When Politics Forgets the Face:
What happens when political conviction replaces human connection.
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This essay continues the themes of In Defense of Leftist Self-Critique and examines how politics loses meaning when relation is replaced by abstraction. Drawing on Levinas, Butler, and Fanon, it argues that ethics begins in genuine encounter and that justice must grow from listening, not from speaking for others. When movements value certainty over relation, empathy gives way to representation and hierarchy. True solidarity requires humility, presence, and the willingness to be changed by those we claim to stand with.
In Defense of Leftist Self-Critique
Substack
Every movement begins with conviction, but without reflection, conviction can harden into dogma. This essay explores how loyalty, moral certainty, and algorithmic culture turn political spaces into echo chambers that mirror the power structures they oppose. Drawing on Foucault, Orwell, Luxemburg, and Said, it argues that self-critique is not betrayal but solidarity, a rebellion against dogma, conformity, and the comfort of false clarity. True strength lies in the courage to question our own side and remain honest when it matters most.
Rethinking the Syrian Revolution
How the Left Misread Syria
Spectre Journal
This article challenges how much of the Western left understood Syria, showing how frameworks rooted in the Propaganda Model, Cold War anti-hegemony, and postcolonial theory distorted the reality of a grassroots revolution against Assad’s dictatorship. Drawing on thinkers such as Frantz Fanon, Antonio Gramsci, Noam Chomsky and Sahar Amarir, it critiques a narrow anti-imperialism that reduced solidarity to opposing the United States while minimizing Syrian agency. The piece highlights the work of activists like Suheir al-Atassi, Mazen Darwish, and Omar Aziz, as well as refugee-led projects such as the Syrian Canteen in France and The People’s Want, as examples of democratic alternatives born from the revolution. It calls for a rethinking of left strategy toward a principled solidarity that confronts both internal repression and external domination.
ICE Was Built for This
How Trump Turned Immigration Enforcement into Political Repression
New Politics
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The article explains how ICE was designed to serve as a tool of political control, not just immigration enforcement. It shows how the agency expanded under both Republican and Democratic administrations, but especially under Trump, who used it to target immigrants aggressively. ICE operates with little oversight, often avoiding legal limits and denying access to detention centers. The piece argues that ICE’s structure allows it to act on behalf of executive power, making it well-suited for repression during political crises. It calls for dismantling ICE rather than reforming it.
MAGA’s "Color Revolution"
No Kings Day and the L.A. Protests as "Insurrection"
Substack
The article explains how the American right has repurposed the term "color revolution" to discredit protests and justify authoritarian responses. Originally tied to democratic uprisings in former Soviet states, the term was reframed by regimes like Russia to suggest foreign interference. Figures like Flynn, Bannon, and Manafort brought this idea into U.S. politics, claiming domestic protests are part of a deep state plot. The narrative has spread across the political spectrum, including parts of the left, and now serves to paint dissent as subversion and support expanded state power.
My article on Donald Trump’s imperialism, translated into Polish and featured by 161 Crew.
161 Crew
This article highlights how Ukrainian anarchists are resisting both Russian invasion and state militarism by organizing grassroots mutual aid. It challenges Western left narratives that erase their agency in the name of geopolitical alignment.
Ukrainian Anarchists: Fighting Imperialism and Building Mutual Aid
Tempest
This article highlights how Ukrainian anarchists are resisting both Russian invasion and state militarism by organizing grassroots mutual aid. It challenges Western left narratives that erase their agency in the name of geopolitical alignment.
The New Year's Twilight Zone Marathon: Populism, Conspiracy and Fear on Maple Street
Substack
This essay reflects on the enduring tradition of the New Year's Twilight Zone marathon, exploring how the show's themes of fear, conformity, and moral ambiguity remain relevant. It examines the cultural significance of revisiting these episodes annually and what they reveal about contemporary society.
A Personal Reflection on Syncretic Politics and the 1990’s
Substack
In this reflective piece, Robert Francis shares his decision to step away from formal research to pursue more direct forms of political engagement. He discusses the challenges of balancing academic work with activism and outlines his vision for future endeavors.
