Sherrod Brown are running.”
Many of us are wearing rose-colored glasses after Mamdani’s win, but the road ahead remains treacherous. To prepare for the future, all of us who want to build a more equitable world have to do the same work as Sunkara. When we are trying to build a coalition of people who have been hurt by capitalist exploitation, it’s imperative for us to embrace the complexities and contradictions tied to the process.
“We need to think about our ideal audience as being a working-class person who cares about the issues that impact their lives and has a broadly decent moral view,” Sunkara said. “Socialist politics are abstract until we make them concrete through connecting them with day-to-day demands. I think this is something that Zohran Mamdani has done fantastically. Zohran comes from the same background as many of us. He’s figured out a way to translate the same values and [integrate] a far-left group into mass politics. I think, in our own little ways, we all have to replicate that — making our politics accessible and believing in people’s capacity to actually deal with complexity and nuance.”
Jacobin does not do this work alone. Within our own communities, people further demystify socialism to their peers through everyday interactions. This work is not always entertaining. It is sometimes mundane and oftentimes will lead you to ask questions you would have never thought you needed to ask about some of the people closest to you. But for those who are committed to fighting to build a better home for their loved ones and future generations, this work is necessary to sustain this momentum of democratic socialism.
