Canada’s Liberals Are Letting the Wealthy Write Their Own Tax Policy
Justin Trudeau’s government loves to tout its commitment to combating inequality. Now it’s pushing a special tax break for private jets.
20405 Article(s) by: Frances Abele
Frances Abele CM is Distinguished Research Professor and Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy Emerita at Carleton University. She is a research fellow at the Carleton Centre for Community Innovation and the Broadbent Institute. Much of her work focuses on indigenous-Canada relations.
Meet the Filipino Socialists Challenging Rodrigo Duterte’s Right-Wing Rule
Renowned Filipino scholar-activist Walden Bello is running for vice president this year on a left-wing ticket. Writing for Jacobin, Bello describes the transformative impact an openly socialist campaign can have on the Philippines.
No, Crypto Isn’t Helping Ukraine
In times of war, stocks in weapons companies have always been a safe investment. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shown that wars are also a big opportunity for crypto bros — another group of disaster capitalists profiting off other people’s misfortune.
India’s Farmers’ Struggle Against Modi’s Government Is Far From Over
Last year, farmers in India blocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s neoliberal agricultural reforms through a wave of protests. But the economic woes that fueled the unrest continue to hammer farmers, leading to sky-high suicide rates.
We Spoke to Ukrainian Refugees at the Polish Border
Vladimir Putin claims to be protecting Russian speakers in Ukraine. A Jacobin reporter at the Polish border found Russian-speaking refugees outraged at his claims — and at Russian media’s denial of horrors they saw with their own eyes.
The Political Economy of Classical Music
The story of classical music is inseparable from the rise of capitalism. The new system made a musical revolution possible, but its crisis-ridden development then drove a wedge between musicians and their audience, leaving behind a frozen tradition.
The Mainstream Media Is Helping Eric Adams Get Away With a Law-and-Order Crackdown
Eric Adams, New York City’s new mayor, is a fascinating, eccentric character. He’s also the architect of a ruthless law-and-order crackdown on the city’s poorest, most vulnerable residents.
Persecuting Ordinary Russians Won’t End Putin’s War
Opposing Vladimir Putin’s horrific war in Ukraine is no reason to target ordinary Russians or Russian culture. Anti-Russian bigotry won’t bring peace to Ukrainians.
What the Anti-Psychiatry Movement Got Wrong About Mental Illness
The anti-psychiatry movement advanced a radical critique of the role that capitalism and power play in the medical profession. Its motives were noble, but it ended up closing the door to understanding, and properly treating, psychological suffering.
Leo Kofler Was a Marxist and a Revolutionary Humanist
The boundary-crossing social theorist Leo Kofler was one of postwar West Germany’s most important Marxists. Today, he is little known outside his homeland — yet his revolutionary humanism has much to tell us about freedom today.
Friedrich Engels’s Eulogy to Karl Marx
Karl Marx died on this day in 1883. At his funeral, Marx’s lifelong friend and comrade Friedrich Engels delivered a eulogy predicting Marx’s work would endure through the ages. We reprint Engels’s speech here in full.
The War in Ukraine Shows That Europe Could Help Refugees If It Really Wanted To
In Europe, the volunteers welcoming Ukrainian refugees are often the same people attacked for aiding refugees in the Mediterranean. That’s not just hypocritical, it’s inhumane — we should welcome all migrants fleeing war and terror.
Why 9 to 5 Still Resonates Today
A new documentary goes inside the making of the classic labor-feminist movie 9 to 5 — and shows how many of the problems it lampooned still plague working women today.
Canada’s Liberals Are Refusing to Deal With the Opioid Crisis
Canada’s New Democratic Party has introduced a new bill to decriminalize drug possession and improve harm-reduction measures. Passing it would need the support of the Liberals, who have thus far proved unwilling to fight for reform.
Vladimir Putin’s War Spreads Resignation and Despair Among Ordinary Russians
Pro-Putin pollsters maintain that most Russians support the “special military operation” against Ukraine. But artificial efforts to stir public enthusiasm can’t hide the disastrous effects the war is having on ordinary Russians.
Hugo Soto-Martinez Wants to Represent Working-Class Los Angeles
In a pro–Bernie Sanders district with a strong union presence, a son of immigrant street vendors seeks election to LA City Council. Hugo Soto-Martinez wants “to create a new society: a world with good union jobs, universal health care, and affordable housing.”
In Erdoğan’s Turkey, Privatization Means Corruption and Collapsed Infrastructure
Residents of Isparta, Turkey, were left without power for weeks after the city was hit by blizzards. This was no mere natural disaster — the lights wouldn’t have gone out if not for the chronic mismanagement of basic utilities by President Erdoğan’s cronies.
“Lunch Ladies” Are Tired of Being Underpaid and Overlooked
Cafeteria staff make learning and healthy development possible by providing balanced meals to kids who otherwise might not get them. In return, they bring home some of the lowest earnings of the generally underpaid K–12 workforce.
In Mexico, AMLO’s Opponents Are Resorting to Smear Campaigns
In an effort to damage his reputation, sections of the Mexican media are coming after Andrés Manuel López Obrador with baseless charges and concocted slander. Staving off these right-wing media attacks is an essential line of defense for the Left.
Solidarity With Ukraine Doesn’t Mean Calling for More War
Vladimir Putin’s criminal invasion of Ukraine has stirred calls for solidarity across the West. A useful response should focus on material aid to the war’s victims — and condemn war-hawk posturing.