Andrew Yang’s New Political Party Exposes the Farce of Radical Centrism
Andrew Yang’s new Forward Party is the latest in a long line of efforts that seek to shake up American politics by leaning into the status quo.
443 Articles by: Luke Savage
Luke Savage is a staff writer at Jacobin. He is the author of The Dead Center: Reflections on Liberalism and Democracy After the End of History.
The Many Saints of Newark Sets Itself an Impossible Task — and Does Okay
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?
The Pandora Papers Have Exposed the Corrupt System that Lets the Rich Worldwide Avoid Paying Taxes
The Pandora Papers — 12 million files on the global 1 percent and the legal tricks they use to get out of paying taxes — are one of the biggest journalistic bombshells in years. They expose a system with one set of standards for the rich and another for everyone else.
It’s Not Just Billionaires – Local Elites Also Dominate Our Society
It’s not just millionaires and billionaires in big cities. What Patrick Wyman calls America’s “local gentry” exercise a massive influence on our day-to-day life — and their pernicious power is too often ignored.
Ryan Grim on the Budget Reconciliation Bill: “Progressives Have Leverage”
In the byzantine parliamentary politics surrounding the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill, progressives have more cards to play than in past policy fights. But corporate-backed Democrats like Kyrsten Sinema are still standing in the way.
Conspiracist Thinking Is the Result of 40 Years of Social Atomization
Amid a disorienting explosion of crises and social shifts, there are worrying signs that some parts of the Left are becoming more susceptible to conspiracist ways of thinking. It’s a symptom of social atomization in the neoliberal era — but we don’t have to accept it as inevitable.
Canada’s Far Right Is More of a Threat Than You Think
The good news is that Canada’s far-right party was shut out of Parliament in this week’s federal election. The bad news is that the People’s Party still tripled its vote and is now in a position to exert a dangerous influence on the political mainstream.
Canada’s Pointless Election Has Weakened Justin Trudeau
In what was supposed to be an easy victory, global liberalism’s would-be savior lost the popular vote for the second time in two years — and now enjoys the slimmest popular mandate of any prime minister in Canadian history.
You Can’t Be Against “Forever Wars” Without Cutting the Military Budget
These days, a lot of politicians say they’re against “forever wars” — and that’s a good thing. But the acid test for genuine opposition to the national security state is support for cutting the military budget.
You Really Can Fight Poverty With One Weird Trick: Giving People Money
New numbers from the Census Bureau show that even as the US economy collapsed last year, the poverty rate actually went down. There’s no mystery why: the government gave people money.
Justin Trudeau’s Election Promises Were Made to Be Broken
After pledging billions in new spending to salvage his electoral fortunes, Canada’s prime minister has decided to spend the final week of the current election campaign doing what he does best: defending the wealthy from tax hikes.
Barack Obama, the Hollow Icon
The Obama presidency gave rise to a uniquely powerful iconography that projected a sense of hope and radical possibility. But behind the president’s messianic imagery was a country unraveling at the seams — and a president who stood for nothing.
British Columbia’s NDP Needs to Mandate Paid Sick Days
In British Columbia, the social democratic NDP has disappointingly dragged its feet on legislating paid sick days. With a plan in the works for next year, the New Democratic Party needs to ignore the business lobby and side with workers.
The War on Terror Militarized America More Than Ever
The War on Terror projected American power abroad with devastating consequences. But it also wrought suffering and waste at home, with consequences we’re still living with today.
The US Has Spent $21 Trillion on Militarization Since 9/11
The cost of the War on Terror and its catastrophic consequences at home and abroad are staggering: $21 trillion, according to a new report. Imagine what we could do with that money if we used it for human needs rather than killing people abroad.
While COVID Immiserated Millions, Canadian Corporate Executives Got Six-Figure Raises
As workers across Canada were laid off last year, corporations scrambled to ensure their executives received a whopping 17 percent pay increase.
The British Establishment Is Losing Its Mind Over Afghanistan
From “war on terror” praise to a Tony Blair lovefest, Britain’s political and media class can’t seem to quit its addiction to militarism and war.
Iceland’s 35-Hour Working Week Worked. It Could Here, Too.
Between 2015 and 2019, Iceland embarked on two massive trials to test the idea of a shorter workweek. The result was an astounding success for its workers — and a model that deserves to be replicated elsewhere.
Avi Lewis: Ecosocialism Is on the March in Canada
Documentary filmmaker Avi Lewis is running for the NDP in Canada’s upcoming federal election. In an interview with Jacobin, he discusses the cautiously hopeful political moment, his candidacy, and the prospects for a green transformation of the Canadian economy.
America Has a Moral Obligation to Allow Afghan Refugees In
The United States has made Afghanistan its imperial football for decades. If American elites really care about alleviating human suffering, as they claim, they must open the door to refugees immediately.