Is the “Vibecession” Over?
Consumer confidence is up, and inflation is down. But will the economy improve enough by November to buoy Biden’s flagging reelection prospects?
19646 Articles by: James Bloodworth
James Bloodworth is a writer and journalist from London.
Israel Has Ramped Up Attacks on Jenin Camp in the West Bank
Jenin camp in the West Bank has become a flash point in the ongoing Israeli assaults on Palestinians, with raids occurring near daily. Civilian victims of this violence say that Israeli forces are not coming to fight combatants, but for revenge.
In Europe, Platform Workers Are Winning Limited Protections
Across Europe, platform workers have won a series of court cases ruling that they are employees, not self-employed. Moves for new EU-wide legislation have faced serious resistance from lobbyists but now look set to deliver some new protections.
Teamster Food Drivers Won Their Strike by Taking It Nationwide
Last month in Chicagoland, 130 Teamster food-service drivers went on strike and secured major contract gains. The workers won by extending the picket line nationwide, hitting employer US Foods at dozens of distribution centers across the US.
Hawaii Is Bailing Out Its Wildfire-Causing Energy Company
After being found responsible for starting a deadly wildfire last summer, Hawaii’s for-profit energy utility is set to receive a public bailout. The episode makes a powerful case for bringing utilities under public ownership.
On Immigration, Trumpism Is Now Democratic Common Sense
The past week saw Democrats take up Trump’s hard-right immigration policy as their own for campaign fodder, with the liberal press’s assent. The very xenophobia that Democrats decried as “fascism” has become their policy agenda.
The Undeclared US War on Yemen Will End in Failure
The US government has continued air strikes against Yemen’s Houthis while claiming not to be at war. But the Houthis are unlikely to be deterred: even Yemenis who formerly took up arms against them now support the attacks on Israeli-bound ships in the Red Sea.
Italy’s Far-Right Government Is Relitigating World War II
Far-right Italian premier Giorgia Meloni likes to claim her party has “left fascism in the past.” Yet the announcement of a new museum honoring Italian victims of Yugoslav partisans represents a disturbing attempt to rewrite the history of World War II.
Indianapolis UAW Workers Got Rid of Tiers With a Strike Threat
At Allison Transmission in Indianapolis, autoworkers with the UAW leveraged a credible strike threat to eliminate wage and benefit tiers. It’s a sign of growing militancy among the United Auto Workers.
The “Populist” Right’s Anti-Immigrant Arguments Don’t Add Up
The ugly new bipartisan immigration bill fortunately failed to pass the Senate. Mass deportations won’t benefit the US working class.
Ed Broadbent Kept the Flame of Social Democracy Alive in Canada
Ed Broadbent, the leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party for nearly 15 years, died last month at age 87. He was one of North America’s most important champions of social democracy.
New York Growers Are Fighting Farmworkers’ Right to Organize
A lawsuit filed by New York growers challenges the right of farmworkers on H-2A visas to unionize. Win or lose, the lawsuit is posing an obstacle to the state’s farmworkers, who only won the right to collectively bargain in 2019.
Inside Gaza: From Paradise to Rubble
Gaza’s destruction was a political act. Jacobin spoke to Palestinian refugees about the vibrant, beautiful Gaza they remember and how Israel brought their homeland to ruin.
E. P. Thompson Saw the Unmaking of the Working Class
This month marks 100 years since the birth of Marxist historian E. P. Thompson. His work offers vital insights into the growth of class consciousness — but also helps us see how parts of the 20th-century left lost their structural focus on class.
Canada’s Carbon Emissions Cover-Up
Canada’s carbon footprint is not just a step but a giant leap beyond what’s been claimed. A six-year study pulls back the curtain on the environmental debacle, revealing emissions rates that dwarf industry figures.
We Need a Worker-Led EV Transition That Serves the Common Good
The UAW is now in the midst of an ambitious drive to organize the US’s nonunion auto shops, including electric vehicle plants. Winning a just EV transition will require a worker-led organizing strategy that puts common-good demands front and center.
Americans Have Good Reasons to Be Unhappy With the Economy
A recent uptick in consumer confidence has led many commentators to decide Americans unhappy with the economy are just delusional. But make no mistake: the signs of economic struggle are very real, and they’re everywhere.
Holly Herndon’s Revolutionary AI Music
Award-winning performer Holly Herndon is using artificial intelligence to pioneer novel forms of composition, pushing back against AI-generated music that produces an endless glut of the same instead of anything radically new.
In Defense of the Work Ethic
Conservatives have often embraced the work ethic in order to attack the poor and unemployed. In her latest book, the philosopher Elizabeth Anderson argues for reclaiming the concept, explaining that its origins lie in a radical critique of the idle rich.
The New Mr. & Mrs. Smith Is Very Different From the Brangelina Film
Loosely based on the 2005 film, the new Mr. & Mrs. Smith TV reboot uses the action-comedy genre to represent how impossible life is for so many people today, with two misfit unemployables turning to assassin work out of desperation.