Trumpism Is Running Out of Gas
A look at the polls and Donald Trump’s rhetoric on the midterms campaign trail suggests that MAGA may be exhausted and about to suffer a significant body blow.
493 Article(s) by: Luke Savage
Luke Savage is the author of The Dead Center: Reflections on Liberalism and Democracy After the End of History and a writer on Substack.
Reclaiming Socialism in Canada’s NDP Leadership Race
NDP leadership candidate Avi Lewis says socialism, defined by bold public solutions, not managerial caution, can rebuild the party after historic losses. He’s betting it can unite a majority across divided regions and broaden the party’s coalition.
Between the Donroe and Carney Doctrines
At Davos, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney set fire to liberal platitudes. His actual politics, however, do quite the opposite.
Zohran Mamdani Provoked a Bipartisan Meltdown
Zohran Mamdani’s campaign represented a struggle for basic dignity and an affirmation of democratic potential. It was ceaselessly denounced by political and media elites from across the spectrum as something sinister, violent, and dangerous.
Canada’s Incoming Prime Minister Is a Banker
Mark Carney, Canada’s incoming prime minister, is a former banker with no political experience. His technocratic centrism is ill-suited for an era of populism and political upheaval, making a Liberal victory in the looming election far from certain.
The Quiet Death of National Review
With the rise of MAGA in the ranks of the GOP, the Right no longer needs a veneer of intellectualism. It no longer needs National Review.
The Democratic Party Is to Blame for the Biden Problem
As the reality of Joe Biden’s inability to competently serve another term becomes clearer, the Democratic Party appears fully unconcerned with a democratic process to replace him.
The Stakes Are Too High to Keep Denying Biden’s Shortcomings
For years, Democratic Party leaders have gaslit the public about Joe Biden’s fitness to lead. After last night’s debate, it's clear that the costs of keeping up the act are higher than the costs of admitting the truth and correcting course.
“A Dying Empire Led by Bad People”
Young Americans have grown increasingly cynical about politics, institutions, and political leaders. The sources of that cynicism are no mystery.
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.
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?