The “Success Sequence” Argument Makes No Sense
Many conservatives argue that the order in which a person achieves certain life milestones is key to their financial security. The point of the argument is to blame individuals for their poverty.
19196 Articles by: Opal Lee
Opal Lee is a writer.
How Manosphere Content Placates Disenfranchised Men
Male self-esteem is indexed to wealth, an unstable prospect in a highly economically unequal society. In search of an alternative source of validation, many young men are turning to misogynistic ideas. The Left needs to provide alternatives of our own.
Canada’s Election Didn’t Halt Class Dealignment
Canada’s nationalist backlash against Donald Trump helped stall right-wing populism in this week’s election, but the underlying class dealignment remains. Workers are still drifting rightward, and the social democratic NDP is in shambles.
Workers Can Say Goodbye to Heat Protections Under Trump
For years, David Keeling oversaw health and safety operations at companies where workers fell ill and died in extreme heat. If confirmed as the head of OSHA, he could help their campaign to block federal heat protection rules.
Make May Day Great Again
We’ve come a long way from the days of Cold War paranoia, when unions wanted nothing to do with the Communist-sounding International Workers’ Day, also known as May Day. Can it become a real American holiday celebrating class struggle?
To Celebrate May Day, $1 Subscriptions
All weekend, we’re offering solidarity digital subs for $1, and print ones for $10. Subscribers get four beautiful new issues a year and access to our entire back catalog.
Will Latin America Unite Against Trump?
Rather than ushering in a new era of Latin American unity, Donald Trump’s tariffs, anti-immigrant policies, and withdrawal of humanitarian aid have mostly highlighted its divisions.
Not the Fall of Saigon — Its Liberation
Fifty years since the triumph of national liberation forces, Catalyst editor Vivek Chibber explores the true story of the Vietnam War — not as a tragedy of American overreach but as a triumph of Vietnamese resistance.
US Defeat in Vietnam Was the Final Act of an Unjust War
The US invasion of Vietnam was a catastrophe for the Vietnamese people, resulting in millions of deaths. Fifty years ago today, the US-backed regime finally collapsed as North Vietnamese forces took control of Saigon.
The Courts Won’t Save Us
Just 100 days into Donald Trump’s second term, some wonder if the US faces a constitutional crisis. Yale law professor Samuel Moyn tells Jacobin that, rather than resisting authoritarianism, the courts have enabled Trump’s rise.
Taking Stock of Donald Trump’s First One Hundred Days
One hundred days into Donald Trump’s presidency, the primary victim of America’s war against the world is America.
A Hundred Days In, Donald Trump Is Flailing
Donald Trump’s first 100 days have shown what a vigorous use of executive power actually looks like. But aside from permanently hobbling the modern American state, it’s hard to see what he’s actually achieved with it.
Will Utah Compensate Victims of Forced Sterilization?
Of the 32 US states that forcibly sterilized people in the 20th century under the influence of eugenics, only three have taken accountability by compensating survivors. A group of researchers is trying to make Utah the next.
Big Tech Wants Free Rein to Sell Your Data
Tech companies accused of exposing consumers to fraud want the Trump administration to let them freely buy and sell your personal information.
May Day 2025 Event: Charting a Socialist Future
New York–area readers: join Bhaskar Sunkara, Nancy Fraser, and Matt Bruenig for a May Day discussion about what comes after capitalism — and how we get there.
How Neoliberalism Has Distorted Human Choice
Since the 17th century, our understanding of choice has undergone profound transformations. In the neoliberal era, an especially individualistic, market-oriented idea of freedom has come to dominate more and more of our existence.
What If It Is Fascism?
Discussions of whether Trumpism is fascist often lose sight of the political stakes of the issue. But like Italian and German fascism, MAGA reflects a political system failing to address capitalist crisis.
Inside Syria’s Fight to Keep Patients Alive
Amid war and sanctions, Syria’s health care system has collapsed. These new photos from Jacobin’s correspondent in Syria show how, in the absence of a functioning state, volunteers and doctors have become the last line of defense.
Zohran Mamdani Is Breaking Through
The 33-year-old socialist Zohran Mamdani’s laser focus on affordability, smart media strategy, and undeniable charisma have made him a serious challenger for New York City mayor — and a likely fixture in New York politics for a long time to come.
The Limits of Fictional Empathy
It’s not hard to find novels criticizing the reality of late capitalism — and our seeming powerless in the face of it — on lists of best-selling literature. But a new book by Michelle de Kretser challenges readers to do more than complain.