Bungacast /494/ National Democracy or Globalist War ft. Wolfgang Streeck
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Jun 17, 2025 Wolfgang Streeck, a prominent economic sociologist and former director of the Max Planck Institute, dives into the crises facing capitalism and democracy. He discusses the elusive revival of nation-state democracy and the shift of Europe’s globalists towards militarization. Streeck critiques left-wing populists for missing opportunities amid the dual crisis and unpacks how democracy has morphed into a discussion of principles rather than a power struggle. His insights prompt a compelling dialogue about de-globalization and the potential for local governance.
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Theory of Scale and Local Governance
- Wolfgang Streeck argues for a political theory of scale prioritizing local decision-making over centralized governance.
- Centralized policies often mismatch local needs, leading to resistance and inefficacy.
Democracy Requires Economic Control
- Democracy must include the capacity to redistribute and regulate capital through labor's power.
- Abstract notions of democracy fail if they exclude economic justice and power struggles between capital and labor.
War and Democracy's Probable Fate
- The skewed power balance between labor and capital makes reviving nation-state democracy unlikely.
- Historical periods of major capitalist regime change were often precipitated by wars.