All articles from Jacobin
Cut Out the Wall Street Middlemen From Our Pension Funds
Pension funds are using average Americans’ retirement savings to fuel the financialization of our economy and concentration of oligarchic power in Wall Street’s hands. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Trump Is in Way Over His Head in Iran
Donald Trump’s war on Iran is barely half a week old, and with each day, it has become a bigger and bigger debacle. Donald Trump is struggling to settle on a single consistent rationale for his war on
AIPAC Is Influencing Trump’s War in Iran
Democrats are pushing a resolution to block Donald Trump from taking further military action in Iran without congressional approval. But the effort is facing opposition from three lawmakers from their
A High School Socialist Is Taking on the Bosses in Texas
High school student Reese Armstrong is mounting a socialist campaign for commissioner in Travis County, Texas. It’s a safe bet that Armstrong’s focus on public health care, social housing investment,
Cut the Military Budget in Half
It’s not enough just to oppose this war on Iran. We should demand major cuts to the US military budget, starting with cutting it in half. That Washington has the right to bomb, invade, or attack any c
A Young Socialist in Bernie’s Backyard
Marek Broderick is the youngest member of the Burlington City Council. He’s using his seat to bridge the gap between student activism and the city’s broader working-class struggles. University of Verm
US, Israel Target Civilians as Iran Escalates War to Survive
The US’s bad faith engagement in its negotiations with Iran have undermined any chance of a quick deescalation of the war. Fighting for its survival, Iran will give Israel the regional war it craves.
Trump Will Not March Quickly to Victory Over Iran
The US/Israeli attack on Iran has inflicted heavy damage on its command structure, but the Iranian system is designed to withstand such pressure. We should expect a more protracted war than last summe
Trump’s War on Iran Makes a Mockery of American Democracy
Iran poses no remotely plausible threat to the United States, the Constitution prohibits presidents from going to war without congressional approval, and only 21% of Americans support Donald Trump’s a
The Supreme Court May Legalize Donald Trump’s War on Iran
Donald Trump’s attack on Iran may set off a showdown over the president’s authority to declare war. The case could end up in court, giving conservative justices a long-awaited chance to end Congress’s
European Economies Are Not Stagnating
Europe’s GDP is keeping pace with America’s just fine. Why do we constantly hear the opposite? Since COVID-19, a narrative about economic stagnation in Europe alongside booming productivity in America
The Dutch Revolt Was Europe’s First Bourgeois Revolution
In the late sixteenth century, the Netherlands revolted against Spanish rule in a decades-long struggle that gave birth to the Dutch Republic. Although the initial spark for the revolt was religious,
Deportation Was Always Political
From its beginnings, deportation has been a tool used to threaten, suppress, and break dissent. ICE’s targeting of political enemies like Mahmoud Khalil is no exception. Mahmoud Khalil serves as a tra
The Left Could Learn Something From Trump’s Tariff Gambit
Donald Trump enacted his trade policy at the stroke of a pen for a whole year by acting quickly and assertively while the courts debated his tariffs’ constitutionality. It’s an approach the Left can u
I Saw the Roots of Mandelson’s Rise and Fall
“The people whose company I enjoy most are those from a strictly bourgeois background,” Peter Mandelson wrote to his childhood friend Steve Howell in 1973. It was, Howell observes, deeply ironic that
Donald Trump, Warmonger-in-Chief
The United States is attacking Iran because Donald Trump was determined to drag us into war no matter what — and despite repeatedly insisting he would do the exact opposite. Trump’s entire approach th
There Is no Pretext or Plan for the US-Israel War on Iran
Framed as a strike on “evil,” Washington and Tel Aviv’s attacks leave Iran with few off-ramps. Tehran’s incentives now point toward escalation as a matter of survival. A core claim of Trumpism was tha
Cricket in the Crossfire of Politics
As the 2026 World Cricket Cup unfolds under diplomatic strain, rising tensions between India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh show that the sport is no longer just a game but a stage where politics, national
Is AI Coming for Our Jobs?
Artificial intelligence is unlikely to produce permanent mass unemployment, Vivek Chibber argues. But without class struggle from below and state action, automation will deepen inequality and leave wo
Zohran Mamdani Is Trying a Fresh Tactic With Trump
Donald Trump and Zohran Mamdani met for a second time on Thursday. The meeting was conciliatory, with Mamdani having apparently hypnotized Trump with charisma and overt flattery. It’s both a savvy and
Spain's Radical Left Is in Trouble but Not Defeated Yet
In Spain, labor minister and Sumar leader Yolanda Díaz says she won’t run for office again. Yet while she is stepping aside, there are also growing calls for a united left-wing front to fight in next
Lebanon’s Communists and the Disarming of Hezbollah
In 1980s Lebanon, the Communists were often targets for rising Islamist forces. Yet today the weakening of Hezbollah offers little opening for left-wing politics. Members and supporters of the Lebanes
Glen Powell's <cite>How to Make a Killing</cite> Is Too Squeamish to Land
How to Make a Killing, starring Glen Powell, is a modern-day remake of a 1949 British black comedy classic. But whereas the original found comedy in the ruthless murder of a nasty aristocracy, this re
The Epstein Files Are the Horror That Keeps on Giving
The Epstein files show that while private equity giant Apollo Global Management allegedly stripped companies, wiped out small investors, and misled customers about fees, founder and Jeffrey Epstein co
Let Them Eat Patents
As agrochemical giants and data monopolies consolidate control over seeds, the food system becomes ever more fragile. Humanity has domesticated thousands of crops but, in pursuit of profit, corporatio
The GOP May Block Regulation of Corporate Landlords
Claiming to be working to stop corporate landlords from buying up single-family homes, an industry-backed GOP senator is circulating legislation that could block states from regulating the institution
Keir Starmer Richly Deserves This Defeat
In Britain, Thursday’s Gorton and Denton by-election was a historic victory for the Greens. Labour prime minister Keir Starmer chased the Left out of his party, and he is now seeing its voter base col
How Local Elected Officials Are Trying to Check ICE
Democrats in Congress may be failing to meaningfully check ICE, but that’s not the story in towns and cities. There progressive and socialist lawmakers are working with local movements to craft ways t
The UAW Is Leading the Push for Green Jobs in California
In California, the United Auto Workers are calling on the state to make major investments in green energy, while also making sure these investments provide good union jobs and products that are afford
Diego Rivera Was the Painter of the Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution inspired an extraordinary cultural efflorescence, with painting as its leading art form. The spectacular murals of Diego Rivera, inspired by Mexico’s popular history and culture
Don’t Expect a Refund for Your Tariff-Inflated Expenses
With Donald Trump’s tariffs being ruled illegal, the government may be on the hook for up to $170 billion in refunds. Because Amazon helped conceal how much tariffs raised consumer prices, it will be
The Genocide in Gaza Has Not Ended
Jerusalem-based historian Lee Mordechai has spent the last two years documenting Israeli violence against civilians in Gaza. In an interview, he explains why the genocide has continued even after the
Trump Is Cutting Transit Funding Left and Right
Donald Trump’s new transportation proposal will hurt transit funding in every single American state, undermining affordability across the board. From red states to blue states, and from drivers to non
<cite>Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die</cite> Is the Burned-Out End of Something
Gore Verbinski’s new film, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, is so strangely ineffectual that the main fascination while watching it is trying to figure out why nothing the film does is working. Sam Roc
Kathy Hochul Is Failing on Climate
The Democratic base in New York State and some party leaders nationwide are charting a path toward a greener future. New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, meanwhile, is choosing billionaires and polluter
Cuba Is Not Alone
The Trump administration is determined to finally crush Cuba, through concerted actions to cut off its fuel supply. Resisting Donald Trump’s imperialism, the Nuestra América solidarity convoy is mobil
Pay Close Attention to Trump’s Affordability Rhetoric
Donald Trump’s State of the Union was mostly lies and grievances. But his aggressive play for economic populism — borrowing progressive ideas and branding them as his own — should be a warning for Dem
Beating Trump Requires a Stronger Populist Agenda From Dems
The most effective counter to Donald Trump’s State of the Union lies is an affordability agenda with teeth, writes New York socialist assembly member Claire Valdez, backed up by an organized working-c
Donald Trump Is Staying the Course
Donald Trump’s inane self-aggrandizement made listening to his State of the Union speech an exercise in endurance. It was also a reminder of how lucky the nation is that Trump’s pathologies prevent hi
The Capitalist Interests Behind Donald Trump
Trumpism is often cast as a personalist project representing no coherent capitalist interest. But it is also the product of splits within the ruling class and a new power bloc uniting the tech-militar
A Ukrainian Socialist Went to War. Here's What He Thinks About Peace.
Four years into Russia’s invasion, Taras Bilous — a socialist serving in the Ukrainian army — reflects on exhaustion, negotiations, and why a bad ceasefire could be a boon for the far right. Taras Bil
Palantir’s Move to Florida Is About Keeping Workers Trapped
Data analytics company Palantir’s abrupt announcement that it is moving to Florida comes just after the state’s lawmakers boosted corporations’ legal power to prevent workers from leaving for competit
David Harvey on Marxism for the 21st Century
Karl Marx developed his critique of capitalism by studying England’s “satanic mills.” But, as David Harvey writes, he understood capitalism as a global system. Were he alive today, he would insist tha
US Union Membership Actually Held Steady in 2025
Overall union density in the US ticked up slightly last year to 10%. This figure doesn’t account for Donald Trump's executive order last March that commanded agencies to ignore contracts and bargainin
Jeffrey Epstein’s French Allies Should Be Exposed
The latest release of Epstein files sheds more light on his ruling-class allies. In France, President Emmanuel Macron has resisted calls for a public debate on the subject despite Jeffrey Epstein’s fa
Even in New York, Reporters Face Prison for Criticizing Israel
An alarming current attempt to use spurious accusations of antisemitism to attack press freedoms wasn't recently carried out by the Trump administration. It was at the hands of Manhattan’s liberal dis
Another Kingpin Falls, Nothing Changes
The killing of El Mencho, Mexico’s most wanted drug lord, won't slow the cartels, reduce violence, or stop the flow of drugs. Members of the National Guard conduct an operation in Mexico City, Mexico
Just Think of <cite>Wuthering Heights</cite> as a <cite>Barbie</cite> Offshoot
Emily Brontë’s novel deserves a more sophisticated approach than Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights. Still from Wuthering Heights. (Warner Bros.) By the time you actually see Emerald Fennell’s Wuther
Your Individual Boycotts Aren’t Helping
Boycotts against corporations can be powerful tools. But they have to be waged as part of larger collective struggles with real plans to win — not simply as acts for frustrated individuals to take on
On Tariffs, Neil Gorsuch Is Hardly Apolitical
Justice Neil Gorsuch’s decision to strike down Trump’s tariffs underscores a broader truth: the Supreme Court is just as insincere as every other branch of government, with justices often prioritizing
The Promise and Tragedy of the Popular Front
In interwar Europe, the rise of Hitler and Mussolini forced leftists into pragmatic alliances. The popular fronts they built were a defense against fascism, but also pointed to how to win broad-based
Max Beckmann, an Unintentionally Political Artist
German artist Max Beckmann is often regarded as interwar Germany’s foremost apostle of despair. Yet while he emphasized his own apolitical character, his work was also the product of a spiritual foreb
My Life as a “Terrorist”
Historian Steve Fraser looks back on the strange experience in 1969 when he and fellow New Leftists were accused of plotting to blow up Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell. What is it like to face long-term i
When Protesters Shut Down the World Trade Organization
The new documentary WTO/99 reconstructs the 1999 protests against a global neoliberal trade order, the violent police repression, and the hope for a different world that found vibrant expression on th
Zohran Mamdani Wants to Reclaim Efficiency From the Right
New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani is trying to demonstrate that the public sector can match or even surpass the private sector in excellence. It’s high time the Left reclaimed the value of “efficienc
How Gig Capitalism Came to Thrive in Nordic Labor Markets
Platform companies haven’t overthrown Nordic labor institutions. But they have navigated around them, growing by exploiting the Nordic model’s uneven and conditional protections. A Foodora food delive
How to Build Pro-Worker Governance in Cleveland
Rust Belt cities like Cleveland face a much more hostile landscape for passing pro-worker policies than major cities like New York. But a range of policy options is available to legislators who want t
Cuba’s Revolution Always Had an Internationalist Spirit
Sixty years ago, delegates from all over the world gathered in Havana for the Tricontinental Conference, forging ties of solidarity and resistance. The anniversary came last month, just as the US step
Israel’s Economy Has Problems, but It’s Not Collapsing Yet
In spite of the Gaza genocide, Israel still has plenty of customers for its high-tech exports, especially the weapons it produces. But it is experiencing a debilitating brain drain as secular, highly
<cite>Survivor</cite> Has Become a Bleak Mirror of Modern Capitalism
When Survivor debuted in 2000, its appeal stemmed from the tension of clashing values, with some contestants taking a nakedly transactional approach and others appealing to the common good. In recent
The Right’s Civilizational New World Order
Civilizationalism, the idea that world politics revolves around culturally bounded civilizations led by great powers, is energizing the Right on both sides of the Atlantic. It is key to the effort to
South Korea’s Would-Be Coup Leader Has Been Jailed for Life
Yoon Suk-yeol, the disgraced conservative president who tried to mount a coup against South Korea’s democracy in December 2024, has received a life sentence in prison. The popular resistance to Yoon s
Canada’s Oil Province Wants Out
Alberta’s sovereigntists are flirting with the Trump administration while promising freedom from Ottawa. But independence would expose the province's narrow oil economy to capital flight, brain drain,
The Power of Power Structure Research
Emerging in the 1960s, power structure research — mapping who holds power in society, how those entities are connected, and how they use their resources to shape major decisions — has been an importan
The <cite>Fallout</cite> Series Hits Close to Home
While streaming on Amazon is a little on the nose, the Fallout television series admirably embraces the anti-capitalist critique of the original video game franchise. Its apocalyptic alternate America
Gambling on the Wisdom of Crowds Is a Bad Bet
Prediction market cheerleaders want us to put our money up, invoking the wisdom of crowds to justify betting on everything from sports to elections. But the probabilities are shaped by speculation and
Wall Street–Backed Lawmakers Want to Help Banks Gouge You
State lawmakers across the US have moved to shield residents from sky-high interest rates charged by out-of-state banks. Two GOP congressmen, both heavily financed by Wall Street, are pushing federal
NYU’s Full-Time Contingent Faculty Are Poised to Strike
After trying to bargain a first contract for over a year, the union for 1,000 full-time contingent faculty at New York University is voting on authorizing a strike. Contract faculty say NYU is refusin
Sócrates Showed Us the Best Way to Bring Politics Into Sports
Today would have been the birthday of the late, great footballer Sócrates, who challenged the military dictatorship in his native Brazil — an example needed today on the eve of a World Cup designed to
Trump’s Intervention in Iran Will Be a Disaster
Iranians have been trying to complete their democratic revolution for over a century. Every time the US gets involved, it sets that project back by decades. Most of the Iranian population is living ve
Reassessing the People’s Hospital in the Bronx
After a militant 1970 hospital takeover birthed a pioneering detox program in the South Bronx, New York City is now studying what it dismantled, and what redress requires amid an ongoing overdose cris
The Olympics May Soon Embrace Private Equity
The International Olympic Committee, the body that oversees the Olympics, is hunting for more revenue. It may soon open the door to private equity, which has been increasingly reshaping sports to sque
In France, the Far Right Has Its Martyr
French far-right activist Quentin Deranque has died from injuries sustained in a street battle with anti-fascist activists. Conservative media is using his death to whip up a moral panic about France