Democracy in Central America Is on the Brink
The tenuous liberal democratic frameworks established in the 1990s after the civil wars in Guatemala and El Salvador are long exhausted. What will come next in both countries is uncertain.
18687 Articles by: Benjamin Case
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Benjamin Case is a researcher, educator, and organizer living in Pittsburgh.
Democratic Party Leaders Are Asleep at the Wheel
Despite the organizing of thousands of federal workers and a growing grassroots opposition to Donald Trump, the Democratic Party leadership refuses to offer any serious opposition to a billionaire coup.
The Fight Against the AI Systems Wrecking Lives
Federal and state governments are now using AI for everything from determining eligibility for welfare benefits to predicting child abuse and criminal activity. Critics say faulty algorithms are ruining people’s lives and leaving victims little recourse.
Gregor Gysi: The German Left Is Back
Ahead of Sunday’s German election, left-wing party Die Linke has enjoyed a surprise resurgence. Longtime leader Gregor Gysi told Jacobin about what’s changed — and how a new generation of activists can take the party forward.
Trump Is Helping Airlines Reduce Payouts for Flight Mishaps
The Trump administration has just paused an initiative aimed at increasing compensation for airline passengers when carriers lose their luggage or overbook flights.
Ukraine Is Betrayed by Its Friends Once More
Donald Trump is demanding $500 billion in mineral riches from Ukraine in exchange for supporting its war effort. The bid to loot Ukraine’s resources makes a mockery of calls to defend its national sovereignty.
US Economic Decline Has Been Greatly Exaggerated
A focus on GDP and national accounts gives a misleading picture of US economic power. In the age of globalization, production can be based in countries like China while most of the profits flow back to American firms, reinforcing US economic hegemony.
Keir Starmer’s Government Copies Far-Right Migration Plans
Anti-immigration politicians around Europe have increasingly outsourced border policing to authoritarian states in Africa. Britain’s Labour Party has followed the same approach.
Jair Bolsonaro Could Finally Go to Jail
Brazil has charged ex-president Jair Bolsonaro with conspiring to murder President Lula da Silva and stage a military coup. It’s a serious blow to the far right, but unless the material conditions of the majority improve, Bolsonarismo will remain a threat.
Zohran Mamdani: How Much Does NYU Langone Owe New York City?
A wealthy hospital system is caving to Donald Trump on LGBTQ and immigrant rights, writes socialist New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani — while receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks from the city.
The Communist International’s Failure Still Haunts the Left
Although it ended in tragic defeat, the Communist International was one of the most ambitious exercises in transnational political activism ever conceived. Its rise and fall gives us a crucial window into the history of the 20th century.
Tech Workers Can Still Fight Silicon Valley’s Overlords
Don’t let the AI of it all fool you — tech workers can still bring Silicon Valley to a halt.
Bob Dylan’s Newport Performance Was a Great Political Drama
Bob Dylan’s legendary 1965 performance at the Newport Folk Festival takes center stage in the new biopic A Complete Unknown. To really make sense of what happened at Newport, you need to understand the link between US folk music and left-wing politics.
Trump Is Ripping Off America and Calling It “Anti-Woke”
The Trump team has hit on what it thinks is a winning formula: every time it wants to rip Americans’ health care away or let a predatory corporation off the hook, it just says it’s fighting “wokeness” or “DEI.” It’s lazy, cynical stuff.
Donald Trump Is Dismantling Liberal Internationalism
America’s belief that it can be militarily dominant in every major region appears to be wavering. But without challengers, the Republicans’ loss of conviction in liberal internationalism will harden into a more dangerous global authoritarianism.
A Mass Shooting Is Always Political
The February 4 school shooting in Örebro was the deadliest such attack in Swedish history. The killer didn’t leave a manifesto, and officials are reluctant to call this a “terrorist” attack. But this shooting was not apolitical.
In 1930s Melbourne, Communists Fought Police Repression
In 1933, a young Melbourne communist scaled a moving tram to distract police while his comrade locked himself in a steel cage below. Their protest sparked the “Battle for Phoenix Street,” which resulted in the repeal of draconian anti-protest laws.
Why the Center Left Struggles to Escape Its Neoliberal Past
Despite now pushing for a more assertive economic agenda, center-left parties worldwide are on the defensive. Their vulnerability? They helped create the very neoliberal order they now claim to challenge.
Public Health Should Be Politicized
As America’s health crisis deepens, some experts are calling to “depoliticize” public health. But what we need isn’t less politics in health care — it’s a mass movement to transform our broken system into one that serves everyone.
This Camera Kills Fascists
In the 1960s, leftist filmmakers from France to Japan revolutionized the documentary. Anti-fascism was not just the heritage of past generations but a message carried forward by the avant-garde on-screen.