"Conjuncture w/ Akbar, Winant, & Riofrancos" features Amna Akbar, Gabriel Winant, and Thea Riofrancos. They discuss the American conjuncture, analyzing its impact on the left. They explore protest movements like Occupy, Ferguson, and Standing Rock, examining how they formed the new American left. They also delve into the limited impact of police reform efforts and the challenges faced by left-leaning organizations during protests. Additionally, they discuss the shift in focus during the pandemic and the contradictory outcomes of economic policies, leading to a potential post-neoliberal order.
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Quick takeaways
Understanding the current conjuncture is crucial for the left to navigate the shifting terrain of struggle effectively.
Each struggle serves as an imminent critique, challenging the gaps between societal ideals and lived experiences.
The pandemic has exposed the fragility of neoliberal globalization and accelerated the disintegration of capital accumulation and social reproduction.
The return of superficial sociality post-pandemic highlights deeper systemic issues and increased financial risk for working-class individuals.
The pandemic has led to a collective mental health crisis, prompting existential questions and a sense of uncertainty.
Deep dives
Importance of Unpaid Work in Our Homes
Helen Hester and Nick Cernicheck's book, 'After Work: A History of the Home in the Fight for Free Time,' explores the increasing portion of our lives that unpaid work in our homes takes up. They examine the history of the home over the past century, showing the challenges in reducing the burden of this work. The book also presents new possibilities for the future, highlighting abandoned ideas of anti-housework visionaries and proposing a path towards real free time for all.
Analyzing the Present American Conjuncture
This podcast episode is the first part of an interview with Amna Akbar, Gabe Weinant, and Thea Ryo Frankos. It provides a strategic analysis of the present American conjuncture, exploring the shifts and uncertainties in the struggle for social democracy and socialism. It examines the notable moments in US history, from Occupy and Ferguson to the Bernie campaigns and the George Floyd uprising, and discusses the current state of the left. The episode emphasizes the importance of understanding the current conjuncture to determine how to move forward effectively.
The Beginnings of a New Moment in Left Struggles
The podcast episode reflects on the beginnings of a new moment in left struggles that emerged with movements like Occupy, Ferguson, Standing Rock, and the Chicago teacher strike. It highlights the challenges faced and the pillars of the American social order that were contested. The episode suggests that this new moment, marked by labor militancy and growing activism, brings both opportunities and uncertainties for the left. It explores the need to reassess strategies and adapt to the shifting terrain of struggle.
Understanding the Dynamics of Struggle and Resistance
The podcast episode delves into the importance of understanding the dynamics of struggle and resistance in relation to the social order. It discusses the external events and societal contradictions that led to the sequential reckoning of various pillars of the American political economy. The discussion explores the significance of the financial crisis, the exhaustion of the war on terror, the impacts of extraction on communities, and the questioning of legal processes. It emphasizes that each struggle serves as a form of imminent critique, challenging the gaps between societal ideals and lived experiences.
The contradictions of social provisions and the shifts in the balance of power
The expansion of social provisions during the pandemic, such as universal benefits, were seems to be the management of a capitalist crisis by capital itself. However, these gains were not immediately won by challenges from below and were easily stripped away. Despite this, the experience of these social provisions created a sense that the state can give and take away, which could potentially lead to demands for further support. Additionally, neoliberal reasoning has influenced the expectations of what the state can provide, reinforcing the idea that such social provisions are not sustainable in the long term. The pandemic has also accelerated the disarticulation of capital accumulation and social reproduction, exposing the fragility of neoliberal globalization. This shift to a post-neoliberal order has exposed the rickety nature of the capitalist system, both economically and politically, requiring both logistical and political consensus, which can be easily disrupted.
The return of sociality and its commodification
There has been a superficial return of repressed sociality in the form of increased spending on restaurants, travel, leisure, and entertainment. This reflects the latent demand for these experiences that were unavailable during the pandemic. However, this return of sociality is highly commodified and relies on discretionary spending, leading to increased credit and financial risk for many working and lower middle-class individuals. This apparent return to sociality also highlights the atomization and alienation that can still exist within mass cultural experiences, suggesting that there are deeper systemic issues at play.
The psychic toll of the pandemic and the questioning of life's meaning
The pandemic has had a profound impact on people's mental health and well-being, resulting in a collective grief and mental health crisis. Many individuals have reevaluated the meaning of life, their daily routines, and the contingent nature of social, political, and economic arrangements. The crisis has raised existential questions and highlighted the vulnerability of our current systems. The ongoing climate crisis and the connection to the pandemic further reinforce the understanding that this is not a one-time event, but a glimpse into the future, leading to a sense of uncertainty and fear.
Politics of the Pandemic
The podcast discusses the political response to the pandemic, including the George Floyd protests and the absence of a robust left response. It highlights the lack of clear lines of political contestation at the federal level and the resulting battles over school reopenings at the local level.
Fear and Political Transformation
The podcast explores the politicizing effects of the pandemic. It discusses the gap between expectations and reality, citing examples like the state giving stimulus checks and then withdrawing support. It also examines the indirect effects of the pandemic on social uprisings and labor market dynamics, while considering the complexity of fear as a fertile ground for right-wing and liberal responses.
Featuring Amna Akbar, Gabriel Winant, and Thea Riofrancos on the American conjuncture. Did an era that began with Occupy and Ferguson—marked by teachers strikes, two Bernie campaigns, the explosive growth of DSA, Standing Rock, and summer 2020 rebellions—just end? What social, political, and economic terrain is emerging in the wake of the pandemic, and how should the left navigate it? The first of a two-part and wide-ranging interview.
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