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Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber

Catalyst, Jacobin

Confronting Capitalism with Vivek Chibber cuts through the chaos to provide a conceptual and historical framework for understanding how capitalism functions across the globe. Conversations span political economy, history, and strategy. Every other week, Vivek provides essential insights for effective socialist politics today. Produced by Catalyst and published by Jacobin.

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20 episodes
fortnightly
Avg 50 min
English

Episodes 20

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August 19 · 45 min
The Return of Industrial Policy
Why are the US and Europe turning to greater state intervention?
August 5 · 48 min
How Capitalism Undermines Democracy
Why does the capitalist class oppose the expansion of democratic rights?
July 22 · 32 min
Socialism and Class Traitors (Listener Questions)
Should you consider salting? We discuss this and more on our latest mailbag episode.
July 8 · 50 min
Why the French Revolution Matters
What kicked off this insurgency and what does it have to do with left politics?
June 24 · 45 min
The Politics of Mass Deportation
Trump has made immigration a key battleground issue. How should the Left respond?
June 10 · 47 min
Who Counts as a Worker?
And what bearing does this have for socialist politics?
May 27 · 48 min
How Will Capitalism End?
Capitalism won’t last forever, but it's also not destined to collapse.
May 13 · 1 hr
Why Soviet-Style Planning Fails
What did the system get right? And why did it become associated with stagnation?
April 29 · 1 hr 6 min
How Socialism Could Work
Can democratic ownership of the economy work alongside market competition?
April 15 · 1 hr 6 min
Which Way Forward for the Left?
On our first live episode, Matt Karp and Krystal Ball discuss left political strategy.
April 1 · 47 min
This Century’s Biggest Labor Battle
Can unions take on Amazon? Benjamin Fong joins to discuss.
March 18 · 47 min
Trump’s Historic Blunder in Iran
The US-Israeli dream of regime change is looking unlikely.
March 4 · 1 hr 3 min
How Work Got So Bad
Why does every new technology seem to make work harder?
February 18 · 52 min
Is AI Coming for Our Jobs?
The history and effects of AI.
February 4 · 46 min
When Do Protests Become a Revolution?
Iran faces protests at home and a bellicose Trump administration.
January 21 · 57 min
Why the US Never Got a Labor Party
Part three of a deep dive into the history of social democracy.
January 14 · 36 min
The Coup in Venezuela
Gabriel Hetland on the kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro.
January 7 · 46 min
Abundance Needs Socialism
An interview with Catalyst contributor Matt Huber.
Dec 24, 2025 · 56 min
The Golden Age of Social Democracy
How social-democratic parties gained power and why many gave up the goal of socialism.
Dec 10, 2025 · 51 min
Reform and Revolution
What happened to social-democratic aims to overthrow capitalism?

Showing 1–20 of 20 episodes