Ben Tarnoff Wants to Socialize the Internet
When it comes to internet infrastructure, the for-profit model is presented as inevitable — but political decisions built today’s internet, and political movements could build something different.
19505 Articles by: Opal Lee
Opal Lee is a writer.
Francis Fukuyama Is Right: Socialism Is the Only Alternative to Liberalism
In Liberalism and Its Discontents, Francis Fukuyama diagnoses the political and psychological malaise caused by capitalism. His analysis makes one thing clear: liberalism is incapable of addressing the social, economic, and ecological crises it faces.
Veteran Brittany Ramos DeBarros Is Running for Congress to Stop America’s Endless Wars
In New York’s 11th Congressional District, two veterans are competing for the Democratic nomination. One is a centrist who will strengthen the military-industrial complex; the other is a democratic socialist who built her career fighting it.
To Defend Democracy, We Need Mass Action
We can’t sit on our hands waiting for Joe Biden to protect abortion and the climate. Movements for the New Deal and civil rights showed us how to beat the Supreme Court and other reactionary, undemocratic institutions: mass action.
Climate Change Is About to Cause a Viral Explosion
As climate change disrupts migration patterns, animals and the viruses they carry will come into unusual contact with each other — and inevitably with humans, unleashing new pandemics. The only thing that can stop this unfolding nightmare is a mass movement.
These Teachers in Suburban Boston Went on an Illegal Strike — and Won
For public-sector workers in Massachusetts, as in many states throughout the country, strikes are illegal. That didn’t stop these suburban teachers from striking and winning anyway.
Joe Biden’s Middle East Visit Showed a US Empire Scrambling to Maintain Its Imperial Power
As the US loses its grip on the Middle East, it is fostering new alliances between Israel and the Arab states to shore up its hegemony. Those alliances, looking to form a “Middle Eastern NATO,” could provoke Iran and spark new conflict in the region.
The 1877 Class War That America Forgot
In 1877, one million workers went on strike and fought police and federal troops in cities across America. The monikers “Great Upheaval” and “Great Railroad Strike” undersell what verged on a second Civil War — this time pitting labor against capital.
Starbucks’ Howard Schultz Should Win an Award for the Nation’s Most Flagrant Union Buster
The surprise union victories at Starbucks in recent months were an inspiration to millions around the United States. But Starbucks is now pulling out all the stops to engage in one of the most flagrant union-busting campaigns in recent memory.
Private Charity Has Become Just Another Scam for the 1 Percent
We were told that the generosity of the rich would make up for cuts to government services. But those at the top are increasingly using dubious “charitable” ventures as vehicles for profit and influence.
Socialist President Xiomara Castro Is Trying to Revive Democracy in Honduras
Honduras’s new leftist president, Xiomara Castro, was inaugurated in January. In her first few months in office, she’s prioritized dismantling the decade-long right-wing dictatorship’s anti-labor, pro-capital agenda.
Technocrats Will Never Stop the Far Right, in Italy or Anywhere Else
Former central banker Mario Draghi has resigned as Italian prime minister, pushing the country into snap elections. Best-placed to benefit is the only major force that opposed his government: Giorgia Meloni’s far-right Fratelli d’Italia.
David Simon Understands the Problems With Policing but Rejects the Solutions
David Simon returns with a new show about policing in Baltimore called We Own This City, 20 years after The Wire first aired. It’s an even more damning depiction of the state of urban policing — but one that betrays Simon’s confusion about how to fix it.
Amazon Is Getting Into the Business of Medicare Privatization
Amazon has announced it is acquiring One Medical, a private equity–backed primary care provider that generates most of its revenue from a for-profit Medicare program. It’s a terrifying sign of Amazon’s continued expansion and the privatization of Medicare.
A Russian Sociologist Explains Why Putin’s War Is Going Even Worse Than It Looks
The Russian public response to the invasion of Ukraine has been muted with antiwar protests quickly repressed. But the slow progress of the war is feeding a series of other crises, leaving Vladimir Putin’s inner circle increasingly isolated.
The Forde Report Has Exposed the Rotten Foundations of Keir Starmer’s Leadership
Lawyer Martin Forde has finally published a report on the Labour Party’s bitter factional wars under Jeremy Corbyn. The findings of the report show that the case against Corbyn made by his opponents was a shameless and cynical frame-up.
Where the Crawdads Sing Is Pure Book Club Sentimentalism
Reese Witherspoon’s book club made the 2018 novel Where the Crawdads Sing a hit. The new film adaptation, just like the book it’s based on, is pure bathos of the mushiest kind.
Honduras Needs a New Constitution to Break With the Old, Corrupt State
After many years as a close US ally in Central America and over a decade of corrupt dictatorship, Honduras has a left government. Jacobin spoke to Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Gerardo Torres about the political transformations Honduras desperately needs.
To No One’s Surprise, Joe Manchin’s Former Top Aide Is Now a Corporate Lobbyist
After working as a top aide for Senator Joe Manchin, Jonathan Kott launched an anti–Bernie Sanders dark money group and now lobbies for oil giants, Big Pharma, and Fox News. His career is a perfect illustration of DC’s corrupt revolving-door culture.
AMLO Is Trying to Free Mexico and Latin America From the US’s Imperial Grip
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is wildly popular among Mexicans at home and abroad. It’s not just because of his domestic policies: AMLO is also playing a key role in challenging US dominance in Latin America.