Confronting Capitalism: Why Class Matters

Suzi talks to Sebastian Budgen in Paris about the collapse of Prime Minister François Bayrou’s government and the “Block Everything” mobilization against Macron’s austerity agenda, which brought unions, students, and grassroots activists into the streets. Another national strike is set for September 18. What makes this mobilization different — and what does the crisis mean for the Left, the far right, Macron’s presidency, and the future of the Fifth Republic? Suzi then talks to Joe Allen about his new book Teamsterland, exploring the Teamsters’ notoriety and contradictions, the near-strike at UPS, and how Teamsters president Sean O’Brien’s embrace of Trump mirrors the challenges facing US labor today. Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements.

Émile Torres, who co-wrote an article with Timnit Gebru for First Monday about AI, discusses tech moguls’ dreams of transcending the merely human. Daniel Wortel-London, author of The Menace of Prosperity, looks at the fiscal history of NYC, and considers how we could do better than subsidizing the rich. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Populism is in the air, providing unique opportunities and challenges to the Left. On this episode of Confronting Capitalism, Vivek Chibber discusses how populist sentiment — popular anger at elites and a demand for economic redress — helped socialists reinsert economics back into politics. Recent electoral victories, such as Zohran Mamdani’s win in the New York City Democratic primary, have shown the success of centering material demands with widespread appeal. While not populist in the classic sense, campaigns like Mamdani’s have been able to harness this broader mood of popular discontent. The strategy is not without its limitations, but it holds important lessons for how the Left can reshape a political environment that has been hostile to workers for decades. The latest issue of Catalyst is out, and you can subscribe for just $20 using the code CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM: https://catalyst-journal.com/subscribe/?code=CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM Have a question for us? Write to us by email: [email protected] Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber is produced by Catalyst: A Journal of Theory and Strategy, and published by Jacobin. Music by Zonkey.

John Roosa looks at what’s behind the riots in Indonesia. David Duhalde, author of a paper for the Rosa Luxemburg Stinting, discusses the Democratic Socialists of America in relation to its ancestor, Eugene Debs’s Socialist Party. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Featuring Ian Gavigan on how the bipartisan neoliberalization of higher education laid the groundwork for Trump’s all-out assault. Workers must unite on every campus, articulate an alternative vision for the university, and fight to win it. Check out HELU higheredlaborunited.org Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDig Dig 500th Episode Party November 7 in Brooklyn! Emceed by Brace and Liz from TrueAnon. Free for Patreon supporters $10/mo and up. Get your tickets here littlefieldnyc.com/event/?wfea_eb_id=1549778040839 Subscribe to the Palestinian Festival of Literature's book subscription program palfest.org/bookshelf Buy We Are the Union at UCPress.edu The Dig goes deep into politics everywhere, from labor struggles and political economy to imperialism and immigration. Hosted by Daniel Denvir.

Sam Tanenhaus, author of Buckley: The Life and the Revolution that Changed America, on Bill, his thought, and his influence. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Suzi talked to Vermont state senator and democratic socialist Tanya Vyhovsky, just back from several weeks in Ukraine. Senator Vyhovsky traveled from Kyiv to L’viv, Kryvyi Rih, and Dnipro, meeting with trade unionists, feminists, students, and survivors of Russia’s bombardment. Her visit came as Putin sat down with Trump in Alaska without Zelensky at the table. Tanya shares her eyewitness reflections and analysis of Ukraine’s fight for survival, the central role of labor and grassroots organizations in keeping society alive, and why international solidarity has never been more urgent. Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements.

Featuring Robin D. G. Kelley listening back and reflecting upon old tapes of the interviews with sharecroppers he conducted in the 1980s while researching Hammer and Hoe: Alabama Communists during the Great Depression. This is an episode of Signal Hill, a new audio magazine made by friends of The Dig. Produced by Conor Gillies and edited by Liza Yeager and Omar Etman. Listen to Dan’s Dig interview with Robin Kelley on Hammer and Hoe thedigradio.com/podcast/hammer-and-hoe-with-robin-d-g-kelley Buy No Cop City, No Cop World at haymarketbooks.org Support signalhill.fm/support Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDig The Dig goes deep into politics everywhere, from labor struggles and political economy to imperialism and immigration. Hosted by Daniel Denvir.

Utilizing class analysis is the bread and butter of socialist politics. But understanding how classes are shaped and reproduced has changed over time. On this episode of Confronting Capitalism, Vivek Chibber breaks down how the Marxist tradition has theorized class, the difference between a class in itself and a class for itself, and how class analysis is used within political organizing. The latest issue of Catalyst Journal is out and you can subscribe for just $20 using the code, CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM: https://catalyst-journal.com/subscribe/?code=CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM Have a question for us? Reach out here: [email protected] Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber is produced by Catalyst: A Journal of Theory and Strategy, and published by Jacobin. Music by Zonkey.

Labor sociologist Barry Eidlin joins Suzi to discuss the recent Air Canada strike, which has now reached a tentative agreement. The strike began when 10,000 flight attendants, organized in the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), walked off the job on August 16, after months of failed negotiations. The Canadian government responded with its usual move: a back-to-work order under Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code — a provision that ostensibly regulates strikes, but is instead used to short-circuit them. But this time, something unusual happened: the workers defied the order, chanting “Forced to fly? We won’t comply!” After an all-night bargaining session, they secured a tentative settlement on August 19th — showing what labor can do when it doesn’t back down. We talk about the strike, the government response, its outcome, and what it portends. We’ll also talk about the differences between Canadian and US unionizing and labor law, strike outcomes, and public policy. Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements.