The Intercept Briefing

REBROADCAST Radical Action Under Trump

Dec 27, 2024

Natasha Lennard, a columnist for The Intercept, criticizes the Democratic Party's past decisions that alienate the working class. She emphasizes the necessity of grassroots movements and labor organizations in combating inequality, particularly in an increasingly diverse workforce that features women and care workers. Lennard advocates for a radical approach to politics that engages communities beyond mere voting and donations, highlighting the resilience of the working class as essential for genuine progress.

25:24

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Episode guests

Natasha Lennard

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Quick takeaways

The Democratic Party's alignment with Wall Street limits its ability to advocate for the working class, necessitating a reevaluation of priorities.

Grassroots movements are essential for driving change and must focus on intersectionality to empower marginalized communities and sustain activism.

Deep dives

The Need for Radical Activism

Radical activism has become crucial in the context of a Trump presidency returning to power, as traditional political avenues appear insufficient for addressing systemic injustices. The podcast highlights the limitations of depending solely on the Democratic Party, suggesting that the party has consistently failed to advocate for essential working-class issues, such as robust unions and comprehensive welfare programs. Activists argue that real change has historically emerged from organized movements rather than electoral politics, emphasizing the importance of grassroots pressure to spur change. This perspective posits that political action must evolve beyond mere voting, demanding a more proactive approach to civil rights and social justice.

Intro

2min

Radical Action in a Polarized Landscape

12min

Building Inclusive Movements in Challenging Times

2min

Grassroots Movements and the Fight for Solidarity

4min

Sustaining Social Movements

8min

Originally aired November 15, 2024

In the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, Democrats and those on the left are grappling with what comes next.

On The Intercept Briefing podcast this week, columnist Natasha Lennard critiques the Democratic Party. “You can’t be both at once: You can’t be the party of Wall Street, and you can’t be the party of the working class,” Lennard says. By acquiescing to Silicon Valley and Wall Street, the Democrats failed again “to offer a robust politics that serves the working class."

Facing a second Trump term, Lennard says the way forward is a politics of everyday life and radical action that focuses on empowering grassroots movements and labor organizations. “When we look at what people can [do] — involving people at a local level, building community so that it is truly kind of a form of life to be in this politics, rather than just a donation, rather than just a vote, rather than just canvassing even.”

In conversation with Jessica Washington and Jordan Uhl, Lennard emphasizes the importance and resilience of the working class. "Nurses unions, food workers unions. Most of the working class in this country are women. And it is a profoundly multi-racial working class. And we have a working class of care workers. And a service economy. And an increasingly growing care economy," she says. "That needs investing in. That needs support. That needs building."

To hear more about the future of progressive politics, listen to this week's episode of The Intercept Briefing.

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The Intercept Briefing

REBROADCAST Radical Action Under Trump

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

The Need for Radical Activism

Intersectional Organizing and Community Solidarity

Failures and Future Routes for the Democratic Party

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts