Left Anchor

Episode 45 - Varieties of Left Ideology and You Might be a Neoliberal If ...

This time we explore the differences between neoliberalism, Brandeisianism, social democracy, and democratic socialism, and which presidential candidates represent each tradition (if any). In the process we inexpertly riff on Jeff Foxworthy's signature comedy bit, so send in your submissions if you can think of better examples.
The FDR biography Ryan mentions is this two-part work by Roger Daniels.

Episode 43 - Interview with @DavidKaib on MLK and Iris Marion Young

This time we bring on activist and scholar David Kaib to discuss Martin Luther King's famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail, and Iris Marion Young's essay "Activist Challenges to Deliberative Democracy." We talk about the intersection between democratic theory and practice, and the conditions under which it may become necessary to set aside debate and break the law to achieve justice.
(Also note that while Ryan's audio sounds bad at the start, it was only a temporary glitch for the first couple minutes.)

UNLOCKED: Episode 42 - Interview with @AOC Adviser @rch371, Part II

We're taking this one out from behind the paywall for a special occasion (and a sample of what you can find as a paying customer). This time we continue our discussion from the last episode with Cornell Law professor Robert Hockett, Green New Deal adviser to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. We talk more broadly about climate change, politics, and moral philosophy.

Episode 41 - (Part I): Interview with @AOC Green New Deal Adviser Robert Hockett @rch371

This time we talk about the Green New Deal with Robert Hockett, a Cornell law professor and policy adviser of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. We discuss the basic objectives of aggressive climate policy, the policy mechanics thereof, and the political foundations of climate policy. This interview went long, so we'll be breaking it up into two parts -- stay tuned for the next episode!

Episode 40 preview - The Butcher Elliot Abrams

Here's a preview of our latest episode -- available now on Patreon!

Episode 39 - Interview with @ProfPeterCole on Dockworker Unions

This time we bring on Peter Cole, a historian at Western Illinois University, to talk about his new book Dockworker Power: Race and Activism in Durban and the San Francisco Bay Area. We discuss the fascinating history of militant dockworker labor unions in the U.S. and South Africa, and how they have pushed for a truly international and egalitarian politics.
(Unfortunately due to a technical glitch, Peter has a bit of reverb going on. Just pretend as if he's presenting in Carnegie Hall.)

Episode 37 - W.E.B. Du Bois and Reconstruction

For the second episode in our Black History Month series, we look at W.E.B. Du Bois, and especially his groundbreaking history of Reconstruction.

Episode 35 - #HandsOffVenezuela - Interview with @PatrickIber

This time we bring on Patrick Iber, a historian specializing in Latin America. We discuss the dismal internal situation in Venezuela, Trump's proposed imperialist aggression, and how the American left should think about it all. It's a tricky but still worthwhile topic.

Episode 34 Preview - "Debt: The First 5,000 Years" & Trump-Russia Update

Here's an excerpt of our latest bonus episode, available now on Patreon!
 
 

Episode 33 - MLK Day Special: Interview with @dolladollabille on the Wages of Whiteness and Kamala Harris

This time we have on Vanessa Bee, a writer, editor, and podcaster for Current Affairs. We discuss the contrasting perspectives of the nature of white privilege with Martin Luther King, Jr and James Baldwin on one side, and Ta-Nehisi Coates on the other. Then we turn to the presidential candidacy of Kamala Harris, and her checkered record as both a fierce prosecutor of small-time criminals (even the parents of truant children) -- but who somehow lost her crusading spirit when it came to Trump Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's foreclosure fraud business.
The Current Affairs crew is doing a live show this weekend in Washington DC, you can find details here!
Apologies for being a bit behind schedule this time, we had to arrange this interview a bit later than usual. Onward!