Could Democracy by Lottery Fix a Broken System?
Elections keep handing power to elites. Anand Gopal and Ben Burgis debate whether choosing officials by lottery, as ancient Athens did, would be an improvement on representative democracy.
318 Article(s) by: Ben Burgis
Ben Burgis is a Jacobin columnist and coauthor of the forthcoming book The Blueprint: How Socialism Can Work in the Real World.
Elon Musk Is a Trillionaire. Yes, That’s a Bad Thing.
Having become the world’s first trillionaire, Elon Musk is wealthy at a level that the human mind can scarcely comprehend. But one idea is simple to grasp: no functioning and humane society would produce inequality of this magnitude.
The Filibuster Is Killing Democracy
Under the rules of the filibuster, a majority vote in the US Senate is far from enough to pass a law. It’s time to finally ditch this antiquated rule.
Putting the Marxism Back Into “Cultural Marxism”
The Palm Springs School for Social Research wants to revitalize historical materialism, revive ideology critique, and ask big questions about social life. We talked to one of its founders, Catherine Liu, about gangster capitalism and the future of socialism.
Meet Rae Huang, the Progressive Pastor Running for LA Mayor
Reverend Rae Huang is running for mayor of Los Angeles on a platform to expand the public sphere: social housing, free buses, a public bank, and public movie theaters. She explains how her political vision was shaped in part by her Christian background.
Zohran Mamdani Is Right to Condemn West Bank Land Sales
After a rowdy protest outside a real estate event at Park East Synagogue, Mayor Zohran Mamdani was widely criticized for egging on the unrest by condemning the sale of West Bank properties. But the criticisms don’t stand up to scrutiny.
Why the Smears Against Graham Platner Didn’t Work
Opponents went all in on smearing Graham Platner as a Nazi based on a bad tattoo choice. It didn’t work. Maine voters decided they’d rather have universal health care and an end to reckless wars than a polished politician with an unblemished past.
On Iran, Trump and the American Empire Blinked
Donald Trump has shown the world that even the vast power of the globe’s foremost imperial hegemon has limits. His initial genocidal bluster against Iran was downstream of this reality, as was his subsequent capitulation.
Trump’s Goal Is to Suppress Votes, Not Prevent Election Fraud
Donald Trump says the SAVE Act is about stopping noncitizens from voting. But the real target is the millions of working-class citizens who don't have an updated passport or paper birth certificate sitting in a drawer.
The No Kings Protests Are Cause for Hope
The No Kings rallies have evolved beyond basic anti-Trump liberalism. Their messaging is sharply antiwar, anti-oligarchy, and far more substantive than the “resistance” politics of Donald Trump’s first term. The Left should be proud to participate.
There Was No “Right Way” to Attack Iran
Some critics of the Trump administration’s Iran war say the problem is how it’s being waged. There was never a correct way to attack Iran, only a deadly disaster in the making.
Pro-War Pundits Are Putting Words in Iranians’ Mouths
After Iran’s leader was killed by a US air strike, pro-intervention media emphasized the celebration of many Iranians. But a nation of 90 million isn’t a hive mind, and the bitter experience of previous wars puts initial celebrations into grim perspective.
Trump’s War on Iran Makes a Mockery of American Democracy
Iran poses no remotely plausible threat to the United States, the Constitution prohibits presidents from going to war without congressional approval, and only 21% of Americans support Donald Trump’s attack on the country. He doesn’t care about any of that.
Ending the Surge in Minnesota Isn’t Enough
It’s good that the federal occupation of Minnesota is ending. But the Trump administration shouldn’t be allowed to pretend it never happened. Justice would require a wave of impeachments, criminal charges, and restitution to the people of the Twin Cities.
The Right’s Antisemitism Is Too Flagrant to Ignore
Right-wing influencers give Nazi salutes in limousines and peddle conspiracy theories about Jews to audiences of millions, while “moderate” Republicans dog-whistle about “authentic” American heritage. The GOP’s antisemitism problem is no longer fringe.
Trump and ICE Are Driving the Country Off a Cliff
The Trump administration’s secret police force has again murdered someone in broad daylight and is blatantly lying about it. It’s time to abolish ICE.
It’s Easy to Imagine a World Without ICE
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has only existed since 2003. There’s nothing extreme about the idea of disbanding the rogue agency.
Zohran Mamdani Is Right to Stand By Cea Weaver
The failed push to sink Zohran Mamdani’s appointment of tenant organizer Cea Weaver was an attempt to remove a highly effective advocate for renters, who landlords and the real estate industry hate because she has consistently defeated them.
Zohran Mamdani Is Right About the Warmth of Collectivism
The Right had a spectacular meltdown about Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration speech rejecting “rugged individualism” in favor of what he called the “warmth of collectivism.” But Mamdani is right that community is a value worth extolling.
The Fake Antiwar Right Goes to War
Venezuela is only the opening salvo in a blatantly imperial project aimed at crushing the Latin American left.