In the first of two special election-related episodes this week, I talk with Vivek Chibber. You may already be familiar with Chibber’s popular pamphlets called ‘The ABCs of capitalism.’ In this episode I asked Chibber to expand on these, taking the “why” of class struggle as a given, but venturing into questions of who, where and how. We also discuss the stakes in the upcoming election. Finally we talk about Chibber’s forthcoming book on “the cultural turn” in Marxism, in particular the idea of ‘whiteness.’
Vivek Chibber is Professor of Sociology at New York University and editor of Catalyst, which is published by Jacobin. He is the author of several books, including two due next fall, which we discuss here.
https://catalyst-journal.com/vol1/no1/cultural-turn-vivek-chibber
Describes the objectives of the show as an analytical resource for socialist and progressive organizing during the pandemic. Guests in May include Doug Henwood, writer and host of the podcast Behind the News, Frances Boyes and Eric Blanc, organizers with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Mike Elk, editor of the Payday Report, and Ruth Milkman, labor sociologist at the City University of New York. ...
Just how broken is capitalism in the U.S.? What is the right stance for socialists and progressives towards "reopening the economy?" Guest: Doug Henwood of Behind the News and Left Business Observer, and author of My Turn: Hillary Clinton Targets the Presidency Robert Graham Center projection of excess deaths in the U.S., by state, due to covid-related unemployment ...
What are unions in the U.S. doing in response to the pandemic, and is it enough? What is the right balance for the left between being "deferential" and "hypercritical" towards unions? Frances Boyes is former union representative with Unite Here and board member of Mass-Care, as well as member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Background: Culinary Union vs Bernie Sanders, American Prospect; Medicare vs COBRA, Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at University of Massachusetts-Amherst ...
