Workers Saved Bolivian Democracy
After the Bolivian ultraright launched a coup in 2019, a mass movement restored the country’s socialist government — proof that it isn’t elites that protect democracy but organized workers.
20423 Article(s) by: Opal Lee
Opal Lee is a writer.
America Will Be Obsessed With Luigi Mangione for a Long Time
The collective outpouring of admiration for a young alleged assassin points to a gaping void in American politics.
A Woman Is Facing Jail Time for Saying “Delay, Deny, Depose”
Briana Boston, a working-class woman fighting a health insurance claims denial, has been arrested for saying “delay, deny, depose” on a phone call to her insurer. The judge has set her bail at $100,000, “considering the status of our country.”
Studs Terkel’s Classic Working Turns 50
Fifty years ago, Studs Terkel documented American workers’ complex inner lives at a pivotal moment of social transformation. His interviews in Working revealed both the dignity and degradation of work, capturing a world on the cusp of profound change.
Tulsi Gabbard Stands for Nothing
Some observers are hoping that Tulsi Gabbard, as Donald Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence, will be a counterweight to warmongering “neocons” in his administration. But a sober look at her record doesn’t inspire much confidence.
Crypto Could Barrel Us Into Another Financial Crisis
Recent reports from federal regulators warning about crypto’s volatility and lack of regulation echo alerts about the subprime mortgage industry before the 2008 financial crisis.
Schengen Is a Border-Free Zone Surrounded by Barbed Wire
Removing border checks between many European states, the Schengen Area is often hailed as an internationalist triumph. Yet its creation went hand in hand with the tightening of Europe’s external borders — a contradiction that is hardening today.
Romania’s Election Isn’t Just About Geopolitics
After Romania’s election was canceled, both the far-right candidate and his liberal opponent wrote to Donald Trump to seek his backing. The country’s political leadership class remains strongly deferential to Washington.
Israel Is Also Waging an Economic War Against Palestinians
Since October 7, 2023, Israel has been depriving hundreds of thousands of Palestinians of access to work and wages. This has created a crisis that has driven millions of Palestinians in Israel and the West Bank into poverty.
Health Insurers Have Funneled $120B to Shareholders Since 2010
Since the passage of the ACA, the US’s largest health insurers have dumped billions into enriching shareholders through stock buybacks — with nearly half spent by UnitedHealth Group, the parent company of CEO Brian Thompson’s UnitedHealthcare.
Manchin and Sinema Just Handed the GOP an NLRB Majority
Yesterday Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema voted to block the reappointment of Democrat Lauren McFerran to the National Labor Relations Board. This means that when Donald Trump takes office, he can immediately establish a GOP majority on the board.
Lina Khan and the Return of Anti-Monopoly
In the past few years, Lina Khan has found herself at the vanguard of a new anti-monopoly movement. But is her worldview too limited to truly rein in corporations?
Nina Turner: For-Profit Health Care Is Immoral
Nina Turner reflects on the outpouring of anger at our for-profit health system in the wake of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killing — and her concern that without radical change to our political system, political violence will continue to escalate.
Health Insurers’ Profits Are Reaching New Heights
The top five health insurers have raked in over $371 billion in profits since ACA passed. Over 40% of that went to the parent company of CEO Brian Thompson’s UnitedHealthcare, UnitedHealth Group — which denies nearly one in three claims from its policyholders.
Bernie Sanders: A Mass Movement Can Beat Health CEO Greed
We spoke to Bernie Sanders about alleged health insurance CEO shooter Luigi Mangione, the crisis of for-profit health care in America, why only a mass movement can win Medicare for All, and how to fight the growing share of working-class votes for the Right.
Luigi Mangione’s Anger Wasn’t Neatly Ideological
Far from an ideologue, Luigi Mangione seems more akin to an average swing voter: holding a hodgepodge of political views yet resolutely enraged by the barbarities of a for-profit health care system.
Confronting Capitalism: Workers Without a Party
In the latest episode of the Jacobin Radio podcast Confronting Capitalism, Vivek Chibber discusses Donald Trump’s recent victory, why the Democrats gave up their working-class base, and how the Left can respond to class dealignment.
The Democrats’ “Opportunity” Pitch Is a Dead End
Following a proud centrist tradition, Kamala Harris’s campaign promised to build an “opportunity economy” that would grant success to the deserving. The meritocratic pitch was emblematic of Democrats’ long march away from working-class voters.
Syria: What Comes After the Despot?
Anand Gopal on why the Assad dictatorship was one of the most brutal regimes of the 21st century and what’s likely to come next in Syria.
The Quiet Decline of Belgian Social Democracy
Strong unions, a labyrinthine state, and political deadlock prevented Belgian neoliberals from implementing reforms in the 1970s. But as the economy spun into crisis, the Catholic Party convinced its labor union to accept austerity and wage cuts.