Left Anchor
332 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 hours ago - ★★★★★ - 138 ratingsPhilosophy, politics, and the left.
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Episodes
The Fascist Attack on Gaza Protests - 312
April 28, 2024 03:10 - 55 minutes - 38.2 MBToday we are contrasting the brutal punishment meted out to college students and professors protesting Israel's actions in Gaza with the kid glove treatment handed out to Donald Trump by New York courts and the Supreme Court. Enjoy!
Solidarity Forever - 311 PREVIEW
April 17, 2024 02:37 - 7 minutes - 4.95 MBSubscribe now to hear the full episode!
Ernst Bloch's Audacity of Hope - 310
April 05, 2024 14:35 - 1 hour - 47.8 MBToday we have Jonathan Greenaway on to talk about his new book A Primer on Utopian Philosophy: An Introduction to the Work of Ernst Bloch. We discuss where Bloch came from, the uses of utopian thinking in politics, and more. Enjoy!
How Merrick Garland Appeased Trump - 309 PREVIEW
March 27, 2024 13:07 - 9 minutes - 6.47 MBWe've got Michael from the 5-4 podcast on to talk about how Garland whiffed the Trump prosecution. Subscribe now to hear the whole thing!
The ACLU Stabs Labor in the Back - 308
March 16, 2024 20:04 - 1 hour - 45.7 MBToday we have Matt Bruenig back on the podcast to talk about his new publication NLRB Edge, the problems with US labor law, and why the ACLU is filing a lawsuit attempting to blow a giant hole in union rights.
Orwell on Nationalism - 307 PREVIEW
March 08, 2024 16:31 - 5 minutes - 3.87 MBSubscribe now to hear the whole episode!
Who Is Grieved? - 306
February 29, 2024 23:26 - 1 hour - 42.7 MBToday we are discussing Donald Trump's numerous legal fines, and then Judith Butler's concepts of precarity and grievability, specifically as they apply to the war in Gaza.
Russia and Ukraine Update PREVIEW - 305
February 19, 2024 16:32 - 4 minutes - 2.95 MBSubscribe now to hear the full episode!
The House Republican Pratfall - 304
February 09, 2024 22:56 - 1 hour - 43.5 MBThis time we've got David Dayen to talk about House Republicans' failed effort to impeach DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, pass an immigration bill, or get through military aid to Israel, as well as David's piece about the failings of American democracy. Enjoy!
The Genocide Case Against Israel PREVIEW - 303
February 03, 2024 18:28 - 11 minutes - 7.87 MBSubscribe now to hear the whole thing!
Oppenheimer Reconsidered - 302
January 25, 2024 02:00 - 1 hour - 48.4 MBWe're talking Oppenheimer in time for awards season. Enjoy!
Trump’s Legal Morass Deepens - 301 PREVIEW
January 11, 2024 18:42 - 7 minutes - 5.28 MBThis time we're talking about the weenie Trump apologists, his bad day in court, Gaza, and broken airplanes. Subscribe here to hear the whole thing!
Age of Insecurity UNLOCKED - 294
January 03, 2024 16:08 - 1 hour - 50.6 MBWe're taking the week off, so enjoy our episode with Astra Taylor speaking about her book The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart. We discuss how modern capitalism came to produce insecurity on a personal scale, who benefits from it, whether a modern economy can be run with a secure population, and more.
Children of Men, a Christmas Movie - 300
December 26, 2023 22:55 - 10 minutes - 7.1 MBMerry Christmas! This time we are doing another holiday movie review episode, this time about Children of Men and Die Hard. Subscribe here to hear the full episode!
Nordic Labor, and the US Economic Sentiment Problem - 299
December 20, 2023 19:24 - 57 minutes - 39.7 MBToday we're posting an interview with Matt Bruenig of the People's Policy Project that was part of a telethon holiday livestream for The American Prospect. (Find the donation page here.) We discuss what happened when McDonald's crossed the Danish labor movement, how the same thing is happening to Tesla, why Americans seem so down on the economy, and more. Enjoy!
The War on Gaza III - 298
December 13, 2023 23:03 - 1 hour - 45.7 MBWe're continuing the discussion on the Gaza war with Adam Johnson. Check out his articles we discuss at The Nation and Jacobin.
Kissinger Is Dead TEASER - 297
December 06, 2023 01:47 - 6 minutes - 4.29 MBSubscribe now to hear the full episode!
The War on Gaza II UNLOCKED - 292
November 30, 2023 00:50 - 1 hour - 44.1 MBWe're unlocking our Gaza discussion with writer and organizer Layla Al-Sheikh, talking about the history of Hamas and Israel, the plausibility of a two-state solution, what people in the West can do to help, whether the Biden administration might think twice about its support for Netanyahu, and more. Check out Layla's article in Dissent and Jacobin, and you can find the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund here.
Corporate Bullshit PREVIEW - 296
November 22, 2023 16:42 - 7 minutes - 4.99 MBSubscribe now to hear the whole thing!
The Neoliberal Education Fantasy - 295
November 15, 2023 16:42 - 1 hour - 49.9 MBToday we've got political science Professor Neil Kraus on to talk about his book The Fantasy Economy: Neoliberalism, Inequality, and the Education Reform Movement. We discuss how all the promises that increasing educational attainment would cut poverty and inequality failed, how that can actually be accomplished with unions and the welfare state, and how a proper higher education system should work. Enjoy!
Age of Insecurity TEASER - 294
November 08, 2023 18:56 - 7 minutes - 5.42 MBToday we are speaking with Astra Taylor about her book The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart. Subscribe now to hear the whole thing!
Who Is Mike Johnson? - 293
October 30, 2023 19:17 - 59 minutes - 40.7 MBToday after a brief update on the Gaza situation, we are talking about the new dark horse House speaker, and the end of democratic government in North Carolina. Enjoy!
The War on Gaza II - 292 PREVIEW
October 23, 2023 17:00 - 14 minutes - 9.91 MBWe are continuing our Gaza discussion with writer and organizer Layla Al-Sheikh. Subscribe to listen to the whole thing! Check out Layla's article in Dissent and Jacobin, and you can find the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund here.
The War on Gaza - 291
October 16, 2023 16:38 - 1 hour - 48.7 MBToday we've got David Klion on to talk about Gaza--what has happened on the ground, the immediate and historical contexts, whether this marks the end of Benjamin Netanyahu's career, and if Israel can learn that the occupation is at the root of its most intractable security problems. Check out David's article in n+1 here.
Damp Labor Autumn - 290
October 02, 2023 17:31 - 58 minutes - 40 MBThe WGA won their strike against the Hollywood studios, President Biden is on the UAW picket line, Trump is talking with scab parts workers, and New York City was flooded briefly. We talk about it. Note: we discuss the possibility of replacing Dianne Feinstein at the beginning, before it was known that California Governor Newsom would nominate former labor organizer and Uber lobbyist Laphonza Butler to serve out the remainder of her term.
Barbie Reconsidered PREVIEW - 289
September 25, 2023 15:38 - 6 minutes - 4.22 MBSubscribe now to hear the full episode!
Finland’s Cooperative Culture - 288
September 15, 2023 03:20 - 1 hour - 47.2 MBApologies 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!
Liberalism vs. Socialism - 283 UNLOCKED
August 25, 2023 12:22 - 1 hour - 42.1 MBRyan 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!
Lock Him Up - 287
August 15, 2023 14:22 - 1 hour - 44.1 MBDonald Trump has now been indicted four times (though this was recorded before the most recent Georgia indictment). We discuss why this is different from the Mueller investigation, how Trump might escape justice by dragging it out until after the election, and Ulysses S. Grant's view on what happens to people who attempt to overthrow the government, plus some more optimistic news. Enjoy!
The Art of Loving - 286 PREVIEW
August 08, 2023 02:39 - 4 minutes - 2.86 MBIn this preview of our latest bonus episode, we discuss how capitalist inequality breaks people's brains. Subscribe now to hear the whole thing!
Green Energy in a Red State - 285
July 29, 2023 02:11 - 49 minutes - 34.1 MBIn 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.
Fully Automated Fruit Communism - 284 PREVIEW
July 25, 2023 01:44 - 14 minutes - 10.1 MBToday we are talking the death of Tony Bennett and socialism banana discourse. Subscribe now to hear the whole episode!
Episode 224 UNLOCKED - The Man Question
July 12, 2023 23:46 - 1 hour - 44 MBWe are taking this week off, so this time we're unlocking an old episode with Phil Christman, talking about his book How to be Normal, a collection of essays about the pandemic, masculinity, whiteness, religion, and much else besides.
Episode 283 PREVIEW - Liberalism vs. Socialism
July 06, 2023 02:23 - 13 minutes - 9.46 MBSubscribe now to hear the full episode!
Episode 282 - Putin’s War Goes Sideways
June 28, 2023 17:59 - 1 hour - 44.6 MBAlexi 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.
Episode 281 PREVIEW - The Dire State of Gaming Media
June 17, 2023 19:30 - 15 minutes - 10.7 MBIn this preview of our latest bonus episode, video game journalist, critic, and creator merritt k discusses the state of the gaming press. Subscribe now to hear the whole thing!
Episode 280 - Angry about Capitalism
June 08, 2023 18:26 - 1 hour - 49.2 MBToday we've got John Nichols on to discuss the book he wrote with Bernie Sanders, It's OK to Be Angry About Capitalism. Topics include Bernie's favorite writing technology, the definition of socialism, where the American left goes from here, and more. Enjoy!
Episode 279 EXCERPT - The Debt Ceiling Deal
June 01, 2023 15:36 - 35 minutes - 24.4 MBIn 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!
Episode 278 - The Rise of Italian Post-Fascism
May 25, 2023 18:45 - 1 hour - 49.7 MBToday we've got historian David Broder on to discuss his book Mussolini's Grandchildren: Fascism in Contemporary Italy. The new Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is the most right-wing person to hold the post since the fascist dictatorship. Where did she come from, how has the Italian far right evolved, and where is it going?
Episode 277 UNLOCKED - Trans Rights in Finland
May 20, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 44.2 MBToday we've got Tanja von Knorring on to discuss what is happening with trans issues in Finland. She's a longstanding expert in this area, and explains the historical context regarding trans rights, how policy has changed recently, where the recently transphobic backlash there has come from, and more. Enjoy!
Episode 276 - The Ends of Freedom
May 11, 2023 19:07 - 1 hour - 48.6 MBToday we've got Professor Mark Paul on to talk about his book The Ends of Freedom: Reclaiming America’s Lost Promise of Economic Rights. We discuss the idea of an economic bill of rights, how the right stole the idea of "freedom," how to fix America with a few simple policies, and more. Enjoy!
Episode 275 PREVIEW - The One Million Dollar Tweet
May 04, 2023 16:13 - 9 minutes - 6.66 MBIn this preview of our latest bonus episode, we discuss how "James Medlock" posted a million bucks out of a reactionary venture capitalist. Subscribe now to hear the rest!
Episode 274 PREVIEW - Farewell to a Crypto-Nazi Blowhard
April 26, 2023 02:03 - 27 minutes - 18.9 MBIn this preview of our latest bonus episode, we discuss the incredibly deserved firing of Tucker Carlson from Fox News. Subscribe now to hear our discussion on Supreme Court corruption and Republicans' new push for child labor.
Episode 273 - Revolutionary Mathematics
April 22, 2023 14:01 - 1 hour - 44.4 MBToday we've got Justin Joque on to talk about his book Revolutionary Mathematics: Artificial Intelligence, Statistics and the Logic of Capitalism. It's all about Bayesian versus frequentist statistics, big data, machine learning, AI chatbots, and how they're used in modern capitalism--highly relevant stuff these days. Enjoy!
Episode 272 - What’s Going on in Tennessee?
April 13, 2023 03:58 - 1 hour - 43.9 MBToday we've got Nashville city council member Sean Parker on to talk about Tennessee political drama. Why does the Republican state government hate Nashville so much, how have things changed in recent years, why did Black legislators get expelled from the state House, and is there any hope for change? Listen to find out.
Episode 271 PREVIEW - Authoritarians Having a Bad Time
April 05, 2023 16:57 - 10 minutes - 6.93 MBSubscribe now to hear the whole thing!
Episode 270 - America’s Rotting Civic Infrastructure
March 30, 2023 14:14 - 1 hour - 50.5 MBToday we're talking again with Pete Davis, author of Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing, about his film Join or Die. It's a documentary about Robert Putnam and the accelerating decay of social institutions like clubs, unions, churches, and so forth. Pete explains why those are so important, and what might be done about it.
Episode 269 PREVIEW - The SVB Collapse
March 23, 2023 03:58 - 16 minutes - 11.6 MBIn this preview of our latest bonus episode, Skanda Amarnath, executive director of the Employ America think tank, discusses why the Silicon Valley Bank failed. Subscribe now to hear the whole thing!
Episode 268 - The Education Myth
March 15, 2023 16:17 - 1 hour - 51.1 MBToday we've got Professor Jon Shelton on to talk about his book The Education Myth: How Human Capital Trumped Social Democracy. We discuss how the justification for public schooling was wildly different in the 19th century, why education doesn't solve poverty, why "human capital" is a nonsense idea, how education reform became a fake substitute for class politics, and more. Enjoy!
Episode 267 PREVIEW - The Trans Panic II
March 07, 2023 16:59 - 6 minutes - 4.31 MBIn this excerpt of our latest bonus episode, we discuss the implication of Michael Knowles' eliminationist rhetoric about trans people. Subscribe now to hear the whole thing where we discuss the reaction to our previous episode, Jesse Singal twitter drama, President Biden's undermining of DC home rule, and more.