Left Anchor
Philosophy, politics, and the left.
Episodes

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
1 hr 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
1 hr 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

May 9, 2022
May 9, 2022
1 hr 14 sec
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.

May 2, 2022
May 2, 2022
1 hr 19 min
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!

Apr 27, 2022
Apr 27, 2022
1 hr 5 min
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!

Apr 23, 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.





