JACOBIN

FEBRUARY 6. 2025

The Democrats Also Want to Deport You

On immigration policy, Donald Trump isn’t as radically different from Barack Obama and Joe Biden as his inflammatory rhetoric suggests. Each has built upon his predecessor’s efforts to make border militarization and mass deportations the norm.

A Housing Crisis for Spain’s Center-Left Government

In Spain, rents have risen 74% over the last decade, with even steeper rises in the main cities. The Socialist-led government’s Housing Act has failed to rein in speculation, leaving many working-class Spaniards struggling to pay the bills.

FEBRUARY 5. 2025

Western-Backed NGOs: A Hollow Version of Civil Society

Donald Trump’s moves to dismantle USAID clearly aren’t driven by fears of infringing on other nations’ sovereignty. Still, we should recognize that Global South NGOs’ reliance on Western donors hinders the growth of self-sustaining civil societies.

“Antiwar” Trump Wants the US to Ethnically Cleanse Gaza

Donald Trump and his allies have often promoted him as antiwar. Yesterday Trump said that he wants the US to “own” Gaza and kick out all its inhabitants — which, in addition to being ethnic cleansing, would require more war to accomplish.

Aging Populations Don’t Need to Mean Lower Living Standards

The bright minds at McKinsey & Co. are arguing that declining birth rates mean that people need to work more hours for more years and maybe give up retirement altogether.

Emilia Pérez Is the Ultimate Unloved Oscar Nominee

Despite Emilia Pérez’s mixed reviews and poor audience reactions, Hollywood handed the musical 13 Oscar nominations in the hopes of proving its progressive bona fides. Then old tweets from its star surfaced.

Reversing Class Dealignment in Britain

“I didn’t leave Labour. Labour left us, ” is a common sentiment in working-class communities across Britain. Member of Parliament Jon Trickett discusses what might be done to win back workers.

Europe’s Hardening Cordon Sanitaire Against the Left

Across Europe, centrist parties increasingly paint even mild social democracy as a “radical left” threat. The wild rhetoric about left-wing danger has a clear goal: to justify alliances with once-frowned-upon far-right parties.

FEBRUARY 4. 2025

RFK Jr is Wrong. Health Care is a Human Right.

In his confirmation hearing, Robert F. Kennedy Jr told Bernie Sanders that he opposes health care as a human right. His reasoning reveals how libertarian talking points are being used to defend a cruel and irrational health care system.

Abdullah Öcalan’s Isolation May Be Coming to an End

After 43 months without outside contact, jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan has been allowed to meet with left-wing MPs. He has encouraged calls for a peace process — but there’s little sign that Turkish authorities are serious about the idea.

Unionized Grocery Workers Are a Sleeping Giant

Colorado Kroger workers are striking this week, and 130,000 union grocery workers are bargaining contracts this year. Reformers see it as a chance to transform the UFCW from America’s largest private sector union into a fighting force.

The Case for a Liberal Socialism

Liberals and socialists typically see themselves as foes. But truly realizing liberal ideals of freedom and equality means building a socialist order — a lesson liberals and socialists alike would do well to remember.

The Brutalist Is a Confounding but Beautiful Mess

The Brutalist is a big and bold story of the immigrant experience and the postwar American dream. It’s confounding yet always interesting — a heartening thing in these cinematically tough times.

Attacking Migrants to Coax Marine Le Pen

France’s interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, was chosen as a sop to the far right — and now he is tightening rules on migrant regularization. Emmanuel Macron’s government is increasingly serving Marine Le Pen’s policy agenda before she even reaches power.