Few thinkers have shaped the world as much as Karl Marx, although the ways that he changed it may not have been to his liking, as David McNally argues. He discusses the ideas and legacy of Karl Marx, to mark the bicentennial of his birth.
Against the Grain
12:00 PM Pacific Time: Mondays - Wednesdays
Acclaimed program of ideas, in-depth analysis, and commentary on a variety of matters—political, economic, social, and cultural—important to progressive and radical thinking and activism. Against the Grain is co-produced and co-hosted by Sasha Lilley and C. S. Soong.
Amid regimes of exploitation and social control, who or what will step forward to save the day? Michael Hardt discusses how people and social movements might come together to achieve fundamental social and political transformation. He believes existing circuits of social cooperation could be harnessed to challenge the efforts of elites to extract and privatize … Continued
By way of celebrating International Workers Day, or May Day, we look back at the legendary union, the Industrial Workers of the World, or Wobblies, with historian Kenyon Zimmer. He discusses the lessons to be learned from how the Wobblies fought back and united workers across cultural and racial differences. Resources: Peter Cole, David Struthers, … Continued
Long-discredited notions of race as rooted in biology fueled eugenics policies and the Nazi extermination project. And yet, Osagie Obasogie asserts, biological race as an ideology continues to inform and infect key developments in science and medicine. Obasogie believes that race impact assessments can address some of the dangers posed by the persistence of regressive … Continued
The effects of climate change are here and serious. While it may seem like uncharted waters in the modern era, our ancestors in the 1600s faced a global climate crisis in a century wracked by wars, famines, and social unrest. Historian Geoffrey Parker discusses the lessons of the 17th century, where elites — with the … Continued
What role can rage play in political struggle? Doesn’t rage impede one’s ability to think clearly and respond effectively? William Sokoloff contends that rage is a fundamental component of democratic citizenship. He describes how Frederick Douglass used rage to fuel and sharpen his critiques of slavery. William Sokoloff, Confrontational Citizenship: Reflections on Hatred, Rage, Revolution, … Continued
Zombies are almost the mascots of our dark times. Hard to avoid in popular culture, they have become so ubiquitous that even the Centers for Disease Control put out a tongue in cheek guide to surviving the zombie apocalypse. Sarah Juliet Lauro discusses the origins of the zombie, from enslaved worker to liberated rebel in … Continued
Is “Democracy” a Distraction?
In the face of the contemporary infatuation with democracy in the West, what should the left do with a term and a concept often used to mask injustices and inequities? Gabriel Rockhill discusses some of the key conjunctures in the history of democracy; he also asserts that a focus on democracy may actually distract us … Continued
Historian Alfred McCoy argues that the end of the US as an empire may come sooner than most of us realize. He discusses the rise and fall of American global power. Resources: Alfred W. McCoy, In the Shadows of the American Century: The Rise and Decline of US Global Power Haymarket, 2017
What role do toxic residues and environmental pollution play in how the Anthropocene is unfolding? According to Gabrielle Hecht, Africa is too often neglected or ignored by natural and social scientists and international bodies, even as mining residues and other wastes wreak havoc on human health and the environment. Gabrielle Hecht, “The African Anthropocene” Aeon … Continued