Better Future with Michael Mezz

Michael Mezzatesta
  • 4.8 (23)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Bringing you the people, projects and ideas helping steer the world toward a better future.

Episodes

  1. 004 - Elizabeth Booker Houston on Race, Class, and the Future of the Left

    SEP 4

    004 - Elizabeth Booker Houston on Race, Class, and the Future of the Left

    My guest today is Elizabeth Booker Houston – lawyer, comedian, and political commentator based in Washington DC. We discuss white supremacy in US politics, how to integrate class consciousness with anti-racism, the false myth of “rugged individualism,” and how to build a bridge between identity politics and class politics within the progressive movement. Follow Elizabeth Booker Houston on social media: Substack: https://bookersquared.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookersquared TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bookersquared Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.booker.houston YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bookersquared Support the Better Future podcast by subscribing: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaelmezz Substack: https://substack.com/@michaelmezzatesta Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16K0dkbk35q0mTslKJJ7z0 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-future-with-michael-mezz/id1823942833 Note: This conversation was recorded before the recent Wired article about Chorus – a liberal content creator incubator program, of which Elizabeth is a member – so I didn’t ask about it during this interview. 00:00 Introduction: leftism & whiteness 03:18 White supremacy in MAGA & US politics 07:23 Bridging the gap between race & class politics 13:57 Intersections between race & other leftist issues 17:20 Black leadership in the history of US leftism 20:43 The politics of disability & neurodivergence 23:43 The myth of rugged individualism 30:42 Elizabeth is MAGA-coded? 32:08 Do souls exist? 34:08 Raw milk and micro-aggressions 36:36 Politician lightning round: RFK & Elon Musk 38:49 Politician lightning round: Newsom, Harris, Booker 41:42 AOC, Mamdani, Buttigieg, Crockett 45:26 The progressive movement needs leaders 48:32 What a better future looks like 50:03 Conclusion Host/Creator: Michael Mezzatesta Guest: Elizabeth Booker Houston Video editor: Nuria Salgado Sound editor: Andre Corea Designer: Amea Wadsworth Thanks for watching episode 004. Lots more on the way :)

    51 min
  2. 003 - Jason Hickel on Post-Capitalism, Degrowth, and Why Capitalism Can’t Solve Climate Change

    JUL 31

    003 - Jason Hickel on Post-Capitalism, Degrowth, and Why Capitalism Can’t Solve Climate Change

    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/@michaelmezz Substack: https://substack.com/@michaelmezzatesta Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16K0dkbk35q0mTslKJJ7z0 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-future-with-michael-mezz/id1823942833 Follow Jason Hickel on social media: Twitter: https://x.com/jasonhickel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjasonhickel/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jasonhickel.bsky.social 00:00 Introduction: the climate crisis myth 00:35 Introducing Jason Hickel 02:07 The disconnect between GDP and wellbeing 04:08 Capitalism's flawed production priorities 07:05 The need for economic democracy 11:04 Public finance and climate mitigation 16:12 AI and capitalism 20:52 Building political power for change 25:04 The public job guarantee 34:06 Taxing the rich for a better future 37:00 The benefits of an ecosocialist transition 43:42 Imperialism and the military-industrial complex 48:54 US foreign policy and imperialism 57:31 The hypocrisy of liberalism 1:06:42 Some questions from the audience 1:08:48 Gramsci & other historical figures 1:15:18 Conclusion Host/Creator: Michael Mezzatesta Guest: Jason Hickel Editor: Nuria Salgado Designer: Amea Wadsworth Thanks for watching episode 003. Lots more on the way :)

    1h 17m
  3. 002 – Building Community Power in a Failing System (with Raymond Wei)

    JUL 10

    002 – Building Community Power in a Failing System (with Raymond Wei)

    My guest today is Raymond Wei – filmmaker, community organizer, and co-founder of The Conscious Citizens. Ray creates sharp, accessible videos about everything from geopolitics to community organizing, and his work is rooted in on-the-ground experience. In this episode, we talk about building community power, the rise of the authoritarian police state, and how to lay the bricks for a better future – even when it feels like things are going in the wrong direction. Support the Better Future podcast by subscribing: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaelmezz Substack: https://substack.com/@michaelmezzatesta Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16K0dkbk35q0mTslKJJ7z0 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-future-with-michael-mezz/id1823942833 Follow Ray and his work: The Conscious Citizens: https://www.theconsciouscitizens.org/ Ray on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raytrospectively/ Ray on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@raytrospectively Ray on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@raytrospectively Thanks for watching episode 002. Lots more on the way :) Host/Creator: Michael Mezzatesta Guest: Raymond Wei Producer: Andre CoreaDesigner: Amea Wadsworth Intro/Outro music: Carlos Carty 0:00 Intro 1:56 Hypernormalization explained 6:53 Capitalist realism 12:42 What would a better future look like? 16:42 Shifting our values 21:25 The solidarity economy 25:36 Is capitalism required for innovation? 35:06 Everything is connected to Palestine 39:29 The rise of the surveillance state 49:33 Concrete steps toward building a better future 59:21 Outro

    1 hr
  4. 001 — Is Capitalism Compatible with a Green Future? (with Aru Shiney-Ajay)

    JUN 25

    001 — Is Capitalism Compatible with a Green Future? (with Aru Shiney-Ajay)

    Welcome to the Better Future podcast. My guest today is Aru Shiney-Ajay, Executive Director of the Sunrise Movement. We discuss the state of the left, the importance of activism, the future of the Democratic Party, and how to align our political and economic systems with a better future. To join the Sunrise Movement and/or learn more about their work, visit their website. Support the Better Future podcast by subscribing: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@michaelmezz Substack: https://substack.com/@michaelmezzatesta Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/16K0dkbk35q0mTslKJJ7z0 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/better-future-with-michael-mezz/id1823942833 Host/Creator: Michael Mezzatesta Guest: Aru Shiney-Ajay Producer: Andre Corea Designer: Amea Wadsworth Intro/Outro music: Carlos Carty Thanks for watching episode 001. Lots more on the way :)

    1h 12m
  • 4 Episodes

4.8
out of 5
23 Ratings

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Bringing you the people, projects and ideas helping steer the world toward a better future.

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