Dead Pundits Society

Joining us this week to commemorate the 101st anniversary of the October Revolution is Sean Guillory, host of Sean's Russia Blog Podcast. We begin by reflecting on the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution; Sean offers some insights about how we ought to remember those events. Next, we move on to a conversation about the founding and the culture of the Komsomol, or the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League, and how the in-fighting inside the group offers a lot of parallels to the battles being waged inside the left in our current era. Check out Sean's Russia Blog Podcast here: https://seansrussiablog.org/ -Read more on Sean's view of the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution: "Making Sense of the Russian Revolution," www.contrivers.org/articles/45/russia-revolution-sean-guillory-fitzpatrick-sunkara-miéville-suny-steinberg/ *** Join the Dead Pundits Society to get access to our weekly subscriber-only content: www.patreon.com/deadpundits *** -------------------- Twitter: @deadpundits Soundc

*** This track is a teaser of this week's B-Side, which is available to patrons of the Dead Pundits Society. To listen to the entire episode, join at www.patreon.com/deadpundits *** In this juggernaut of a B-Side, Adam and Aimee begin by briefly breaking down the significance of the midterm election results. Next, they begin a wide-ranging discussion on the meaning of so-called "normie" socialism -- a term that has largely been crafted by opponents of this strategy. They break down two recent blog pieces that are representative of this anti-normie socialism and set the record straight about the meaning of democratic socialism and the role of culture and identity in our project. Adam loses his temper on a few occasions, Alex Jones-style (but no gay frogs were harmed in the making of this episode). The blog posts in question can be found here: -Peter Frase, "Keep Socialism Weird," http://www.peterfrase.com/2018/10/keep-socialism-weird -"Breaking the Norm," http://www.peterfrase.com/2018/11/breaking-the-n

Joining us to talk about Trump's Council of Economic Advisor's ridiculous anti-socialism report is Matt Bruenig, founder of the People's Policy Project. We discuss the report titled, "The Opportunity Costs of Socialism," and address some of the rebuttals and cliches commonly wielded against broadly successful socialist societies. Who's afraid of socialism and why? Tune in to find out. Matt's latest response to the report can be found here: https://www.peoplespolicyproject.org/2018/11/05/the-white-houses-deceptive-pickup-truck-math/ Read the ridiculous report here (if you hate yourself): https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/cea-report-opportunity-costs-socialism/ *** If you like the show, please consider supporting us. We can't do this without the generous support of our patrons. We're asking our listeners to contribute one hour's wage per month to our project, and you'll get plenty of subscriber-only content as a reward: www.patreon.com/deadpundits *** ---------------------- Twitter: @deadp

Joining us this week to talk about the election of far right Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil is Alex Hochuli, who lives in São Paulo and hosts the Aufhebungabunga podcast. We discuss the ruling class conspiracy that led to the fall of both Lula and Dilma of the Worker's Party (PT) and the failures of the neoliberal centrists in containing the crisis that they, themselves, created. Finally, we develop "neoliberal authoritarianism" as the neo-fascism of the 21st century. Check out some of Alex's recent writings on the topic here: -"Bolsonaro Rising," https://thebaffler.com/latest/bolsonaro-rising-hochuli -"Brazil presidential election: Who is Jair Bolsonaro and why is he more dangerous than Trump?" https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/brazil-presidential-election-who-jair-bolsonaro-popular-candidate-more-dangerous-ncna925011 -"The Ends of Lava Jato," https://jacobinmag.com/2017/04/brazil-lava-jato-corruption-dilma-rousseff-lula-temer-mani-pulite-italy *** Please consider becoming a supporter of this podcast. We c

Joining us this week to break down Bernie Sanders' foreign policy speech is Daniel Bessner, Pyle Assistant Professor in American Foreign Policy at the University of Washington. We break down Bernie's speech delivered on October 9th and continue to build on the democratic socialist vision for foreign policy. What kind of platform should our candidates have going into 2020 and beyond? Tune in to find out. Articles mentioned during the show: -Daniel Bessner, "What Does Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Think About the South China Sea?" https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/17/opinion/democratic-party-cortez-foreign-policy.html -Hal Brands, "On Foreign Policy, the Left Tries to Out-Trump Trump," https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-09-26/democrats-foreign-policy-is-at-risk-of-retreating-like-trump-has Find out more about Daniel and his work: http://danielbessner.com *** To support the new left agenda and gain access to our weekly B-Side and subscriber-only content, join the Dead Pundits Society: wwwpatreon.com/de

Joining us this week to discuss the dynamics of neoliberal finance (without boring the shit out of you) is Grace Blakeley. We open the show by talking about The World Transformed conference that took place in Liverpool a few weeks ago. Next, Adam and Grace discuss the development of financialization and unpack some of the challenges it produces for a socialist transition. These topics have become far more relevant in the wake of an impending Corbyn government in Britain. More finance for regular-ass people -- Finance for the Many. Grace is a Research Fellow on IPPR’s Commission on Economic Justice. She is writing a book on finance that will be published by Repeater Books. You can find her on Twitter at @graceblakeley. *** Join the Dead Pundits Society to support the new left agenda and receive an additional subscriber-only episode each week: www.patreon.com/deadpundits *** ————————————- Twitter: @deadpundits
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This week's DPS was a live show. Our guest is Heidi Matthews, assistant professor at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Ontario. We addressed the Kavanaugh hearings and assessed the general discussion around the Supreme Court by lefties over the past several weeks. Heidi's article, "Why the Kavanaugh hearings were a show trial gone bad," can be found here: https://theconversation.com/why-the-kavanaugh-hearings-were-a-show-trial-gone-bad-102025 Other relevant pieces: -Sam Moyn, "Resisting the Juristocracy," https://bostonreview.net/law-justice/samuel-moyn-resisting-juristocracy -Jedidiah Purdy (interviewed by Meagan Day) "The Courts Are Political," https://www.jacobinmag.com/2018/10/supreme-court-brett-kavanaugh-partisan-jurisprudence -Be sure to subscribe to the show on iTunes or your podcast catcher: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1212081214 -Join the Dead Pundits Society to receive weekly subscriber-only content: www.patreon.com/deadpundits --------------------- Twitter: @deadpundits Soundcloud:

Joining us this week to talk about the rise of public sector unions via militant strike activity is Joe Burns, life-long union organizer and contract negotiator. We discuss his latest book, Strike Back: Using the Militant Tactics of Labor’s Past to Reignite Public Sector Unionism Today, and outline how the unlawful strikes of the 1960s and 70s provide a lesson for trade union organizing today. 

 -Find Joe’s latest book here: http://igpub.com/strike-back/

 -“Can Labor Strike Back?” https://mronline.org/2015/03/28/scipes280315-html/ 

*** This week's B-Side features an in-depth discussion about law and politics as it relates to the Supreme Court confirmation hearings. It drops Thursday and you won't want to miss it. Join the Dead Pundits Society to support the new left agenda and to receive an additional subscriber-only episode each week: www.patreon.com/deadpundits *** 


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Joining us this week to discuss the process around NYC DSA’s endorsement of Cynthia Nixon for the Democratic Party primary race in New York state are two members in NYC-DSA leadership, Susan Kang and Michael Cavadias. We discuss the various meanings of endorsement as well as the debates that emerged around these various and competing visions. Additionally, we discuss the role of accountability and the problematic relationship of the Democratic Party and socialist candidates. 

Whether you were in favor of this endorsement or not — and even whether you’re in favor of a socialist electoral strategy or not — there are many insights in this interview that will be beneficial for developing ou arguments. Articles: -"Building Power: A Rebuttal to the Case Against Nixon/Williams," by Susan Kang, Michael Cavadias, Danya Lagos, Cale Brooks, et al. -"To Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s critics: This is no time for sloganeering," by Jamie Stern-Weiner, https://mondoweiss.net/2018/07/alexandria-cortezs-sloganeering/ Image

This episode continues and deepens our discussion with Ed Rooksby from last week. Although it was recorded as a B-Side for our patrons, we decided that it was too good to be parked behind a paywall, so we made it available for all. We open the episode by outlining the legacy of the Second International and the reformist road to socialism. Next, we contrast the pitfalls of that period with the strategies of dual power being offered by socialists today. Nicos Poulantzas's "The Democratic Road to Socialism" offers a roadmap for threading the needle in a way that avoids the traps of reformism and bureaucratism, on the one hand, and the reactionary-utopian visions of "base building" on the other. What is dual power? What is base building? Why do we insist on the democratic road to socialism? Tune in to find out! This episode is a great continuation of last week's discussion of actually-existing Leninism and dual power. ***This week's B-side will continue our chat on the legacy and efficacy of revolutionary soci

Back on the Dead Pundits Society is Ed Rooksby, who teaches politics at Ruskin College. This behemoth of an episode tackles some of the most pressing questions facing socialists today: what do we mean by a socialist transition and what are some of the historical examples? We tackle the myth and reality of "dual power" and compare it with the prospects of a democratic road to socialism. This episode is dense, but the pay-off is enormous. Listen up and take notes -- this is Rooksbyism for the 21st Century. Ed's blog can be found here: https://edrooksby.wordpress.com ***The B-Side to this episode will be dropping early next week. To get access, subscribe today at www.patreon.com/deadpundits*** -------------------- Twitter: @deadpundits 
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[This is a free preview of our full-length Patreon episode for the week. Subscribe for $5/month at www.patreon.com/deadpundits for full access] Adam and Aimee answer a number of questions from listeners on this week's B-Side. Are we optimistic or pessimistic about the chances of socialism? Why do vulgar socialists have better game? Who are our biggest influences? What can socialists with "real world" knowledge in capitalist industries do to further the cause? All of your queries on life, love, and socialism will be addressed or your money back.* ***Join the Dead Pundits Society and get access to weekly subscriber-only episodes and our back catalog of B-Sides from Season 1 of the podcast: www.patreon.com/deadpundits *** *You're not getting your money back. ------------------ Twitter: @deadpundits 
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Joining us to discuss the socialist right to strike is Alex Gourevitch, author of "A Radical Defense of the Right to Strike," among many other articles and books. (https://www.jacobinmag.com/2018/07/right-to-strike-freedom-civil-liberties-oppression) Before the interview, Adam and Aimee open the show with a celebration of neoliberal achievement -- you won't want to miss this monumental occasion. General topics under consideration include: Is there a socialist right to strike? How does it differ from the liberal and social-democratic visions of the right to strike? Can socialists reclaim the notions of freedom, justice and (gasp) liberty?? Tune in to find out. Alex's writings can be found here: -"A Radical Defense of the Right to Strike," https://www.jacobinmag.com/2018/07/right-to-strike-freedom-civil-liberties-oppression -"The Right to Strike: A Radical View," https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/right-to-strike-a-radical-view/8B521F67E28D4FAE1967B17959620424

On this episode, which has been unlocked from the Patreon vault due to popular demand, Benjamin Studebaker talks with us about the tendency of leftists to view politics as the truest expression of one's soul rather than a method of leveraging structures to change the world. Studebaker traced this impulse in a series of blog posts a few months ago, and we'll unpack those arguments for our Patrons in this episode. Find relevant blog posts here: -"The Left is Not a Church," https://benjaminstudebaker.com/2018/04/28/the-left-is-not-a-church/ -"The Church Left is Proving My Point," https://benjaminstudebaker.com/2018/04/29/the-church-left-is-proving-my-point/ -------------- Twitter: @deadpundits iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1212081214 Soundcloud: @deadpundits Facebook: www.facebook.com/deadpunditssociety Patreon: www.patreon.com/deadpundits

What is the meaning of Democratic Socialism? In the wake of both Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s primary victory and Cynthia Nixon’s claim that she identifies as a democratic socialist, activists and political actors of all stripes are circling the wagons as they attempt to carve out the meaning on democratic socialism. Joining us this week to hash out these questions is Benjamin Studebaker, a PhD student in Politics at Cambridge University, whose blog pieces claiming that “the left is not a church” caused quite a stir a few months ago. Tune in for a discussion on how socialists should engage with this exciting moment. 

-We referenced Michael Kinnucan’s excellent piece, “Why Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Won,” towards the end of the episode: https://jacobinmag.com/2018/06/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-election-crowley-democratic-socialists 

-Find Studebaker’s most relevant pieces here: “The Left is not a Church,” https://benjaminstudebaker.com/2018/04/28/the-left-is-not-a-church/ 

 and 

“The Church Left is Proving

Joining us this week to talk about the real composition of the so-called “white working class” is Laura Bucci, Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Saint Joseph's University. 

 Adam and Aimee start off the show with some reflections on our political moment as well as some critical advice for dealing with naughty kangaroos. In the interview, we cover a large variety of topics, from the nature of the white working class, the decline in union density, how to measure voting behavior and preferences, and the intersection of race and class. Finally, Aimee and Adam end the show with some extended musings on the Janus ruling and the role of the Supreme Court in politics. -

You can find Laura’s publications on her website: https://www.lauracbucci.com/research.html

 ***To get access to the B-Side dropping later this week, join the Society at www.patreon.com/deadpundits for $5/month. In addition to supporting the new left agenda, you’ll get access to our weekly B-Sides and back catalog of

In the wake of the exciting primary victory of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and others like her across the country, the question of a socialist-progressive electoral alliance is back on the table in a big way. In this unlocked B-Side from 2017, Adam Hilton discusses the tactic of using the Democratic Party ballot line to elect socialists and progressives in order to build working class power inside the capitalist state. For all the patrons and regular listeners out there, Adam (host) is still on the mend from an extended illness. We'll be back with brand new content and a B-Side for patrons next week. To support the new left agenda, go to www.patreon.com/deadpundits and subscribe today. ---------------------------- Twitter: @deadpundits Facebook: www.facebook.com/deadpunditssociety iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1212081214 Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/deadpundits Patreon: www.patreon.com/deadpundits

Joining us this week to talk about the monumental rise of Jeremy Corbyn and the role played by Momentum is Max Shanly, co-host of All the Best podcast for Novara Media. We discuss Max’s life on the UK left and his insider's perspective on the rise of Corbyn to Labour Party leadership. Additionally, Max shares some stories about his brief friendship with Tony Benn and the story of the formation of Momentum, which has played a pivotal role in turning Britain to the left. 

-All the Best Podcast can be found here: http://novaramedia.com/category/audio/all-the-best/

 -Here is a wonderful essay Max wrote about his friendship with the late Tony Benn: http://www.leftfutures.org/2014/03/my-friend-the-most-dangerous-man-in-britain/

 ***This show is supported by listeners like you. To join the Dead Pundits Society and get access to a second, patron-only episode each week, subscribe for only $5/month at www.patreon.com/deadpundits*** ------------------------ Twitter: @deadpundits 
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[This is a free preview of our full-length Patreon episode for the week. Subscribe for $5/month at www.patreon.com/deadpundits for full access] On this week's B-Side, we address listener questions. Topics include the Vampire Castle and the left today, leaving Twitter, and assessing the strengths of political arguments. Tune in for all the spiciest takes. ***Join the Dead Pundits Society and get access to weekly subscriber-only episodes and a back catalog of B-Sides from Season 1 of the podcast: www.patreon.com/deadpundits *** ———————————————— 
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Joining us this week is Samuel Moyn, professor of law and history at Yale University. We discuss his new book, Not Enough: Human Rights in an Unequal World (2018, Belknap) and we outline a path towards moving beyond the limitations of liberal human rights. -What *are* human rights? Are they worth defending? What should socialists say about them? Tune in to find out. Towards the end of the interview, Aimee and Sam discuss his article on Steven Pinker, “Hype for the Best,” https://newrepublic.com/article/147391/hype-best. The following are excellent summaries of Moyn’s work: -“How the Human Rights Movement Failed,” https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/23/opinion/human-rights-movement-failed.html -“Human Rights Are Not Enough,” https://www.thenation.com/article/human-rights-are-not-enough -Moyn’s latest book can be purchased here: http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674737563 ***Join the Dead Pundits Society and get access to weekly subscriber-only episodes and a back catalog of B-Sides from Seaso