A World to Win with Grace Blakeley

This week, Grace talks to Hadas Thier about her excellent book A People’s Guide to Capitalism, in which she provides a concise and readable introduction to Marxist thought. They discuss key concepts like capital, class, and imperialism, and apply them to the current crisis gripping the capitalist world system. For access to the full episode, support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/aworldtowinpod

Grace speaks to Kate Aronoff, staff writer at The New Republic and the author of the excellent new book Overheated: How Capitalism Broke the Planet and How We Fight Back. She’s also the co-author of We Own the Future: Democratic Socialism, American Style, and A Planet to Win: Why We Need a Green New Deal. They discuss Biden’s climate plan, the Green New Deal, and whether fossil fuel executives should be tried for crimes against humanity. For access to the full episode, support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/aworldtowinpod

This week, Grace talks to Palestinian activist Akram Salhab on his experience living and organising in Palestine, what's going on in Sheikh Jarrah, and the heroic efforts of Palestinians to resist Israeli occupation – as well as what socialists around the world can do to support them. The full episode is available here, and we encourage our listeners to donate to charities supporting Palestinians on the ground. You can donate to Medical Aid for Palestinians at https://www.map.org.uk/

In a week during which Keir Starmer’s Labour tanked in the local elections, I speak to two brilliant local leaders who managed to defy this trend. Matthew Brown is leader of Preston City Council and the driving force behind the Preston Model, as well as the co-author of Paint Your Town Red, which you can buy now from Repeater Books. Paul Dennett is the city-mayor of Salford, and frequent contributor to Tribune, including a recent piece on why socialist Salford bucked the trend in the recent elections. For access to the full episode, support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/aworldtowinpod

Grace talks to Alex Press, staff writer at Jacobin, about Amazon’s ruthless exploitation of its workforce, its deeply embedded culture of union busting, and its avoidance of basic labour regulation in its mission to become the "everything store" — as well as how workers are coming together to resist the company. Check out some of Alex's recent articles at Jacobin about unions and Amazon: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2021/04/joe-biden-100-days-labor-movement-unions-pro-act https://www.jacobinmag.com/2021/04/amazon-jeff-bezos-union-busting-workers-organize https://www.jacobinmag.com/2021/04/amazon-warehouses-fulfillment-centers-unionize-vote-rwdsu For access to the full episode, support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/aworldtowinpod

Grace talks to Harsha Walia, author, writer and organiser, on her book Border and Rule: Global Migration, Capitalism and the Rise of Racist Nationalism. They discuss the nature and location of the border, its functionality to global capitalism and imperialism, and how the left can organise to resist right-wing populism in the age of nationalism and climate breakdown. For access to the full episode, support us on Patreon at https://patreon.com/aworldtowinpod

This week, Grace talks to Mat Lawrence, director of the think tank Common Wealth, and Laurie Layborn Langton, author and researcher, about their new book Planet on Fire: A Manifesto for the Age of Environmental Breakdown. They discuss the multiple overlapping ecological, economic, and political crises the world is facing in the era of climate breakdown, the rise of eco-fascism, and how the left should respond. For access to the full episode, support us on Patreon at https://patreon.com/aworldtowinpod

This week, Grace talks to Doug Henwood, Marxist, journalist, host of the Behind the News Podcast, and author of many books, including the classic Wall Street: How It Works and for Whom. They discuss Biden’s stimulus package, his corporate tax hikes, and what’s been going on in US stock markets — as well as how workers can organise in the post-COVID economy.

This week, Grace talks to Adom Getachaw, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago and author of Worldmaking After Empire: The Rise and Fall of Self-Determination. Their discussion covers everything from racial capitalism, to imperialism, to global South solidarity since decolonisation, with reference to both Adom's book and many previous episodes of A World to Win. For access to the full hour-long episode support us on Patreon at https://patreon.com/aworldtowinpod

This week, Grace talks to Laleh Khalili, Professor of International Politics at Queen Mary University of London, and author of Sinews of War and Trade: Shipping and Capitalism in the Arabian Peninsula. They discuss the fascinating architecture and infrastructure that underpins the backbone of capitalism - global shipping - and what these networks tell us about state power, corporate sovereignty and imperialism - as well as how they are changing with China's increasingly assertive economic expansion. For access to the full episode, support us on Patreon at https://patreon.com/aworldtowinpod