Episode 58 Preview: Ilhan Omar and the Patriotism Question
Check out this preview of our latest bonus episode, available here !
Episodes
Left Anchor
Philosophy, politics, and the left.
Episodes
Episode 57 - Interview with @EmmaCaterineDSA on Criminal Punishment Reform
This time we bring on lawyer and activist Emma Caterine to talk about her article analyzing the feminist aspects of the wretched 2005 bankruptcy reform bill, and her article endorsing Queens DA candidate Tiffany Cabán on prison abolition grounds. (The book The Communist Horizon we mention can be found here as well.) Enjoy!...
Episode 55 - American Labor History with @yeselson
This time we bring on famed labor activist and writer Rich Yeselson to talk about Eric Loomis's new book A History of American in Ten Strikes (see Rich's review in The Nation here ). We discuss the timid politics and continuing decline of the American labor movement, how it was organized in the past, and how it might be revitalized....
Episode 53 - Adorno on the Psychology of Fascism
This time, we talk about Theodor Adorno 's essay " Freudian Theory and the Pattern of Fascist Propaganda ," and the Public Seminar roundtable discussing it. We hit on the fake image of fascist vigor and efficiency, and the utterly moronic consequences of fascist governance....
Episode 52 UNLOCKED - Polkapalooza with @maximillian_alv and @ambientGillian
This paid episode is unlocked for 48 hours! Enjoy! This time we're breaking new ground with 2 guests simultaneously -- Maximillian Alvarez of The Baffler and the Working People podcast , and Aisling McCrea of Current Affairs! We talk about why there is no good conservative comedy, the madness of valuing history for history's sake, why James K. Polk is a badly overrated president, and several other topics. Check out Max's piece on Francis Fukuyama here ....
Episode 51 - Interview with @mehdirhasan on Mueller and White Nationalist Terrorism
This time we bring on special guest Mehdi Hasan, a columnist at The Intercept where he also hosts the fantastic " Deconstructed " podcast. We discuss the media circus around the Mueller report, and what to do about the worldwide plague of white supremacist terrorism. (Mehdi also gives us a lesson in how a real radio pro sounds, enjoy!)
Episode 50 Preview - Frantz Fanon on Political Violence
In this excerpt from our latest bonus episode , we talk the imperial politics of the film Black Panther.
Episode 49 - Billionaire Boondoggles with @Pat_Garofalo
This time we bring on Pat Garofalo to talk about his new book The Billionaire Boondoggle: How Our Politicians Let Corporations and Bigwigs Steal Our Money and Jobs . It's a great read, digging into the wretched practice of corporations extracting bribes to move factories to communities -- which surprisingly doesn't even change the business decision most of the time. Enjoy! Remember if you'd like an extra episode per week, you can subscribe to our Patreon here !...
Episode 47 - Gothic Marxism with @TheLitCritGuy
This time we bring on Jon aka " The Lit Crit Guy " to talk about the concept of Gothic Marxism, how horror can reveal underlying social pathologies, and the use (or lack thereof) of theory in politics writ large. You can find his Horror Vanguard podcast here . We had a couple unfortunate technical snags, but the audio is mostly fine. Enjoy!...
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 coupl...
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 ...
Episode 32 preview - Henry George and Populism
Here's a quick excerpt of our latest bonus episode, available right now on Patreon !
Episode 31 - Interview with @DanteAtkins
This time we talk to longtime Democratic Party activist, political writer, and current congressional staffer Dante Atkins. We discuss the evolution of the party's internal thinking, how it actually functions on the inside, whether or not the new crop of Democratic lefty freshmen are learning the ins and outs of congressional procedure. He also teaches us how to speak the first line of the Odyssey in ancient Greek!
Episode 29 - Imperial Accounting, the Theory of Labor Aristocracy, and AOC's Tax Extravaganza
In this episode we discuss how profitable America's imperial machinery really is for the average American schlub (using import statistics from the Federal Reserve and the Census , h/t Matt Bruenig), related articles on the myth of the labor aristocracy, and finally AOC's amusing tax policy weekend....
Episode 27 — Judith Butler and the Yellow Vests
In our holiday special, we delve into Judith Butler's Adorno Prize Lecture from September 11, 2012 entitled "Can One Lead a Good Life in a Bad Life?" as a framework for better understanding the significance and political function of social movements such as the Yellow Vests, #BlackLivesMatter, and Occupy.
Episode 25 - WASP Unbound with @jeffspross
In this episode, we bring back world champion guest Jeff Spross to discuss Ross Douthat's argument against meritocracy , Bernard Yack's review of Bernard Manin's book The Principles of Representative Government, and finally Helen Andrews' case for aristocracy ....
Episode 23 - Interview with @ThePlumLineGS
This time we interview the Washington Post columnist Greg Sargent, who has a new book out called An Uncivil War . We discuss how to save American democracy, the fecklessness of Democratic Party elites, and much more. [Also, check out Ryan's review of Greg's new book]
Episode 21a: Patreon Announcement
Folks have been asking about this, and here it is: patreon.com/leftanchor . We'll be publishing two episodes per week, one for patrons and one for free. If you feel like that's worth $5 a month, or want to support ad-free lefty media in a dark time for journalism, we'd be much obliged if you could pitch in to support the show. The first Patreon episode is already here , so you can check it out right now! Also feel free to send us feedback at leftanchorpodcast @ gmail, or on Twitter or Facebook. ...
Episode 21 - Interview with Brad Evans ( @HistofViolence ), Part II: Fascism
In the second part of our interview with University of Bath philosopher Brad Evans (don't miss part I !) we discuss the characteristics and functions of fascism, and how it may or may not apply to current political developments.
Episode 20 - Interview with Brad Evans ( @HistofViolence ) Part I: Political Violence & Neoliberalism
This is the first of a two-part interview of Brad Evans , a philosopher and critical theorist who specializes in violence at the University of Bath. We discuss the politics and the spectacle of violence, and how they have evolved under neoliberalism. Stay tuned for the second part, coming soon!
Episode 19 - Is Democratic Socialism TOO Democratic or Not Democratic Enough?
In this episode from the archive, we discuss dueling takes on whether the rise of democratic socialism in DSA and elsewhere is Taking Democracy Too Far (from friend of the pod Conor Friedersdorf ) or is Actually, Harming Democracy (from other friend of the pod Sheri Berman ). Apologies for the holiday break, but we've got another special interview coming up this weekend, keep your eyes peeled!...
Episode 18 - Interview with @franklinbynum
Today we have a very special episode! It's entirely dedicated to an interview with Franklin Bynum, the Judge-elect of Harris County Criminal Court #8, a Houston DSA member who walloped his Republican opponent in the 2018 midterms. We discuss how he came to run for the office, what it's like being a socialist in Houston, how leftists can use elected office to improve the country, and his tips for people considering following in his footsteps. This is probably our best episode to date, and even pr...