In the first part of this episode, Lisa & Rebekah are joined by members, Laurie R. & Jasper to talk about how Platypus has captured the relationship between the Left & the elections. They have gone into the archives of the Platypus Affiliated Society, and have asked how our work can help us to think about these inflection points on the Left across the elections, namely, 2008 (Obama); 2016 (Brexit; Trump; AfD); 2020 (Trump & Biden, Corbyn & Boris); and the coming 2024 election. In the second segment, Pamela sits down with the Platypus Review Editor-in-Chief, Lou S., to discuss what is in the Dec 2022—Jan 2023 issue, including the interview with Vivek Chibber, his perspectives on ideology, the task of the Left today, and the DSA & the elections, as well as a book review of Chibber's book by Russell Jacoby, and the interview with Enzo Traverso.

Election & the Left Links:

2008: "Obama: Progress in regress: The end of 'black politics'" https://platypus1917.org/2008/09/01/obama-progress-in-regress-the-end-of-black-politics/

2016: "Why not Trump?"

https://platypus1917.org/2016/09/06/why-not-trump/

2016: Teach-in: "Anti-trumpism: what does it mean for the Left?"

https://archive.org/details/TeachinAntitrumpism

2017: "The Millennial Left is dead"

https://platypus1917.org/2017/10/01/millennial-left-dead/

2019: Panel "Democracy and the Left" with Benjamin Studebaker (Cambridge University, What's Left podcast), Marjorie Mayo (Emeritus Professor, Goldsmiths University), James Heartfield (Independent author, Spiked!) and Adam Buick (Socialist Party of Great Britain) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzd_0dy2Tz4

Platypus Review 152 (December 2022-January 2023)

https://platypus1917.org/category/pr/

Interview with Vivek Chibber

https://platypus1917.org/2022/12/01/confronting-capitalism-an-interview-with-vivek-chibber/

Book Review of Chibber by Russell Jacoby

https://platypus1917.org/2022/12/01/shadowboxing-a-review-of-vivek-chibbers-the-class-matrix/

Interview with Enzo Traverso

https://platypus1917.org/2022/12/01/we-were-orphans-an-interview-with-enzo-traverso/