Why America Never Got a Labor Party
In Europe, labor unions and socialist parties marched together and won massive reforms. In the United States, they were divided. Vivek Chibber explains how that split still shapes US politics today.
20631 Article(s) by: Opal Lee
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Opal Lee is a writer.
We Need Natural Disaster Insurance for All
California’s private insurers are abandoning homeowners and dodging payouts while padding executives’ pockets. A public disaster insurance system would cover everyone automatically, spread risk fairly, and invest in disaster prevention.
An ABC of Authoritarianism: Argentina, Brazil, and Chile
Aside from its authoritarian ambitions, the Trump administration shares few of the conditions of Latin America’s past military dictatorships. But its echoing of fearful rhetoric about an “enemy from within” remains just as dangerous today.
Israel’s West Bank Occupation Is a Danger to Women
Women in the West Bank face daily harassment by Israeli settlers and troops. While Israel often paints itself as more forward-thinking on women’s rights, its occupation crushes Palestinian women’s autonomy and exposes them to violence.
Your Party Can Realign the British Left
Britain’s new left-wing force Your Party has got off to a troubled start. But faced with the historic decline of working-class organization, it’s vital that it makes good on its promise to rebuild grassroots power.
Wake in Fright Made Us Fear the Australian Outback
Ozploitation classic Wake in Fright holds a mirror up to some of the ugliest parts of Australia. Fifty-five years after its premiere, audiences can’t get enough.
Coupang, South Korea’s Amazon, Is Copying Its Worst Habits
The South Korean e-commerce platform Coupang has been engulfed by scandals over data breaches and dangerous work conditions. Having spent millions to lobby US politicians, the firm is now calling in their help to protect it from scrutiny by regulators.
Socialist David Orkin Aims to Unseat a Key Eric Adams Ally
Democratic socialist David Orkin is running for New York State Assembly in Queens, aiming to further bolster the left-wing stronghold and unseat a key ally of former mayor Eric Adams. Jacobin spoke to Orkin about his campaign.
What Was History’s Deadliest Era?
A recent history of guns and empire argues that early modern Europe marked the origins of a uniquely murderous era. But the world it describes is not so different from our own and making sense of its horrors requires judgment, not just arithmetic.
Spain Shows Another Immigration Policy Is Possible
Spanish political leaders know that the economy relies on undocumented migrants and their labor. Rather than step up expulsions, Pedro Sánchez’s government has announced plans to regularize over 500,000 migrants’ status.
Israel’s Campaign to Make East Jerusalem Unlivable
Israel has stepped up home demolitions in East Jerusalem in a campaign to drive out Palestinians. The government is claiming that buildings lack permits while also ensuring that such authorization is impossible to obtain.
Ohio Train Derailment Victims Are Still Waiting for Justice
Three years after the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, the railroad, lawyers, and myriad companies involved in a $600 million class action settlement have all been paid — while many residents have yet to receive anything.
The Flawed Memory of Brazil’s Dictatorship
Kleber Mendonça Filho’s Oscar-nominated The Secret Agent examines how authoritarianism corrupts and distorts memory. Forty years since the end of Brazil’s military dictatorship, the rise of Jair Bolsonaro’s far right is proof.
Meet Cea Weaver, the Tenant Leader Who Terrifies NYC Landlords
The recent right-wing obsession with Cea Weaver, a longtime tenant organizer appointed to lead the Office to Protect Tenants, reveals how shaken New York City’s real estate elites are by Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s pro-renter agenda.
The New Right Openly Pines for Manifest Destiny 2.0
Past conservatives devoted enormous energy to downplaying America’s history of brutal imperial expansion. But in the second Trump administration, the New Right is doing something different: it’s openly celebrating and seeking to revive it.
Romania’s Far Right Imports Anti-Immigrant Line
Historically, Romania has had more emigration than immigration. Yet nationalist parties are now importing US Republicans’ anti-immigrant talking points, using culture-war rhetoric to distract from bigger economic questions.
The Case for Universal Music Literacy
An ideal society would equitably distribute the means of production, and that includes musical production. Universal music literacy would ensure everyone has the tools to take part in the collective human legacy of music.
Iran Is Facing Its Deepest Crisis Since the 1979 Revolution
Discontent over dire economic conditions lay behind the protest wave that rocked Iran earlier this month. A US attack will make things even worse for the Iranian people, whether or not it results in the regime change Donald Trump would like to see.
Zohran: The Budget Crisis Is Real. Workers Shouldn’t Pay for It.
Facing a massive budgetary crisis, Zohran Mamdani is breaking with technocratic norms to openly explain the deficit while reiterating his pledges to oppose austerity and tax the rich — which means walking a political tightrope with Gov. Kathy Hochul.
An Infinite State of Exception in Nayib Bukele’s El Salvador
Both Donald Trump and El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele style themselves successful businessmen with an affinity for social media, cryptocurrency, and criminalizing poor Salvadorans. And each stands to gain from the relationship with the other.