Today we hear a little-told story, the story of how idealistic socialists around the world, starting around 1890, took over city governments. Prof. Sheldon Stromquist is the author of the book Claiming the City: A Global History of Workers' Fight for Municipal Socialism (Verso), which looks at how leftists in places from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to a small mining town in the Australian outback tried to implement socialist ideals in their cities and towns. In Sweden, in Britain, in Austria's "Red Vienna," these often colorful figures fought for public housing, public utilities, the 8-hour day, clean water, public schools, and much more.
Today, Prof. Stromquist argues, we take for granted many things that the socialists of the late 19th and early 20th century had to fight to attain. In this conversation, Stromquist introduces us to some of the neglected stories of these men and women, who were inspired by the Paris Commune to try radical political experiments the local level. They can, he argues, offer important lessons to those of us today who want to continue their work. We talk about not only what they accomplish, but what they failed to accomplish—and why.
"I argue that the promise of a truly 'public city' that would meet the needs of its citizens in collective and humane ways—the legacy in many ways of the Paris Commune, Red Vienna, and countless other municipal socialist experiments—has remained a dream worthy of realization." — Shelton Stromquist
Current Affairs Presents: "American Radio"
Can The Concept of "Philanthropy" Be Saved? (w/ Amy Schiller)
Why The Luddites Were Right (w/ Brian Merchant)
Why Students Are Rising Up for Gaza
The Meaning of "Security" (w/ Astra Taylor)
A Philosopher Explains Why It's Rational To Be Angry (w/ Myisha Cherry)
How is Capitalism Like a Bad Relationship? (w/ Malaika Jabali)
How to Spot Corporate Bullshit (w/ Nick Hanauer)
Your Money or Your Life: A Physician on the Miseries of Medical Debt
How Four Billionaires Are Creating A Horrible Future For All of Us (w/ Jonathan Taplin)
The Rise and Fall of Crypto Lunacy (w/ Zeke Faux)
How The Occupation Shapes Everything (w/ Nathan Thrall)
The Current Israel-Palestine Crisis Was Entirely Avoidable (w/ Jerome Slater)
Why Wars Happen (w/ Michael Mann)
A McKinsey Whistleblower on Life Inside The Secretive Consulting Firm
How Big Pharma Makes a Killing From Letting People Die (w/ Nick Dearden)
What Makes For a "Strong Town"? (w/ Allison Lirish Dean)
How White Supremacist Ideology Made Its Way Into Music Theory (w/ Philip Ewell)
Gary Younge's 30-Year Panorama of the African Diaspora
Why The Cop City Indictment Threatens Everyone's Freedom (w/ Christopher Bruce)
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
HauntingLive
Dr. Paul’s Worldviews
Pharmacy Podcast Network
Morning Wire
The Ben Shapiro Show