Left Anchor

We're talking with Rohan Grey today about a proposal he worked on with Rep. Rashida Tlaib on funding massive cash aid to Americans funded with two $1 trillion platinum coins. We talk about the balance of power between the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department, what it would mean for the Treasury to reclaim the authority to print money, a UBI versus a job guarantee, and more. Enjoy! PS: This essay Ryan wrote on a similar idea might be useful background.

This time we've got a bit of an off-beat interview, talking with Anne Orchier about the effort to stop Los Angeles from hosting the Olympic Games in 2028. It's not directly relevant to the coronavirus pandemic, but it does have a lot of the same themes, in that the Olympics have become a locus of disaster capitalism where rich elites wreak terrible social carnage to make a quick buck. Enjoy!

Once again we're talking coronavirus, with returning guest Manu Saadia. We talk about what is to be learned from the various approaches different countries have taken, how Democrats are bungling the crisis, and how we might seize the moment to change prevailing ideological orthodoxy, and push through vital reforms. Enjoy! You can find Manu's book Trekonomics here.

Today we've got A.C. Grayling on to talk about his book The Good State, which provides his model of how an ideal democratic system should be set up. It's a bit off the news but we thought it would be a nice break for people worried about the coronavirus pandemic. Enjoy!

Today we do a deep dive into Joe Biden's terrible record in the Senate, and marginally-less terrible record as vice president. Then we turn to electability, and why a Biden nomination would screw up almost all of the strongest arguments against Trump -- on protecting Social Security and Medicare, on trade, on #MeToo, on abuse of immigrants, on corruption, and on mental fitness. Links to stuff mentioned in the discussion: Corey Robin on Clarence Thomas, Emma Caterine on bankruptcy, Ryan's episode on the bailout disaster, Branko Marcetic on Biden's record, and Jon Walker on Obamacare's technical defects. 

In this excerpt we discuss how to help Democratic voters realize that a Biden nomination is the risk it is. Subscribe here to hear the whole thing!

Today we've got Jeff Dempsey, who is running a progressive campaign in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's 175th House district -- our first in-person interview and our first with a live audience! We discuss the characteristics of the 175th (which is part of Philadelphia), why he's running, and the troubles he has had with the local Democratic machine. Enjoy! You can find Jeff's campaign website here, a donation page here, and a page detailing apparently fishy signature collection-efforts from his opponent here.

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Today we take a break from exhausting primary news to have writer and University of Michigan lecturer Phil Christman on to discuss his upcoming book Midwest Futures (you can pre-order here). We discuss the history and nature of the Midwest, what he learned growing up there, how the Trump era has changed his political thinking, and more. Enjoy! Also, you can subscribe to Phil's newsletter here.

Here we discuss why we won't vote for Michael Bloomberg if he is nominated. Subscribe here to hear the full episode!