Left Anchor

Episode 251 - UBI and a Socialist Work Ethic

This time we are talking utopian futures. Somewhat by accident we ended up reading two different Catalyst articles by Alex Gourevitch: Alexi read "Post-Work Socialism?" while Ryan read "The Basic Income Illusion" (co-authored with Lucas Stanczyk). We discuss the practicalities of UBI, the case for collective ownership of all national wealth, and how to get the crummy jobs done without relying on the threat of poverty. Enjoy!

Episode 250 PREVIEW - DeSantis, the Queen, and Omicron Boosters

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Episode 249 - The State of the War in Ukraine

Today we've got Volodymyr Artiukh, a postdoc at the University of Oxford and native of Ukraine, on to talk about what's going on in his country. We discuss the balance of forces on the ground, why the war happened, why the left has struggled to analyze the situation, what effect Western support has had on the conflict, and what Ukraine needs in the future.

Episode 248 EXCERPT - Lessons from American Labor History

In this preview of our latest bonus episode, Harold Meyerson talks about the state of the union movement in 2022. Subscribe now to hear the whole thing! 

Episode 247 - Working in a Pandemic

Happy Labor Day! Today we've got Maximillian Alvarez and Rebecca Garelli on to talk about Max's new book The Work of Living: Working People Talk About Their Lives and the Year the World Broke. It's a collection of interviews of various working-class folks, from a gravedigger, to a sheet metal worker, to a nurse, and many more. Rebecca is one of those interviewees; she speaks about her work as a teacher and organizer in the Phoenix area, and how they've fought to keep themselves and their students safe from both the pandemic and right-wing austerity.

Episode 246 PREVIEW - Dark Brandon Rises

In this preview, we review the Democrats' record of accomplishments over the last few weeks. Subscribe now to hear the whole thing! 

Episode 245 - Saving American Democracy through the States

Today we've got Aaron Kleinman, director of research for The States Project, on to talk about his work helping Democrats fight for control of state legislatures. We discuss how Republicans are plotting to use gerrymandered state legislatures as a springboard to turn America into a right-wing dictatorship, how campaign money stretches much farther in a state race as compared to a national one, conservatives' vulnerability on abortion, and more. Enjoy!
Check out their "give smart" page of featured candidates here.

Episode 244 - The Inflation Reduction Act

Today we've got David Dayen on to discuss just what is in the monster Inflation Reduction Act--the gobs of tax credits, new regulations, tax hikes, and so on. Then we discuss what it reveals about the state of the Democratic coalition and what it might bode for the future.
Check out Lee Harris's Prospect articles on the IRA and energy investment, and how corn ethanol producers might benefit; along with David's backgrounder on it. Evergreen Action also has a useful summary of the bill here.

How Are You Going to Pay for That? Introduction: The Case Against Saving Scolds

This is a sample of Ryan's book where he discusses how the pandemic's economic collapse disproves saving scold ideology. 
You can check out the whole thing on Audible, Barnes & Noble, or Audiobooks.com, or you can see a selection of outlets where you can get a print copy here as well. Much obliged for any purchase or review!

Episode 243 EXCERPT: Stealing America Back from the Right with Jamelle Bouie

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