International Socialism Project

The fact is that Donald Trump’s style in world politics looks very much like a mafioso’s conduct on the global arena. Here are some of the Mafia methods applied by Don Trump on the world scene…

The idea that the Democratic Party is the place for leftists didn’t originate with Jackson. But his campaigns provided an entry point for the 1960s/1970s generation of radicals and revolutionaries to be reconciled with mainstream U.S. politics.

Workers in Texas suffer under this crushing weight coming at them from all sides because of Abbott. Oxfam America’s “The Best States to Work In The US 2025” reported that Texas is 45th out of 50 U.S. states in wage policies, worker protections, right to organize and the minimum wage, which is still $7.25 per hour. It mirrors the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour that’s been frozen since 2009. 

Politics are fluid, and maybe the Democrats will sell out for a higher price. But their entire trajectory—from last year’s MAGA-lite to this year’s reluctant obstructionists—should disabuse anyone of the notion that they are true allies in the fight against ICE and Trump.

The broad array of trade unions, community and immigrant rights groups supporting the day of action is breathtaking and points to how deep the hatred of ICE and the Border patrol runs in Minnesota, right now.

In line with other authoritarian politicians, Trump has leveraged his position to turn the state into a cash machine for him and his cronies, using his position of power to extract wealth through various means, including extortion based on legal threats, sales of Trump-themed trinkets, lavish gifts, and crypto-currency trading.

In virtually every election held in every district and every state, Democrats improved on their performance in the November 2024 presidential election. And in many places, they exceeded their most optimistic predictions.

Beyond a handful of commitments, mostly revolving around ways to boost his own power and to line his pockets, Trump is completely mercurial. Perhaps this is part of his projection of a “strongman” image, but it can also produce a situation where, among his minions, “the knives are out for everyone,” as Trump biographer Michael Wolff said.

Developments since Kirk’s death should clarify some points amid the noise and social media vitriol. They have exposed the lie that conservatives and the far right are somehow champions of “free speech” against a censorious left “cancel culture.” When billionaires like X’s Elon Musk and Fox’s Rupert Murdoch own massive communications platforms from which they spread conservative and far-right ideology into the body politic, it’s hard to take the claim seriously. With few exceptions, the right’s pretensions to “free speech” were always phony and mostly raised when others used their free speech to criticize the right’s bigotry.

It’s clear that the left and the labor and social movements are in a very precarious state today, and debates about how to fight back against Trumpian authoritarianism will be crucial. But elections and the courts won’t save us…

There are too many differences between the mechanics of an electoral campaign and a social movement needed to win reforms. Marxists have long contended that elections are the “lowest form” of politics that don’t require the type of political commitment or mobilization that a true social movement entails.

In a very short time—and due largely to the grassroots “Tesla takedown” protests that started in February—Musk became a major political liability to Trump. Musk’s “chainsawing” of the federal workforce and essential services, along with his embrace of far-right politics, transformed him into one of the most hated figures in global politics. Even Trump knew it was time to cut him loose.

Trump, and Biden before him, have used charges of “antisemitism” against all pro-Palestinian protesters to justify violently cracking down and expelling students who had taken part in opposing Israel’s genocide in Palestine.  Trump has ratcheted up punishment to detention and deportation, using the Cold War era “Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952″—which allows the State Department to deport non-citizens who it deems pose a threat to “U.S. foreign policy.” This was a key tool used in the persecution and deportation of communists during the McCarthy era, which for good reason has been likened to the witch hunt against pro-Palestine activists today.