The Economy Isn’t Actually Good for Workers Right Now
Celebration of today’s economy reveals more about the class biases of journalists than it does about the daily realities of ordinary workers.
19512 Articles by: Opal Lee
Opal Lee is a writer.
The Hussite Revolt Threatened Medieval Europe’s Social Order
In medieval Bohemia, religious dissent against the Catholic Church developed into full-blown social rebellion. The radical Hussites put forward daringly egalitarian ideas and held out for years against seemingly overwhelming odds on the battlefield.
India’s Dalits and Muslims Can Work Together Against Modi
Behind Narendra Modi’s surprising electoral setback last month lay years of organizing by movements against his Hindu chauvinist agenda. One of those movements is working to forge unity between Muslims and Dalits against Modi’s efforts to divide them.
The Pussy Riot Trial Was a Warning for US Universities
The 2012 trial of Russian punk band Pussy Riot was a scandalous case of censorship dressed up as preventing offense. Claims that US campus protests over Gaza represent “faith-based harassment” are doing the same thing.
FTC Chair Lina Khan Isn’t Scared of Billionaire Bullies
Billionaire donors are pressuring Kamala Harris to fire Lina Khan, whose term as FTC chair has seen aggressive antitrust actions against tech giants. David Sirota interviewed Khan about her anti-monopoly agenda and the corporate efforts to shut it down.
Greece’s Six-Day Workweek Is a Recipe for Disaster
Greece’s forced six-day workweek exploits workers and will leave the economy worse off in the long run. The policy, driven by economic pressures and an aging population, serves as a cautionary tale for global labor.
Students in Bangladesh Are Challenging a Repressive System
Repression of student protests in Bangladesh has killed almost 200 people. The protests began over the allocation of government jobs but developed into a wider challenge to a ruling party that’s out of touch and increasingly authoritarian.
The Pesticide Industry’s Toxic Lobby
A new study found the amount of pesticides used on farms was strongly associated with the incidence of cancer. It comes on the heels of substantial lobbying by the pesticide industry to limit its liability from lawsuits over their products’ health impacts.
The Right Is Hoping to Defeat Cori Bush Next
Reactionary forces like AIPAC who want more death and misery in Gaza are going up against Rep. Cori Bush. Her reelection is a priority for progressive forces everywhere.
Project 2025’s Anti-Union Game Plan
Much attention has been paid to the antidemocratic aspects of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a radical playbook for the first 180 days of a new Trump term. But few have focused on its plan to kneecap unions and attack workers’ rights.
How Academia Failed the Test of the War in Gaza
Faced with the genocide in Gaza, most Western universities have responded with cowardly silence. Academia’s dependence on political sponsorship and weapons firms has muzzled its critical spirit and created a dismal culture of self-censorship.
Migrants Die at Sea Because Governments Let Them Drown
Over the last two weeks, six migrants died trying to cross the English Channel. An aid worker at the French port of Calais writes on the political choices that condemn them to early graves — and the need for safe routes for people on the move.
The Indian Prime Minister Who Mainstreamed the Hindu Right
Before Narendra Modi, there was Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Indian prime minister who spent his formative years promoting anti-Muslim hysteria. A new biography explains how Vajpayee smuggled far-right Hinduism into the political mainstream.
Anne Applebaum’s Dystopia of Rules
Anne Applebaum made her name on the Right, but conservatives’ illiberal turn created rifts between her and her former comrades. In Autocracy, Inc., she takes the side of liberalism against authoritarianism but misidentifies the causes of global disorder.
Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore on Making a People’s Music
Thurston Moore was a founding member of Sonic Youth and is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. He spoke to Jacobin about his life in the industry and the power of music to express ideas.
An Investigation Shows How the IDF Killed Hind Rajab
Hind Rajab is one of at least 14,500 Palestinian children killed in the war in Gaza. An investigation by the research collective Forensic Architecture exposes the IDF’s blame for this six-year-old’s death — but most Western media has ignored it.
Billionaire Donor Wants Kamala Harris to Fire the FTC Chair
A major Democratic donor and Microsoft board member is pressuring Kamala Harris to dismiss the government’s top antitrust regulator, who has launched an aggressive crackdown on corporate power since taking office.
How the United States Exerts Power Over the UK
The US’s record of intervening in the politics of Global South countries is well known. But in recent decades, US intelligence agencies have meddled even in the affairs of staunch ally the UK, and the US military maintains a major presence in the country.
Netanyahu’s Speech Is a Gift to Future Genocide Historians
Everything about Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress yesterday was grotesque. But it will at least provide a historical document that clearly identifies which American elected officials were enthusiastic backers of genocide.
Workers Want Unions. Labor Movement Ingenuity Can Provide.
In the 1930s, labor unions were in bad shape. An imaginative new labor organization called the Congress of Industrial Organizations swept in and made them powerful and relevant. Now unions are in bad shape again, and the CIO’s history points the way out.