005 - Grace Blakeley on Power, Inequality, and How Elites Captured Capitalism
My guest today is Grace Blakeley – UK-based political economist and author of three books, including her most recent: Vulture Capitalism. We discuss how political and corporate elites work together to protect their interests, why governments prop up monopolies, and how “the system” isn’t broken – in fact, it’s working exactly as it’s designed. We also touch on the history of capitalism and enclosure, the global legacy of imperialism, and why the struggle for a better future is ultimately a struggle over power.Learn more about Grace, her work, and her books: https://graceblakeley.co.uk/Read Grace’s writing on Substack: https://graceblakeley.substack.com/ Support the Better Future podcast by subscribing:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaelmezzSubstack: https://substack.com/@michaelmezzatestaSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16K0dkbk35q0mTslKJJ7z0Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-future-with-michael-mezz/id1823942833Follow Grace on social media:Twitter: https://x.com/graceblakeleyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/grace.blakeley/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@graceblakeley000:00 Intro: Rich people don’t create jobs01:16 Introducing Grace Blakeley03:05 The system isn’t broken – it’s working as designed10:46 Keynesianism, Marxism, and dialectical materialism16:45 How state and corporate elites work together22:44 The moral hazard of neoliberal capitalism27:26 Who actually takes risk?31:19 The history of enclosure & primitive accumulation37:09 Capitalism’s expansion through colonialism & imperialism43:40 The myth of “prosperity for all” under capitalism51:28 The myth of innovation under capitalism56:22 Trumpism’s destruction of visions for the future59:08 The importance of unions & collective action1:05:33 The importance of community & mutual aid1:12:12 Diagnosing the recent success of the right1:14:24 Embedding democracy in work & politics1:18:24 ConclusionHost/Creator: Michael MezzatestaGuest: Grace BlakeleyEditor: Nuria SalgadoSound editor: Andre CoreaDesigner: Amea WadsworthThanks for watching episode 005. Lots more on the way :)
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004 - Elizabeth Booker Houston on Race, Class, and the Future of the Left
My guest today is Elizabeth Booker Houston – lawyer, comedian, and political commentator based in Washington DC. We discuss white supremacy in US politics, how to integrate class consciousness with anti-racism, the false myth of “rugged individualism,” and how to build a bridge between identity politics and class politics within the progressive movement.Follow Elizabeth Booker Houston on social media:Substack: https://bookersquared.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookersquaredTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bookersquaredFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.booker.houstonYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bookersquaredSupport the Better Future podcast by subscribing:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaelmezzSubstack: https://substack.com/@michaelmezzatestaSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16K0dkbk35q0mTslKJJ7z0Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-future-with-michael-mezz/id1823942833Note: This conversation was recorded before the recent Wired article about Chorus – a liberal content creator incubator program, of which Elizabeth is a member – so I didn’t ask about it during this interview.00:00 Introduction: leftism & whiteness03:18 White supremacy in MAGA & US politics07:23 Bridging the gap between race & class politics13:57 Intersections between race & other leftist issues17:20 Black leadership in the history of US leftism20:43 The politics of disability & neurodivergence23:43 The myth of rugged individualism30:42 Elizabeth is MAGA-coded?32:08 Do souls exist?34:08 Raw milk and micro-aggressions36:36 Politician lightning round: RFK & Elon Musk38:49 Politician lightning round: Newsom, Harris, Booker41:42 AOC, Mamdani, Buttigieg, Crockett45:26 The progressive movement needs leaders48:32 What a better future looks like50:03 ConclusionHost/Creator: Michael MezzatestaGuest: Elizabeth Booker HoustonVideo editor: Nuria SalgadoSound editor: Andre CoreaDesigner: Amea WadsworthThanks for watching episode 004. Lots more on the way :)
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003 - Jason Hickel on Post-Capitalism, Degrowth, and Why Capitalism Can’t Solve Climate Change
My guest today is Jason Hickel, Professor at the Institute for Environmental Science & Technology (ICTA) at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and author of two books: The Divide and Less is More. We discuss why a growth-based capitalist economy is incompatible with a livable planet, and what a truly democratic, post-capitalist economy could look like. We cover lots of topics – including degrowth, AI, the history of capitalist imperialism, and how to achieve a democratic ecosocialist transition.Thanks to Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) for generously providing us with a space for this interview.Learn more about Jason Hickel and his work: https://www.jasonhickel.org/Check out https://globalinequality.org/ to view Jason’s recent project (created in collaboration with a team of fellow researchers) which visualizes data and research on global inequality. Support the Better Future podcast by subscribing:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaelmezzSubstack: https://substack.com/@michaelmezzatestaSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16K0dkbk35q0mTslKJJ7z0Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-future-with-michael-mezz/id1823942833Follow Jason Hickel on social media:Twitter: https://x.com/jasonhickelInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjasonhickel/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jasonhickel.bsky.social00:00 Introduction: the climate crisis myth00:35 Introducing Jason Hickel02:07 The disconnect between GDP and wellbeing04:08 Capitalism's flawed production priorities07:05 The need for economic democracy11:04 Public finance and climate mitigation16:12 AI and capitalism20:52 Building political power for change25:04 The public job guarantee34:06 Taxing the rich for a better future37:00 The benefits of an ecosocialist transition43:42 Imperialism and the military-industrial complex48:54 US foreign policy and imperialism57:31 The hypocrisy of liberalism1:06:42 Some questions from the audience1:08:48 Gramsci & other historical figures1:15:18 ConclusionHost/Creator: Michael MezzatestaGuest: Jason HickelEditor: Nuria SalgadoDesigner: Amea WadsworthThanks for watching episode 003. Lots more on the way :)
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002 – Building Community Power in a Failing System (with Raymond Wei)
My guest today is Raymond Wei – filmmaker, community organizer, and co-founder of The Conscious Citizens. Ray creates sharp, accessible videos about everything from geopolitics to community organizing, and his work is rooted in on-the-ground experience. In this episode, we talk about building community power, the rise of the authoritarian police state, and how to lay the bricks for a better future – even when it feels like things are going in the wrong direction.Support the Better Future podcast by subscribing:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaelmezzSubstack: https://substack.com/@michaelmezzatestaSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16K0dkbk35q0mTslKJJ7z0Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-future-with-michael-mezz/id1823942833Follow Ray and his work:The Conscious Citizens: https://www.theconsciouscitizens.org/Ray on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raytrospectively/Ray on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@raytrospectivelyRay on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@raytrospectivelyThanks for watching episode 002. Lots more on the way :)Host/Creator: Michael MezzatestaGuest: Raymond WeiProducer: Andre CoreaDesigner: Amea WadsworthIntro/Outro music: Carlos Carty0:00 Intro1:56 Hypernormalization explained6:53 Capitalist realism12:42 What would a better future look like?16:42 Shifting our values21:25 The solidarity economy25:36 Is capitalism required for innovation?35:06 Everything is connected to Palestine39:29 The rise of the surveillance state49:33 Concrete steps toward building a better future59:21 Outro
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001 — Is Capitalism Compatible with a Green Future? (with Aru Shiney-Ajay)
Welcome to the Better Future podcast. My guest today is Aru Shiney-Ajay, Executive Director of the Sunrise Movement. We discuss the state of the left, the importance of activism, the future of the Democratic Party, and how to align our political and economic systems with a better future.To join the Sunrise Movement and/or learn more about their work, visit their website.Support the Better Future podcast by subscribing:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaelmezzSubstack: https://substack.com/@michaelmezzatestaSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16K0dkbk35q0mTslKJJ7z0Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-future-with-michael-mezz/id1823942833Host/Creator: Michael MezzatestaGuest: Aru Shiney-AjayProducer: Andre CoreaDesigner: Amea WadsworthIntro/Outro music: Carlos CartyThanks for watching episode 001. Lots more on the way :)
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