Trump Is Drawing on Cold War–Era Repressive Tactics
Donald Trump’s executive orders draw from a previous, dark period of American history pairing ethnic exclusion through mass deportations and ideological exclusion through political repression.
19414 Articles by: Elizabeth Mahony
US Foreign Aid Was Always About Furthering US Interests
Donald Trump’s freezing of US foreign aid has set off alarms across the foreign policy establishment — largely because aid has been such an effective means of furthering US and European geopolitical interests, especially in Latin America.
In Elon Musk, Libertarianism and Authoritarianism Combine
Elon Musk’s appearances at the Trump inauguration and a rally for Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland don’t just hark back to the past. They fuse authoritarian nationalism with a distinctive postmodern, libertarian streak.
Will Chief Justice Roberts Stop Trump’s Funding Freeze?
As Donald Trump’s federal funding freeze creates a constitutional crisis that seems headed to the Supreme Court, a 1985 memo shows current chief justice John Roberts declaring that a president has no authority to block required spending.
Amazon’s Retribution in Quebec Should Be a Wake-Up Call
In response to a successful unionization effort at a warehouse in Quebec, Amazon is shuttering its operations in the entire province. Its punitive behavior demonstrates that traditional organizing methods won’t work on the corporate behemoth.
Will Bidenomics Survive Donald Trump?
Last week, Trump signed executive orders targeting Biden-era green infrastructure spending. Republican politicians, whose states have benefitted from these policies, will now have to decide whether they care more about austerity or a manufacturing renewal.
Trump’s Education Agenda Is a Big Vulnerability
Donald Trump is pushing an elite-driven school privatization project that is deeply unpopular with his base. It offers a golden political opportunity for Democrats, if only they would seize it.
Economic Democracy Is the Only Practical Cure for Our Crises
The capitalist financial system blocks democratic control over investment by its very nature. We need a new model of democratic finance that can address our urgent social and environmental needs.
The South Is Unorganized, Not Backward
Organized labor and progressive politics do not fail in the South because of some ingrained cultural pathology. They fail because its interracial labor movement was, and continues to be, systematically suppressed.
Tariffs Are a Costly Nonsolution to the US’s Social Crisis
Donald Trump has touted his planned tariffs as a way of protecting American workers. They’ll do little to reverse industrial decline but will drive up costs for the average American.
Gillian Rose’s Philosophy Works Through the Left’s Failures
For Gillian Rose, the work of philosophy was to confront the myths and blind spots that sustain capitalism and dignify injustice. The result was a Marxism hostile to political dogmas of all kinds.
Presence Is an Engrossing Experiment in Supernatural Cinema
Steven Soderbergh’s low-budget haunted house flick Presence puts the viewer in the point of view of the ghost. It’s a thrilling experiment — more like this, please.
The Political Force Behind Zionism
In the aftermath of the Gaza cease-fire, Ilan Pappé’s analysis of the enduring power of the Israel lobby feels more urgent than ever. His sweeping history traces its rise and the challenges it has faced as global criticism of Israel has intensified.
We Were Tortured in Assad’s Jail
Supporters of the revolution in Rojava, Oğuz Yüzgeç and Sercan Üstündaş spent the last three years in a Damascus jail. Following their release last month, they told Jacobin about the torture they suffered and what they expect from post-Assad Syria.
Raz Segal: Genocide Denial in Holocaust Studies
Scholar Raz Segal recounts the strange experience of being attacked as an antisemite, despite being Jewish himself and studying the Holocaust and other genocides, for the high crime of opposing Israel’s slaughter in Gaza.
Faiz Shakir Wants to Bring Workers Back to the Democrats
Former Bernie Sanders campaign chair Faiz Shakir is running an insurgent campaign for chair of the Democratic National Committee, focused on bringing the working class back into the party’s fold. Jacobin spoke to him about it.
We Used to Fight Inflation With Boycotts
In 1973, hundreds of thousands of women took to the street to protest dramatic increases in the cost of meat. Grocery prices are growing at a much faster rate than they were 50 years ago. Why don’t we do the same?
In 1930s NYC, Proportional Representation Boosted the Left
In New York City, a disgraced mayor and a discredited Democratic Party are creating potential openings for socialists. NYC history suggests that the Left might profitably revive proportional representation as a tool to build its electoral strength.
Striking Ski Patrollers Won Big Against a Resort Giant
In December, ski patrollers at America’s largest ski resort, in Park City, Utah, went on strike against the $6 billion resort company Vail. After bringing the resort to a standstill for two weeks, they won big.
Canadian CEOs Want More Guns, Less Bread
Canada’s Business Council is pushing to triple the country’s military spending while cutting other government programs. This strategy, tied to NATO commitments and US trade relations, would shift billions away from social programs toward defense contractors.