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[TEASER] Four Ways to Be Anticapitalist

Jan 7, 2025

Dive into a lively discussion on the tactics of anti-capitalism, where strategies to smash, tame, escape, and erode capitalism are laid out. The speakers contemplate the relevance of Marxism today and delve into the stark realities of persistent poverty amid technological growth. They dissect the complexities of capitalism’s contradictions and explore how historical lessons can inform future economic models. Prepare for a thought-provoking journey through revolutionary ideas and the fragility of reform in the capitalist landscape.

39:20

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Quick takeaways

The podcast discusses four distinct anti-capitalist approaches—smashing, taming, escaping, and eroding—each varying in strategy and intent against capitalism.

It critiques capitalism's inherent inequalities and environmental impacts, challenging listeners to rethink what constitutes a successful economic system.

Deep dives

Introduction to Anti-Capitalism

Anti-capitalism addresses the inherent injustices and contradictions within capitalist systems, presenting a challenge to the narrative that capitalism is the only viable economic framework. The discussion highlights Eric Olin Wright's perspectives, which outline four different approaches to being anti-capitalist: smashing, taming, escaping, and eroding capitalism. Each approach varies in target and intent, with some aiming for a complete overhaul of capitalism while others seek to mitigate its most harmful effects. Critical reflections on capitalism's negative impacts, such as growing inequality and environmental destruction, set the stage for exploring these four types of anti-capitalist strategies.

Intro

4min

Exploring Marxism: Growth, Reflection, and Diverse Perspectives

2min

Rethinking Capitalism and Alternatives

16min

Revolutionary Anti-Capitalist Strategies

13min

The Fragility of Reforms in Capitalism

4min

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Can capitalism be reformed? Or does it have to be smashed? This is an age-old question that has generated much discussion, debate, and disagreement on the left. In this episode of our Patreon reading series, Della joins Robert to discuss these questions within the context of a Jacobin piece written by the late Erik Olin Wright, "How to Be an Anticaptialist Today."

Can capitalism be tamed? Can it be eroded? Can it be escaped? Or must it be smashed? In exploring and answering these questions, Della and Robert cover a wide variety of topics from historical materialism, Marxism, Leninism, anarchism, prefigurative politics, and much, much more. We synthesize learnings from many of our recent episodes, explore how we've developed in our analysis since some of our older episodes, bring in explorations of history and theory, and explore what has changed and shifted in the last decade of capitalism in the West.

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