/547/ What Are the Politics of Stagnation? ft. Dylan Riley

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-4nas7-1aac996

On political capitalism and divided workers.

Sociology professor at UC Berkeley, Dylan Riley, talks to Alex and Lee about economic stagnation, the state propping up capitalism, and class politics.

• What is “political capitalism”? And is it true that plunder and predation matter more now than exploitation?

• Why hasn’t the ruling class purged the system through mass bankruptcies and unemployment?

• How does Chinese state capitalism fit into the story of stagnation and excess capacity?

• What is the difference between economic interests and class interests? How is the working class divided today?

• Is there a way out of the impasse? What possibility is there of a pro-growth politics?

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Links:

Relevant Episodes

• /312/ Consolation-Prize Marxism & the Bunga-Bunga State ft. Dylan Riley

• /515/ State Capitalism Is Now ft. Ilias Alami

Riley & Brenner

• Seven Theses on American Politics, New Left Review, 2022 

• The Long Downturn and Its Political Results, New Left Review, 2025

Some Key Responses

• Reflections on Political Capitalism, Lola Seaton, New Left Review, 2023

• Notes on ‘Political Capitalism’, John Ganz

• Seven Theses on Brenner and Riley’s “Political Capitalism”, Tim Barker

• Robert Brenner’s Unprofitable Theory of Global Stagnation, Seth Ackerman, Jacobin

• From Politics to Theory and Back, Benjamin Fong, Damage

 Notable pieces in Sidecar by Dylan

• Lenin in America

• First Principles

• Contra Arendt