Jacobin Radio: Mass Politics Today w/ Nancy Fraser

Jacobin Radio

Jacobin

Socialism, History, News, Left, Jacobin, Alternative, Socialist, Politics

4.7 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 18 January 2025

⏱️ 64 minutes

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Summary

Jacobin Radio has featured many presentations from the recent conference held in honor of Boris Kagarlitsky, author of The Long Retreat, a sobering analysis of the international Left that was discussed in our previous episode, and currently a prisoner in Russia for speaking out against Putin’s war in Ukraine.

We continue with Trevor Ngwane, a South African scholar-activist at the University of Johannesburg, and Nancy Fraser, professor of philosophy and politics at the New School for Social Research, who bring to the table some difficult truths and critical questions for the global Left.

After brief introductory comments from Patrick Bond, Trevor Ngwane outlines the brutal history of South Africa’s turn to neoliberalism and its consequences — widespread suffering and deepening despair among ordinary people as well as a political crisis in the African National Congress. He asks what it will take to revitalize the vibrant, militant, working-class movements that once overthrew apartheid.

Nancy Fraser then reflects on Kagarlitsky’s analysis of the chaotic political reality we face today, and raises three central strategic questions for the Left and mass politics: How can we engage with actually existing social forces towards positive social change? How do we navigate the geopolitics of war and migration in mass movement organizing? And what could a transformative working-class movement even look like in the 21st century?

Guest host Meleiza Figueroa and Alan Minsky, executive director of Progressive Democrats of America, follow with a discussion of the critical insights and questions brought up by Trevor Ngwane and Nancy Fraser, and consider what this means for American politics at this particular moment in history, as we face a new year filled with uncertainty, political confusion, and deepening crisis.

Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Jacobin Radio. I'm Melissa Figueroa, director and producer of the show, sitting in for Susie Weissman.
0:18.0	Over the last couple of weeks, we have been sharing with you many of the
0:21.5	insightful and critical conversations from the recent conference held in honor of Boris Kalgarlitsky,
0:28.0	currently a prisoner in Russia for speaking out against Putin's war in Ukraine, and also
0:32.8	a great thinker of the international left and author of The Long Retreat, a sobering analysis of the
0:38.8	global left that was discussed on last week's show. Her speakers today, Trevor Gwameh,
0:44.6	a South African scholar activist at the University of Johannesburg, and Nancy Fraser, professor
0:50.8	of philosophy and politics at the New School for Social Research,
0:55.0	bring to the table some difficult truths and critical questions for the global left.
1:00.4	Trevor Nguamay outlines the brutal history of South Africa's turn to neoliberalism
1:05.4	and its consequences, widespread suffering and deepening despair among ordinary people,
1:13.6	as well as a political crisis within the ANC, and asks, what will it take to revitalize the vibrant, militant, and international working-class movements
1:20.6	that once overthrew apartheid and can still be a powerful force for social change in the world today?
1:26.6	Nancy Fraser then reflects on Kogarlitsky's
1:29.9	sobering analysis of the chaotic political reality we are in today and raises three central
1:36.6	strategic questions for the left and mass politics. How can we engage with actually existing
1:42.6	social forces and convince them to join with us in a struggle towards positive social change?
1:49.0	How do we navigate the geopolitics of war and migration in mass movement organizing?
1:55.0	And what would a transformative working class movement even look like in the 21st century. After their presentations,
2:03.6	Alan Minsky, Executive Director of Progressive Democrats in America, will join me in studio to
2:08.6	discuss the critical insights and questions brought up by these two speakers. And we consider what this
2:14.5	might mean for American politics at this particular moment in history,
	...

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