Jacobin Radio The Dig: What’s Left w/ Malcolm Harris
33 snips
Nov 29, 2025 
Malcolm Harris, a Philadelphia writer and author of "What's Left" and "Palo Alto," discusses the need for the Left to embrace a multi-faceted strategy in addressing planetary crises. He critiques capitalist structures, explaining how they drive ecological degradation. Harris advocates for 'public power' over mere market tinkering, emphasizing social provisioning and ethical considerations. He highlights the role of indigenous movements in anti-extraction efforts and calls for coordinated strategies to navigate contemporary challenges.
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Seize Investment Authority
- Socialize investment authority to plan the future instead of leaving key decisions to capitalists.
- Create public investment pools to direct resources toward socially needed industries like green tech.
Capital Can Fight Back Against Market Craft
- Market craft faces capitalist pushback: private power can subvert public rules or even back hostile regimes.
- Harris stresses the state must be able to discipline capital or risk being undermined.
Build Public Provisioning And Jobs
- Build public power to decommodify essentials like health, transport, and energy so people can act free of market compulsion.
- Use public ownership and jobs to create a virtuous cycle of democratic planning and social reproduction.
