Left Anchor

  Today we've got Michael Bérubé and Jennifer Ruth on to discuss their book It's not Free Speech: Race, Democracy, and the Future of Academic Freedom. We talk about the key distinctions between free speech and academic freedom, why any defense of free speech on the merits must be rooted in democratic values, and why racist (or similarly bigoted) views have no place in today's universities. Enjoy!   Also, check out Ryan's review of the book here.

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In this episode from the archive, we've got Alex Pareene on to discuss the recent controversy and articles about political theoretician David Shor and his "popularist" dogma. Then we move on to talk about subscription media, and the promises and pitfalls thereof for the left. Enjoy! Make sure to subscribe to Alex's newsletter. He's pretty much the best lefty writer in the business.

Today we've got Trevor Strunk, host of the No Cartridge podcast, on to talk about his book Story Mode: Video Games and the Interplay Between Consoles and Culture. We discuss the political subtext of game genres, why Japanese games can be so different from American ones, how multiplayer games can build different kinds of community, and more. Enjoy!

We've got Labor Notes staff writer Luis Feliz Leon on to talk about his coverage of the Amazon Labor Union there and at The American Prospect. We discuss the union's wildly unorthodox tactics, what leadership really means in a left-wing context, and what their prospects are for the future. Enjoy!

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Mary Moriarty is running to be county attorney of Hennepin County, where she was formerly chief public defender. We talk about her history in the area, what's been going in Minneapolis since the George Floyd protests, the general state of criminal justice reform, and more. Enjoy!

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We've got attorney and podcaster Sparky Abraham on to talk about the latest Supreme Court news, why many liberals are foolish to prioritize court cases, and how utterly despotic courts can be at the local level -- it turns out in some county courts, fully half of cases are about small-dollar debt collection. Things mentioned in the episode: our episode with Brian Fallon, the Debt Collective, and "Do Courts Matter" by Stephen Carter.

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