from the heart of empire...

...the WASHINGTON SOCIALIST is a quarterly publication produced by socialists, workers, leftists, progressives, anarchists and activists in the Metro DC region.

CURRENT ISSUE tOPIC hUB lEARN MORE DC REDBUG GE2022 DSA ELECTORAL 2021 PaST iSSUES

In this QUARTER's issue...

Dispatches from the Occupation of DC

A collection of weekly dispatches from the early days of Trump's assault on Washington.

Retail Rent: A Leech on Our Communities

DC's bars and restaurants are facing economic crisis. Corporatists blame worker wages, but commercial landlords are the real culprit.

Organizing Greenbelt against fascism w/ Frankie Santos Fritz

Greenbelt City Council candidate Frankie Santos Fritz shares his thoughts about the future of Greenbelt, the Trump regime, and US democracy...

Why "Useless" Actions Matter: A Defense of Getting People Moving

Every left-wing movement was built on a series of defeats that taught participants and created a foundation of theory.

Report from a World Transforming

The UK left is regrouping in the wake of the Labor Party's neoliberal lurch. Can socialists reawaken the left into a dedicated political force?

Angola, Apartheid and “Our Type of National Liberation”

What Southern Africa's recent history teaches us about the dynamics of the Middle East of today.

The Legend of David Schwartzman

Vaunted community organizer, Statehood-Green Party leader, environmental scientist, and ecumenical socialist David Schwartzman passed away on July 1, 2025.

Hyperlocal, Hyper Effective: ANCs and Working-Class Governance

DC's hyper-local ANCs are opportunities to improve lives and earn the confidence of working-class people.

People of DC call for end to ICE’s crisis; Brooke Pinto couldn’t care less

Sam Dee, Leah T

Hours of testimony provided to the DC Commission on Human Rights revealed an unceasing tapestry of human rights violations committed by ICE, MPD and other federal agents.

DSA's 2025 National Convention: Red Slate Reflections

Four delegates to DSA's 2025 National Convention provide their reflections, take-aways and analysis on the Chicago affair.

Staffing, Finance, and Radical Politics

A Metro DC DSA members writes about a chapter proposal to invest in a new part-time staffer position.

Thinking of going to DSA National Convention? Here’s what to know!

A first-time delegate to the DSA National Convention share's their perspective on participating in the organization's highest decision making body.

Popular articles

The Socialist Case for TOPA

Alan Kelly and Ray Valentine

Preservation of TOPA is more than just a foundational right for the DC's tenants, it is also a vital point of agitation between the rentier capitalist class and workers.

The Capitalist War On Telework: Why Managers Suppress Pro-Worker Innovation

A new vision for technology can radically challenge the myth that capitalism is the fastest route to innovation and progress for working people.

The 2022 DC Primaries and the Future of the District

An analysis of the District 2022 primary elections suggest DC is depolarizing around race and repolaring around class.

China and the Left: A Report from the People’s Forum

A recent forum out of NYC sought to challenge the American left on its approach to understanding US-China relations.

Learning to Love the Machine: Some Assembly Required

Socialists of all stripes should reckon that we may need to rebuild at the local level the very thing we’ve been fighting for years.

The Liberal-to-Ultraleft Pipeline: Breaking the Cycle

Recent critiques levied at DSA peddle in an aesthetic-radicalism that risks distracting the working-class from organizing itself into a disciplined political force.