Better Future with Michael Mezz

My guest today is Dr. Butch Ware – historian, professor, and Green Party candidate for Governor of California. In this episode, Dr. Ware argues that the Democrat-Republican duopoly serves the same corporate donors, wages the same wars, and has delivered the same failed outcomes for working people – and that California's 2026 governor's race is a chance for something better. We get into why the lesser-of-two-evils argument keeps well-intentioned voters trapped, what a world built around universal healthcare, housing, and human rights could look like, and how the ongoing collapse of the US empire might be the political opportunity progressives have been waiting for.Support the Better Future podcast on Substack: https://michaelmezzatesta.substack.com/Support Dr. Ware’s campaign for California Governor: https://www.butchware4gov.comNote: Dr. Ware is currently appealing a legal decision (made after we recorded) that would remove his name from the California ballot. His social media channels will have updates on the status of his appeal 👇Follow Dr. Ware on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/butchwareX: https://x.com/butchwareTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@butch.wareSubscribe to the Better Future podcast:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaelmezzSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16K0dkbk35q0mTslKJJ7z0Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-future-with-michael-mezz/id1823942833Follow Michael on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michael__mezz/Follow the Better Future podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterfuturepod/00:00 Intro: The extinction burst of American empire00:58 Introducing Dr. Butch Ware01:34 The viability of third party politics in California08:00 The “lesser of two evils” trap14:53 The corporate power behind both major parties21:17 The extinction burst of the American empire & what comes next24:52 What comes after empire? A vision for a care economy35:39 Why a care economy is better for everyone39:28 The stock market is not the economy44:22 War, capitalism and resource extraction49:37 Investing in wellbeing instead of empire55:15 The UK Green Party breakthrough1:01:05 Policy Vision: Healthcare, Housing, and Human Rights1:10:41 Why Dr. Ware & the Greens can win1:15:08 ConclusionHost/Creator: Michael MezzatestaGuest: Dr. Butch WareEditor: Nuria SalgadoDesigner: Amea WadsworthThanks for watching episode 011. Lots more on the way.

My guest today is Saikat Chakrabarti – former chief of staff to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, co-founder of Justice Democrats, co-author of the Green New Deal, and now a candidate for Congress running to replace Nancy Pelosi in San Francisco. We discuss whether the Democratic Party can be transformed from within, why corporate money has hollowed out American politics, and what it would take to build an economy that works for everyone. We also dive deep into AI – who should control it, and why leaving decisions about humanity’s future in the hands of a handful of tech CEOs may be the most dangerous form of deregulation yet.Support Saikat’s campaign for Congress: https://www.saikat.us/Support the Better Future podcast on Substack: https://michaelmezzatesta.substack.com/Follow Saikat on social media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saikatforcongressTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@saikatforcongressX: https://x.com/saikatcSubscribe to the Better Future podcast:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaelmezzSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16K0dkbk35q0mTslKJJ7z0Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-future-with-michael-mezz/id1823942833Follow Michael on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michael__mezz/Follow the Better Future podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterfuturepod/0:00 Who controls AI’s future?0:46 Intro: Saikat Chakrabarti1:19 Corporate capture in the democratic party7:03 From tech millionaire to “class traitor”10:57 Scapegoating immigrants and abolishing ICE13:48 Reagan’s neoliberal legacy and the case for public investment22:02 The “March for Billionaires” and wealth inequality31:33 Building a net zero, high wage economy42:00 A new foreign policy beyond colonialism48:43 AI, China, and democratic control of technology56:46 Replacing corporate Democrats1:00:16 Cutting funding to Israel1:02:46 Supporting SaikatHost/Creator: Michael MezzatestaGuest: Saikat ChakarbartiEditor: Nuria SalgadoDesigner: Amea WadsworthThanks for watching episode 009. Lots more on the way :)

My guest today is Steven Donziger, a human rights and environmental lawyer best known for leading a historic legal case against Chevron on behalf of Indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon.We discuss Chevron’s environmental crimes, the weaponization of the legal system, the implications of the recent $600+ million verdict against Greenpeace USA, and what all of this means for climate activism, democracy, and political resistance today.Support the campaign to restore Steven’s law license: https://chuffed.org/campaign/standwithdonzigerSign Greenpeace’s open letter against the Energy Transfer verdict: https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/energy-transfer-lawsuit/Read Steven’s writing on Substack: https://substack.com/@stevendonzigerFollow Steven on social media:Twitter: https://x.com/SDonzigerInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevendonziger/Support the Better Future podcast by subscribing:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaelmezzSubstack: https://substack.com/@michaelmezzatestaSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16K0dkbk35q0mTslKJJ7z0Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-future-with-michael-mezz/id1823942833Michael on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michael__mezz/The Better Future podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterfuturepod/00:00 Chevron doesn’t want you to hear this00:34 Introducing Steven Donziger02:12 The legal battle against Chevron09:05 Chevron’s power in Ecuador11:28 Shifting the cultural narrative 17:05 The legacy of the Ecuadorian people’s win18:59 Chevron’s retaliation strategy against Donziger24:10 Personal struggles & resilience27:43 House arrest & disbarment34:40 History repeats: Energy Transfer vs. Greenpeace39:34 The ongoing criminalization of climate advocacy44:00 The lack of opposition & what to do about it 52:06 Elite capture & lessons from history54:42 A movement towards democratic socialism?58:38 Reasons for hope (& skepticism)1:02:20 Historical examples of political transformation1:07:06 Actions to take now1:10:15 Self-care, resilience & solidarity1:12:18 The campaign to restore Steven’s law license1:14:58 Conclusion & linksHost/Creator: Michael MezzatestaGuest: Steven DonzigerEditor: Nuria SalgadoDesigner: Amea WadsworthThanks for watching episode 007. Lots more on the way :)

My guest today is Grace Blakeley – UK-based political economist and author of three books, including her most recent: Vulture Capitalism. We discuss how political and corporate elites work together to protect their interests, why governments prop up monopolies, and how “the system” isn’t broken – in fact, it’s working exactly as it’s designed. We also touch on the history of capitalism and enclosure, the global legacy of imperialism, and why the struggle for a better future is ultimately a struggle over power.Learn more about Grace, her work, and her books: https://graceblakeley.co.uk/Read Grace’s writing on Substack: https://graceblakeley.substack.com/ Support the Better Future podcast by subscribing:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaelmezzSubstack: https://substack.com/@michaelmezzatestaSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16K0dkbk35q0mTslKJJ7z0Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-future-with-michael-mezz/id1823942833Follow Grace on social media:Twitter: https://x.com/graceblakeleyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/grace.blakeley/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@graceblakeley000:00 Intro: Rich people don’t create jobs01:16 Introducing Grace Blakeley03:05 The system isn’t broken – it’s working as designed10:46 Keynesianism, Marxism, and dialectical materialism16:45 How state and corporate elites work together22:44 The moral hazard of neoliberal capitalism27:26 Who actually takes risk?31:19 The history of enclosure & primitive accumulation37:09 Capitalism’s expansion through colonialism & imperialism43:40 The myth of “prosperity for all” under capitalism51:28 The myth of innovation under capitalism56:22 Trumpism’s destruction of visions for the future59:08 The importance of unions & collective action1:05:33 The importance of community & mutual aid1:12:12 Diagnosing the recent success of the right1:14:24 Embedding democracy in work & politics1:18:24 ConclusionHost/Creator: Michael MezzatestaGuest: Grace BlakeleyEditor: Nuria SalgadoSound editor: Andre CoreaDesigner: Amea WadsworthThanks for watching episode 005. Lots more on the way :)

My guest today is Jason Hickel, Professor at the Institute for Environmental Science & Technology (ICTA) at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and author of two books: The Divide and Less is More. We discuss why a growth-based capitalist economy is incompatible with a livable planet, and what a truly democratic, post-capitalist economy could look like. We cover lots of topics – including degrowth, AI, the history of capitalist imperialism, and how to achieve a democratic ecosocialist transition.Thanks to Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) for generously providing us with a space for this interview.Learn more about Jason Hickel and his work: https://www.jasonhickel.org/Check out https://globalinequality.org/ to view Jason’s recent project (created in collaboration with a team of fellow researchers) which visualizes data and research on global inequality. Support the Better Future podcast by subscribing:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaelmezzSubstack: https://substack.com/@michaelmezzatestaSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16K0dkbk35q0mTslKJJ7z0Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-future-with-michael-mezz/id1823942833Follow Jason Hickel on social media:Twitter: https://x.com/jasonhickelInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjasonhickel/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jasonhickel.bsky.social00:00 Introduction: the climate crisis myth00:35 Introducing Jason Hickel02:07 The disconnect between GDP and wellbeing04:08 Capitalism's flawed production priorities07:05 The need for economic democracy11:04 Public finance and climate mitigation16:12 AI and capitalism20:52 Building political power for change25:04 The public job guarantee34:06 Taxing the rich for a better future37:00 The benefits of an ecosocialist transition43:42 Imperialism and the military-industrial complex48:54 US foreign policy and imperialism57:31 The hypocrisy of liberalism1:06:42 Some questions from the audience1:08:48 Gramsci & other historical figures1:15:18 ConclusionHost/Creator: Michael MezzatestaGuest: Jason HickelEditor: Nuria SalgadoDesigner: Amea WadsworthThanks for watching episode 003. Lots more on the way :)