Democratic voters are enraged by their party’s spineless “resistance” to the Trump administration’s draconian agenda. But the party’s dysfunction goes far deeper than just cowardly, uninspiring leaders.
On this episode of Confronting Capitalism, Vivek Chibber speaks with Philip Rocco about how the Democrats’ abandonment of organized labor has resulted in a party that is ineffective at fighting the right or putting forward a compelling political vision.
Read Philip Rocco’s essay here:
https://catalyst-journal.com/2025/07/why-the-democrats-are-so-useless
--------
47:53
--------
47:53
How Iraq Became the Regime Change Playbook
US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites last month were a dangerous escalation in the ongoing conflict with Iran. But while a ceasefire has remained in place, there’s good reason to believe that Iranian regime change isn’t off the table just yet.
On this episode of Confronting Capitalism, Vivek Chibber looks back on how the US pursued regime change in Iraq and why that disastrous invasion may wind up being the playbook again in Iran.
--------
38:03
--------
38:03
How Trump Became a Neocon
Much of Trump’s popular appeal was wrapped up in his anti-establishment and anti-war posture on the campaign trail. But in only a few months, Trump’s populist mask has slipped completely and revealed him to be just another neoconservative Republican.
In this episode of Confronting Capitalism, Vivek Chibber and Paul Prescod discuss Trump’s phony right-wing populism, the US involvement in the war with Iran, and how the Republicans are getting away with Medicaid cuts.
--------
40:09
--------
40:09
Why We Don’t Revolt
The Left often invokes the media’s power of persuasion to explain why people accept their situation within capitalism. But what if instead the system remains stable by “the dull compulsions” of economic life?
In this episode of Confronting Capitalism, Vivek Chibber discusses the difference between consent and coercion, the real role of the media, and the conditions for organized resistance.
--------
37:30
--------
37:30
The US Started the Cold War
The Cold War is often portrayed as a great power struggle between the forces of democracy and a spreading communist threat. But what if the conventional story gets it exactly backwards?
In this episode of Confronting Capitalism, Vivek Chibber and Melissa Naschek discuss the rise of the American empire and how the US used the Cold War to spread capitalism across the globe.
Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber cuts through the chaos to provide a conceptual and historical framework for understanding how capitalism functions across the globe. Conversations span political economy, history, and strategy. Every other week, Vivek provides essential insights for effective socialist politics today. Produced by Catalyst and published by Jacobin.
Sverige