For a Democratic Society, Democratize Finance
The immense power financial institutions wield over most aspects of our lives makes a mockery of democracy. To build a truly democratic society, we need to democratize finance.
19429 Articles by: Alex Press
Liberal Delusions Won’t Save Ukraine
For some liberals, Donald Trump’s decision to humiliate Volodymyr Zelensky showed that he’s a Russian stooge. But Trump’s crudeness is just a more striking illustration that Ukraine’s future is subject to US realpolitik.
Seattle Has Voted to Build Social Housing
In February, Seattle voters approved a ballot initiative to levy a tax on businesses to fund the construction of democratically governed social housing. Jacobin spoke with one of the campaign’s lead organizers about the measure.
When a Wildfire Comes for Your Home, Will DOGE Stop It?
The Trump administration’s cuts have targeted personnel who work to prevent wildfires and support firefighters as they battle blazes. With fire season approaching and climate change intensifying the risks, disaster is looming on the horizon.
Health Paranoia and the Politics of MAHA
The Make America Healthy Again movement reflects legitimate anxieties about illness, modernity, and the long-term effects of capitalist development. But its response — self-optimization and deregulation — deflects that fear rather than challenging its cause.
Marxism for the Man in the Streets
A new biography of Laurence Gronlund, a long-forgotten yet pivotal Marxian propagandist, sheds light on the rich complexities of Gilded Age socialism — one that forces us to consider how we package and present socialist ideas.
Jeff Bezos Is Scared to Have an Open Debate on Economics
By banning perspectives critical of the status quo, Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos is turning a major news outlet into a mouthpiece for market fundamentalists. If the ideas he champions are so defensible, why is he squeamish about debate?
Purging Scientific Datasets to Fight “Wokeness” and “Waste”
Astrophysicist Clara Sousa-Silva needs data on Earth’s climate to accurately observe space. Earlier this month, she discovered that crucial climate datasets had disappeared. When DOGE cuts accelerated, more data vanished.
Organizing the Battery Belt
In deep-red Hardin County, Kentucky, workers are trying to unionize a new electric vehicle battery plant. If Donald Trump scraps the IRA, it may cost thousands of his supporters safe, well-paying jobs.
I’m Still Here Is Worthy of Oscar Hype
Walter Salles’s I’m Still Here is the true story of a left-wing political family in Brazil caught up in the dark days of the military dictatorship. It’s a riveting story with incredible character and period detail that deserves an Oscar this Sunday.
Non-Jews Banning Jewish Texts to Protect Jews
Hunter College’s announced hiring for a Palestinian studies professor led New York governor Kathy Hochul to order the listing’s removal for “hateful rhetoric” like “settler colonialism.” By that logic, Zionist Jewish texts themselves would be banned.
The Oscar-Nominated Documentary US Distributors Won’t Touch
No Other Land bravely captures Israel’s evictions of Palestinians in the West Bank. It could win an Oscar on Sunday, but it couldn’t secure a US distributor.
The US Economy Runs on Billionaire Pocket Change
The top 10% of earners account for almost half of all consumer spending in the United States. Wealth concentration has made economic stability shockingly reliant on elite consumption.
RIP to Gene Hackman, the Everyman Actor
Legendary actor Gene Hackman, who was found dead this week at 95, brought a tough, working-class attitude to his mesmerizing performances.
The German Election in Ten Graphs
On Sunday, Germany voted in a federal election that saw massive growth in support for the far-right AfD, resurgence of the socialist Die Linke party, and more losses of working-class votes for the Social Democrats. These ten graphs explain what happened.
The Economist Who Exposed the Hypocrisy of the Free Market
The economist Alice Amsden’s work unmasked the dirty secret underlying capitalist development: it relied on states breaking all the rules of the free market. But her work also showed that industrialization required corporate discipline, not welfare.
Donald Trump Is a Gift to Canada’s Liberal Party
Donald Trump’s threats of steep tariffs and talk of annexing Canada have sparked an upsurge in Canadian patriotism — and a boost in support for the Liberals. With an election sometime this year, party leaders are racing to define their stance on Trump.
With Diabolical Lies, Pop Culture Discourse Breaks Left
A new female-coded pop culture podcast called Diabolical Lies answers the age-old question: Is it possible to have opinions about both Chappell Roan and Friedrich Engels?
Eric Adams vs. the Rule of Law
Even as part of a mayoralty characterized by attacking public services, scapegoating of migrants, and raising housing costs, New York City mayor Eric Adams’s pandering to Donald Trump in an effort to escape federal corruption charges is particularly brazen.
Google Is Jacking Up Its Prices
Google is jacking up the monthly price for its cloud-based software. If all users paid that standard increase, it would mean an additional $7.2 billion in monthly revenue for the company.