So Much for a Newly Reborn Republican Party
People keep saying that economic populism and an antiwar, anti-interventionist spirit have swept the GOP. But there wasn’t much substantive evidence of that at the RNC.
19517 Articles by: Opal Lee
Opal Lee is a writer.
The Passions and the Interests
An effective left politics can’t just speak to workers’ material interests. It also has to construct myths that speak to people’s sense of dignity and humanity.
We Need to Talk About Amazon Prime Day
Amazon Prime Day, which took place earlier this week, offers a flurry of deals for savvy consumers. But the two weeks leading up to the event and Prime Day itself result in double the industry average of recorded injuries.
Most Large US Public Charities Are Now Dark-Money Funds
Finance giants like Fidelity and Schwab are pushing “donor-advised funds” that enable the ultrawealthy to funnel cash to far-right extremist groups anonymously under the guise of charitable giving. Project 2025 has benefited enormously.
Abolish the NBA’s One-and-Done Rule
The NBA’s one-and-done rule stops players from entering the league straight from high school. This pushes top players into the NCAA, which makes billions off them, and reduces the window in which athletes, whose careers are often cut short, can earn.
Israel’s War Crimes in Gaza Show the Real Danger of AI
The most pressing menace from artificial intelligence is not a sci-fi scenario where machines take over from human beings. It’s the use of AI as a tool to carry out atrocities that are 100% man-made — something we can see playing out right now in Gaza.
Fly Me to the Moon Crashes Back Down to Earth
Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson try to win the 1969 space race in Fly Me to the Moon. But its heavy-handed history lessons ruin the fun.
Ireland’s Revolution Could Have Taken a Radical Turn
Traditional accounts of Ireland’s national revolution have focused on military struggle against British rule. But it was also a time of popular mobilization by workers and women that could have put the new Irish state on a far more progressive course.
Republicans’ Message of Unity Didn’t Last Long
Jacobin’s Branko Marcetic reports from the RNC that, after claiming the high ground following Donald Trump’s near assassination, the GOP spent night two accusing Democrats of unleashing violent migrants to rape, murder, and sex-traffic their way across the US.
What Joe Biden’s “Rent Cap” Really Does
Joe Biden just announced a proposal to force big landlords to choose between capping rent increases at 5% annually or losing access to a coveted tax write-off. It’s not a real rent cap — but it potentially opens the door to bolder federal action.
Gideon Levy: Getting Rid of Netanyahu Is Not Enough
Journalist Gideon Levy is one of the most articulate critics of Israeli war and apartheid. He spoke to Jacobin about the grim pro-war mood in Israel and the need for international pressure to end its apartheid system.
The Gun Lobby Ensured That Guns Are Allowed at the RNC
Despite the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, guns are allowed just outside the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. That’s thanks to the gun lobby, which fought for a state law that prohibits cities from restricting guns on public property.
Korea’s Samsung Workers Are Striking for the Very First Time
Samsung, the flagship of South Korean capitalism and one of the world’s biggest electronics firms, is facing its first-ever strike.
Jeremy Corbyn: Our Antiwar Voice Will Keep Getting Louder
Despite vicious attacks by the Labour Party establishment, left-winger Jeremy Corbyn easily retained his seat in the recent British election. He spoke to Jacobin about his successful campaign and how he’ll put pressure on Keir Starmer’s government.
A Return to Gompers
Teamster president Sean O’Brien’s speech at the Republican National Convention may represent a return to nonpartisan realpolitik for unions. But does that reflect labor’s strength or its decline?
Democrats Now Openly Admit They Pushed Biden to Block Bernie
There are some other things transpiring in American politics right now. But we must note that Democratic leaders are now unabashedly stating what Bernie Sanders supporters said over and over in 2020: the party pushed Joe Biden primarily to stop Bernie.
How the Culture Wars Are Undermining Public Education
The Right has deployed attacks on LGBTQ rights, the teaching of black history, and other topics to politicize and undermine public schools. The Left has an opportunity to mobilize a broad coalition to defend public education in response to this assault.
UK Immigrant Workers May Win Europe’s First Amazon Union
In Coventry, England, 3,000 Amazon workers — most of them immigrants — just voted on whether to unionize. If the workers vote yes, they would be the first Amazon warehouse workers in Europe to win a union.
On Stochastic Terrorism and Speech as Violence
The theory of stochastic terrorism dangerously undermines free speech norms by blurring the line between speech and violence.
Donald Trump’s Near Death Has Reenergized His Movement
Branko Marcetic reports for Jacobin from the floor of the Republican National Convention, where the near-death experience of Donald Trump and his selection of hard-right running mate J. D. Vance has breathed new life into the MAGA movement.