In the stiflingly reactionary cultural atmosphere of postwar America, most filmmakers didn’t talk much about class. But there was one significant exception: film noir was the most class-conscious genre of motion picture America has ever produced.
Human Rights Watch has not answered for its compromised independence from the US government.
On immigration policy, the Democrats are moving toward Trump and the Republicans. The mainstream media seems to think this is a good idea.
Private prisons today are nothing more than a return to the monstrous rackets of the past.
In the new mystery miniseries Apples Never Fall, Annette Bening’s fantastic performance can’t save an otherwise bland “whodunit” thriller.
Lamar Johnson’s 1995 murder conviction was overturned on Tuesday — but only after he spent most of his life in jail. The circumstances of his wrongful conviction reflect an American justice system quick to condemn working-class men of color.
Newspapers are a key part of a healthy press that is vital to any democratic society. But we shouldn’t valorize the corporate media as our last line of defense against Trump or anything else.
Donald Trump is rightly facing legal consequences for his attempts to overturn the 2020 election. But with his supporters unwilling to accept the facts and a Supreme Court likely to side with Trump, the situation may be a powder keg under US democracy.
Daniel Hale’s revelations about the brutalities of US drone warfare didn’t harm any Americans or make them less safe. But his prosecution for whistleblowing and recent sentencing to nearly four years in prison was a blow against democracy.
New York City mayor Bill de Blasio has repeatedly defended the police even as they've brutalized protesters. It's a reminder that his progressive reputation was always overblown — and that when push comes to shove, he's always going to side with the real estate interests that cops protect.
Denver’s STAR program sends paramedics and behavioral health clinicians instead of police to respond to 911 calls related to mental health issues, homelessness, and substance abuse. It’s led to a 34 percent drop in crime in its operating districts since 2020.
The jumble of characters and subplots in the Sopranos prequel makes for a less-than-focused production that can’t stack up to the original series. But then, what can?
If Russia were persecuting a whistleblower like Julian Assange, the US would rightly condemn it as authoritarian abuse. But because that persecution is backed by the US, the mainstream media and American politicians are fine with it.
Swedish politics has taken a xenophobic turn with the explosive rise of the Sweden Democrats.
Bill Clinton gutted welfare and criminalized the poor, all while funneling more money into the carceral state.
Chelsea Manning was recently jailed for refusing to testify in a grand jury investigation against Julian Assange. Her refusal is an act of resistance against the abusive use of grand juries and prosecutorial intimidation.
The Clintons aren't the solution to the plutocratic status quo — they are the status quo.
Ending the scourge of mass incarceration will require seeking justice not just for the innocent but for the guilty.
Alp Altınörs has spent years in a Turkish jail because of his support for the Kurdish-led fight against ISIS. In an op-ed for Jacobin, the jailed socialist explains why the values of that struggle should also mean solidarity with Palestinians.
In Renfield, Nicholas Hoult is a delight as Dracula’s much-abused personal assistant. But even Nicolas Cage as the Count himself can’t keep the movie on track.