Joining us this week to talk about the rise of public sector unions via militant strike activity is Joe Burns, life-long union organizer and contract negotiator. We discuss his latest book, Strike Back: Using the Militant Tactics of Labor’s Past to Reignite Public Sector Unionism Today, and outline how the unlawful strikes of the 1960s and 70s provide a lesson for trade union organizing today. 



-Find Joe’s latest book here: http://igpub.com/strike-back/



-“Can Labor Strike Back?” https://mronline.org/2015/03/28/scipes280315-html/



*** This week's B-Side features an in-depth discussion about law and politics as it relates to the Supreme Court confirmation hearings. It drops Thursday and you won't want to miss it. Join the Dead Pundits Society to support the new left agenda and to receive an additional subscriber-only episode each week: www.patreon.com/deadpundits ***




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Joining us this week to discuss the process around NYC DSA’s endorsement of Cynthia Nixon for the Democratic Party primary race in New York state are two members in NYC-DSA leadership, Susan Kang and Michael Cavadias. We discuss the various meanings of endorsement as well as the debates that emerged around these various and competing visions. Additionally, we discuss the role of accountability and the problematic relationship of the Democratic Party and socialist candidates. 

Whether you were in favor of this endorsement or not — and even whether you’re in favor of a socialist electoral strategy or not — there are many insights in this interview that will be beneficial for developing ou arguments.

Articles:

-"Building Power: A Rebuttal to the Case Against Nixon/Williams," by Susan Kang, Michael Cavadias, Danya Lagos, Cale Brooks, et al.

-"To Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s critics: This is no time for sloganeering," by Jamie Stern-Weiner, https://mondoweiss.net/2018/07/alexandria-cortezs-sloganeering/

Image credit: @volperchlorate

***The B-Side to this week's episode will be available for patrons in several days. Join the Dead Pundits Society to catch the second subscriber-only episode each week and to support the new left agenda: www.patreon.com/deadpundits***

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This episode continues and deepens our discussion with Ed Rooksby from last week. Although it was recorded as a B-Side for our patrons, we decided that it was too good to be parked behind a paywall, so we made it available for all. We open the episode by outlining the legacy of the Second International and the reformist road to socialism. Next, we contrast the pitfalls of that period with the strategies of dual power being offered by socialists today. Nicos Poulantzas's "The Democratic Road to Socialism" offers a roadmap for threading the needle in a way that avoids the traps of reformism and bureaucratism, on the one hand, and the reactionary-utopian visions of "base building" on the other.

What is dual power?

What is base building?

Why do we insist on the democratic road to socialism?

Tune in to find out! This episode is a great continuation of last week's discussion of actually-existing Leninism and dual power.

***This week's B-side will continue our chat on the legacy and efficacy of revolutionary socialism and it will be landing later this week. Join the society at www.patreon.com/deadpundits for access***

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Back on the Dead Pundits Society is Ed Rooksby, who teaches politics at Ruskin College. This behemoth of an episode tackles some of the most pressing questions facing socialists today: what do we mean by a socialist transition and what are some of the historical examples? We tackle the myth and reality of "dual power" and compare it with the prospects of a democratic road to socialism.

This episode is dense, but the pay-off is enormous. Listen up and take notes -- this is Rooksbyism for the 21st Century.

Ed's blog can be found here: https://edrooksby.wordpress.com

***The B-Side to this episode will be dropping early next week. To get access, subscribe today at www.patreon.com/deadpundits***

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[This is a free preview of our full-length Patreon episode for the week. Subscribe for $5/month at www.patreon.com/deadpundits for full access]

Adam and Aimee answer a number of questions from listeners on this week's B-Side. Are we optimistic or pessimistic about the chances of socialism? Why do vulgar socialists have better game? Who are our biggest influences? What can socialists with "real world" knowledge in capitalist industries do to further the cause?

All of your queries on life, love, and socialism will be addressed or your money back.*

***Join the Dead Pundits Society and get access to weekly subscriber-only episodes and our back catalog of B-Sides from Season 1 of the podcast: www.patreon.com/deadpundits ***

*You're not getting your money back.

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Joining us to discuss the socialist right to strike is Alex Gourevitch, author of "A Radical Defense of the Right to Strike," among many other articles and books. (https://www.jacobinmag.com/2018/07/right-to-strike-freedom-civil-liberties-oppression)

Before the interview, Adam and Aimee open the show with a celebration of neoliberal achievement -- you won't want to miss this monumental occasion.

General topics under consideration include: Is there a socialist right to strike? How does it differ from the liberal and social-democratic visions of the right to strike? Can socialists reclaim the notions of freedom, justice and (gasp) liberty?? Tune in to find out.

Alex's writings can be found here:

-"A Radical Defense of the Right to Strike," https://www.jacobinmag.com/2018/07/right-to-strike-freedom-civil-liberties-oppression

-"The Right to Strike: A Radical View," https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/right-to-strike-a-radical-view/8B521F67E28D4FAE1967B17959620424

Find out more about Alex on his website: http://www.alexgourevitch.org/

***To get access to this week's B-Side, which will be landing in a couple of days, join the Dead Pundits Society at www.patreon.com/deadpundits***

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On this episode, which has been unlocked from the Patreon vault due to popular demand, Benjamin Studebaker talks with us about the tendency of leftists to view politics as the truest expression of one's soul rather than a method of leveraging structures to change the world. Studebaker traced this impulse in a series of blog posts a few months ago, and we'll unpack those arguments for our Patrons in this episode.

Find relevant blog posts here:

-"The Left is Not a Church," https://benjaminstudebaker.com/2018/04/28/the-left-is-not-a-church/

-"The Church Left is Proving My Point," https://benjaminstudebaker.com/2018/04/29/the-church-left-is-proving-my-point/

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What is the meaning of Democratic Socialism? In the wake of both Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s primary victory and Cynthia Nixon’s claim that she identifies as a democratic socialist, activists and political actors of all stripes are circling the wagons as they attempt to carve out the meaning on democratic socialism. Joining us this week to hash out these questions is Benjamin Studebaker, a PhD student in Politics at Cambridge University, whose blog pieces claiming that “the left is not a church” caused quite a stir a few months ago. Tune in for a discussion on how socialists should engage with this exciting moment.



-We referenced Michael Kinnucan’s excellent piece, “Why Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Won,” towards the end of the episode: https://jacobinmag.com/2018/06/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-election-crowley-democratic-socialists



-Find Studebaker’s most relevant pieces here: “The Left is not a Church,” https://benjaminstudebaker.com/2018/04/28/the-left-is-not-a-church/ 



and



“The Church Left is Proving My Point,” https://benjaminstudebaker.com/2018/04/29/the-church-left-is-proving-my-point/



***The B-Side to this episode will launch in a couple of days. To get access to that subscriber-only content and our entire back catalog, join the Society at www.patreon.com/deadpundits***

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Joining us this week to talk about the real composition of the so-called “white working class” is Laura Bucci, Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Saint Joseph's University. 



Adam and Aimee start off the show with some reflections on our political moment as well as some critical advice for dealing with naughty kangaroos. In the interview, we cover a large variety of topics, from the nature of the white working class, the decline in union density, how to measure voting behavior and preferences, and the intersection of race and class. Finally, Aimee and Adam end the show with some extended musings on the Janus ruling and the role of the Supreme Court in politics.

-

You can find Laura’s publications on her website: https://www.lauracbucci.com/research.html



***To get access to the B-Side dropping later this week, join the Society at www.patreon.com/deadpundits for $5/month. In addition to supporting the new left agenda, you’ll get access to our weekly B-Sides and back catalog of subscriber-only content***

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In the wake of the exciting primary victory of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and others like her across the country, the question of a socialist-progressive electoral alliance is back on the table in a big way. In this unlocked B-Side from 2017, Adam Hilton discusses the tactic of using the Democratic Party ballot line to elect socialists and progressives in order to build working class power inside the capitalist state.

For all the patrons and regular listeners out there, Adam (host) is still on the mend from an extended illness. We'll be back with brand new content and a B-Side for patrons next week.

To support the new left agenda, go to www.patreon.com/deadpundits and subscribe today.

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