👂When all comes tumbling down, fingers usually point towards capitalism. The socio-economic system that has run our world for centuries now has borne the brunt of many overconsumption and economic-blunder jokes, but is also the cause of many very real crises we’re facing today. Host Vivek Chibber sits at the helm of Jacobin’s newest podcast Confronting Capitalism, seeking to help listeners understand capitalism at its core and become better equipped with effective socialist politics.

You can’t change a system you don’t understand. The podcast gives you the conceptual framework and historical context behind how capitalism functions around the globe, discussing policies, history, political economy, and strategy. With a system as ever-present and deeply entrenched as capitalism, it feels essential to have a tight grasp on how it’s running our world, especially in its more covert ways.

In several episodes, social democracy takes the spotlight as Chibber and co-host Melissa Naschek unpack its origins and precedence in different regions and eras. When capitalism was strongly associated with fascism, particularly Nazism, the social democrats pushed to reform the system and keep the interests of the people at the forefront — even as more radical groups wanted to overthrow it altogether. The ultimate product of the phenomenon was the modern welfare state which Chibber describes as the “gift given by social democracy to the laboring party.”

Beyond ideological breakdowns, the podcast also hosts special analysis episodes on major events making headlines. From the coup in Venezuela, the conflict in Iran, and Trump’s waning popular appeal, Chibber takes a more theory-heavy and wide-angled lens to discuss current events. Tune into a couple of episodes and this podcast might just be your gateway to the world of leftist thought.

WHERE TO LISTEN- You can tune in on Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | Podbean | Podtail | Spotify | Substack.

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