AOC Knows Exactly What the Problem Is With Billionaires Like Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos is donating billions of dollars through his new foundation. But as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez argues, we need to redistribute his power, not just his wealth.
19529 Articles by: Benjamin Case
Benjamin Case is a researcher, educator, and organizer living in Pittsburgh.
Why Syriza’s Defeat Still Haunts the Left
Five years after Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras capitulated to the Troika, the Left’s challenge to European neoliberalism is weaker than ever. The Greek case showed how the Left could exploit ruling-class crisis — but also the tragic consequences of a failure to prepare for power.
“We Need a Homeland”
Protesters in Iraq are rejecting the imprints of war and sectarianism that have destroyed the country — and attempting to build an egalitarian homeland that will put ordinary Iraqis first.
The Lebanese Uprising Continues
Among the mass protests that erupted across the globe in October last year, Lebanon’s were some of the largest, targeting both a failing neoliberal system and ingrained sectarianism. Now in their fourth month, the protests are showing no sign of diminishing.
The Cosmic Irony of Bernie Sanders’s Rise
What makes Bernie Sanders so threatening to the Democratic establishment is that he stands for what millions of Democrats thought their party stood for all along.
Australia’s New Digital Workhouses
Unemployment has become a billion-dollar industry where private firms are turning massive profits for placing precarious workers in bullshit jobs.
Sinn Féin’s Day Is Coming
Last Saturday’s Irish election was a historic breakthrough for Sinn Féin, the most-voted party for the first time. An organizer for the party writes how austerity drove a working-class backlash — and how Sinn Féin plans to turn voter revolt into real change.
“The System That We Have to Respond to Homelessness Is Not One That Was Designed to Help People.”
Nithya Raman is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America who is running for city council in Los Angeles. In an interview with Jacobin, she describes her history organizing around sexual harassment and homelessness, the need to stop gentrification in LA, and why a homes guarantee is a critical demand.
Corporate America Can’t Handle Any Form of Dissent
Shareholder activism is a limited tool for mitigating the worst abuses of corporations. But now, major business groups are fighting to restrict people’s ability to engage even in that.
Reclaiming Los Angeles
In cities across America, housing has played a key role in maintaining and deepening inequality. Nowhere is this more so than in Los Angeles, with its homelessness crisis, soaring rents, and luxury condos. Nithya Raman’s grassroots campaign for city council is pushing back against the developers, boosters, and lobbyists that keep it this way.
Max Horkheimer, a Teacher Without a Class
Frankfurt School cofounder Max Horkheimer is today credited as an insightful analyst of authoritarian culture. But Horkheimer’s ever-pessimistic outlook reflected the political defeats of his time — and an oft one-sided view of the loss of working-class agency.
Harvard’s Progress Is Not Our Progress
Harvard University has always been a key site in which wealthy elites learn how to defend their class. But it has also been home to students who refuse to enroll in that project and opt instead to fight for the ethic of solidarity.
“We Can’t Be at Peace With Ourselves If We’re Complicit in Saudi’s War”
Weapons of mass destruction shipped from Europe are decisive to Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen. But in Italy, the dockers who are supposed to load the warships are taking strike action — showing how workers can block the machinery of destruction.
Poor Towns In New Hampshire Voted Heavily for Bernie. Rich Towns Did the Opposite.
You only need to look at one graph to understand what happened in New Hampshire: the poorer the town, the better Bernie Sanders performed.
Michael Bloomberg Isn’t a Smug Technocratic Centrist. He’s Something Far Worse
An admirer of dictators, a lowbrow misogynist, an unfiltered bigot — Michael Bloomberg is the only Democratic contender who might actually be worse than Trump.
Private Equity Firms Like Blackstone Are Destroying the Planet for Profit
The world of private equity, blank check companies, and complicated investment vehicles is, by design, alien to most people. But the maneuvering and backroom deals of these companies have stark, real-world implications.
There Is Finally an Alternative in Ireland
In last weekend’s election, a majority of Irish voters supported parties of the Left. That and other progressive triumphs signal a new beginning for Ireland.
“This Is How We Thank The People Who Died For Democracy — By Letting Billionaires Buy The Presidency?”
We spoke with Anna Grabowski, whose disruption of a Michael Bloomberg rally yesterday has gone viral on social media. For Grabowski, standing up to Bloomberg is about defending democracy itself.
The Resistible Rise of the Finns Party
Finland’s extreme right came a close second at the last election, and they’re baying for power next time around. Increasingly brash in their theatrics and dominating debates, they’re the dark and very real threat to Finland’s celebrated social democracy.
Michael Bloomberg’s Campaign Is an Insult to Democracy
When newly released audio of Michael Bloomberg defending his racist policing policies was circulated this week, the mainstream media had his back. Bloomberg is a billionaire who knows how to buy friends — if we aren’t vigilant, he’ll buy the presidency.