Understanding the Basics of 21st-Century Finance Capitalism
Wall Street is always transforming itself, and recent years have proven no exception. Understanding those transformations is essential to challenging finance capital’s reign.
19443 Articles by: Benjamin Case
Benjamin Case is a researcher, educator, and organizer living in Pittsburgh.
Yesterday Trump Learned That Capital Is in Charge
After stock markets plummeted in response to Donald Trump’s announcement of widespread tariffs, he suddenly announced a 90-day pause on the new policy. Capital will resist any measure that threatens profits — and that’s just what happened yesterday.
UAW President Shawn Fain on Why He Supports Tariffs
In an interview, United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain argues that the era of “free-trade” deals like NAFTA has been a disaster for the US working class and that smart tariffs can help bring back good auto jobs.
Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Are Striking at Wellesley College
For the past two weeks, non-tenure-track faculty at Wellesley College in Massachusetts have been on strike to fight for a first contract. Jacobin spoke to two members of the organizing committee who say the college is refusing to bargain in good faith.
Gustavo Petro’s Final Year
Gustavo Petro became Colombia’s first left-wing president three years ago. With a hostile Congress threatening his landmark labor reform, he’s scrambling to make sure he’s not its last.
Simon Clarke, Theorist of Capitalist Crisis
British sociologist Simon Clarke was one of the most sophisticated analysts of how and why capitalist systems descend into crisis. Clarke’s work on the contradictions of capitalism is a valuable guide as we face a new era of global economic turmoil.
Trump Gives Pentagon $1 Trillion as Medicaid Cuts Loom
The Trump administration wants to slash health care under the guise of “government efficiency.” In case you wondered how sincere that rationale is, they also want to funnel unprecedented sums to a military that can’t even pass an audit.
John le Carré Made Great Art Out of Cold War Ideology
John le Carré was one of the great postwar novelists, converting the experience of Cold War espionage into brilliant works of literature. Yet he did so without really questioning the ruling doctrines of the Western camp or Britain’s role in it.
Senegal’s Ousmane Sembène Was a True Cinematic Revolutionary
The Senegalese director Ousmane Sembène earned his reputation as the father of African cinema with a series of brilliant movies. Socialist and anti-colonial politics had a profound influence on Sembène, who was also one of Africa’s great novelists.
Capitalist Disorganization Has Enabled Trump’s Dominance
The GOP is now a hegemonic force in US politics. But much of that dominance is predicated on Donald Trump’s personal rule, itself made possible by internal GOP weakness and business elites’ political disorganization.
Donald Trump Is Doubling Down on All of Joe Biden’s Failures
Wars abroad, the affordability crisis, inflation, censorship of political speech — Donald Trump successfully exploited discontent with Joe Biden’s administration on all these issues and more. Trump is now making all of them far worse.
Today Is a Day to Celebrate Union Victory and Emancipation
April 9, the day that the American Civil War ended in 1865, should be a national holiday celebrating the defeat of the Confederacy, the end of slavery, and the triumph of liberty.
A Minecraft Movie Is as Bad as It Is Popular
Based on the best-selling video game of all time, A Minecraft Movie is officially a megahit. If this is Hollywood’s savior, we’re all doomed.
South Korea’s Presidential Impeachment Was Long Overdue
South Korea’s Constitutional Court has finally impeached disgraced right-wing president Yoon Suk-yeol after his failed coup last December. Yoon and his conservative allies have given a major boost to a far-right movement that is hostile to democracy.
Oligarchy, Empire, and Revolution in Central America
There is a direct line in Central America stretching back more than a century from US-backed military intervention, to support of reactionary oligarchies, to devastating neoliberal restructuring, to the migration crisis now exploited in US politics.
A More Graceful American Decline
The US trade war is a result of domestic elites’ refusal to accept America’s relative decline. The recent experience of Japan shows how economic decline can be managed.
Turkey’s Students Demand the Future
Students have taken the lead in the struggle to defend Turkish democracy. Their activism reflects anger at the jailing of Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu but also a long erosion of social rights which has torn away their future.
The United States of Money Laundering
By refusing to enforce the Corporate Transparency Act, the Trump administration has gutted key protections against money laundering and financial crime. The message to kleptocrats worldwide is clear: the US is open for anonymous shell company business.
Frantz Fanon’s Algerian Years on Film
In French-ruled Algeria, Frantz Fanon was a psychiatrist and an active member of the National Liberation Front. A new movie portrays his commitment to the anti-colonial struggle.
A New Translation Breathes Fresh Life Into Charles Baudelaire
A new dual-language translation of Charles Baudelaire’s The Flowers of Evil offers English readers the best way of appreciating the poet who helped invent modernity.