"#48: Talking History and Strategy with David Duhalde
David is a long tme DSA leader. He served as deputy director of DSA  and as director of the DSA Fund. We invited him back to reflect on his recent article which situates DSA today within the long history of American socialist organization. Ww try to draw good lessons from the past that can help going forward.
Music: "Understanding Marx"  by the Economics Rock & Roll Band"

#47 Talking with JW Mason about what Zohran can accomplish
Jpsh Mason is an economics professor at John Jay College, CUNY and a senior fellow at Groundwork, whose recent article in Dissent provides much insight into what Mamdani, if elected,  can do to advance the "democratic socialist"  agenda that helped inspire his grassroots victory in the NY mayoral primary. You may be surprised by his take.
 It's the first of what we hope will be several podcast conversations wth participat-observers aimed at illuminating how the campaign has been organized and what it may mean.
Josh blogs at The Slack Wire. (RSS feed.) You can sign up for his free email newsletter at Substack.
Music: from the original cast album of Fiorello!  "The Bum Won!"

Mixed & Edited by Next Day Podcast

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#46: Talking with Michael Podhorzer about how to understand elections
Michael recently retired as Political  Director of the AFL-CIO.  He's a brilliant analyst of election data and pioneered the use of data for progressive electoral strategy. His Substack site: www.weekendreading.net, where you'll find a bunch of the analysis we talk about.
Subscribe to TALKING STRATEGY MAKING HISTORY AT PATREON.COM/TSMH where you can get a good deal of bonus listening opportunities, including lots of political music. 
The song at the end: 'The Mandate" by Charlie King

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Prof. Nelson Lichtenstein returns to talk with us about his new book, an anthology of writings about the labor movement over the last 75 years from the pages of DISSENT magazine, called LABOR'S PARTISANS, that history illuminates the current scene.

Nelson shares well informed insights' about the potentials and problems for workers organizing in this critical time. 

Music: "Step by Step" performed by Charlie King and 'Annie Patterson. 
Support the podcast and get bonus stuff by subscribing at Patreon.com/tsmh and share.

Eric Blanc is sociologiste/labor activist whose new book WE ARE THE UNION documents the spreading efforts by workers to initiate and carry forward union organizing without dependence on professional organizers. We explore some key examples and talk about what this  might promise for empowering the working class.
music: "You are the U in Union" a Si Kahn Song performed by Joe Jencks

#43 Talking about class, race, identity politics & DEI
Daraka and Dick critically examine a lot of the talking points and arguments in Democratic circles about how class, race, sexuality and immigration are intertwined--and offer some thoughts about how a\
 democratic popular working-class majority can be built and sustained.  
music 'Black Brown and  White Blues by Bill Broonzy

After years of legendary success as a labor and community organizer, Harley embarked on a journey to recruit and train organizers and volunteers to reach out to working-class voters in swing states. In this conversation, he reflects on this work, inspired by finding many folk ready to listen and engage.

 
Music: 'Step by Step"  Sung by Sweet Honey in the Rock

Daraka suggests a 3 R framework for organizing and action in the coming time: REFORM, REALIGNMENT, RESISTANCE--and in this episode we  describe what each of these might involve. We promise from now on to strive to be 'Grunny". To find out what we're talking about, click on.. Give us your ideas, suggestions and feedback--and subscribe at: patreon.com/tsmh
Music: Kris Kristofferson  passed away  in 2024. He wrote quite a few politically engaged songs. One of these, written in the 1990's seems chillingly apt right now: "Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down'.  "

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"BONUS: Talking About Ethel Rosenberg with her son, Michael Meeropol
For Dick interviewed Michael Meeropol for his weekly radio show 'Culture of Protest". triggered by new evidence that Ethel Rosenberg was executed along with Julius even though the government knew she was not guilty. President Biden is being petitioned to declare her exonerated before he leaves office. The conversation illuminates the case, and the sons' experience and development.. Listen and share this revelatory episode. The petition can be found at www.rfc.org.
Music: 'Julius & Ethel" by Bob Dylan. 'Strange Fruit" performed by Shirley Verrett

Jeremy Brecher 's books on social change have changed how many activists think about labor and anti-globalization movements.

On Dick Flacks' long running radio show he etalksabout his just published book: THE GREEN NEW DEAL FROM BELOW., and we've added this conversation to our podcast series.

Do you know about the Liliput Strategy? To comment on this or other episodes, go to patreon.com/tsmh
music: Iris Dement, 'Working on a World"