In part 2, political scientist Dr. Saeed Rahnema discusses his experience in the workers’ council movement leading up to and during the Iranian Revolution of 1979-1980 and addresses the Islamic Republic’s opposition to unions. He also contends that modern-day working classes in the West are ideologically and culturally segmented and that the left has failed to mobilize at numerous historical junctures.
The workers’ council movement took shape in several forms across Europe, Russia, Tito’s Yugoslavia, Algeria, and Iran. Political scientist Dr. Saeed Rahnema discusses the failure of workers’ councils in these different historical contexts and traces out the tensions between workers’ control and workers’ participation under capitalism. Is real workers’ control feasible under capitalism, and do struggles for increased workers’ participation and higher wages necessarily lead to workers’ control?
In part 2, historian and geographer Jason W. Moore explains why climate and revolutionary struggles must understand capitalist dynamics and deploy a language of universal class solidarity to overthrow transnational power structures perpetuating the climate crisis.
Talia Baroncelli and Paul Jay discuss Russian threats to use tactical nuclear weapons against Western Europe and what role China can play in solving the existential crisis of climate and threats of nuclear war—part 2 of 2.
One of the few working-class movements scoring victories, democratizing ownership, and gaining momentum is the method of economic development called Community Wealth Building (CWB). Colin Bruce Anthes interviews Neil McInroy of the Democracy Collaborative on how CWB works, what it has accomplished so far, and its potential to lead a “new common sense” movement beyond neoliberal capitalism.
In part 2 of “North of 48,” Paul is asked about working with Daniel Ellsberg on his film “How to Stop a Nuclear War.”
The Soviet Union became dependent on easy energy sales, and consumer production stagnated, says Sommers. Gorbachev’s democratic and economic reforms supposedly meant to head towards a European style social-democracy, but instead created conditions for the rise of the oligarchs and the free for all of the ‘90s. Jeffrey Sommers joins Paul Jay on theAnalysis.news.
“Terror and tyranny in the USSR arose more from war and the demands of state security services required to survive, and the paranoid politics it enabled, rather than any “inevitable” path from the socialist path taken,” writes Jeffery Sommers. He joins Paul Jay on theAnalysis.news to discuss the end of the Soviet Union.
Noam Chomsky and Daniel Ellsberg discuss the significance of the life of Mikhail Gorbachev and what the deconstruction of the Soviet Union means for today’s world. Noam and Daniel join Paul Jay on theAnalysis.news.
The overwhelming rejection of Chile’s newly drafted constitution represents a devastating blow to the efforts to overcome the legacy of the Pinochet dictatorship, says Chilean political analyst and SUNY Binghamton professor René Rojas.
Long-time activist and author Michael Albert outlines his vision for a post-capitalist and classless economic system, known as participatory economics and based on his most recent book, No Bosses (Zer0 Books, 2021). In this first part, Paul Jay and Michael Albert talk about the importance of economic vision and the rationale behind re-organizing the workplace on the basis of self-management and a non-corporate division of labor.
How would remuneration and the allocation of goods and services look like in a post-capitalist participatory economic system? In this second part of our discussion with Michael Albert, the author of the book, No Bosses (Zer0 Books, 2021), he talks to Greg Wilpert about the contours of an economic vision that fulfills the values of self-management, solidarity, diversity, equity, sustainability, and participation.
Michael Albert responds to some common objections and concerns that Greg Wilpert raises about his vision for a participatory economy, such as how to avoid the spontaneous formation of black markets, whether his proposal should be considered socialist or anarchist, and whether his proposal can be a considered a blueprint.
Is China’s Belt and Road initiative a socialist or capitalist approach to trade? Michael Hudson and Patrick Bond discuss and debate on theAnalysis.news with Paul Jay
Will China resist financialization and lead the way on climate policy, or is it a form of capitalism that will not reduce inequalities much further and isn’t serious about phasing out fossil fuel? Michael Hudson and Patrick Bond in a discussion about what we can expect from the CCP. Note: this was recorded before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
From Nicaragua to Tennessee, learning how to organize to win the right to dignity. The organizers’ organizer, Jane McAlevey on Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay.
One of the world’s leading “organizers’ organizer” Jane McAlevey has trained thousands of activists in building more militant unions and winning electoral organizing; she sees the fight for effective unions as critical to winning transformative climate policy. Jane tells her story to Paul Jay on Reality Asserts Itself.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Prof. Aleksandr Buzgalin says the conditions for socialism did not exist in the 1920s but now they do, but there will be many zigs and zags getting there – with host Paul Jay. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced July 29, 2018.
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on January 20, 2017. On Reality Asserts Itself, Nina Turner, whose husband is a retired cop and son is active duty, tells host Paul Jay that police need to be held accountable, but so do policymakers who are responsible for stagnant wages and chronic poverty.
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on January 19, 2017. On Reality Asserts Itself, Nina Turner, leading Bernie Sanders surrogate during the primary, tells host Paul Jay that Democrats and progressives need to stand up and challenge establishment Democrats in the primaries all across the country. “Either you’re with the people, or you’re not.”
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on January 18, 2017. On Reality Asserts Itself, Nina Turner, leading Bernie Sanders surrogate during the primary, tells host Paul Jay that when she moved her support from Clinton to Sanders, she was accused of betraying the party that she should be grateful for – and she answered: “I’m not on the plantation anymore”.
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on January 17, 2017. On Reality Asserts Itself, Nina Turner, former Ohio State Senator and leading Bernie Sanders surrogate during the primary, tells host Paul Jay that she grew up poor, believing in the Democratic Party and the Clintons, but she came to understand the failure of the Party to serve the needs of the African-American community and poor white workers.
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on July 8, 2015.On Reality Asserts Itself, Chris Hedges and Paul Jay discuss the Bernie Sanders campaign and the role of violence in revolution.
Mr. Flassbeck, former director of UNCTAD, discusses growing up in a US-dominated Germany and his opposition to the birth of neoliberal economics. This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced July 25, 2014, with Paul Jay.
This interview was originally released on January 28, 2014. Mr. Alperovitz tells Paul Jay there are existing models that point to what a new economy and politics might look like.
This interview was originally released on January 27, 2014. Mr. Alperovitz tells Paul Jay that the experience of Spain’s Mondragon, the world’s largest workers’ co-op, shows that workers’ ownership can go to scale, but on their own co-ops will not transform society or the economy.
This interview was originally released on January 26, 2014. Mr. Alperovitz tells Paul Jay that if you concentrate wealth at the top, there’s not enough purchasing power to make the rest of the system work.
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on December 20, 2013. Ralph Nader and Paul Jay discuss Ralph’s decision to stay in the Florida race and what an electoral strategy could be now.
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on December 19, 2013. On RAI with Paul Jay, Ralph Nader says the reforms of the 1960s and ’70s are no longer possible as Congress is bought and sold by a small number of very rich people and commercial interests.
This is an episode of Reality Asserts Itself, produced on December 18, 2013. On Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay, Ralph Nader says McCarthy’s reign of terror made people seek empirical change, like seeking legislative reforms to make safer cars, to avoid being associated with socialism.
On RAI with Paul Jay, Chris Hedges discusses the psychology of the super-rich; their sense of entitlement, the dehumanization of workers, and mistaken belief that their wealth will insulate them from the coming storms. This episode was published on December 5, 2013.
On the final episode of Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay, Chris Hedges answers questions like: “Do you believe the US or Israel will attack Iran?” and “Is there any hope for Bradley Manning?” This episode was produced on July 25, 2013.
On Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay, Chris Hedges says an effective movement that defies power will have to be disciplined and articulate what a vision of socialism might look like. This episode was produced on July 24, 2013.
On Reality Asserts Itself with Paul Jay, Chris Hedges says the Democratic Party used to watch out for the interests of labor and even for the poor. But that all changed under Bill Clinton. Although Clinton, like Obama, continues to speak in that feel-your-pain language of traditional liberalism, they’ve completely betrayed the very people that they purport to represent and defend. This episode was produced on July 22, 2013.
On Reality Asserts Itself, Paul Jay asks Chris Hedges if the American Left bears responsibility for the weakness of the mass movement; Hedges says the gravest mistake of the left is not articulating a viable vision of socialism. This episode was produced on July 19, 2013.