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.
19682 Articles by: Elizabeth Mahony
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.
Gaza’s Destruction Has Discredited the Global Moral Order
Western states have not merely supported Israel’s devastating attack on Gaza as if it were a just war of self-defense. They have also sought to repress those demonstrating for the right of Palestinians to live in dignity — or simply to live.
Indian Communists Are Leading the Fight Against Communalism
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) is a key force fighting against Hindu nationalism and for social justice. Whatever its flaws, it deserves our solidarity.
The Hippocratic Oath May Require Doctors to Disobey Trump
Donald Trump’s ICE raids on hospitals endanger immigrants and attack the ethical foundations of medicine. Health workers’ fundamental duty is to patients, not the law, and they must resist policies that turn care facilities into sites of surveillance.
Far-Right Leaders Are Forging a Global Alliance
Donald Trump’s return to power is a morale booster for far-right politicians like Viktor Orbán, Javier Milei, and Giorgia Meloni. Having pioneered many of the destructive, reactionary ideas associated with Trumpism, they’re now aspiring to global hegemony.
Germany’s Reckoning With the Past Is No Longer a Model
In the 1980s, German institutions began to seriously confront their country’s past. For historian Enzo Traverso, German reactions to the destruction of Gaza show that they failed to draw the right lessons.
David Lynch’s Electric Dreams and Atomic Nightmares
David Lynch explored the contradictions of modern life, from the alienation woven into workaday existence to the terror of the nuclear age. His films turned the American dream inside out, revealing the surreal beauty and hidden horrors beneath the surface.
Trump’s Tariffs and Canadian Unions’ Identity Crisis
Canadian unions are forming alliances with industry to fight Donald Trump’s tariffs — at a time when they should be prioritizing deeper problems facing workers like austerity, increasing automation, and wage suppression.
Unfortunately, Trump Played the TikTok Ban Perfectly
The TikTok ban saga perfectly captures both Republican cynicism and Democratic incompetence: Trump takes credit for “saving” an app his administration originally moved to ban, while Democrats fumble another opportunity to connect with young people.
How to Think About Falling Birth Rates
The relevance of declining birth rates to left-wing concerns, like welfare-state sustainability, is more complex than generally acknowledged. The real reason for the Left to support pro-family policies is to make families possible for those who want them.
The Israeli Far Right Is Desperate to Resume the War
Benjamin Netanyahu owes his political fortunes to the support of the far-right Jewish Power and Religious Zionist parties. Both vehemently oppose the cease-fire and insist that Israel continue its war once the hostages are free.
Iraq’s Ancient Marshes Are Running Out of Time
A Jacobin investigation reveals how Iraq’s southern marshes, the birthplace of early civilization, face ruin from environmental and political mismanagement. As the water disappears, so too does a 5,000-year-old culture.