In his new book, Elite Capture, Olúfémi Táíwò argues that elites have hijacked identity politics — but what if it belonged to them all along?

Rikers Island Has Made Us All Prisoners
New York City’s infamous jail on Rikers Island is one of the most brutal institutions of incarceration in America. Its conditions are the product not just of “tough-on-crime” policies but also of the best intentions of liberal criminal-justice reformers.

The European Union Was Designed to Stifle Democracy
Perry Anderson’s critical analysis of the European Union is a devastating indictment of liberal complacency. The EU is undemocratic by design, and we will have to confront it in order to transform a Europe riddled with inequality and exploitation.

The Summit of the Americas Is an Instrument of US Hegemony in Latin America
The US has attempted to exclude several countries from next month’s Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. The move has only backfired, prompting a boycott of the summit and renewed calls for an alternative union of Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Corporate America’s Favorite Legal Trick Is Backfiring
For decades, companies have used arbitration agreements to shirk responsibilities to their customers and employees. Now the tables are starting to turn, as customers and employees use such agreements against corporations.
- Issue No. 44 out now!
- Winter 2022
The Left in Purgatory

In this issue
The End of the AOC Honeymoon
In 2018, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was heralded as the millennial successor to Bernie Sanders. Today, some on the Left are starting to have doubts.
Abortion rights shouldn’t be at the mercy of the judiciary. We need federal legislation codifying Roe v. Wade — and Democrats need to buck up and eliminate the filibuster to pass it.

Doug Ford Wants to Continue Assaulting Public Education in Ontario
Attacks on universal public education are rooted in a belief that working-class children don’t deserve quality schooling. That’s the mindset of Ontario premier Doug Ford, who will keep up those attacks if reelected next week.

The Rise of Zombie Firms Risks Another Disastrous Crisis
Zombie companies are those whose profits are so low they can’t even pay the interest on their debts. They’re becoming an increasingly large part of the economy — and they risk pitching us into another full-scale crisis.

AOC Is Endorsing the Full Slate of New York Democratic Socialist State Candidates
In a first, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed the entire 13-member “For the Many” New York City Democratic Socialists of America slate of candidates for New York state senate and assembly.

We’re Organizing Unions at Amazon and Starbucks. We Won’t Back Down.
Amazon labor organizer Chris Smalls and Starbucks organizer Jaz Brisack talk to Jacobin about racist union busting, being invited to the White House, and how genuine human interaction is the key to workplace organizing when the boss treats workers like robots.
Last year, the Teamsters attempted and failed to unionize Amazon in Alberta, Canada. A reporter working for Jacobin and Ricochet went undercover at an Amazon warehouse for almost five months and witnessed firsthand the challenges put to the Teamsters’ union drive.

Hollywood Never Fully Appreciated Ray Liotta’s Immense Talent
Ray Liotta has died suddenly at the age of 67. He should have been a major star — but after his greatest role in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, we never really got a chance to see everything he could do.

The Ukraine Aid Bill Is a Massive Windfall for US Military Contractors
Joe Biden has signed a $40 billion aid bill to Ukraine. But the biggest beneficiary isn’t ordinary Ukrainians — it’s the US military contractors set to receive at least $17 billion in additional revenue.

Biden Is Aiming to Destroy a Historic Climate Change Lawsuit
Juliana v. United States is a historic climate change lawsuit seeking to establish a constitutional right to a livable planet. But the Biden administration has indicated it will fight tooth and nail to prevent the lawsuit from ever getting a trial.

In Ontario’s Election, None of the Promises to Labor Are Good Enough
Ontario’s political parties are all courting labor for the upcoming election. But nothing currently on offer will result in serious change for the Canadian labor movement.