Big Pharma’s Favorite Democrats
Three House Democrats working to kill legislation to control prescription drug prices raked in roughly $1.6 million from pharma donors — and the top aide for one of them is now a Big Pharma lobbyist.
19588 Articles by: Jonathan Sas
Jonathan Sas has worked in senior policy and political roles in government, think tanks, and the labor movement. He is an honorary witness to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. His writing has appeared in the Toronto Star, National Post, the Tyee, and Maisonneuve.
The Mexican Supreme Court Decriminalizes Abortion
In a landmark ruling, Mexico’s Supreme Court declared anti-abortion laws unconstitutional. But it’ll take mass organizing and legislative victory to cement reproductive rights in the country.
Noam Chomsky: Average People Still Have the Power to Stop Wars
Noam Chomsky talks to Jacobin about why the US withdrawal from Afghanistan won’t change US imperialism, the many war crimes of George W. Bush, and why he still believes in average people’s ability to push back against the war machine.
Ken Burns Talks to Jacobin About the Revolutionary Muhammad Ali
The new four-part PBS documentary Muhammad Ali, codirected by Ken Burns, examines the life of the legendary boxer and antiwar radical. Burns talks to Jacobin about how a kid from Kentucky named Cassius Clay became “the spirit of the 20th century.”
Unfortunately, Gavin Newsom Is the Future of the Democrats
Gavin Newsom came into office with “Big Hairy Audacious Goals” like universal health care — and proceeded to fulfill as few of them as he could. It’s no wonder he came dangerously close to facilitating a GOP power grab in a deep blue state.
Socialist Legislators Are Taking on Rhode Island’s Ultraconservative Democrats
They vote against party leaders, fight for Medicare for All, and invite Democratic Socialists of America to help draft legislation. Meet Rhode Island’s socialist state legislators, Sam Bell and David Morales.
The Shining Path’s Abimael Guzmán Helped Keep Peru in the Past
Abimael Guzmán, leader of the Shining Path, has died at the age of 86. With his passing and the rise of a new left-wing government, Peru finally has the chance to move forward.
In Norway, the Left Is Winning Back Power
Norway’s election this Monday brought defeat for the unpopular right-wing government. Now, Labor looks set to return to power — together with an emboldened radical left.
You Really Can Fight Poverty With One Weird Trick: Giving People Money
New numbers from the Census Bureau show that even as the US economy collapsed last year, the poverty rate actually went down. There’s no mystery why: the government gave people money.
Mark Levin Wants a New Red Scare
Mark Levin’s American Marxism is full of absurd inaccuracies about socialists. But accuracy isn’t his aim — Levin wants a sweep of “Marxists” from every layer of American society, a 21st-century rerun of McCarthyist authoritarianism to attack the Left.
Dirty Work Shows the Toll Bad Jobs Take on the People Who Do Them
Capitalism has created a world full of bad and brutal jobs, from meatpackers to drone operators. Capitalists created these jobs — only organized workers can get rid of them.
It’s Time for a Wealth Tax in Canada
To combat extreme inequality, a housing crisis, and crumbling infrastructure, we must tax the rich. A wealth tax could raise hundreds of billions to rebuild the welfare state, but none of Canada’s major parties are proposing tax hikes that go far enough.
Washington Is Shedding Crocodile Tears for Afghan Women
War hawks constantly cite women’s liberation in support of the US occupation of Afghanistan. That’s transparent hypocrisy: during the Cold War, the US supported patriarchal fundamentalists against a party dedicated to advancing the cause of Afghan women.
Justin Trudeau’s Election Promises Were Made to Be Broken
After pledging billions in new spending to salvage his electoral fortunes, Canada’s prime minister has decided to spend the final week of the current election campaign doing what he does best: defending the wealthy from tax hikes.
The Supreme Court Justices Really Are “A Bunch of Partisan Hacks”
Amy Barrett says Supreme Court justices must be “hyper vigilant” about their biases — less than four months after Barrett decided to participate in a major climate case against Shell Oil, the fossil fuel giant that employed her father for nearly three decades.
Dave Zirin: You Can’t Separate Sports and Politics
Over the past decade, sportswriter Dave Zirin has had a front-row seat to the upheavals sweeping professional sports. From Colin Kaepernick to the Milwaukee Bucks’ strike for Jacob Blake, athletes aren’t shutting up and playing anymore.
France’s Extreme Center Is Radicalizing — And Adopting Far-Right Talking Points
Last summer, left-wing French MP Danièle Obono was portrayed in a nationalist magazine as a slave in chains. She told Jacobin about how the far right is taking over French media — and how Emmanuel Macron’s supporters are adopting its reactionary agenda.
Betsy DeVos Is Still Undermining Public Schools. Next Target: Los Angeles.
In Los Angeles, Betsy DeVos is using the chaos of COVID-19 to push a voucher scheme that would force public schools to compete for students to stay open. After conquering LA, DeVos and friends aim to take the plan nationwide.
Barack Obama, the Hollow Icon
The Obama presidency gave rise to a uniquely powerful iconography that projected a sense of hope and radical possibility. But behind the president’s messianic imagery was a country unraveling at the seams — and a president who stood for nothing.
How Socialist Cuba Became a Sports Power
In 1972, the Soviet Union beat the US in men’s Olympic basketball. The controversial victory has overshadowed the story of Cuba’s bronze medal at the very same games, and the remarkable socialist sports infrastructure that made the island nation’s win possible.