Left Anchor
Philosophy, politics, and the left.
Episodes
Jul 25, 2022
Jul 25, 2022
1hr 58 sec
Today we've got Pennsylvania state Senator Nikil Saval on to talk about the remarkable fact that he got a climate and affordable housing bill through a Republican-controlled legislature. What's up with that??
Other stuff mentioned in the episode: our previous episode with Nikil, his writing at n+1, and a run-down of Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano.
Jul 16, 2022
Jul 16, 2022
1hr 9 min
Today we've got Professor Roberts, author of Marx's Inferno: The Political Theory of Capital, on to discuss his debate with Martin Hägglund regarding Hägglund's book This Life: Secular Faith and Spiritual Freedom. We discuss the proper foundation of a socialist movement, the origins of capitalism, what American leftists should be doing in practice, and more.
Check out our previous episode on This Life here: Part I, Part II.
Jul 6, 2022
Jul 6, 2022
13 min
In this preview, we discuss why the left should be taking the threat of Trump and the January 6 hearings more seriously. Subscribe now to hear the whole thing!
Jul 1, 2022
Jul 1, 2022
1hr 6 min
This time we've got David Duhalde, chair of the Democratic Socialists of America Fund and former DSA staffer, on to talk about his chapter in a new book Power Concedes Nothing: How Grassroots Organizing Wins Elections, which discusses the debate around DSA endorsing Biden and the problems the organization suffered during the 2020 campaign against Trump. We talk about the state of the socialist movement, why the left seems to have lost some of its broader cultural purchase, and what it should focus on going forward. Enjoy!
Jun 23, 2022
Jun 23, 2022
16 min
In this preview, Professor David I. Backer explains how school financing works in this country. Subscribe now to hear the full thing!
Jun 14, 2022
Jun 14, 2022
55 min
In this episode from the archives, we've got economist Marshall Steinbaum on to discuss his research on why it's necessary to cancel student debt, how to end segregation in higher education, and why the theory of "human capital" is a bunch of nonsense. Enjoy!
Jun 7, 2022
Jun 7, 2022
1hr 1 min
Today we've got Professor Nomi Claire Lazar on to talk about her fascinating book Out of Joint: Power, Crisis, and the Rhetoric of Time. We discuss revolutionary leaders' habit of changing the calendar when they seize power (think Julius Caesar, the French Revolution, or the Bolshevik Revolution), what happens when someone locks themselves in a cave for weeks with no clocks, what time has to do with political legitimacy, and more. Enjoy!
May 31, 2022
May 23, 2022
May 23, 2022
1hr 14 min
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.
May 18, 2022
Welcome aboard!
This podcast is by journalist Ryan Cooper and academic Alexi the Greek. We talk politics, philosophy, history, current events, and whatever else catches our fancy.