Jacobin Radio

Latest Episodes:

Primer: Episode 1, Enter the Ama-Zone Jun 10, 2021

Show notes

Primer is a new podcast about Amazon. I'm Alex Press, a staff writer at Jacobin, and I'll be hosting the show. Consider Primer an entry point for understanding a company that is increasingly reshaping, mediating, and controlling our lives and the planet. On this introductory episode, I'm joined by Dania Rajendra, director of Athena, and Alessandro Delfanti, who has a forthcoming book on Amazon warehouse work. The three of us try to answer a pressing question: what exactly is Amazon?

You can listen to Primer via Jacobin Radio on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere else you listen to podcasts. If you want to support the show (and pressure me to spend more time on it), you can subscribe at patreon.com/primerpodcast. If you subscribe, you'll receive research notes, occasional video content, and access to the Primer Discord. To keep up with the latest updates, follow us on Twitter @primerpod. Thanks for listening!

A World to Win: The Capitalocene w/ Jason W. Moore Jun 09, 2021

Show notes

This week, Grace speaks with Jason W. Moore, environmental historian and professor of sociology at Binghamton University, about capitalism and climate breakdown. They discuss his brilliant books, Capitalism in the Web of Life and Capitalocene or Anthropocene?, and ask what Marx can teach us about the multiple, overlapping ecological crises our planet is currently facing.

Find Jason on Twitter: https://twitter.com/oikeios

For access to the full episode, support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/aworldtowinpod

Weekends: Anti-Populism and the Wuhan Lab-Leak Hypothesis w/ Thomas Frank Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

Every Saturday at 1 PM ET, Ana Kasparian and Nando Vila broadcast live from the Jacobin YouTube channel. Weekends features free-flowing and humorous commentary on current events and political strategy. This is the podcast version of the show from June 5, 2021, with Jen Pan filling in for Nando.

Thomas Frank joins us to talk about the "lab-leak" theory, why it's appealing to a large number of people, media coverage, and its political and social implications. We also cover the homelessness crisis sweeping the country and how the Left needs to respond to mass deprivation.

Read Thomas Frank's latest: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jun/01/wuhan-coronavirus-lab-leak-covid-virus-origins-china

Join the Verso book club: https://www.versobooks.com/bookclub

Music provided by Zonkey: https://linktr.ee/zonkey

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jacobinmag

The Dig: Climate Politics with Kate Aronoff Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

Journalist Kate Aronoff discusses climate policy and politics and her book Overheated: How Capitalism Broke the Planet—And How We Fight Back.

Support this podcast at Patreon.com/TheDig

Long Reads: Adam Mayer and Baba Aye on Nigerian Politics from Independence to #EndSARS Jun 05, 2021

Show notes

Long Reads is a Jacobin podcast looking in-depth at political topics and thinkers, both contemporary and historical, with the magazine’s longform writers. Hosted by Features Editor Daniel Finn.

On this episode, Dan is joined by Adam Mayer, author of Naija Marxisms: Revolutionary Thought in Nigeria, as well as Baba Aye, Nigerian activist who works for the international trade union Public Services International.

Read Adam's piece "How Nigeria's Left Helped Shape the Country's History" here: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2020/06/nigeria-socialism-marxist-history

Produced by Conor Gillies, music by Knxwledge.

Jacobin Show: Can the US Become a Social Democracy? w/ Bhaskar Sunkara Jun 04, 2021

Show notes

Every Wednesday at 6 PM ET, The Jacobin Show offers socialist perspectives on class and capitalism in the twenty-first century, the failures of liberalism, and the prospects of rebuilding a left labor movement in the US. This is the podcast version of the show from June 2, 2021, with Jen Pan hosting and Nando Villa filling in as a guest host.

Jacobin editor Bhaskar Sunkara joins us to discuss the promise and the limitations of social democracy in the twenty-first century, particularly after the Bernie Sanders moment. What, exactly, is social democracy (and how does it differ from democratic socialism)? Where and how has social democracy worked around the world? And can it work in the Untied States?

Subscribe to Jacobin for just $10: https://jacobinmag.com/subscribe/?code=JACOBINYT

Music provided by Zonkey: https://linktr.ee/zonkey

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jacobinmag

Michael and Us: Hope and Despair Jun 02, 2021

Show notes

Paul Schrader's FIRST REFORMED (2017) looks at a world that might be beyond saving, and asks: "How can we go on living?" We discuss how this great film about religion, capitalism, and the environment is a rare Movie Of The Moment that actually is one. PLUS: the legacy of Canada's residential schools.

A World to Win: Marxism 101 w/ Hadas Thier Jun 02, 2021

Show notes

In this week’s episode, Grace talks to writer and activist Hadas Thier about her excellent book A People’s Guide to Capitalism, in which she provides a concise and readable introduction to Marxist thought. They discuss key concepts like capital, class, and imperialism, and apply them to the current crisis gripping the capitalist world system.

You can support our work on the show by becoming a Patron. Thanks to our producer Conor Gillies and the Lipman-Miliband Trust for making this episode possible.

Weekends: Is Neoliberalism Over in Chile? w/ René Rojas Jun 01, 2021

Show notes

René Rojas joins us to discuss how the people of Chile voted for sweeping structural reform and an end to neoliberalism. It’s one of the Left’s biggest victories since the end of Pinochet’s dictatorship but there's still a hard fight ahead. We also dunk on the defense industry lackeys being forced to attend anti-racist trainings.

Read René's essay here: https://catalyst-journal.com/2020/12/chiles-democratic-revolution

Join the Verso book club: https://www.versobooks.com/bookclub

Music provided by Zonkey: https://linktr.ee/zonkey

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jacobinmag

Michael and Us: Bernie versus the Space Barons Jun 01, 2021

Show notes

Why has an oligarch like Elon Musk attracted so many admirers? To answer that question, we looked at the short puff-piece documentary THE RISE OF SPACEX: ELON MUSK'S ENGINEERING MASTERPIECE (2020), which presents the story of his outer-space initiatives the way he would like them to be seen. We examine the very real political implications of his "apolitical" tech-guru brand. PLUS: an odd new footnote to Canadian WWII history, the Amazon/MGM deal, and the surprising career trajectory of Tucker Max.

"The Rise of SpaceX: Elon Musk's Engineering Masterpiece" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_T4QayqtI4&ab_channel=ritm1