What Would a “Democratic” Russia Look Like?

From the first Tsars of the sixteenth century to the notoriously repressive Soviet regime to the contemporary mafia state of Vladimir Putin, Russia has long been a bastion of autocracy in Eastern Europe. Even the 1990s-era democratization attempt under Boris Yeltsin’s rule

The Uncertain Fate of Putinism

The opinions expressed in this article are solely the author’s and do not reflect the views of The Phoenix Editorial Board.  On January 17, 2021, Moscow authorities swiftly arrested Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny for “parole violation” upon his return to Russia,

/

Neither Fascism nor Liberalism. Socialism!

Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG. One week

Looking Past Obama: The Future of Liberalism

Many left-leaning observers commended Barack Obama’s State of the Union last week for its calls for a $9 minimum wage, universal preschool education, immigration reform, climate action, and election reform. Yet most also acknowledged that these goals have little chance of being

Curing “Obama Disappointment Syndrome”

Barack Obama delivered his second inaugural address on Monday. In clear and compelling terms, he celebrated the accomplishments that “we, the people” of the United States have achieved throughout our history in creating a more perfect union. He declared that “preserving our