
Nathaniel Flakin
Nathaniel is a freelance journalist and historian from Berlin. He is on the editorial board of Left Voice and our German sister site Klasse Gegen Klasse. Nathaniel, also known by the nickname Wladek, has written a biography of Martin Monath, a Trotskyist resistance fighter in France during World War II, which has appeared in German, in English, and in French. He is on the autism spectrum.
On the Anniversary of the Nakba, Berlin Police Ban All Pro-Palestinian Demonstrations
This is an unprecedented attack on the freedom of assembly, and it is being carried out by a "left-wing" government. Several hundred people defied the ban — and 59 were detained by police.
Nathaniel Flakin
May 16, 2022Forty Years since Thatcher’s War Against Argentina — Lessons for Today
On April 5, 1982, the British government of Margaret Thatcher sent an armada into the South Atlantic. The war against Argentina ended with a defeat for the world working class. The results highlight why, for Marxists, anti-imperialism remains central to liberation.
Nathaniel Flakin
April 5, 2022Socialists Should Not Support Imperialist Weapons Shipments to the Ukrainian Government
As war rages in Ukraine, NATO countries are sending billions of dollars’ worth of weapons to the Zelenskyy government. These weapons shipments are incredibly popular in Western countries — even among a sector of the Left.
Nathaniel Flakin
April 2, 2022Seize the Assets of Russian Oligarchs — And of U.S. Oligarchs Too
Russian billionaires own big swathes of New York City and London. Politicians are saying these mansions and penthouses should be seized. A great idea — but why only apply it to Russian billionaires?
Nathaniel Flakin
March 21, 2022Russia Is Not Fighting an ‘Anti-fascist’ War — And Neither Is Ukraine
Putin says he wants to “de-Nazify” Ukraine. Zelenskyy says he is opposing a new Hitler. In reality, though, both sides are happy to work together with fascists to achieve their nationalistic goals.
Nathaniel Flakin
March 9, 2022International Women’s Day Is a Strike Day
On March 8, lots of workers went on strike in Germany. This is what International Women's Day has always been about.
Nathaniel Flakin
March 9, 2022Amazon Workers in Germany Go on Strike on International Women’s Day
On March 7 and March 8, workers at six Amazon warehouses across Germany went on strike.
Nathaniel Flakin
March 8, 2022As Half a Million Berliners Protest War, Germany Expands Its Military
On Sunday, up to 500,000 people joined a demonstration in Berlin against the war in Ukraine. But it was not exactly an anti-war protest — the organizers, following the German government, were campaigning for increased militarism.
Nathaniel Flakin
February 28, 2022Putin, Lenin, and Ukrainian Self-Determination
Vladimir Putin says Ukraine was created by Lenin — “it can rightfully be called Vladimir Lenin’s Ukraine.” A look at Lenin’s policy on self-determination shows how the current conflict could be resolved.
Nathaniel Flakin
February 23, 2022This 50-Year-Old Film from East Germany Shows the Last Days of Karl Liebknecht
Karl Liebknecht was murdered 103 years ago. The East German biopic "In Spite of Everything" premiered 50 years ago today and shows his final days.
Nathaniel Flakin
January 14, 2022Fire in the Bronx: Capitalist Mass Murder
A fire in New York City on Sunday killed at least 17 people. Eric Adams called it a "tragedy." We call it premeditated murder by real estate speculators.
Nathaniel Flakin
January 10, 2022The New Matrix Film Could Have Been a Brilliant Satire — Instead We Get Corporate Slop
Matrix: Resurrections is a profoundly unnecessary film that exemplifies the blandness of Hollywood in the age of capitalism’s decline.
Nathaniel Flakin
December 31, 2021Worst Person of the Year: Elon Musk Embodies Capitalism in Decline
Elon Musk is not some environmental inventor. He's an exploiter and an old-fashioned speculator.
Nathaniel Flakin
December 23, 2021As Millions in Chile Hope for Change, Boric Promises Moderation
Hundreds of thousands of people went into the streets of Santiago to cheer the election of Gabriel Boric. Many are hoping for an end of neoliberalism. But Boric and his party were instrumental in pacifying the popular rebellion that began in October 2019.
Nathaniel Flakin
December 22, 2021Why Is Jacobin Ignoring Socialists in Argentina?
Revolutionary Socialists in Argentina got 1.3 million votes and elected four representatives to congress. The most popular leftist publication in the United States is ignoring them. This can’t be an oversight.
Nathaniel Flakin
December 15, 2021The Far Right and the Reformist Left Will Face Off in Chile’s Presidential Elections
In the first round of presidential elections in Chile, the far-right politician José Antonio Kast won 28 percent. The 35-year-old former student leader Gabriel Boric reached 25 percent. The two main traditional parties did not reach a runoff. Trotskyists got 50,000 votes.
Nathaniel Flakin
November 22, 2021Meet Alejandro Vilca, the First Indigenous Worker Elected to Argentina’s Congress
The Indigenous sanitation worker Alejandro Vilca is set to enter Congress for the Workers Left Front — Unity (FIT-U). A militant campaign by thousands of workers, young people, and Indigenous communities made history.
Nathaniel Flakin
November 16, 2021A Historic Result for the Left Front in Argentina: Almost 1.3 Million Votes and Four Seats in Congress
At the midterm elections on Sunday, the center-left government of Alberto Fernández suffered a defeat. The Left Front, a coalition of working-class socialist groups, had its best result ever, with 1,270,540 votes across the country. This is an inspiration for socialists around the world.
Nathaniel Flakin
November 15, 2021Why the Elections This Sunday in Argentina Are Important for Socialists Everywhere
The Workers Left Front — Unity stands to win more than a million votes in Sunday’s election in Argentina. The socialist Left can become an independent force in other countries as well.
Nathaniel Flakin
November 12, 2021Will Berlin’s New Government Sabotage the Housing Referendum?
Last month Berliners voted overwhelmingly to expropriate big landlords in their city. Now the incoming government is trying to squash that decision by subjecting it to months of "expert analysis."
Nathaniel Flakin
October 29, 2021Fed Up with AOC? Meet Myriam Bregman
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is known around the world as a socialist in the U.S. Congress. Yet she has disappointed supporters on the Left by voting to fund ICE and the Israeli war machine. Are all elected officials going to betray us? We compare AOC's record to that of Myriam Bregman, the socialist congressmember from Argentina.
Nathaniel Flakin
October 27, 2021Chile’s Version of Donald Trump Pulls Ahead in the Polls
José Antonio Kast is taking a page from the Republican playbook, with rants against "illegal immigrants" and appeals to "traditional values." The far-right politician is approaching the head of the pack in Chile’s elections next month.
Nathaniel Flakin
October 26, 2021Revolutionary Socialists in Argentina Are the Only Ones Campaigning in Defense of Abortion Rights
With less than a month until the midterm elections in Argentina, the center-left government is pivoting to the right. An anti-abortion politician was just named head of the cabinet. The only political force that defends the right to abortion is the Workers Left Front – Unity (FIT–U).
Nathaniel Flakin
October 24, 2021“Dune” Is Anticolonialism as Imagined by Megacorporations
The new film based on Frank Herbert's epic is full of anti-imperialist imagery, but it amounts to nothing more than a Hollywood version of colonial resistance struggle.
Nathaniel Flakin
October 21, 2021Austria’s Far-Right Chancellor Resigns Amid Corruption Scandal
He looks like an Austrian version of Patrick Bateman — straight out of a crossover between The Sound of Music and American Psycho. Sebastian Kurz, with his eerily perfect demeanor and luxurious hair, was a star at international events. But on Sunday, Kurz had to resign as Federal Chancellor of Austria.
Nathaniel Flakin
October 14, 2021Die Linke in Germany Shows That “Government Socialism” Is a Dead End
In the German elections on September 26, the Left Party lost almost half its voters and came close to being thrown out of parliament. The party’s different wings are blaming each other. What can the international Left learn from this?
Nathaniel Flakin
October 12, 2021Olaf Scholz: The Sinister Past of Germany’s Future Chancellor
Olaf Scholz has a good chance of becoming Germany's next chancellor. Why has the media largely ignored his problematic record?
Nathaniel Flakin
October 10, 2021Pandora Papers Show Why “Tax the Rich” Isn’t Enough
Some 2.94 terabytes of data have been leaked through the “Pandora Papers.” Yet again, we see how the rich hide trillions of dollars around the globe. Inequality will not be solved just by raising their taxes.
Nathaniel Flakin
October 5, 2021In Berlin, 56% Voted to Expropriate Big Landlords
On Sunday, 56% of Berliners voted in favor of expropriating housing companies that own more than 3,000 units in the city. But a militant campaign will be needed to implement the voters’ will.
Nathaniel Flakin
September 27, 2021A “Lefty” Guide to the German Elections
Tomorrow is Election Day in Germany. Here are some thoughts on how a leftist should approach the vote.
Nathaniel Flakin
September 25, 2021