Audio From A Collapsing State | Jared Yates Sexton

Danielle Moodie and I were both champing at the bit for this one. In this episode of The Check-In we discuss processing both the joy of the Midterm Landslide and the need to remain focused and fight for change and power within the Democratic Party and beyond. We get into the desperate need to unseat Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, the dangers of simply believing it’s inevitable they will lead the party, and what actual politics looks like versus the entertainment / spectator version that’s been sold to us by corporate media and monied interests.

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Woof.

I was writing up an extremely lengthy edition of Dispatches Mailbag and the news with Haley Stevens kept changing. Eventually, faced with it, I abandoned roughly 4,000 words and decided I needed to do it live. So, here’s a video of me answering your questions, including the question of what Haley Stevens is up to, the future of both the Democratic and Republican Parties following Tuesday’s Midterms, the financial incentive behind Resistance Liberals continuing to peddle the idea that Trump is an aberration and that the Democrats will fix everything if you just trust centrists one more time, and, finally, a question from an anonymous reader who is disappointed in who I have become as a political analyst and how I have radicalized.

Thank you for all the people who came out and I hope the framing in this video helps make sense of the absolutely ridiculous news this morning and heading into the elections.

One last thing: the final question is indicative of a larger reaction to my critiques of the Democratic Party, my refusal to engage in conventional analysis, and more less my antagonism towards both capitalism and its stewards. This isn’t popular work and it means I don’t receive any corporate or dark-money support. If this matters to you, please, consider becoming a paid subscriber.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jaredyatessexton.substack.com/subscribe

I’ve been wanting to sit down with Anand Giridharadas for a long, long time, and the release of his book Man in the Mirror: Hope, Struggle, and Belonging in an American City was the perfect opportunity. We used the book, which is an amazing look at the 2023 killing of Jordan Neely on the New York City subway, to discuss the myriad problems of the moment, including perceived polarization, how authoritarians use division and the promise of “law and order” as a weapon while systems fail, and what’s needed to create a better future, including the need to imagine what is possible if regular people recognize our mutual interests and struggle for change. For me, the conversation was well worth waiting for and so much more. And, really, I can’t recommend Man in the Mirror highly enough.

Dispatches From A Collapsing State is a completely independent project. It receives no corporate backing, no under-the-table dark money. It continues based solely on your support. If this matters to you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber today

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jaredyatessexton.substack.com/subscribe

My friend Danielle Moodie and I could’ve gone a lot longer than our usual hour here. We start with the obvious corruption being carried out by people like Jared Kushner and the acceptance of criminals like Flávio Bolsonaro and what that says about the present state of America, but from then it turns into a long conversation about how capitalism and its many influences has groomed us our entire lives to accept these atrocities or, at the very least, see them as inevitable or “normal.” I think we got into some really important things here and I hope it helps.

Dispatches From A Collapsing State receives no corporate funding, no under-the-table dark money, and depends entirely on your support. That’s why it remains independent. If this work matters to you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber today

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jaredyatessexton.substack.com/subscribe

My friend and co-host Danielle Moodie wasn’t feeling great this week, so we started this episode discussing how capitalism disincentivizes us from taking care of ourselves and the climate of “optimization,” which keeps us disconnected from ourselves, our lives, and our bodies. It really went places after that and I think, personally, this ended up being one of the best episodes we’ve done. I hope it helps and finds you well.

Dispatches From A Collapsing State receives no corporate support, no under-the-table dark money. It continues based on reader support, so if this matters to you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jaredyatessexton.substack.com/subscribe

My friend Danielle Moodie invited me on Democracy-Ish, the show she hosts with THE LEFT HOOK with Wajahat Ali and I was happy to fill in. Whole hosts of things we get into here, from the populist uprisings against fascism and capitalism around the world to the continued normalization of all this madness by media and political superstructures. Loved going on and if you enjoy it, Danielle and I will stream again on Wednesday at 12pm et with our regular episode of The Check-In.

Dispatches From A Collapsing State receives no corporate funding, no under-the-table dark money. That means I can say what I think and remain independent. If this matters to you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber today

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jaredyatessexton.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s Check-In got hot. Danielle Moodie and I started with the news that Elon Musk has once again used Starlink to unilaterally change the course of the war in Ukraine (expect an article addressing this and the terror of an oligarchical-controlled war we must avoid soon) and how it reveals just how disturbingly and wrongly powerful the oligarchs have become and the self-evident fact that capitalism cannot continue like this.

Dispatches From A Collapsing State receives no corporate funding, no under-the-table dark money. This is a completely reader-supported operation that only continues because of paid subscribers. Please, if this matters to you, consider becoming a paid subscriber today

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jaredyatessexton.substack.com/subscribe

On today’s episode of The Check-In, my friend Danielle Moodie and I discussed the turbulent moment in which we’re feeling the tides changing and that constant dread that we’re both being surveilled and sized up for oppression. This was a conversation that I felt touched on a lot of things that I’ve been feeling and maybe haven’t been able to express, and I thank Danielle and everyone who tuned in to watch and listen.

Dispatches From A Collapsing State really needs your support. With these perilous times and so much fighting over power and the direction of the future, your help matters. I receive no corporate backing, no under-the-table dark money, just support from paid subscribers. If this work matters to you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber today

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jaredyatessexton.substack.com/subscribe

Whew. Today’s episode of The Check-In is a lot. Danielle Moodie and I sit down to talk about the rampant abuses and tragedies that are piling up and the inherent rage we feel, as well as how the entire system of capitalist exploitation functions and is fueled by acts of oppression and abuse. This was a necessary one and I thank everyone who came out and watched and listened. I hope it finds you well and helps.

Dispatches From A Collapsing State receives absolutely no corporate funding or under-the-table dark money. It keeps this project independent and capable of having these types of discussions. It is entirely reader supported, so please consider becoming a paid subscriber today

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jaredyatessexton.substack.com/subscribe

I went live today with questions from you, the reader, and it was a good time. I got into the weeds on the unconscious motivations driving our politics, the importance of looking beyond Donald Trump when trying to understand what’s going on, how our social media and technology could change if we held the tech oligarchs accountable, jailed them, and actually regulated things, the need for hobbies and interests to nourish a sense of self and help us thrive, and advice for a parent with a teenager looking at the future.

Thank you for the questions and the continued support. Unfortunately, my criticisms of the Democratic Party, especially with the mess we’re in now, has led to a real loss of subscribers who are, apparently, unwilling to see the situation as it is. I refuse to lie about what’s happening and the very obvious motivations and activities of corporate Democrats. I need your help, maybe more than ever. If this matters to you, if this project has helped you understand and maybe even act in the fight against ascendant fascism, please consider becoming a paid subscriber so this project can continue.

Dispatches From A Collapsing State receives no corporate funding, no under-the-table dark money that seeks to influence perspective. This is a reader-supported project. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jaredyatessexton.substack.com/subscribe