The Rich: On Top of the World and Very Anxious About It
The small handful of ultrawealthy winners are firmly ensconced in their positions of privilege in power. Yet so many of them seem haunted by the possibility that maybe they don’t deserve it.
484 Articles by: Luke Savage
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Luke Savage is a columnist at Jacobin. He is the author of The Dead Center: Reflections on Liberalism and Democracy After the End of History.
Don’t Fear “Collectivism”
The socialist objective of securing shelter, leisure time, and economic well-being is about creating a foundation upon which everyone can pursue their dreams, curiosities, and ambitions — without having to constantly worry about their mere survival.
The National Review Wants You to Work Till You Drop
Only a select few get sinecures at conservative magazines like the National Review. Those few don’t have to work much, but they must carry out a key task: denouncing any effort to make life more bearable for the vast majority of us working stiffs.
Florida Republicans Want to Ban Workplace Heat Protections
Florida business groups and their GOP allies are pushing legislation that would prevent communities from establishing workplace heat-exposure standards or compelling employers to abide by them, even as dangerously hot days increase in frequency.
Ed Broadbent Was a Socialist Because He Believed in Democracy
Canadian socialist Ed Broadbent died last month at the age of 87. Jacobin’s Luke Savage, a friend and coauthor of Broadbent’s most recent book, reflects on Broadbent’s impactful career, his ideas, and his enduring legacy within the socialist left.
Ron DeSantis’s Presidential Bid Was Always Doomed
Cartoonishly unlikable, Ron DeSantis was a candidate seemingly engineered to appeal only to the hyperspecific grievances of social media–addled right-wingers. His failed bid shows just how cloistered the conservative movement has become.
Nikki Haley Is an Anti-Worker Fanatic, Not a “Moderate”
Nikki Haley, now second in polls for the Republican presidential nomination, is being portrayed as a broadly appealing, pragmatic alternative to Donald Trump. In fact, she’s a proud union buster with a bloodthirsty neoconservative streak, not a moderate.
Andy Borowitz to Leave New Yorker, Pursue Career as Satirist
The New Yorker announced this week that it’s cutting ties with resident humorist Andy Borowitz. Where will we go now to find side-splitting skewering like “Trump is a liar” and “Republicans are dumb”?
Modern Liberalism Has Become a Defense of Hierarchy and Deference to Elites
As liberals defend their tradition from attack, their definition of liberalism has become so broad as to encompass everything and nothing at all. The truth is liberalism has become more about deference to elites than about challenging hierarchy.
Ridley Scott’s Napoleon Is Mediocre Filmmaking in the Service of Centrist Politics
Ridley Scott’s Napoleon takes one of the most interesting, complex eras in modern history — the French Revolution and its long aftermath — and delivers a morality tale about the dangers of the mob. Even worse, it’s not even compelling viewing.
CEO Performance Pay Is One of Capitalism’s Great Myths
The ratio of CEO pay to worker pay is almost 300 to 1. Are we really supposed to believe CEOs work 300 times harder or create 300 times more value than us?
Rick Santorum Just Came Out and Said What Conservatives Really Think of Democracy
Conservatives have never much liked democracy, but the unpopularity of the modern Republican Party’s agenda has made them more contemptuous. The other day, Rick Santorum even denounced ballot measures on “very sexy things” like abortion and marijuana.
Politico’s Proposed Reelection Strategy for Joe Biden Is Absolutely Bonkers
Joe Biden’s reelection chances are dimming, and about the worst thing he could do is cozy up to Rahm Emanuel, the Clintons, and Liz Cheney. Yet that’s the kind of advice he gets in a bizarre new column from one of Politico’s senior writers.
If Joe Biden Thinks His Support for Israel’s War Won’t Imperil His Reelection, He’s Wrong
As he backs Israel to the hilt, Joe Biden should remember the Lyndon B. Johnson precedent: foreign policy catastrophes can easily undermine a president’s domestic agenda and endanger their reelection prospects.
Last Night’s GOP Debate Showed the Republican Party’s Lunacy Even Without Donald Trump
The Republican presidential debate last night was an unhinged parade of War on Terror–style militarism and paranoid saber-rattling. With or without Donald Trump, the GOP has absolutely lost it.
Chris Christie’s Presidential Campaign Is a Train Wreck
Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie is polling in the low single digits for the Republican presidential primary. Despite his lack of popularity with actual GOP voters, he continues to endear himself to liberal pundits.
Billionaire Doug Bergum’s Presidential Run Shows Campaigns Are Tourism for Rich People Now
North Dakota’s Doug Bergum is a billionaire governor running an impossibly bland, popularity-free campaign for the GOP presidential nomination. Why is he running, other than that he’s rich and he can? We have no idea.
McKinsey Is Ultraprestigious. It’s Also a Blight on the World.
McKinsey & Company attracts graduates from prestigious colleges in droves. But as a former employee tells us in an interview, instead of using their talents for good, the consulting firm sends them out into the world to make the planet more profit-driven.
Joe Biden Is Trying to Sell Endless War as an Economic Opportunity
With the war in Gaza raging, Joe Biden is attempting to pitch new military spending as a boon for the economy. Could he get more cynical?
Benjamin Netanyahu’s Political Future May Be Over
Rather than bolster Benjamin Netanyahu in a “rally around the flag” effect, the October 7 attack on Israel has destroyed his standing with voters. Netanyahu’s political career, which has fundamentally reshaped Israeli society, may be effectively finished.