Shows
Left AnchorTransphobia Is Based on Lies - 360Alexi is still on vacation, so this time we are replaying a recent American Prospect Weekly Roundup show, in which Evan Urquhart of Assigned Media helps Ryan dig into the Supreme Court's latest transphobic decision and how The New York Times played a vital role in it.
2025-07-191h 00
Left AnchorElon Is Out—Or Is He? - 354Today we are talking Elon Musk’s alleged retreat from DOGE, the ungodly horrors he has unleashed in that time, and why someone would commit such evil. Then we move on to Trump’s loss in tariff court, his prospects at the Supreme Court, the lie about “white genocide” in South Africa, and what’s going on in Gaza and Ukraine.
Check out Ryan’s piece on Musk leaving here, David Dayen’s piece on Trump’s tariff smackdown here, and the documentary series on Larry Krasner here.
2025-05-301h 09
Left AnchorThe Power of Propaganda with Hannah Arendt - 220 UNLOCKEDRyan is on vacation this week, so here's an episode from the archives.
Today we're discussing the article "Truth and Politics" by Hannah Arendt. We talk about her idea that truth has both a weakness and a power to it, what the Herman Cain Award subreddit tells us about the power of propaganda, Joe Rogan getting owned on his own show, why Bernie Sanders is better at science communication than the CDC, and more. Enjoy!
2025-03-081h 11
Left AnchorThe Failure of Constitutional Theory - 343Today we are talking to Harvard Law Professor Mark Tushnet about his book Who Am I to Judge: Judicial Craft versus Constitution Theory. It’s common today for Supreme Court justices to outline a theory of constitutional interpretation, but it turns out that not only is this dishonest, but also something that only developed in the late 20th century. Enjoy!
The Ian Toll book series Ryan mentions can be found here.
2025-03-0154 min
Left AnchorThe Tech Oligarch Consent Machine - 341This time we've got Eoin Higgins on to talk about his book Owned: How Tech Billionaires on the Right Bought the Loudest Voices on the Left. He uses Glenn Greenwald and Matt Taibbi as case studies in how shifting monetary incentives created by tech oligarchs like Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen combined with certain personal pathologies turned formerly respected progressive journalists into right-wing blowhards.
Coincidentally, Ryan also made videos on both Greenwald and Taibbi, which make for a nice pairing.
2025-02-1359 min
Left AnchorThe Trump Tsunami Approacheth - 337Alexi is off, so David Dayen joins Ryan to discuss the events over the holiday. What are Republicans going to do? Is anyone driving the GOP train--maybe Elon Musk? And what in God's name is Trump going on about with conquering Greenland, Canada, and Panama? We live in hell.
2025-01-101h 03
Left AnchorWelp - 331Trump won. Ryan and the Prospect's David Dayen discuss.
2024-11-111h 01
Left AnchorThe BS Epidemic - 326Today we are talking about philosopher Harry Frankfurt's famous essay "On Bullshit," and how it applies to Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and J.D. Vance. We also discuss the damage caused by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, aid links here.
Check out the new book by Ryan Mac and Kate Conger as well. Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter.
2024-10-011h 08
Left AnchorThe Flailing Trump Campaign - 322 UNLOCKEDHey folks, Ryan has been sick with Covid, so this week we're unlocking a bonus episode.
Donald Trump visited Wilkes-Barre, much to Ryan's surprise, but his appearance fell flat. What's going on with his campaign? We discuss that, plus Kamala Harris's policy rollout, and the outbreak of riots in the UK. Enjoy!
2024-09-191h 15
Left AnchorThe Rampaging Supreme Court - 314This episode is a recording of Ryan talking with The New York Times's Jamelle Bouie about the recent spate of deranged Supreme Court decisions on The American Prospect's weekly livestream. Enjoy!
2024-05-2758 min
Left AnchorFinland’s Cooperative Culture - 288Apologies for the radio silence over the last couple weeks, Alexi has been in Greece, Denmark, and Germany, and Ryan has been on a reporting trip in Finland. We just haven't had time to record. But we're back to discuss what Ryan learned about Finland's S Group cooperative retailer and how the broader Finnish society compares with America. Enjoy!
2023-09-151h 08
Left AnchorLiberalism vs. Socialism - 283 UNLOCKEDRyan is traveling in Finland, so for this week we're unlocking a recent theory episode.
How is socialism related to liberalism? This time we read two works on this question: "The Relationship Between Liberalism and Socialism," by Ed Rooksby, and "Why I Am Not A Liberal," by Liam Kofi Bright. We discuss how liberalism evolved, if socialism contradicts it or evolves out of it, and why billionaires are ontologically unhappy. Enjoy!
2023-08-251h 01
Left AnchorGreen Energy in a Red State - 285In this episode, first Ryan discusses his Heatmap article about Tesla and Elon Musk, as well as the book Ludicrous by Edward Neidermeyer. Then he interviews the Prospect's Luke Goldstein about his investigative article about Q-Cells, a South Korean solar panel company that has set up shop in Dalton, Georgia--the district represented by Marjorie Taylor Greene.
2023-07-2949 min
Left AnchorEpisode 282 - Putin’s War Goes SidewaysAlexi is back, and we are talking current events: the imploded Titanic submarine, the Elon-Zuckerberg cage match, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mutiny in Russia, the Ukrainian counteroffensive, Joe Biden’s embrace of Narendra Modi, the Greek election, and how freight rail workers finally got paid sick leave. Enjoy!
Also don’t miss Yanis Varoufakis’s commentary on the Greek economy.
2023-06-281h 04
Left AnchorEpisode 279 EXCERPT - The Debt Ceiling DealIn this long preview of the latest bonus episode, Ryan and David Dayen explore what's in the debt ceiling deal negotiated between the Biden administration and House Republicans. Subscribe now to hear the rest!
2023-06-0135 min
Left AnchorEpisode 265 - The Trans PanicToday we've got Evan Urquhart and Michael Hobbes on to talk about the ongoing frenzy of bigotry directed at trans people, and why centrist and liberal reporters are feeding it.
Evan covers trans issues at Assigned Media, while Michael is a journalist currently working on the Maintenance Phase and If Books Could Kill podcasts.
Also check out Evan's coverage of detransitioners, Tom Scocca's critique of the Times coverage, and this open letter to New York Times management from many of its employees and contributors.
2023-02-201h 23
Left AnchorEpisode 264 PREVIEW - The Biden Antitrust AgendaSubscribe now to hear the whole thing!
2023-02-0904 min
Left AnchorEpisode 263 - What Is Reproductive Justice? with Felicia KornbluhToday we've got Felicia Kornbluh, professor of history at the University of Vermont, on to talk about her new book A Woman's Life Is a Human Life: My Mother, Our Neighbor, and the Journey From Reproductive Rights to Reproductive Justice. We discuss the fascinating history of pre-Roe abortion rights activists, the movement against coerced sterilization, what full reproductive justice means, and more. Enjoy!
2023-02-021h 07
Left AnchorEpisode 262 PREVIEW - Marianne Williamson on the Politics of LoveIn this excerpt Marianne talks about the bad and good sides of the Biden administration. Subscribe here to listen to the whole thing!
2023-01-2702 min
Left AnchorEpisode 261 - Casablanca and Inside Llewyn DavisThis time we're doing a movie review episode talking about two classics: Casablanca and Inside Llewyn Davis, discussing both their politics and their merits as films. Enjoy! (And pardon Ryan for repeatedly pronouncing it "Llewelyn".)
2023-01-151h 15
Left AnchorEpisode 236 UNLOCKED - Towards a Better Identity Politics with Olúfẹ́mi O. TáíwòThis time we've got Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò on to discuss his book Elite Capture: How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (And Everything Else). We talk about how this cooption process has happened, how to counter it without falling victim to irritable knee-jerk anti-"wokeness," what identity politics originally meant, and more. Enjoy!
2023-01-091h 14
Left AnchorEpisode 260 PREVIEW - Opening the MailbagSubscribe now to hear the whole thing!
2022-12-3106 min
Left AnchorEpisode 170 RERUN - America Is PottersvilleWe're off this week for vacation, so we're reposting one of our favorite episodes about one of our favorite movies. Happy holidays everyone!
The essay by Clare Coffey about Mary Bailey that we mention can be found here.
2022-12-241h 17
Left AnchorEpisode 259 PREVIEW - America’s Lithium Bonanza?In this preview of our latest bonus episode, David Dayen talks about the Sam-Bankman Fried prosecution. Subscribe now to hear the whole thing!
2022-12-1515 min
Left AnchorEpisode 258 - The Crypto Shill BrigadeToday we've got Marshall Steinbaum, professor of economics at the University of Utah, and The Nation's Jeet Heer on to talk about crypto shills--who they are, how they got like that, why there are so many of them among cultural and political elites, and more. Enjoy!
2022-12-061h 05
Left AnchorEpisode 257 PREVIEW - Alaska, Iran, and Freight RailSubscribe now to hear the full episode!
2022-11-2909 min
Left AnchorEpisode 256 - Capital’s TerroristsToday we've got historian Chad Pearson on to talk about his book Capital's Terrorists: Klansmen, Lawmen, and Employers in the Long Nineteenth Century. We discuss how racism is heavily rooted in the need to control Black labor in the South before and after the Civil War, how the KKK was a kind of employer's association, how the civil liberties of workers were systematically violated by corporations and the government in the Gilded Age, and more. Enjoy!
2022-11-191h 09
Left AnchorEpisode 255 PREVIEW - The 2022 MidtermsSubscribe now to hear the full episode!
2022-11-1205 min
Left AnchorEpisode 243 UNLOCKED - Stealing America Back from the Right with Jamelle BouieThis time we've got New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie on to talk about reclaiming American traditions and institutions from conservative Republicans who want to destroy them.
Items mentioned in the discussion: Jamelle's columns on the Supreme Court, the Senate, and Andrew Yang's dumb third party; his newsletter and podcast; and Ryan's article "Will no one defend the American Republic?"
2022-11-021h 09
Left AnchorEpisode 254 PREVIEW - Ukraine, the Midterms, and BrazilSubscribe now to hear the full episode!
2022-10-2608 min
Left AnchorEpisode 253 - The British Marxist Historians
Today we've got Professor Harvey Kaye back on to talk about a new edition of his book The British Marxist Historians, which tells the story of Maurice Dobb, Rodney Hilton, Christopher Hill, E.P. Thompson, and Eric Hobsbawm. We discuss how these guys used Marxism in their work, what light it sheds on politics today, why they still matter, and more. Enjoy!
2022-10-191h 20
Left AnchorEpisode 252 PREVIEW: Pining for the FjordsThis time Ryan calls in to tell Alexi about the Faroe Islands. Subscribe now to hear the whole thing!
2022-10-1407 min
Left AnchorEpisode 251 - UBI and a Socialist Work EthicThis 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!
2022-10-041h 06
Left AnchorEpisode 250 PREVIEW - DeSantis, the Queen, and Omicron BoostersSubscribe now to hear the full episode!
2022-09-2607 min
Left AnchorEpisode 249 - The State of the War in UkraineToday 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.
2022-09-2258 min
Left AnchorEpisode 248 EXCERPT - Lessons from American Labor HistoryIn 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!
2022-09-1221 min
Left AnchorEpisode 247 - Working in a PandemicHappy 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.
2022-09-051h 29
Left AnchorEpisode 246 PREVIEW - Dark Brandon RisesIn this preview, we review the Democrats' record of accomplishments over the last few weeks. Subscribe now to hear the whole thing!
2022-08-2911 min
Left AnchorEpisode 245 - Saving American Democracy through the StatesToday 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.
2022-08-191h 01
Left AnchorEpisode 244 - The Inflation Reduction ActToday 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.
2022-08-121h 12
Left AnchorHow Are You Going to Pay for That? Introduction: The Case Against Saving ScoldsThis 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!
2022-08-1113 minLeft AnchorEpisode 243 EXCERPT: Stealing America Back from the Right with Jamelle BouieSubscribe now to hear the whole thing!
2022-08-0123 min
Left AnchorEpisode 242 - Lessons from Legislating with Nikil SavalToday 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.
2022-07-251h 00
Left AnchorEpisode 241 - The Ethics of Socialism with William Clare RobertsToday 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.
2022-07-161h 09
Left AnchorEpisode 240 PREVIEW - The January 6 HearingsIn 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!
2022-07-0613 min
Left AnchorEpisode 239 - The State of American Socialism with David DuhaldeThis 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!
2022-07-011h 06
Left AnchorEpisode 238 PREVIEW - American School Financing Is a DisasterIn this preview, Professor David I. Backer explains how school financing works in this country. Subscribe now to hear the full thing!
2022-06-2316 min
Left AnchorEpisode 59 RERUN - The Case for Student Debt CancellationIn 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!
2022-06-1455 min
Left AnchorEpisode 237 - The Politics of TimeToday 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!
2022-06-071h 01Left AnchorEpisode 236 PREVIEW - Towards a Better Identity Politics with Olúfẹ́mi O. TáíwòSubscribe now to hear the full thing!
2022-05-3116 min
Left AnchorEpisode 235 - Speech in the Academy
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.2022-05-231h 14
Left AnchorEpisode 234 - Shortages and Inflation with David DayenSubscribe now to hear the full episode!
2022-05-1813 min
Left AnchorEpisode 209 UNLOCKED - On Popularism, with Alex PareeneIn 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.
2022-05-091h 00
Left AnchorEpisode 233 - The Politics and Culture of Video GamesToday 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!
2022-05-021h 19
Left AnchorEpisode 232 UNLOCKED - The Amazon Union StruggleWe'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!
2022-04-271h 05Left AnchorEpisode 232 PREVIEW - The Union Struggle at AmazonSubscribe now to hear the whole thing!
2022-04-2318 min
Left AnchorEpisode 231 - Minneapolis Justice Reform with Mary MoriartyMary Moriarty is running to be county attorney of Hennepin County, where she was formerly chief public defender. We talk about her history in the area, what's been going in Minneapolis since the George Floyd protests, the general state of criminal justice reform, and more. Enjoy!
2022-04-161h 39
Left AnchorEpisode 230 PREVIEW - Jeff Bezos, Welfare QueenSubscribe now to hear the whole episode!
2022-04-1110 min
Left AnchorEpisode 229 - The Broken American Legal System, with Sparky AbrahamWe've got attorney and podcaster Sparky Abraham on to talk about the latest Supreme Court news, why many liberals are foolish to prioritize court cases, and how utterly despotic courts can be at the local level -- it turns out in some county courts, fully half of cases are about small-dollar debt collection.
Things mentioned in the episode: our episode with Brian Fallon, the Debt Collective, and "Do Courts Matter" by Stephen Carter.
2022-04-021h 11
Left AnchorEpisode 228 - The Hapless Merrick Garland, with Jeff HauserSubscribe now to listen to the full episode!
2022-03-2523 min
Left AnchorEpisode 63 REVENGEANCE: Corey Robin on Clarence ThomasClarence Thomas is apparently in the hospital, so we thought we'd return to our old episode with political scientist Corey Robin. We first talked about how most workers experience a severe lack of freedom in the workplace, and then move on to discuss Clarence Thomas's history and peculiar brand of black nationalism. Check out Corey's book: The Enigma of Clarence Thomas.
2022-03-241h 11
Left AnchorEpisode 227 - Lessons from Putin’s War on Ukraine, with John GanzSubscribe now to hear the whole episode!
2022-03-1709 min
Left AnchorEpisode 226 - Giorgio Agamben’s Antivax RavingsToday we pose the question: how the heck did famed Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben turn into an anti-vaccine conspiracy nutcase? We've got Adam Kotsko, a leading Agamben scholar and translator of many of his works, on to discuss to what extent his goofball pandemic views emerge from his actual serious work. Enjoy!
Check out Adam's Slate article on the topic here, as well as his books Neoliberalism's Demons and Agamben's Philosophical Trajectory.
2022-03-0559 min
Left AnchorEpisode 225 EXCERPT: Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine, with David KlionThis is the first half of our episode with journalist David Klion on the background of the Ukraine crisis. Check out the full episode here!
2022-02-2437 min
Left AnchorEpisode 224 PREVIEW - Normal World Much?? with Phil ChristmanIn this excerpt Phil talks about the weirdness of the norms of chivalry. Subscribe here to hear the whole thing!
Also don't miss his book How to Be Normal.
2022-02-2308 min
Left AnchorEpisode 223 - The Economy Is Wilding Out, with Rob LarsonToday we've got economics professor Rob Larson back on the pod (see his previous episode here) to talk about the bizarre state of the economy. The labor market is red hot, inflation is higher than in almost 40 years, and there are calls from the capitalist class to strangle the boom. We discuss whether Jerome Powell is going to pull a Paul Volcker on the labor market and what might be done to ease price pressure. Then we discuss Facebook's hilarious "metaverse" faceplant in the context of Rob's great recent book Bit Tyrants. Enjoy!
2022-02-131h 10
Left AnchorEpisode 222 PREVIEW: How Are You Going to Pay for That, Part IIYou can find the first part of the discussion with Jeff Spross here, or subscribe to hear the rest here, or check out Ryan's book here!
2022-02-1023 min
Left AnchorEpisode 89 RERUN - Brian Fallon on Stomping out BigLaw CorruptionWith the news of Justice Stephen Breyer retiring (and Ryan on vacation for the next week), we thought it would be a good opportunity to post this 2019 interview of Brian Fallon about his organization Demand Justice.
Fallon is a longtime Democratic Party operative who nevertheless has become a pretty heated critic of the liberal legal establishment and an ardent advocate of Supreme Court reform. The current troubles the Biden administration is having with the courts proves much of what he said to be sadly prescient, alas.
2022-01-301h 22Left AnchorEpisode 221 - How Are You Going to Pay for That?Ryan's book is finally out on January 25!! Called How Are You Going to Pay for That? Smart Answers to the Dumbest Question in Politics, it's a book about political economy, how to break free of the mental stranglehold of neoliberalism, and how to fix up this jalopy country. (And then we've got a special guest at the end as well.)
Ryan's doing a book launch event with David Dayen that you can check out here, and you can pre-order the book if you like here.
2022-01-2354 min
Left AnchorEpisode 220 PREVIEW - The Power of Propaganda with Hannah ArendtSubscribe now to hear the whole episode!
Or you can pre-order Ryan's book here, or check out the launch event on January 25 here.
2022-01-1525 min
Left AnchorEpisode 219 - One Year After the Trump PutschToday we are taking a look back at the January 6 putsch -- the total failure to prosecute any of the top organizers, above all Trump, how that has emboldened them to further extremism, how a segment of the left is weirdly naive about all this, and more. God help us all.
Check out Osita Nwanevu's article here and Corey Robin's article here.
2022-01-081h 15
Left AnchorEpisode 218 PREVIEW - Rest in Power bell hooksSubscribe now to hear the full episode!
2021-12-3114 minLeft AnchorEpisode 170 UNLOCKED: America Is PottersvilleWe're reposting our episode from last year discussing It's a Wonderful Life, one of our favorite films of all time, and one that has only grown in relevance compared to when we grew up watching it decades past. Enjoy, and we hope everyone has a nice holiday season!
2021-12-231h 15
Left AnchorEpisode 217 PREVIEW - Fake Populism and the Right‘s New Hitler ApologiaIn this preview, Harvey Kaye discusses Josh Hawley's bizarre new book. Subscribe now to listen to the whole thing!
2021-12-1904 min
Left AnchorEpisode 216 PREVIEW - Omicron of SolaceSubscribe now to hear the whole episode!
2021-12-1009 min
Left AnchorEpisode 215 - Carceral Con with Kay Whitlock and Nancy A. HeitzegToday we've got the authors of Carceral Con: The Deceptive Terrain of Criminal Justice Reform on to discuss their book. We discuss some of the downsides of how criminal justice reform has been portrayed in popular media, in particular the downsides of the austerian logic that doing so will save the government money. Enjoy!
2021-12-051h 03
Left AnchorEpisode 214 PREVIEW - The Davos Climate Cuddle Puddle with Kate AronoffSubscribe now to hear the whole episode!
Also don't miss Kate's book here.
2021-11-2811 min
Left AnchorEpisode 213 - Seeing Like an Activist with Erin PinedaToday we've got Smith College Assistant Professor of Government Erin Pineda on to talk about her book Seeing Like An Activist: Civil Disobedience and the Civil Rights Movement. We discuss how her work relates to the famous James Scott book Seeing Like a State, how civil disobedience really worked during the civil rights movement, how the movement against police brutality today has been sidetracked by fussy liberals, and more. Enjoy!
2021-11-191h 02
Left AnchorEpisode 212 PREVIEW - The Grim Legacy of 2008 with David SirotaSubscribe now to listen to the whole episode!
And check out David's podcast series "Meltdown" here.
2021-11-1308 min
Left AnchorEpisode 211 PREVIEW - Democrats in Disarray with David DayenSubscribe now the hear the full episode!
2021-11-0509 min
Left AnchorEpisode 205 - The Fascism Question, Part IIAfter unlocking our episode about the January 6 putsch, Ryan is doing a quick follow-up on our episode with John Ganz from February. This time we're talking about Robert Paxton's book The Anatomy of Fascism in the context of Trump lawyer John Eastman's coup memo, and various aspects of current right-wing culture. Enjoy!
Also check out the Adolph Reed essay mentioned here.
2021-09-3042 min
Left AnchorEpisode 172 UNLOCKED - The Trump PutschWe're unfortunately delayed thanks to personal events so we're unlocking this one as a retrospective of our initial thoughts on the January 6 putsch. Tomorrow Ryan will have another episode on the fascism question, so stay tuned!
2021-09-291h 20
Left AnchorEpisode 194 UNLOCKED - Critical Race Theory, Real and ImaginedRyan has been off on vacation for the past 2 weeks, so we are unlocking this one as a treat while we get the next one produced. This time we talk about both the fake smear campaign version of critical race theory as invented by professional conservative liars, and the actual body of thought. Enjoy!
Links to articles we mentioned: one by Sam Kriss, one by Damon Linker, and one by John Ganz.
2021-07-261h 16
Left AnchorEpisode 195 - Waiting on the Thunder with Matt Karp
Today we've got historian Matt Karp on to talk about his recent article in Harper's on the 1619 Project and right-wing attempts to suppress anti-racism in the classroom.
Items mentioned in the episode: John Ganz on the 1619 Project; Frederick Douglass on the 4th of July, America's composite nationality, and his eulogy for Lincoln, and John Mercer Langston on the world anti-slavery movement.
Also don't forget to pre-order Ryan's book!
2021-07-091h 20
Left AnchorEpisode 183 UNLOCKED - The Semiconductor SituationWe've got some requests to unlock this episode, so here you go! It's a briefer discussion just from Ryan on two articles about the history and current state of the American semiconductor industry, why understanding the details of the production process matter for socialists, and then some talk about the bad state of diplomatic relations between China and the US. Enjoy!
2021-05-1848 min
Left AnchorEpisode 171 - Socialist FreedomAlexi is out, so Ryan briefly discusses how the coronavirus pandemic blows apart the conservative/libertarian conception of freedom, and illustrates the value of a socialist version of same. Hope you all had a good holiday, and enjoy!
2021-01-0533 min
Left AnchorEpisode 142 - The Power of Protests and The End of Policing: Part II, with David KaibToday we continue our discussion of what a post-police society might look like with David Kaib, who has taught some DC DSA night school classes on the subject.
Links to articles we mentioned: Ryan on the Nordic style of policing, Alex Vitale's book The End of Policing, and this Jacobin article on the abolition of police and prisons. Enjoy!
2020-06-171h 12
Left AnchorEpisode 130 - Rohan Grey on #MintTheCoinWe're talking with Rohan Grey today about a proposal he worked on with Rep. Rashida Tlaib on funding massive cash aid to Americans funded with two $1 trillion platinum coins. We talk about the balance of power between the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department, what it would mean for the Treasury to reclaim the authority to print money, a UBI versus a job guarantee, and more. Enjoy!
PS: This essay Ryan wrote on a similar idea might be useful background.
2020-03-281h 29
Left AnchorEpisode 125 - The Case Against Joe BidenToday we do a deep dive into Joe Biden's terrible record in the Senate, and marginally-less terrible record as vice president. Then we turn to electability, and why a Biden nomination would screw up almost all of the strongest arguments against Trump -- on protecting Social Security and Medicare, on trade, on #MeToo, on abuse of immigrants, on corruption, and on mental fitness.
Links to stuff mentioned in the discussion: Corey Robin on Clarence Thomas, Emma Caterine on bankruptcy, Ryan's episode on the bailout disaster, Branko Marcetic on Biden's record, and Jon Walker on Obamacare's technical defects. 2020-03-081h 39
Left AnchorEpisode 119 - Why It Matters if Bernie Sanders Becomes PresidentJust Ryan today with a quick pre-New Hampshire episode going through Reed Hundt's excellent book A Crisis Wasted about the presidential transition in 2007-8 and Obama's consequential early decisions as president. We go through how Obama allowed Bush Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson to set the priorities for the bank bailout (thus ensuring Wall Street would not be cut down to size), how Obama allowed his Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner to turn homeowner assistance policy into a quiet backdoor bailout of the banks, and how the Obama administration definitely could have gotten a bigger stimulus but chose not to. Having...2020-02-1143 min
Left AnchorEpisode 118 - Bernie Won IowaRyan is back from vacation so we return with a discussion of the Iowa clusterfuck: How Bernie edged out Pete Buttigieg in the popular vote and tied in pleged delegates, how Biden collapsed, how and why the caucus was bungled so horribly, and what it maybe means for the next few primaries. Enjoy!
2020-02-061h 14
Left AnchorEpisode 114 - Losing the War, by Lee SandlinBit of a different episode today: Ryan reads a very long 1997 essay about the Second World War by the late Lee Sandlin called "Losing the War" (with permission from Nina Sandlin). Though it takes three hours to finish, it's a remarkable piece about the way the nature of the war was obscured from public view, why wars happen, and what we should remember about it today. Enjoy!
2020-01-123h 03
Left AnchorEpisode 97a Preview: An Exploration of the Little Colorado River GorgeHere's a little excerpt from a story by Ryan's father about running the Little Colorado during a flood. Find the whole thing here!
2019-10-0102 min
Left AnchorEpisode 92 Preview: L'Affaire BretbugListen to Ryan's petty rant about how Bret Stephens has the easiest job on the planet, but can't even enjoy it. Subscribe here to hear the full episode!
2019-09-0203 min
Left AnchorEpisode 79 - Chris Arnade on American PovertyThis time we've got Jeff Spross filling in as guest host to chat with Chris Arnade, author of Dignity, a Studs Terkel-style ethnography of American poverty. We talk about what inspired him to leave Wall Street and start writing about poverty, the varied characteristics of broke Americans, and the real problem with the top 20 percent (hint: it's not their incomes, but their politics).
The interview went long, so we'll be breaking it into two episodes. Stay tuned for part II tomorrow!
Note: Ryan makes an error in discussing the top 20 percent. The bottom half of...2019-07-0852 min
Left AnchorEpisode 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.
2019-03-101h 22
Left AnchorEpisode 43 - Interview with @DavidKaib on MLK and Iris Marion YoungThis 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.)
2019-03-021h 13
Left AnchorEpisode 23 - Interview with @ThePlumLineGSThis 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]
2018-12-151h 01
Left AnchorEpisode 15 - 2018 MidtermsThis episode we discuss the midterms. We start off with Ryan flagrantly botching the state Claire McCaskill is from (Missouri, not Iowa), then move into a broader discussion on What It All Means: live, unfiltered, raw insight from start to finish.
2018-11-101h 06
Left AnchorEpisode 12 - Fascist Violence, David Hume, & Judith ButlerIn this episode, we consider the grim news of the #MAGABomber, the synagogue shooting, the election of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, and what Hume and Butler might teach us about this.
Unfortunately, Alexi had a technical malfunction, so the audio quality is somewhat below par on his end.
2018-10-311h 12