Left Anchor

Mar 08 2025 353 ep. 46 mins 2.4k

Left Anchor Podcast artwork

Philosophy, politics, and the left.

Copy RSS

Subscribe on Podcast Addict

The Power of Propaganda with Hannah Arendt - 220 UNLOCKED

Mar 08 2025 71 mins

Ryan is on vacation this week, so here's an episode from the archives. Today we're discussing the article "Truth and Politics" by Hannah Arendt. We talk about her idea that truth has both a weakness and a power to it, what the Herman Cain Award subreddit tells us about the power of propaganda, Joe Rogan getting owned on his own show, why Bernie Sanders is better at science communic

The Failure of Constitutional Theory - 343

Feb 28 2025 54 mins

Today we are talking to Harvard Law Professor Mark Tushnet about his book Who Am I to Judge: Judicial Craft versus Constitution Theory. It’s common today for Supreme Court justices to outline a theory of constitutional interpretation, but it turns out that not only is this dishonest, but also something that only developed in the late 20th century. Enjoy! The Ian Toll book series

The Biggest Asshole in History PREVIEW

Feb 20 2025 10 mins

Today we are discussing the book Assholes: A Theory, by Aaron James. It turns out there are important distinctions between the asshole, the douchebag, the jerk, and the psychopath, and they are highly relevant to the men (they are usually men) running the American government. Subscribe now to hear the whole thing!

The Tech Oligarch Consent Machine - 341

Feb 13 2025 59 mins

This time we've got Eoin Higgins on to talk about his book Owned: How Tech Billionaires on the Right Bought the Loudest Voices on the Left. He uses Glenn Greenwald and Matt Taibbi as case studies in how shifting monetary incentives created by tech oligarchs like Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen combined with certain personal pathologies turned formerly respected progressive journali

The Elon Musk Coup - 340 PREVIEW

Feb 03 2025 31 mins

This time we are taking a step back to consider just what is going on with shadow president Musk and his gang of thugs seizing control of core government functions. It's important, we feel, to foreground the grave political implications of what is happening. Subscribe now to hear the rest of the episode!

Trump's First Days - 339

Jan 25 2025 64 mins

Today we're bringing back Professor Harvey Kaye to talk about Trump's inaugural address and some of his first executive orders. Check out the Prospect's coverage of Trump's actions: day 1, day 2, day 3, day 4.

Public vs. Private Virtue - 338 PREVIEW

Jan 18 2025 6 mins

Subscribe now to hear the whole thing!

The Trump Tsunami Approacheth - 337

Jan 09 2025 63 mins

Alexi is off, so David Dayen joins Ryan to discuss the events over the holiday. What are Republicans going to do? Is anyone driving the GOP train--maybe Elon Musk? And what in God's name is Trump going on about with conquering Greenland, Canada, and Panama? We live in hell.

The Oligarch Class - 324 UNLOCKED

Jan 03 2025 65 mins

Today economics professor Rob Larson comes on to discuss his new book Mastering the Universe: The Obscene Wealth of the Ruling Class, What They Do with Their Money, and Why You Should Hate Them Even More. We discuss how the ultra-rich got their money, what they do with it, why it's a problem, and what to do about it. Enjoy!

National Lampoon's Left Anchor Holiday Special - 336 PREVIEW

Dec 24 2024 8 mins

Subscribe now to listen to the full episode!