The Postpresidential Speeches of George W. Bush
Now here’s a man with some wisdom to dispense.
20383 Article(s) by: Wouter van de Klippe
Wouter van de Klippe is a freelance journalist and writer based in Europe. He is particularly interested in organized labor, social and environmental justice, and social welfare states.
Southern California Hotel Workers Are on Strike Against Automated Management
On top of issues like low pay, workers are up against faceless algorithmic management that can punish them for various offenses — including for refusing to cross picket lines. Workers at a hotel in Southern California are on strike against this practice.
Sowing War, Reaping Profit
For some, the Iraq War is a gift that keeps on giving. The most notorious defense contractors of the Iraq War era are still raking in cash — as are the legislators who enable them.
Iraq’s Misery
Decades of war and sanctions left their imprint on the country.
Artist Dora García Considers Alexandra Kollontai and Mexican Feminism
The newest of artist Dora Garcia’s films on feminist revolution, Amor Rojo’s simultaneous exploration of Soviet feminist Alexandra Kollontai and today’s Mexican feminism is the most compelling yet, but it misses the politics of the contemporary moment.
Mobile, Alabama, Just Diluted the Black Vote Through Annexation
Last week’s annexation vote in Mobile, Alabama, added thousands of white residents, reducing the black-white voter gap in the majority-minority city. It’s an effective strategy used by city elites to artificially inflate conservative political power.
Free Boris Kagarlitsky
Sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky, a prominent Russian Marxist, has been detained by Vladimir Putin’s FSB on fabricated charges of “justifying terrorism.” His arrest shows how the Russian state is silencing critics of its war.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte Is Gone, but the Turn to the Right Continues
Dutch premier Mark Rutte has resigned, pitching his country toward snap elections. He brought down the government in a conflict over migration — and there’s every sign his conservative party, the VVD, will now embrace the nationalist right.
Latin America Has Lost One of Its Last Great Revolutionaries
Adolfo Gilly witnessed some of the most dramatic events in Latin American history and wrote about them with unparalleled clarity. With his recent passing, the Latin American left lost one of its most compelling voices.
The Strike Is One of Workers’ Most Powerful Weapons Against Exploitation
Hollywood writers and actors are on strike together for the first time in over 60 years, and they could be joined soon by a UAW strike at one of the “Big Three” automakers. It’s a good time to remember: the strike is one of workers’ greatest weapons.
Despite Exemptions, US Sanctions Are Still Holding Back Syria’s Quake Recovery
A new report says that six months after the Biden administration issued a special earthquake exemption, US sanctions are still hindering Syria’s reconstruction. The solution is obvious: just lift all the sanctions already.
Protomartyr Singer Joe Casey Talks Bernie, Detroit, and Hyperexploitation of Musicians
Jacobin recently sat down with Joe Casey, lead singer of critically acclaimed rock band Protomartyr, to discuss his hometown of Detroit and the dire state of US politics and the music industry today.
Landlords Are Threatening to Evict Tenants for Using Air Conditioning in British Columbia
As temperatures soar, tenants in British Columbia are facing eviction threats for installing AC units.
The GOP Is Quietly Adding Climate Denial to Government Spending Bills
Beholden to fossil fuel industry donors, congressional Republicans are quietly inserting provisions into government spending bills that undermine the US government’s ability to respond to the worsening climate crisis.
Germany’s Rising Far Right Would Let the Planet Burn
Polls suggest the far-right Alternative für Deutschland is now Germany’s second most popular party. Best known as an anti-immigrant force, it also ardently resists efforts to reduce carbon emissions — insisting that climate change could be a good thing.
Israel Is Bullying Progressives on Borrowed Time
Israel’s naked attempt to enforce an unflagging pro-Israel consensus, as it did in stoking backlash against Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s sensible recent comments that the country is a “racist state,” may work in the short-term. But the future belongs to Palestine.
The US Government Is Ramping Up an Anti-China Witch Hunt
The US government is launching investigations of US academics with ties to Chinese research institutes. It’s a dangerous escalation of anti-China surveillance, which threatens civil liberties while doing little to help those it is supposed to protect.
Joe Biden Could Cancel Student Debt for Everyone Right Now
Earlier this month, the Biden administration automatically discharged student debt for more then 800,000 borrowers. The move shows that, if he wanted to, Joe Biden could cancel debt for everyone else right now. He’s not doing that.
The Czech Socialist Literature That Influenced Milan Kundera
Milan Kundera, who died this month, became known as a staunchly individualist critic of one-party Communist rule. Yet his work was also steeped in the rich earlier traditions of left-wing Czech literature, which grappled with the meaning of human freedom.
Spain Teaches Us That We Can Defeat the Right
Before Sunday’s election, Spain looked set to be the next country with the far right in office. But the left-wing parties’ warnings of the reactionary threat worked, mobilizing voters to defend the gains they have made for working-class Spaniards.