As we recently discussed on the show, student loan debt in the United States has increased significantly over the past decade, jumping from $600 billion in 2008 to over $1.5 trillion USD today. Several Democratic presidential candidates, including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, have proposed student loan debt cancellation or free college as a major […]
The Teachers’ Strike Wave and Working-Class Politics with Eric Blanc...
Last year, there was a wave of public education strikes throughout the U.S. in places like Los Angeles, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arizona, Denver, and Oakland. Today on the show, guest Eric Blanc provides context for these strikes and discusses effective labor organizing through the lens of his book Red State Revolt: The Teachers’ Strike Wave […]
Falling off the Economic Cliff
With nearly 40 percent of all working-age Americans struggling to make ends meet, one might imagine that workers would be more than happy to receive a pay raise or promotion, but that’s not always the case. Because the struggle for basic family needs often requires the use of public assistance programs, some workers are concerned […]
Squeezed: Why Our Families Can’t Afford America with Alissa Quar...
Alissa Quart’s new book Squeezed: Why Our Families Can’t Afford America has been compared to Barbara Ehrenreich’s seminal work Nickled and Dimed. It offers an important account of the economic hardship of everyday Americans trying to afford housing, healthcare, and the soaring costs of raising children. Today on the podcast, we feature Tuesday host Carousel Bayrd’s interview […]
The Latino Question with Armando Ibarra
For today’s pledge drive episode, Allen is joined in the studio by Armando Ibarra, co-author of The Latino Question. They look at labor migration and the role of working-class Mexicans in U.S. history, the ideology and practice of empire, the significance of political economy to Latino politics, and how Latino politics could breathe new life into […]
Why I Haven’t Given Up on the Democratic Party
“If my accomplishments ever stand out it’s because I’m standing on the shoulders of others.” Growing up in what is now “red America,” Mike McCabe learned the importance of the common good, and how none of us is self made. The Democratic Party seems to have forgotten those values and written off those Americans. In […]
