Listen on Apple Podcasts * Spotify * Amazon Music
Does anyone even know what socialism is? What about capitalism? Both terms seemed to be used in completely different ways depending on which group is using them. In this episode we explore the academic definitions of socialism and capitalism and consider the many nuanced ways either system can be implemented, and the reality that all real world economic systems are mixed. We spend some time confronting what we like and don’t like about both systems while reflecting on why we think the meanings of these words are contested. We finish the episode commenting on the platform of the Democratic Socialists of America and how Trump himself seems to want to seize the means of production for his executive branch.
Segments & Timestamps:
0:32 - Welcome & Intro: What Is Socialism, Anyway?
2:38 - Growing Up: Socialism = Stalin
8:45 - Defining Socialism (In Good Faith This Time)
11:54 - WinCo, Nordic Countries & Common Sense Socialism
17:09 - Private Fire Departments & the Summer of Food Recalls
23:25 - Critiquing Capitalism: Wage Labor, Absentee Owners & Private Equity
31:30 - Mondragon, the USSR & Trump's Socialism
42:43 - The "Democrats Went DSA" Narrative
57:58 - The Political Pendulum & 2008 Vibes
1:05:09 - Socialism as an Essentially Contested Concept
1:09:45 - Closing & Credits
Mentioned:
Academic Definitions of Socialism and Capitalism
Connect With Us:
Produced and Engineered by Ken Wilson | Original Music by Robert Lanterman
Website: thenuancehour.com
Instagram: @thenuancehour
Email: thenuancehour@gmail.com
