Podcast
The Sensible Socialist
Hosted by Kevin Gustafson · EN
A podcast for the sane and rational left to discuss important topics relevant and accessible to all.
30episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
A Conversation with Benjamin Studebaker (#84)
Jan 24, 202302:20:50Tap to summarizeIn this episode Kevin sit talks to Dr. Benjamin Studebaker to discuss, Plato, comparisons of modern politics to the Roman Empire, Trotsky’s theory of permanent revolution, questiosn of legitimization of politial systems, the potential for revolution or reform, fascism and whether it a useful term in today’s political dynamics, and more. Guest Biography: Benjamin Studebaker holds a PhD in Politics and International Relations from Cambridge. He is a political thinker and commentator on a wide range of issues and has appeared on panels, had discussions, and/or written for the Platypus Affiliated Society, Sublation Media, The International Journal of the Platonic Tradition, as well as others, which you can find at his blog: https://benjaminstudebaker.com/ Support us on http://www.patreon.com/sensiblesocialist.
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The Restaurant Workers Bill of Rights with Eva Putzova (#83)
Dec 3, 202201:04:16Tap to summarizeIn this episode Kevin talks to Eva Putzova of ROC United about the Restaurant Workers Bill of Rights (RWBR) . About the RWBR: The early weeks of the COVID pandemic gave us a glimpse into the necessity for widespread solidarity with restaurant and other essential workers. The last few years, if not before then, showed all of that a systemic change across a myriad of policies affecting women, mothers, people of color, and immigrants who comprise the vast majority of restaurant workers is not only popular but possible. With 70 restaurant workers, members of Restaurant Opportunity Centers United, ROC United created a concept for the Restaurant Workers Bill of Rights centered around: Thriving wages needed for a thriving life Time off necessary for healing and rest A safe and dignified work environment Universal healthcare and bodily autonomy Participation in governance. About the Guest: Eva Putzova was born and raised in Slovakia earning her master’s degree from the University of Economics in Bratislava. In 2000 she moved to Flagstaff, Arizona her home in 2000. She started her professional career in the renewable energy sector and, in 2003, began working in higher education. In 2015, she received an Arizona Woman of Vision Award from the Arizona Women’s Conference and in 2017, the Eleanor Roosevelt Award given annually by the Coconino County Democratic Party for demonstrating democratic values in her service to the community.
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The Synthesis of Marxism and Buddhism
Oct 18, 202201:42:33Tap to summarizeWe’re back! In the last several month Kevin, the Host of the Sensible Socialist has taken a step back and done a deep dive into the philosophy of Buddhism. In this return episode, Kevin talks with Graham Priest. Graham Priest is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York. Hailing originally from South London, Graham moved to Australia to take a position at the University of Western Australia and stayed in Australia until he came to CUNY in 2009. With a primary focus in logic Graham has explored the logical implications of para-consistency and dialetheism and the role of contradictions. For those well versed in either Buddhist or Marxist ideas, contradiction plays a significant role in the underlying logic of these systems of thought. While trained in formal logic, his 2021 book Capitalism–its Nature and its Replacement: Buddhist and Marxist Insights, Graham attempts to make linkages between these two philosophical traditions and fear not, it doesn’t contain any formal logic. It may be a surprise to Buddhists and Marxists alike that there is a connection between these two schools of thought. However, quite famous Buddhists – like the current Dalai Llama consider themselves Marxists, and quite famous Marxists such as B.R. Ambedkar were also Buddhists. In the last year or so, I have taken time away from this podcast and other projects to do my own investigation into Buddhism, its ideas and practice. We discuss the core tenants of Buddhism, the contradictions and congruencies with Buddhism, the notion of Dukkha and alienation, Marxian and Buddhist theories of self, the role of the Sangha in Buddhism, and more.
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The Death of the Left (#81)
Mar 5, 202201:41:39Tap to summarizeIn this episode Kevin talks with Chris Cutrone about the thesis that the left is dead. They discuss the Platypus Affiliated Society, what he means by the death of the left, a brief history of the left in the 20th century, a discussion of the Millennial left, the question of DSA and the gradualist approach, and much more. To learn more about the Platypus Affiliated Society go to https://platypus1917.org/ If you like this content and want to support it, go to http://www.patreon.com/sensiblesocialist
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Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights with Thamil Ananthavinayagan (#80)
Feb 12, 202201:16:00Tap to summarizeIn this episode Thamil Ananthavinayagan comes back on to discuss the topic of Economic, Social, and Cultural rights from a TWAILer’s perspective. If you like this channel, please consider subscribing on YouTube, liking this video, or support us at http://www.patreon.com/sensiblesocialist
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James Lindsay Doesn’t Understand Marxism (#79)
Feb 3, 202201:53:05Tap to summarizeIn this episode Kevin talks to Breht O’Shea of Rev Left Radio to talk about anti-communist pseudo-intellectual James Lindsay’s misunderstandings, bad faith takes, and overall hilariously juvenile perspective on Marxism. Lindsay rose to prominence in the Grievance Studies affair, but has since moved on to criticism Critical Race Theory and Marxism, just the latest in a long line of anti-communist “intellectuals” who either haven’t actually read Marx or only read Marx for the purposes of discrediting and misrepresenting his views and the philosophical and political tradition that followed his work. Lindsay appears to be wholly ideologically motivated, and since gaining notoriety from the grievous study affair, has used his new platform to criticize identity-based ideology as simply a new form of Marxism. Lindsay is an anti-communist who pretends, having “read” Marx, Gramsci, Marcuse, Luckas, and others, to be able to tie it all back to the failed ideas of Marx himself. The truth is, Lindsay either doesn’t understand Marx and the tradition of Marxian thought, or more likely, he has never read Marx without any purpose other than to discredit him. James Lindsay provides merely the most recent example of a common trope in the liberal west – the bad faith takes on Marxism. No more is this evident than on a recent post on Lindsay’s “New Discourses” podcast in which he, admittedly without any preparation, attempts to show how modern identity politics is just – as he calls it – identity Marxism. Breht and Kevin go through the first part of this and take it apart piece by piece. If you like this content please consider supporting it at http://www.patreon.com/sensiblesocialist – thanks!
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Identity, Marxism, Systems Theory, And Eastern Philosophy With Hans-Georg Moeller (#78)
Jan 26, 202201:37:01Tap to summarizeHans-Gerog Moeller is professor of Philosophy at the University of Macau. His research focuses on Social and Political Thought and on Chinese and Comparative Philosophy. He is author of You and Your Profile: Identity after Authenticity, The Moral Fool: A Case for Amorality and several book on Daoist philosophy. He his own YouTube channels Carefree Wandering and Philosophy in Motion. In this conversation we talk about Moeller’s The Theory of Identity, The Dialectical Nature of Identity, The Continued Utility of Marxian Analysis, Systems Theory, Are Marx and Hegel System Theorists?, Stoicism, Daoism, and the Calming Nature of Non-Agency Reflection, Luhmann’s Theory, The Lessons from the Eastern Philosophical Tradition, Confucianism and Daoism, The East/West Divide in Philosophy, and Reading Recommendations If you like this podcast, please contemplate supporting it at patreon.com/sensiblesocialist Download .mp3
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The London Revolution 1640 -1643 with Michael Sturza (#77)
Jan 19, 202200:52:18Tap to summarizeIf you like this content, please support us at patreon.com/sensiblesocailist In this episode Kevin talks to Michael Sturza a life-long socialist political activist about his book and the events, class dynamics and long shadow of the London Revolution of 1640-43. They talk about the rise of capitalism in England, the role of free trade and the merchant class, the Puritans, the levelers, and the diggers. Download: .mp3
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A Talk with a Listener Part 2 – Sensible Socialist (#76)
Jan 12, 202201:31:28Tap to summarizeIn this second conversation with a listener of the Sensible Socialist, we focus on issues specifically related to worker cooperatives and a cooperative society. We discuss issues of scaling, funding, ideology, wishful thinking, and the role of efficiency and in inefficiency. you like this podcast and want to support it go to Patreon.com/sensiblesocialist
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Wokeism, Elitism, and Media with Batya Ungar-Sargon (Episode 75)
Jan 4, 202200:55:48Tap to summarizeIf you enjoy this content please support us at ww.patreon.com/sensiblesocialist In this episode Kevin talks to Batya Ungar-Sargon, Deputy Opinion Editor at Newsweek about the topic of her most recent book Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy (https://www.encounterbooks.com/books/bad-news/). They talk about what each means when they call themselves a socialist, the phenomenon of wokeism, the conservatism of the American working class, political hypocrisy and more. Batya is the deputy opinion editor of Newsweek. Before that, she was the opinion editor of the Forward, the largest Jewish media outlet in America. She has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Newsweek, the New York Review of Books Daily, and other publications. She has appeared numerous times on MSNBC, NBC, the Brian Lehrer Show, NPR, and at other media outlets. She holds a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley.
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