Talking Strategy, Making History
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Each episode will focus on a different aspect or example of the general theme. Our kick-off frame is the awkward position that progressives find themselves in. It seems obvious, at least to a significant portion of Leftists, that “working within the Democratic Party” has to be part of any realistic strategy for making substantive, social democratic or radical change in the United States. What is far less clear is what this means practically, in terms of organization and elections. For many years, the slogan of the Left has been to work both “inside and outside” the Democratic Party. But what does that “inside” part actually look like?
The podcast project comes from our experience as progressive activists--and from the urgency of now. Dick Flacks taught sociology at UC Santa Barbara and Umiversity of Chicago for 60 years. He's of the founding generation of Students for a Democratic Society and helped write the Port Huron Statement (along with Tom Hayden and the big Lebowski). He and his late wife Mickey recntly published a memoir of their lives--political and personal. It's called MAKING HISTORY/MAKING BLINTZES: HOW TWO RED DIAPER BABIES FOUND EACH OTHER AND DISCOVERED AMERICA. He's written a lot about the American Left--most notably MAKING HISTORY: THE AMERICAN LEFT AND THE AMERICAN MIND. His weekly radio show called'The Culture of Protest' can be heard 6 pm Thursdays on www.kcsb.org.
Daraka Larimore-Hall is vice-chair of the Democratic Party of California and a political and organizational consultant working primarily for social democratic parties and trade unions abroad. A lifelong political activist, Daraka first met Dick when he was in Jr High School, and first getting involved in local progressive politics in Santa Barbara. Since then, Daraka has been a national leader and staffer for DSA, a board member of the International Union of Socialist Youth, an activist and elected officer of United Auto Workers Local 2865, as well as active in the Democratic Party at all levels. He received his PhD, supervised by Dr. Flacks, in 2013.
Per Hoel is the producer/director of our effort. Per helped found the DSA chapter in Santa Barbara in the aftermath of the Sanders campaign in 2016. He's a professional videographer and multimedia designer and works in instructional design.
The podcast project comes from our experience as progressive activists--and from the urgency of now. Dick Flacks taught sociology at UC Santa Barbara and Umiversity of Chicago for 60 years. He's of the founding generation of Students for a Democratic Society and helped write the Port Huron Statement (along with Tom Hayden and the big Lebowski). He and his late wife Mickey recntly published a memoir of their lives--political and personal. It's called MAKING HISTORY/MAKING BLINTZES: HOW TWO RED DIAPER BABIES FOUND EACH OTHER AND DISCOVERED AMERICA. He's written a lot about the American Left--most notably MAKING HISTORY: THE AMERICAN LEFT AND THE AMERICAN MIND. His weekly radio show called'The Culture of Protest' can be heard 6 pm Thursdays on www.kcsb.org.
Daraka Larimore-Hall is vice-chair of the Democratic Party of California and a political and organizational consultant working primarily for social democratic parties and trade unions abroad. A lifelong political activist, Daraka first met Dick when he was in Jr High School, and first getting involved in local progressive politics in Santa Barbara. Since then, Daraka has been a national leader and staffer for DSA, a board member of the International Union of Socialist Youth, an activist and elected officer of United Auto Workers Local 2865, as well as active in the Democratic Party at all levels. He received his PhD, supervised by Dr. Flacks, in 2013.
Per Hoel is the producer/director of our effort. Per helped found the DSA chapter in Santa Barbara in the aftermath of the Sanders campaign in 2016. He's a professional videographer and multimedia designer and works in instructional design.
65 Episodes
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That's the title of Zayd Ayers Dohrn's much praised and discussed memoir of being raised by parents who were leaders of the post-sixties Weather Underground. The book inventories their crimes and political delusions, and so is a cautionary tale for radical activists. We talk about how sectarianism and dogma block effective understanding of social reality and connection. Bernardine Dohrn and Bill Ayers and their children came out of the underground, to contribute much to emancipatory work with and for children. The conversation we had about their story was illuminating for us--and we hope food for your thought as well.We close with "Song of the United Front" , by Berholt Brecht and Hanns Eisler, written in Germany just after Hitler came to power--which, as did Debs, calls on workers to emancipate themselves by unifying. Its sung by Katrina O'Reilly and Michael Smith, from the cd Pasiones: Songs of theSpanish Civil War 1936-39
#61: Talking with David Dayen about the New Majority Makers"David Dayen, executive editor of AMERICAN PROSPECT magazine, is one of the best political reporters. He recently published a detailed report on the campaigns of several progressives, who won primaries ageist Democratic establishment backed candidates, in previously GOP leaning districts--and they're running as progressives with good chances of winning. If you're looking for campaigns to support--and for some promise for the future--this episode has some clues. Muaic: "Dark Money" by David Rovics (aka AI Tsuno)"
Mixed & Edited by Next Day Podcast
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#60 Talking With Nelson Lichtenstein about the state of unionsIn time for Labor Day, we converse with Nelson Lichtenstein, the dean of American labor historians. He wrote, years ago, a classic biography of Walter Reuther, who, as president of the United Auto Workers, was a leading figure in post world war II efforts to advance the goals of the New Deal. The UAW remains one of the most important labor unions, having recruited tens of thousands of academic workers to join the factory worker base. Current UAW president, Shawn Fain, who has been speaking a militant language of class struggle, is fighting for re-election and Nelson helps us understand the stakes and the dynamics of that conflict. And we talk as well about union democracy, and about what else is to be done.Music: Joe Jenks sings: 'You are the U in Union" by Si Kahn.
Mixed & Edited by Next Day Podcast
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#59 Daraka & Dick Discuss DSA"s Electoral EffortBoth of us have long history in the earlier days of DSA--and are both excited and have worries about the remarkable electoral project DSAers are spearheading. We explore some of the dilemmas, one of which is the 'resolutionary socialism' that's a feature of DSA's organizational life. At the heart of the matter is the inherent contradiction between winning electoral majorities and advancing new, challenging and controversial reform. Music: 'Turn the World Around" by Harry Belafonte
Mixed & Edited by Next Day Podcast
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"We talk about how and why candidates who identify as democratic socialists are winning in elections across the country. What are the potentials--and the dilemmas and pitfalls--for the emerging Left electoral project. And what does "socialism " mean anyway? We hope to resolve all such questions--or at least pose them-- by the end of the summer., and we hope you'll share the journey..Music: "What Kind of a Country?" Barbara Dane"
Mixed & Edited by Next Day Podcast
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