Audio From A Collapsing State | Jared Yates Sexton

It’s been way too long since I sat down with my friend Sarah Kendzior and got a lay of the land. We start things in a different place in this iteration. After a decade of discussing the gathering dangers of authoritarian kleptocracy, we began by sharing the signs we’re seeing of popular discontent and hope, including the rejection of traditional political narratives that obscure the actual conditions in this country and around the world, as well as the growing democratic movement against authoritarians of all stripes. Then, we survey the state of things, the rejection of corporate media and faux-resistance, and the need for a politics that cherishes human life and actually works to make the world better for everyone.If you haven’t read them already, I cannot recommend Sarah’s books highly enough of her newsletter (link above) that is one of the most necessary reads in this moment.Dispatches From A Collapsing State desperately needs your support. This project enjoys no corporate support or funding and runs entirely on your subscriptions. If this work has helped you or matters to you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber today This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jaredyatessexton.substack.com/subscribe

It was a joy to welcome David Roth of Defector back to Dispatches From A Collapsing State. David and I started the discussion with the abysmal and dismal UFC 250 event at the White House, the palpable lack of joy among Trump and his benefactors and how capitalism is just stripping the meaning from everything, the harvesting of organic happiness by corporations and the wealthy, and what we can learn from Zohran Mamdani’s tenure as mayor of New York City as we move away from a politics that is disastrously measured and, tragically, unsuccessful. And, finally, why we’re both feeling a sense of hope in the moment.If you haven’t already, check out David’s invaluable contributions to understanding the mindsets and motivations of MAGA and the wealth class, as well as some of the best sports and cultural analysis out there.Dispatches From A Collapsing State is a reader-supported project that enjoys no funding from corporate media or wealthy benefactors. If this work resonates with you, if it has helped you, please consider becoming a paid subscriber todayOh, and as promised, here’s James Dolan, the billionaire owner of the New York Knicks, absolutely killing it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jaredyatessexton.substack.com/subscribe