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Substance Fetishism or Historical Materialism With Jason W. Moore

Millennials Are Killing Capitalism

Release Date: 11/08/2024

“The Story Where Truth Goes to Die” - Nora Barrows-Friedman on the Genocide in Gaza show art “The Story Where Truth Goes to Die” - Nora Barrows-Friedman on the Genocide in Gaza

Millennials Are Killing Capitalism

This is the lightly edited audio from a we hosted with Nora Barrows-Friedman. Nora Barrows-Friedman is a staff writer and associate editor at , and is the author of (Just World Books, 2014). She hosts the that we all watch on Thursdays at noon eastern time.  In this discussion, we talk about some of Nora's background as a journalist, her work covering student organizing around Palestine, and her recent piece, "."  Nora also shares some of EI’s journalistic methodology covering a war that is so highly propagandized. We also get into some of the differences between "Israeli" media...

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Hala Sabbah from the Sameer Project (Recent Livestream Audio) show art Hala Sabbah from the Sameer Project (Recent Livestream Audio)

Millennials Are Killing Capitalism

We hosted an with Hala Sabbah of the Sameer Project back on July 21st to talk about the absolutely horrific situation in Gaza as a result of the US-funded and supported Israeli enacted genocide. Since conditions have not changed substantially, I wanted to also make sure to get a lightly edited version of that conversation out to our audio podcast feed. Just a reminder that due to our own limitations these days most of our work is on our , where we host multiple conversations per week.  This is our third conversation with Hala Sabbah from the Sameer Project since its founding during this...

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“Arrested in the Office of DEI” - On the New Racial Regime with Alana Lentin show art “Arrested in the Office of DEI” - On the New Racial Regime with Alana Lentin

Millennials Are Killing Capitalism

In this conversation we’re exited to welcome Alana Lentin back to the show to talk about her new book , which works with the concept of the racial regime put forth by Cedric Robinson in his book . The book features a foreword by Elizabeth Robinson, long time interlocutor, partner in critical media work, and life partner of Cedric Robinson.  We talk about this project which starts with an analysis of the war on so-called Critical Race Theory, and the attendant fascistic agenda, the “whitelash” against Black Studies, and gets deep into zionist counterinsurgency efforts throughout...

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Eric Mann’s Radical Journey through the Long 1960s (Part 2) show art Eric Mann’s Radical Journey through the Long 1960s (Part 2)

Millennials Are Killing Capitalism

This is part two of a two-part episode. This part of the conversation deals more with the actions that led to Mann's political imprisoment and his experiences as a political prisoner. In this two-part episode, we are joined by special cohost PM, and we speak with veteran civil rights organizer Eric Mann about his journey from his upbringing in New York to his involvement in political struggles during the 1960s. Mann discusses his early influences, including his parents' activism. He reflects on his work with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating...

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Eric Mann’s Radical Journey through the Long 1960s (Part 1) show art Eric Mann’s Radical Journey through the Long 1960s (Part 1)

Millennials Are Killing Capitalism

In this two-part episode, we are joined by special cohost PM, and we speak with veteran civil rights organizer Eric Mann about his journey from his upbringing in New York to his involvement in political struggles during the 1960s. Mann discusses his early influences, including his parents' activism. He reflects on his work with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), highlighting key campaigns such as the Trailways boycott and the 1968 Columbia University student strike.  Mann also recounts his time as a political prisoner, offering...

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“Individual Acts of Resistance Can Lead to New Terrains of Struggle” Garrett Felber on the Life of Martin Sostre show art “Individual Acts of Resistance Can Lead to New Terrains of Struggle” Garrett Felber on the Life of Martin Sostre

Millennials Are Killing Capitalism

In this conversation we talk with Garrett Felber about their latest book .  In discussing this new political biography, we cover Sostre’s ideological and political journey, history as a jailhouse lawyer, his forms of organizing practice, and the ways that people supported his campaign for freedom from political imprisonment. We talk about the influence of Great Depression era Harlem, Black and Puerto Rican Nationalism, Marxism-Leninism, national liberation movements, armed struggle, Women’s Liberation, and Anarchism on Sostre’s political thought and practice. Although much of what...

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“There Has to Be Some Consequences for These Horrors” - Tariq Khan on Settler Colonial Violence and Antileft Repression show art “There Has to Be Some Consequences for These Horrors” - Tariq Khan on Settler Colonial Violence and Antileft Repression

Millennials Are Killing Capitalism

This is the conclusion of our two part conversation with Tariq Khan on his book . In of the conversation we laid out many of the general dynamics between anti-indigenous settler colonial violence in the 19th Century and the development of the earliest iterations of anticommunism in the so-called United States, long before McCarthyism or even what’s recognized by historians as the first Red Scare. In this conversation we talk about some of the legal precedents that the Trump administration has dusted off for some of his attempts to remove or exclude people for political views.  Because...

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The Obscurant Function of 'Artificial Intelligence' with Edward Ongweso Jr show art The Obscurant Function of 'Artificial Intelligence' with Edward Ongweso Jr

Millennials Are Killing Capitalism

In this episode, we speak with Edward Ongweso Jr about "artificial intelligence" and its implications, particularly concerning corporate interests and historical parallels with labor control. Edward critiques the term “artificial intelligence” for obscuring the underlying digital technologies and algorithmic systems that serve corporate agendas, emphasizing the narrow view of intelligence that excludes human cognitive elements. The conversation delves into the historical roots of computation, drawing parallels between modern AI and 19th-century plantation management techniques aimed at...

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Rejecting Neoliberalism & Neo-McCarthyism at US Universities with Charles HF Davis III show art Rejecting Neoliberalism & Neo-McCarthyism at US Universities with Charles HF Davis III

Millennials Are Killing Capitalism

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Charles H.F. Davis III about the increasingly repressive conditions on university campuses, particularly in the context of Columbia University's caving in to federal pressures under the thumb of Trump’s administration. We explore the broader implications of these concessions at the expense of liberalized notions of intellectual and academic freedom, student activism, and the role of universities as sites of political struggle. Dr. Davis highlights the historical and ongoing repression of student activism, particularly pro-Palestinian movements, and...

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"Like We're at War with a Foreign Nation" - How Settler Colonial Violence Shaped Anti-Left Repression with Tariq Khan

Millennials Are Killing Capitalism

In this episode we interview Tariq Khan on his book The Republic Shall Be Kept Clean: How Settler Colonial Violence Shaped Antileft Repression.  We’ll be releasing this conversation as a two part episode on this excellent book which studies how anticommunism within the US is deeply intertwined with settler colonialism, anti-indigenous thought, and genocidal violence. This helps us to reframe our often twentieth century centric view of anti-left repression in the US. Khan’s work on the 19th century in particular also helps us to see the ways things like race science, eugenics, and...

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More Episodes
This is part two of our conversation with Jason W. Moore, a historical geographer at Binghamton University. In this discussion we delve into the concept of "substance fetishism" within Marxian social theory, the dangers it poses, and its implications for understanding the web of life. 

Part 1: Against Climate Doomism and the Bourgeois Character of American Environmentalism 

Moore raises concerns about the misguided focus on substance fetishism, which prioritizes the management of substances over the revolutionizing of labor relations. The conversation also touches on the historical and contemporary implications of this perspective, including its impact on understanding energy histories, class formation, and imperialism. He critiques the narrow focus of some environmental and Marxist scholars, advocating for a more integrated approach that considers the socioecological dynamics of labor and class struggle. We also discuss the role of intellectuals and the limitations of academic discourse in addressing these antagonismss. Our conversation concludes with reflections on the potential for revolutionary change and the importance of historical materialism in understanding and addressing the current ecological and social crises.
 
Special Co-host Casey is a historian and organizer based in New York and Chicago. He is focused on the politics, economy, and connected histories in South Asia and the Middle East, specifically the Arab Gulf. His work focuses on questions of development, ecology, and political resistance, as well as connecting global-scale events to local diaspora communities within the US.

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This episode is edited & produced by Aidan Elias. Music, as always, is by Televangel