Jeremy Corbyn: Labour Is Paving the Way for Fascism
The Labour Party could have made the case for a humane immigration system that treats refugees with dignity. Instead it has fanned the flames of racism and emboldened the far right.
20395 Article(s) by: Karl Leffme
Karl Leffme is a socialist in New York CIty.
Donald Trump Wants to Remake the Global Financial System
Donald Trump’s attack on the Fed is part of his authoritarian attempt to capture the administrative state. Economist Mona Ali spoke to Jacobin about the stakes of the current clash between Trump and Lisa Cook and what a democratized Fed could look like.
Andrew Cuomo Has a Jeffrey Epstein Problem
A surprising number of Andrew Cuomo’s allies, donors, and friends have close ties to the late pedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
Zohran Mamdani Can Help Rebuild New York’s Labor Movement
As New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani will have a range of options to encourage large numbers of workers to unionize — essential both for improving working-class living standards in an unaffordable city and building an organized force to win his agenda.
Caught Stealing Is a Wild and Violent Romp
Darren Aronofsky’s Caught Stealing sees the typically pretentious auteur shift gears toward fun and violence in late 1990s NYC. It’s a throwback to gritty 1970s filmmaking but set in the Giuliani era — the perfect setting for our downwardly mobile 2025.
Lula’s Coalition Beat the Right. Can It Deliver for the Left?
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s experience in power in Brazil illustrates that a broad-front strategy in campaigning is decidedly weaker as a case for how to actually govern.
The Fed Has Never Been Independent
While Donald Trump’s attacks on the Fed are deeply authoritarian, the institution itself is far from blameless. From the 2008 crash to the pandemic, its primary aim has been to protect the interests of the wealthy.
Work, Well-Being, and the Prospect of Job Extinction
Research shows that work shapes not only material life but also identity and community. If AI erases work as we know it, it could also erase the foundations of mass politics.
We Deserve Way, Way More Time Off
There is much more to life than work. We all have families, friends, and a beautiful world to enjoy. We need more time off to enjoy it.
CVS Strangled, Then Swallowed, Rite Aid
First CVS bled Rite Aid dry with half a billion in retroactive fees, then it bought the corpse and called it consolidation. For consumers, the result is higher drug costs.
Meet Danielle Smith, Canada’s Ayn Rand in Cowboy Boots
Danielle Smith, Alberta’s leader, is fusing libertarian dogma with oil-soaked grievance politics. It’s Canada’s version of the New Right, dressed up in provincial pride.
Tipped Workers Don’t Need Tax Relief. They Need Real Wages.
Donald Trump’s No Tax on Tips policy is a major part of his appeal to working-class Americans. But tipping is itself a strange and flawed system invented to preserve inequality. Critics worry Trump’s policy will only intensify tipping culture.
Not by Popular Power Alone
Grassroots worker organization and mobilization is essential to the success of any socialist electoral project. But socialists in executive office can’t neglect other elements, like maintaining wide popular support and alliances within the state.
Intel Is Laying Off Workers While Raking In Public Largesse
Chipmaker Intel has been laying off thousands of its American workers — as it rakes in billions in subsidies from the US government and lavishes multimillion-dollar severance and compensation packages on its former and current CEOs.
Kentucky Battery Plant Workers Have Voted to Join the UAW
In a close election, 1,200 battery plant workers at the BlueOval SK Battery Park in Kentucky voted to join the United Auto Workers this week. The ultimate outcome of the vote will hinge on 41 ballots that the union is challenging.
To Reduce Poverty, Expand the Welfare State
The policy solutions to poverty are simple: redistribute capital ownership and expand the welfare state.
In Poland, Austerity Targets Ukrainian Refugees
Polish president Karol Nawrocki is shutting off welfare benefits for Ukrainians in Poland. Earlier welcomed as refugees, Ukrainians are now pushed into a role as second-class guestworkers in their host country.
Yevgeni Preobrazhensky’s Plan to Build a Socialist Economy
The Russian Marxist Yevgeni Preobrazhensky drew up one of the most sophisticated blueprints for building a socialist economy in an underdeveloped country like Russia. Stalin’s terror silenced Preobrazhensky, but his writings are now being rediscovered.
Highest 2 Lowest Is a Cringeworthy Remake of a Classic
Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest attempts to remake a beloved Akira Kurosawa film about the injustices of a class-stratified society all while sidestepping class. Even Denzel Washington can’t save this misfire.
The Maritime Oil Trade Keeps Global Capitalism Afloat
The pandemic caused unprecedented disruption to the global shipping of oil, but the industry survived with the help of massive state intervention. Control over the oil trade is a vital tool of economic power that the US is determined to retain.