The Verdict on Henry Kissinger
In the United States, one of the twentieth century’s most prolific butchers died as he lived — beloved by the rich and powerful, regardless of their partisan affiliation.
60 Article(s) by: Jonah Walters
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Jonah Walters is currently the postdoctoral scholar in the BioCritical Studies Lab at UCLA’s Institute for Society and Genetics. He was a researcher at Jacobin from 2015 to 2020.
Tim O’Brien’s Latest Novel Embraces Political Cynicism
American Fantastica is Tim O’Brien’s first novel in two decades. For years he wrote political satires raging against the American war machine, but his latest novel abandons the moral vision of his earlier works and strikes a pessimistic note.
The Mexican Revolution Was an Internationalist Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a transnational explosion of resistance to grinding exploitation that kicked off a global epoch of anti-capitalist revolution.
Border Hacker Exposes the Chaos and Cruelty of Barack Obama’s Immigration Policy
Despite his pledge to fix the US’s “broken” immigration system, Barack Obama’s punitive policies made life more difficult for migrants — and unleashed untold horrors throughout the hemisphere.
Military Conscription Is a Crime Against Humanity
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a reminder that military conscription remains foundational to modern warfare. It is a reckless, self-defeating, and criminal practice that makes us all less safe — and it should have been abolished long ago.
Smedley Butler Helped Build American Empire. Then He Turned Against It.
Smedley Butler was born to privilege and power, becoming a powerful general in the most powerful military in the world. But he realized he was playing a key role in an evil system, US imperialism — and used his privilege and power to speak out against it.
Vietnam War Soldiers Helped End the Vietnam War
The anti–Vietnam War movement cut across the civilian-military divide, with active-duty soldiers abroad and stateside defying their commanders and refusing to fight. Those soldiers played a key role in bringing the brutal war to an end.
The Opioid Settlement Is Good for Big Pharma. It May Not Be Good for Us.
The pharmaceutical companies that fueled the opioid crisis must be held legally accountable. But to confront the social problems at the root of the addiction crisis, we’ll need political victories, not just courtroom ones.
Donald Rumsfeld Was a Bloodthirsty Warrior for the Free Market
The American warfare state’s upper reaches are filled with bloodthirsty megalomaniacs. But few have been as deranged as Donald Rumsfeld, whose appetite for imperial violence combined with free market zealotry produced one of the most spectacular failures in all of US military history.
Meet Tali Farhadian Weinstein, the Millionaire Trying to Buy the Manhattan DA’s Office
Tali Farhadian Weinstein, who owns a $26 million apartment and a $13 million summerhouse, is using her wealth and connections to try to buy the Manhattan DA’s office — and thwart anti-incarceration candidates in Tuesday's primary.
We Must Get COVID-19 Vaccines to Prisoners Immediately
People behind bars have suffered enormously during the pandemic, with COVID-19 ripping through prisons. There’s no justification for not giving prisoners the vaccine immediately — both for their sake and for the broader society.
We Can’t Fight the Far Right in Military Court
In the wake of last week’s attack on the Capitol, some are calling for the Armed Forces to prosecute pro-Trump rioters in military court. But relying on military courts won’t shore up American democracy — it will empower a punitive judicial system that is used to quash dissent within the ranks.
How We Lost Michigan
In 2016, Bernie won a major upset in Michigan, thanks in part to a groundswell of support in the state’s rural areas. In 2020, he lost every county in the state — and the numbers show he lost many of his rural supporters, too.
AOC Is Right: Get Military Recruiters Off Twitch and Out of Schools
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is pushing to kick military recruiters out of high schools and off Twitch. And she’s right: the military’s recruitment strategy of preying on low-income and working-class students is grotesque.
Once Again, the US Military Wants Your Kids
This summer, military recruiters continue focusing their efforts on twenty-three American cities with large numbers of black and Latino young people. As coronavirus drives thousands into unemployment, the Pentagon is developing bizarre neighborhood profiles and trolling social media to boost their enlistment numbers.
El Salvador’s Neoliberal Populism Runs Into Coronavirus
El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, is enforcing one of the strictest social distancing orders in the world, subjecting thousands to arrest and expanding an already ravenous and bloated prison system. With millions facing destitution and abuse, coronavirus is laying bare the instability that has always been at the core of neoliberalism in countries like El Salvador.
The NYPD Is Making Things Worse
One in six New York City police officers is out sick. Those who are still working have refused to perform emergency duties, like assisting overstressed mortuary workers, while continuing to make unnecessary arrests. It’s time to send New York cops home.
“If You Want to Keep Your Car, You Drive”
Thousands of drivers have rented vehicles through Lyft’s Express Drive program, working long hours for the company to pay off weekly rental bills. Now there aren’t enough rides on the road, and drivers can’t pay. We talked to Lyft drivers in three cities about how they’re managing the possibility of losing their cars in the middle of a pandemic.
Incarcerated People Must Be Heard
In Bernie Sanders, we finally have a presidential contender fighting for the restoration of incarcerated voters’ democratic rights — a long overdue, commonsense reform that could have far-reaching implications for American prisons, the American political system, and, at a time of pandemic, society as a whole.
Battling Neoliberalism Through Anti-Autocracy in Nicaragua
The anti-autocracy movement in Nicaragua is a reflection of broader popular struggles against neoliberal policies across Central America. It shouldn’t be dismissed or reduced to its most reactionary elements.