All articles from Jacobin
Australian Rules Football Dreams of World Domination
The Australian Football League is a corporation that longs for global expansion. But in its greed and desperation, the league is undermining what makes the game great. Nat Fyfe thanks fans as he leave
For Roman Workers, Life Was Nasty, Brutish, and Short
Our images of the Roman Empire are dominated by the monuments and lifestyles of wealthy urban elites. An important new history shifts our attention to the 90% of Rome’s population whose brutally explo
Africa’s Health Care Only Works for the Wealthy
Years of IMF and World Bank reforms have created two-tiered health care systems across Africa. In Kenya, the private sector is out of reach for most, but public health care has been wrecked by budget
An Undemocratic Union Was Key to César Chávez’s Sexual Abuse
The horrifying revelations of César Chávez’s widespread sexual abuse of young women and girls were in part rooted in the culture of unquestioning loyalty and top-down dictation that Chávez established
Israel and the US Have Been Waging War on Iran’s Development
From universities to medical research centers, Israel and the US have been systematically attacking Iran’s technical infrastructure. While claiming their only issue is with Iran’s rulers, they have ta
Ben Lerner Hears Ghosts in the Wires
Critics read Ben Lerner’s new novel, Transcription, as a commentary on smartphones. But with gothic style and a Victorian temperament, it meditates on a much older technology — the spectral quality of
Capitalist Profits Depend on Stealing Our Future
Capitalists have succeeded in arranging the future as a calculable source of extraordinary wealth, enriching a few in the present by imposing debts on the vast majority — and undermining the environme
Zohran Mamdani’s Toughest Task in 100 Days: Taxing the Rich
Zohran Mamdani’s early wins are a testament to what a talented left-wing municipal executive can accomplish even in the face of major obstacles. But much of his ambitious agenda will remain blocked if
Resource Competition With China Lay Behind Trump’s Iran War
The US war on Iran may have seemed like an irrational move by a president who is as reckless and impulsive as he is destructive. But there was a geopolitical logic behind the attack, based on Washingt
Serbia’s Government Is Targeting the Public University
The recent death of a student at the University of Belgrade triggered a police raid and fresh government attacks on education. Professors appear as the vanguard of a broad social movement, but their p
It’s Tech Versus Teachers as Strike Looms Over LA Schools
Los Angeles public school teachers have declared a strike deadline of April 14. The conflict forces the question of whether schools are an EdTech business opportunity or a public responsibility. UTLA
Iran Is Stuck in Permanent Crisis
War, and now a fragile ceasefire, is not bringing collapse in Iran but reinforcing and reorganizing its existing structures of power and inequality. In Western political circles, a recurring view has
Zohran Mamdani’s 100 Days of 21st-Century Sewer Socialism
In his first one hundred days as mayor, Zohran Mamdani has realized that New Yorkers — and all Americans — need to see the government working for them. Zohran Mamdani greeting workers at the site of t
Dark Money Is Flowing Into Trump’s Legacy Projects
Funneling millions to the Trump administration through undisclosed donations, a slew of corporations and lobbyists are potentially violating disclosure laws to help bankroll the president’s ballroom a
SCOTUS Is Siding With Capitalists Over Trump
The Supreme Court’s willingness to protect the Fed — in contrast to every other independent regulatory commission — reflects the strength of its loyalty to neoliberal capitalism over the Trump adminis
Hungary’s Narrow Path Out of Orbánism
Elections on Sunday could finally remove Viktor Orbán from power. Opposition forces have rallied behind rival candidate Péter Magyar, less out of belief in his program than from desperation at the cou
Australia Has a Serious Landlord Problem
Landlords dominate Australia’s parliament and Reserve Bank. Their policies make the housing crisis worse. In Australia, a cost-of-living surge comes in the context of a worsening housing crisis. (Lisa
The “Moderate” Think Tank Pushing Dems to Loosen AI Rules
Ascendant DC think tank Searchlight Institute, pushing Democrats to the center, has ties to megadonor Simone Coxe, whose Nvidia-linked money could boost AI-backed efforts to defend data center build-o
The Fight Against Trumpism Can Reinvigorate Labor
The danger posed by Donald Trump’s authoritarianism means that unions can’t afford to remain in a defensive crouch. And history suggests that fighting to defend and revive democracy at moments of maxi
Bernie and AOC Pump the Brakes on Artificial Intelligence
A bill from Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez proposes a moratorium on new AI data centers until oversight mechanisms and legal safeguards are in place. Only federal legislation stands a cha
Medicare for All Is an Electoral Winner
Working-class voters already back Medicare for All. Framed like Social Security — as a benefit earned from work, not a handout — it can reach two-thirds support. The candidates who win on health care
Phil Ochs Wrote the Soundtrack to the New Left
The 1960s saw a stampede of lefty folk musicians, but none as politically engaged as Phil Ochs. A true activist-musician who thought of himself as a “singing journalist,” Ochs was as comfortable playi
On Iran, Trump and the American Empire Blinked
Donald Trump has shown the world that even the vast power of the globe’s foremost imperial hegemon has limits. His initial genocidal bluster against Iran was downstream of this reality, as was his sub
Alexander Kluge Fought and Won Against the Culture Industry
The death of the filmmaker and Marxist theorist Alexander Kluge marks the loss of a voice that insisted the horrors of the last century were not confined to the past. They live on in the continued exi
The Iran Ceasefire Is a Stunning Defeat for Militarism
The Iran war was such a fiasco that Donald Trump had no choice but to find a way out. Whether it sticks will partly depend on Democrats resisting the urge to irresponsibly goad him back into it. Irani
Amazon Will Be This Century’s Biggest Labor Battle
With its vast logistics empire deploying robotics, surveillance, and AI to block worker power at every turn, Amazon now sits atop the throne of American capitalism. Organizing it will define the futur
The Iraq War Presaged Donald Trump’s War on Iran
A small group of hawks convinced George W. Bush to launch a war in the Middle East, despite his campaign-trail rhetoric and against the advice of top US military and intelligence officials. The parall
Through Meta Glasses, Darkly
How do we solve a problem like the commodification of mass wearable surveillance? Social norms and market pressure are a start, but above all, we need a political response like regulation. Smart glass
Sven Beckert’s History of Capitalism Is Too Light on Theory
Sven Beckert’s Capitalism: A Global History ranges impressively over time and space, from medieval Yemen to modern-day Cambodia. But we need a clearer political economy of capitalism to make sense of
Congressional Democrats Are Out of Step With Their Base
Right-leaning caucuses now hold a majority among Democrats in the House of Representatives. The dominance of centrist economic policy in the congressional party puts it increasingly out of step with D
Workers at Cocktail Bar Attaboy Are Unionizing
Staff at famed New York cocktail bar Attaboy are forming an independent union in a notoriously hard-to-organize industry. In Lower Manhattan, bartenders and other staff at New York City’s cocktail bar
Trump's Goal Is to Suppress Votes, Not Prevent Election Fraud
Donald Trump says the SAVE Act is about stopping noncitizens from voting. But the real target is the millions of working-class citizens who don't have an updated passport or paper birth certificate si
Movements Need the Critical Thinking That AI Destroys
Struggles against oppression start with people critically reflecting on their experiences. What happens to such struggles when we outsource our thinking to AI and replace human interlocutors with syco
Is There a Way Out From Trump’s Iran Ultimatum?
Panicked, Donald Trump has threatened to destroy Iran’s energy infrastructure by 8 p.m. today unless concessions are made. But Iran’s position is stronger than the president is willing to admit. Irani
Ben Lerner’s <cite>Transcription</cite> Is a Brilliant Meditation on Tech
Transcription, Ben Lerner’s slim but layered new novel, is a penetrating meditation on fraudulence, fatherhood, and the fate of authentic experience in our digital age. Ben Lerner's Transcription begi
Trump’s $1.5 Trillion for War Comes From Americans’ Pockets
Donald Trump is proposing to increase the defense budget by nearly half to wage war on Iran. How does he want to pay for it? Cut nearly everything that might help average Americans, from food, housing
Americans (Still) Support a Federal Jobs Guarantee
In poll after poll, Americans across the political spectrum support a federal jobs guarantee. And yet it’s never mentioned in mainstream political discourse. New survey data makes the case even harder
A Socialist Teacher Is Running for Kentucky State House
Public school teacher and socialist Robert LeVertis Bell is running to represent Louisville’s 43rd District in the Kentucky state house. Jacobin spoke to him about his campaign and the prospect of bei
When Rank-and-File Unionists Took On the Mob
In the 1970s and ’80s, rank-and-file workers often took great risks to attack a culture of corruption in the labor movement — including Mafia-controlled union locals. As head the Gambino crime family,
Europe's Steel Industry Should Be Publicly Owned and Controlled
Europe’s steel firms are increasingly unprofitable, and rising energy prices are making things even worse. Public ownership is vital to ensure conversion to green production while maintaining jobs. Th
New York Is Closing In on Amazon’s Shady Delivery System
Amazon has long exploited subcontracting to avoid taking responsibility for its delivery drivers. A bill introduced by socialist New York City Councilor Tiffany Cabán would force the e-commerce giant
Israel Can’t Even Tolerate a West Bank Football Pitch
In the West Bank village of Umm al-Kheir, a football pitch is named after Awdah Hathaleen, a local man murdered last summer by an Israeli settler. Now Israel has issued an order to destroy the pitch,
Toronto’s Transit Crisis Is a Class Crisis
The rich are ride-hailing their way out of public transit, draining fare revenue from the system. It’s another instance of the accelerating economic segregation of the public sphere. Toronto household
OpenAI Is Bleeding Cash. Its Solution? Military Contracts.
In an age of algorithmically generated “kill lists,” anxieties about AI integration into military decision-making are justifiably mounting. OpenAI’s recent hiring of over a dozen former defense bureau
La France Insoumise After the Local Elections
Local elections saw La France Insoumise make its first real gains in taking over city halls. Ahead of the 2027 presidential race, it still badly needs to expand its voter base to have a chance of winn
The Los Angeles Community Schools Model
Los Angeles’s public Community Schools are a model to support fights to protect public education and experiment with co-governance. Dr Sylvia Rousseau, here seated in a hallway at Crenshaw High Schoo
Bernie Moreno Threatens the US-Colombia Relationship
Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, a scion of Colombia’s right-wing political and business elite, is stoking a dangerous conflict between Donald Trump and Colombia’s government. His motivations derive
Crypto Is Flailing
Donald Trump used the White House to pump crypto to unprecedented highs. It’s still collapsing. The Bitcoiner in chief cleared the path for crypto with a machete, pumping a wild bubble that is now pop
Trump Is Robbing You to Pay for His Dumb War
Not content with launching a costly and disastrous war on Iran, Trump has unveiled a new plan to pay for it by further slashing domestic programs that keep Americans economically afloat. His new 2027
Stop Asking If Israel Has a Right to Exist
The question “Does Israel have a right to exist?” isn’t a real inquiry about the rights of nations. It’s a manipulation of discourse, a litmus test that forces Palestinians to offer theoretical assura
Ethiopia’s Trade Union Movement Is Growing Stronger
Over the last decade, Ethiopia’s trade unions have experienced impressive growth, more than doubling their membership. Ethiopia and other African states with growing unions cut against the idea that o
Stephen Lewis’s Complicated Legacy for the Canadian Left
Stephen Lewis, leader of the Ontario NDP, son of founding NDP member David, and father of current leader Avi, has died. He leaves a complex legacy: he helped bring the NDP into the mainstream but at t
Choose Class War, Not Boomer Resentment
The generational warfare promoted by centrists and the Right, who have long been desperate to cut and privatize Social Security, is a fool’s solution to what ails the system. Taxing the rich is the an
End the Blockade on Cuba
As a Cuban American traveling with a recent aid convoy, I witnessed the daily hardship sanctions produce. Washington must lift its devastating blockade. As a Cuban American, I went to Cuba with an aid
Wallace Shawn’s Road to Socialism
The left-wing actor and playwright Wallace Shawn, currently in two plays in New York, describes a harsh midlife conversion to class politics — transforming from a disengaged liberal to someone who see
Between Chinamaxxing and the Kill Line
A viral Chinese meme imagines Americans one mishap away from ruin, while American influencers fantasize about China as a frictionless techno-utopia. Each reveals less about reality than about shared e
Conrad Blackburn, a Socialist to Represent Harlem in Albany
Socialist, trade unionist, and candidate for New York State Assembly Conrad Blackburn: “If you are taking money from real estate developers, then your first instinct is to deliver for those real estat
The Right Has a Lofty Vision for Schools. Where’s Ours?
The Right is selling a vision of classical education that promises to build character and nurture wonder. Liberals are stuck aiming for higher test scores and employability. Public education defenders
The War on Iran Is More Expensive Than You Think
In the first two weeks of its war on Iran, the US spent an estimated $2.1 billion a day. It’s no wonder Donald Trump is saying that the cost of war means the federal government can’t afford to spend m
<cite>Chapo</cite>’s Comic Book Is a Riveting Political Horror Show
The Chapo Trap House comic book, Year Zero #1, is a collection of horror stories with a clear political message: liberal capitalism is not failing accidentally — it is functioning as designed, produci
New Yorkers Want to Tax the Rich. Julie Menin Doesn’t Care.
Zohran Mamdani has called for taxing the rich to close New York City’s large budget deficit. His position is popular with most New Yorkers, but wealthy City Council Speaker Julie Menin is giving cover
The Biggest US Meatpacking Strike in 40 Years Is Still On
At the sprawling JBS beef processing plant in Greeley, Colorado, 3,800 workers from around the world have united to carry out the largest US meatpacking strike in 40 years. Immigrant workers from arou
Dems Claim to Want a Hasan Piker — Then Try to Cancel Him
Democrats spent the last year asking where their Joe Rogan was. Hasan Piker is one of the few left-wing figures with the audience they covet — but the party is deeply hostile to the spontaneity and in
Private Equity Firm Apollo Has a Labor Abuse Problem
The AFL-CIO is calling on private equity firm Apollo — whose CEO has come under fire for ties to Jeffrey Epstein — to investigate growing reports of labor abuses at its subsidiaries, including union b
Capitalism Had a Beginning and Will Someday End
Historian Sven Beckert on where the capitalist system came from, what keeps it alive, and what it would take to bring it down. “Everything that has a beginning also has an end.” Harvard historian Sven
Abdul El-Sayed’s Senate Opponent Is a Phony Populist
Mallory McMorrow, who is running against Medicare for All champion Abdul El-Sayed for US Senate, recently went viral presenting herself as a populist crusader against surveillance pricing. Her record
<cite>Palestine 36</cite> Reclaims a Buried Anti‑Colonial Revolt
Annemarie Jacir’s Palestine 36 resurrects the mass anti‑colonial revolt that Britain crushed with overwhelming force — and shows how its legacy still shapes the present. Still from Palestine 36. (Wate
Canada Is Redefining Who Can Seek Asylum
Forty-one years after the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed the right of every refugee in the country to fundamental justice, Canada’s federal government is denying certain classes of refugees the righ
The US and Israel Are Making Gaza-Style War the New Normal
In Iran and Lebanon, the US and Israeli militaries are bombing dense residential blocks, destroying civilian infrastructure, slaughtering children, and assassinating health workers. If it sounds famil
The Trump Library Is Going Full-On Supervillain
Eight million people showed up at last weekend’s No Kings protests. Donald Trump's response? Release footage of a skyscraper bearing his name, a golden statue of himself, and a throne room with paid p
Why Yemen's Houthis Opened a New Front in the Iran War
Pushed by Tehran and domestic pressure, Yemen’s Houthis attacked Israel and joined the regional conflict. But they remain wary of reigniting their costly war with Saudi Arabia. The Houthis have entere
Israel Is Stepping Up Its Ethnic Cleansing in the West Bank
Even as Israel attacks Iran and Lebanon, it is also intensifying ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. The military and settler militias are using a crisis Israel created as cover for its illegal takeover
Football's Soul Belongs to the Working Class
Despite corporate and elite attempts to wrest football from ordinary people, it remains a site of struggle for community and belonging amid capitalist alienation. The upcoming World Cup will showcase
Why the Fight for Cultural Recognition Is Not Enough
Capitalism is only too happy to accommodate and absorb cultural challenges that don’t alter its foundations. Without economic transformations, the gains of identity-based politics are narrow — and rev
When German Socialists Mobilized Against Genocide in Namibia
German imperialism was responsible for the first genocide of the 20th century in its Namibian colony. The country’s socialist movement spoke out vehemently against the atrocities, offering solidarity