Jacobin Radio

Long Reads: Mohammed Harbi and the Algerian Revolution w/ Muriam Davis 05.06.2026 1h 6min

On January 1 this year, Mohammed Harbi died at the age of 92. Harbi was one of the leading historians of modern Algeria and the movement that led it towards independence. Harbi began writing about the Algerian revolution after taking part in it himself. Born under French colonial rule, Harbi became a member of the National Liberation Front in the 1950s. He was an adviser to Algeria’s first president, Ahmed Ben Bella. But Harbi was sent to prison after Ben Bella was removed from power in a military coup. He later escaped from house arrest and went into exile. Harbi remained deeply engaged with political events inside the country, from the civil war of the 1990s to the hirak protest movement of the last decade. Muriam Haleh Davis joins Long Reads for a discussion of Harbi’s life and work. Muriam is a professor of history at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She’s the author of Markets of Civilization: Islam and Racial Capitalism in Algeria. Read her obituary for Jacobin, “Mohammed Harbi Was Algeria’s Revolutionary Historian”: https://jacobin.com/2026/02/mohammed-harbi-algeria-historian-obituary Long Reads is a Jacobin podcast looking in-depth at political topics and thinkers, both contemporary and historical, with the magazine’s writers. Hosted by features editor Daniel Finn. Produced by Conor Gillies with music by Knxwledge.

The Dig: Nusantara Ep. 4 — Indonesian Republic, Third World Revolution 03.06.2026 1h 59min

The fourth episode in a series on the history of Indonesia: a hinge in the world system where colonialism and revolution have decisively shaped the trajectory of global history. This installment picks up with the Indonesian Revolution securing sovereignty from the Dutch in 1949. The Communist of Party of Indonesia, or PKI, revived after its repression to once again become a mass force in politics and society. All while Sukarno put Indonesia at the vanguard of global Third World revolution, hosting the legendary Bandung Afro–Asian Conference. Featuring Rianne Subijanto, Made Supriatma, and Farabi Fakih. Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDig Dan’s Berlin event: “Trump 2.0 and the Rebirth of the American Left.” June 12, 6pm at Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin) in room EB 202 of the Erweiterungsbau (Straße des 17. Juni 145, 10623 Berlin). Part of the Take Back the Future conference hosted by Socialist Democratic Student League, the campus affiliate of Die Linke. Followed by drinks with Dig listeners and friends of the pod. For drink details come to the talk or keep an eye on The Dig’s Instagram @thedigradio. Our huge new Thawra study guide and resource website thawraproject.com Find Unpaid at Versobooks.com Get 50% off From the Clinics to the Streets, or any first book purchase from plutobooks.com with code ‘DIG50’ The Dig goes deep into politics everywhere, from labor struggles and political economy to imperialism and immigration. Hosted by Daniel Denvir.

Behind the News: The Canard of Cultural Marxism w/ A.J.A. Woods 01.06.2026 53min

Greg Grandin, author of a recent article for the New York Review of Books, looks at how Pope Leo was shaped by his time in Peru. A.J.A. Woods, author of The Cultural Marxism Conspiracy, explains why the right sees the Frankfurt School as the root of modern decay. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Confronting Capitalism: How Will Capitalism End? 27.05.2026 48min

Socialists have long predicted capitalism’s overthrow and replacement by a better system. But do we have any reason to believe capitalism must come to an end? On the latest episode of Confronting Capitalism, Melissa Naschek and Vivek Chibber discuss the role of economic and ecological crises in capitalism’s possible demise. Just as it is a mistake to think that capitalism will last forever, it’s also unrealistic to think that it is destined to collapse. The latest issue of Catalyst is out, and you can subscribe for just $20 using the code CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM: https://catalyst-journal.com/subscribe/?code=CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM Have a question for us? Write to us by email: confronting.capitalism@jacobin.com Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber is produced by Catalyst: A Journal of Theory and Strategy and published by Jacobin. Music by Zonkey.

Behind the News: The Trump-Xi Summit w/ Jake Werner 26.05.2026 53min

Jake Werner of the Quincy Institute analyzes the Trump–Xi summit and US–China relations generally. Gareth Gore, author of Opus, talks about Opus Dei, a secretive, cult-like Catholic organization involved in right-wing politics around the world (and very much in the US). Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Jacobin Radio: Red Pilled w/ David Ost 26.05.2026 54min

The rise of the far right is the defining political crisis of our time. But are we analyzing it correctly? Suzi speaks with David Ost about his book Red Pill Politics: Demystifying the Far Right from Fascism to Right-Wing Populism. David argues that by focusing on whether Trump, Orban, or Netanyahu is or isn’t a fascist, we’re missing the deeper question: what political species do fascism and right-wing populism share? And what does understanding that species tell us about why the left keeps losing workers it once counted as its core constituency? It’s a sweeping comparative political analysis that argues fascism and today’s right-wing populism are not separate phenomena but two expressions of the same underlying political species, that of the Red Pill (a loose acronym of Right-wing, Exclusionary Nationalist-Democratic, Populist Illiberalism). From the Boulanger Affair in 1880s France to Tucker Carlson, from Mussolini's syndicalist unions to Orban’s welfare chauvinism, the radical right has won by offering workers something — economic recognition, belonging, enemies to hate — that the neoliberal center-left abandoned along with NAFTA and the Third Way. David ends with a diagnosis of the left’s own failures and a prescription for what it would take to turn things around. Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements.

The Dig: Dan Denvir’s Theory of Power and Organization 25.05.2026 1h 23min

This one is different: an episode cross-posted from the new podcast Fighting Fascism, where Dig host Daniel Denvir gets behind the guest mic to discuss his political work beyond the pod. Speaking at length for the first time about his own organizing project in Rhode Island, he elaborates his theory of class and political power building. Check out Fighting Fascism and subscribe at thenation.com/content/fighting-fascism Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDig Our huge new Thawra study guide and resource website thawraproject.com RSVP to the May 26 Dig party in LA! eventbrite.com/e/a-party-in-la-for-the-dig-friends-tickets-1987008568116? The Dig goes deep into politics everywhere, from labor struggles and political economy to imperialism and immigration. Hosted by Daniel Denvir.

Long Reads: Reform UK’s Path to Power w/ Phil Burton-Cartledge 21.05.2026 1h 1min

Britain held local and regional elections earlier this month that proved to be catastrophic for the Labour government of Keir Starmer. Labour fell behind the right-wing party Reform UK, which is led by Nigel Farage. Ten years after the Brexit referendum of 2016, could Farage be on track to become Britain’s next prime minister? Phil Burton-Cartledge, lecturer in sociology at the University of Derby and the author of The Party’s Over: The Rise and Fall of the Conservatives from Thatcher to Sunak, joins Long Reads for a conversation about the state of British politics. Phil spoke with us two years ago to discuss the UK general election that brought Starmer to power. Read or listen to that interview here: https://jacobin.com/2024/07/uk-elections-tory-party-conservatives-defeat-labour Long Reads is a Jacobin podcast looking in-depth at political topics and thinkers, both contemporary and historical, with the magazine’s writers. Hosted by features editor Daniel Finn. Produced by Conor Gillies with music by Knxwledge.

The Dig: Primary Struggle w/ Claire Valdez 20.05.2026 1h 42min

Featuring New York U.S. House candidate Claire Valdez, Colorado U.S. House candidate Melat Kiros, Michigan U.S. House candidate William Lawrence, Massachusetts state Senate candidate Erika Uyterhoeven, New York State Assembly candidate Conrad Blackburn, and Washington D.C. mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George. The second episode in a series of short interviews with left-wing and socialist candidates at every level of US politics. Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDig Our huge new Thawra study guide and resource website thawraproject.com RSVP to the May 20 Dig party in Seattle! eventbrite.com/e/the-dig-x-house-our-neighbors-party-tickets-1986843010930 RSVP to the May 26 Dig party in LA! eventbrite.com/e/a-party-in-la-for-the-dig-friends-tickets-1987008568116? Buy Revolutions of Our Times at Haymarketbooks.org Find Queering Economics at UCPress.edu The Dig goes deep into politics everywhere, from labor struggles and political economy to imperialism and immigration. Hosted by Daniel Denvir.

Jacobin Radio: The Cost of Speaking Out Against Russia’s War w/ Simon Pirani 19.05.2026 1h 11min

Suzi speaks with Simon Pirani about his book Voices Against Putin’s War: Protesters’ Defiant Speeches in Russian Courts and the film Try Me For Treason. Russian exile activist Aleksandra Zapolskaia also joins the conversation to discuss Azat Miftakhov’s case, one of thousands. Currently, there are more political prisoners in Russia than at any time since the post-Stalin thaw of the 1950s, and the state is killing them; at least seven political prisoners died in Russian custody in the first four months of 2026. We will also hear actors from the film read courtroom speeches from Igor Paskar and Andrei Trofimov. Paskar, who was tortured after protesting at an FSB office, asked the court what future generations will be told about these times. Trofimov received three additional years of imprisonment for his initial courtroom statements; his second speech concludes with the line that gave the film its title: “Try me for treason. I betrayed your deranged state.” Aleksandra Zapolskaya (Sasha) shares the story of Azat Miftakhov, the mathematician and anarchist who was tortured at an Arctic penal colony just down the road from where Navalny was killed. After his torturers were publicly identified, prison officials called Azat to their office and promised to treat him “respectfully” if he would stop talking to the media. “Being silent doesn’t help,” Sasha says. “Being loud helps.” The discussion covers prisoner solidarity, the duration of the war, and the implications of Russia’s current trajectory. Sasha offers a warning to Western listeners regarding the speed of political shifts: “It changes very slowly. And then it happens very fast.” Watch the film: youtube.com/watch?v=7FHacVH8tK8 Jacobin article: https://jacobin.com/2026/05/film-russia-ukraine-antiwar-prisoners Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements.

Behind the News: The US-Israeli War on Iran w/ Laleh Khalili and Mouin Rabbani 18.05.2026 53min

Two views of the US–Israeli war on Iran: Laleh Khalili and Mouin Rabbani. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

The Dig: Primary Struggle w/ Abdul El-Sayed 15.05.2026 2h 2min

Featuring Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, Tennessee US House candidate Justin Pearson, New York US House candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, Oregon state House candidate Tammy Carpenter, Providence mayoral candidate David Morales, and DC City Council candidate Aparna Raj. The first episode in a series featuring short interviews with left-wing and socialist candidates at every level of US politics. Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDig Our huge new Thawra study guide and resource website thawraproject.com Dan debates the topic of Hasan Piker on Brian Lehrer wnyc.org/story/should-democrats-appear-with-hasan-piker/ Hasan’s analysis of the debate youtube.com/watch?v=fgkcuHZtsiM\\&amp;t=1557s RSVP to the May 20 Dig party in Seattle! eventbrite.com/e/the-dig-x-house-our-neighbors-party-tickets-1986843010930 RSVP to the May 26 Dig party in LA! eventbrite.com/e/a-party-in-la-for-the-dig-friends-tickets-1987008568116? Buy How to End Family Policing at Haymarketbooks.org Get 50% off How to Sell a Genocide, or any first book purchase from plutobooks.com with code ‘DIG50’ The Dig goes deep into politics everywhere, from labor struggles and political economy to imperialism and immigration. Hosted by Daniel Denvir.

Confronting Capitalism: Why Soviet-Style Planning Fails 13.05.2026 1h

Over time, the Soviet Union developed a system of centralized planning that became synonymous with socialism. How did the system work? What did it get right? And why did it ultimately become so associated with shortages and stagnation? On the latest episode of Confronting Capitalism, Vivek Chibber and Melissa Naschek discuss the ambitions and challenges of economic planners, and why the defects may be hardwired into the structure of central planning. The latest issue of Catalyst is out and you can subscribe for just $20 using the code CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM: https://catalyst-journal.com/subscribe/?code=CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM Read show transcripts here: confrontingcapitalism.substack.com Have a question for us? Write to us by email: confronting.capitalism@jacobin.com Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber is produced by Catalyst: A Journal of Theory and Strategy and published by Jacobin. Music by Zonkey.

Behind the News: The New US Imperialism w/ Nikhil Pal Singh and Greg Grandin 11.05.2026 53min

Excerpts from an event sponsored by the NYC DSA’s Academy for Socialist Education on the domestic and foreign aspects of Trumpism, featuring historians Nikhil Pal Singh and Greg Grandin, moderated by DSA’s Gaya Sriskanthan. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

The Dig: Organizing Zohran’s NYC w/ Alina Shen and Fahd Ahmed 07.05.2026 2h 16min

Featuring Alina Shen and Fahd Ahmed on organizing working-class Asian New Yorkers into Zohran Mamdani’s campaign and then building power under a democratic socialist mayor. A discussion with two of New York’s most talented community leaders on building mass bases and struggling through the contradictions of wielding state power — including with regard to the NYPD. Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDig Our huge new Thawra study guide and resource website: thawraproject.com RSVP to the May 20 Dig party in Seattle! eventbrite.com/e/the-dig-x-house-our-neighbors-party-tickets-1986843010930 RSVP to the May 26 Dig party in LA! eventbrite.com/e/a-party-in-la-for-the-dig-friends-tickets-1987008568116? Find Control Science: How Management Made the Modern World at Versobooks.com Get 50% off How to Sell a Genocide, or any first book purchase from plutobooks.com with code ‘DIG50’ The Dig goes deep into politics everywhere, from labor struggles and political economy to imperialism and immigration. Hosted by Daniel Denvir.

Behind the News: Yuppies w/ Dylan Gottlieb 04.05.2026 53min

Dylan Gottlieb, author of the new book Yuppies, explores how that often risible but pioneering social formation took over NYC. Ervand Abrahamian looks at the politics of Iran, a country under siege. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.

Jacobin Radio: Iran in the Imperial Crosshairs 30.04.2026 1h 22min

This week Jacobin Radio presents “In the Imperial Crosshairs: Trump's War and Its Consequences for the People of Iran and Ukraine,” a panel organized by Haymarket Books that took place on April 16. Moderated by Denys Bondar, the panel features four socialist voices from the United States, Iran, Russia, and Ukraine. They examine the catastrophic consequences of the US-Israeli war already being paid by the people of Iran and Ukraine — from the Strait of Hormuz to the streets of Kyiv — and by working people everywhere. Speakers include: - Ashley Smith (Ukraine Solidarity Network): Traces the strategic logic of Trump’s imperial war, rooted in US relative decline and the drive to dominate China’s energy supply chains. - Frieda Afary (Iranian-American socialist and author of Socialist Feminism: A New Approach): Discusses progressive opposition inside Iran, including feminist activists, labor organizers, and national minority movements, and why solidarity with these groups is the only principled position. - Aleksandra Zapolskaya (Coordinating editor of Posle media and anti-war activist): Explains what the war means for Russia and the Russian people living under a repressive regime that has crushed independent institutions, strangled the press, and imprisoned anti-war voices. - Denys Pilash (Editor of Commons journal and member of Sotsialnyi Rukh): Currently serving in the Ukrainian armed forces, he speaks from the front lines on why impunity for one aggressor opens the door for the next. The discussion also explores anti-war labor solidarity, the global implications of Orban’s electoral defeat, and the debate around “campism.” Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements.

Confronting Capitalism: How Socialism Could Work 29.04.2026 1h 6min

Throughout the 20th century, socialism came to be associated with both central planning and shortages. But could democratic ownership of the economy work alongside market competition? On the latest episode of Confronting Capitalism, Vivek Chibber examines different models of socialism that might be viable in the 21st century. The latest issue of Catalyst is out and you can subscribe for just $20 using the code CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM: https://catalyst-journal.com/subscribe/?code=CONFRONTINGCAPITALISM Also, don’t miss Jacobin’s May Day sale! Use the code MAYDAY2026R at checkout to get a yearlong digital subscription for $1, or $10 for the print edition: https://jacobin.com/subscribe/?code=MAYDAY2026R Have a question for us? Write to us by email: confronting.capitalism@jacobin.com Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber is produced by Catalyst: A Journal of Theory and Strategy and published by Jacobin. Music by Zonkey.

The Dig: Rogue Elephant w/ Paul Heideman 28.04.2026 2h 1min

Featuring Paul Heideman on how the Republican Party became so spectacularly unhinged. How the disorganization of the party and the disorganization of the US capitalist class have combined to intensify the accelerating insanity of US politics. Guest hosted by Micah Uetricht. Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDig Our huge new Thawra study guide and resource website thawraproject.com RSVP to the May 20 Dig party in Seattle! eventbrite.com/e/the-dig-x-house-our-neighbors-party-tickets-1986843010930 RSVP to the May 26 Dig party in LA! eventbrite.com/e/a-party-in-la-for-the-dig-friends-tickets-1987008568116? Buy The Social Basis of the Female Question at Haymarketbooks.org Find Ladder or Lottery at UCPress.edu Don’t miss Jacobin’s annual May Day sale. We're offering digital subscriptions for just $1, or $10 for the print edition. Just use the code MAYDAY2026R at checkout: https://jacobin.com/subscribe/?code=MAYDAY2026R The Dig goes deep into politics everywhere, from labor struggles and political economy to imperialism and immigration. Hosted by Daniel Denvir.

Behind the News: Elon’s World w/ Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff 27.04.2026 53min

Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff, authors of Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed, on Elon’s world and what he wants to do to ours. Behind the News, hosted by Doug Henwood, covers the worlds of economics and politics and their complex interactions, from the local to the global.