Challenging Mainstream Environmentalism: An Eco-Socialist Approach with Jason W. Moore

Ready to challenge your perspective on climate crisis and socialism? Join us as we welcome Jason W Moore. In a riveting discourse, Jason shares his experiences with the eco-socialist movement, shedding light on the challenges and tensions that exist, including his encounters with Monthly Review and its editor John Bellamy Foster. He doesn’t shy away from illuminating the leftist tendency towards sectarianism, nor from elucidating the concept of the "environmentalism of the rich". The dialogue also ponders the need for a united socialist front against mainstream environmentalism and reactionary forces.

Venturing into the intricate intersection of Marxism and environmentalism, we challenge popular narratives around imperialism, class, and climate change debates. Jason opens up about the eco-socialist response to his work, underscoring the significance of a strategic approach to tackle the climate crisis. We also confront the complexities of Prometheanism and its place in leftist ideologies. This episode journeys through the left's perplexing acceptance of the biosecurity state during the pandemic.

Our conversation also dissects the implications of blindly supporting the Democratic Party, addresses the overlooked contribution of the US military to pollution, and probes the relevance of internationalism to eco-socialism. As we wrap up our dialogue, we delve into the lessons of internationalism and socialist history, state socialism lessons and ethical challenges. We muse on capitalism, the environment, and the potential for a communist reimagination of our current crisis. In this thought-provoking discussion, prepare to be enlightened, provoked, and spurred into meaningful dialogue. Don't miss out on this enlightening journey!

Jason W. Moore is an environmental historian and historical geographer at Binghamton University, where he is professor of sociology and leads the World-Ecology Research Collective. He is author or editor, most recently, of Capitalism in the Web of Life (Verso, 2015), Capitalocene o Antropocene? (Ombre Corte, 2017), Anthropocene or Capitalocene? Nature, History, and the Crisis of Capitalism (PM Press, 2016), and, with Raj Patel, A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things (University of California Press, 2017). 

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Host: C. Derick Varn
Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.
Intro Video Design: Jason Myles
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