History of Capitalism, Debt, and What We Can Do to Create Positive Change [Rewind]

Laura Flanders and Friends: Historic Perspectives with Forward-Thinking Changemakers From the World's of Politics, Arts, & Activism

In The Age of Insecurity, Astra Taylor traces the historical roots of capitalism’s reliance on fear and debt, arguing that insecurity is not a flaw but a feature of the system. Drawing on history, myth, and activism, she reveals how confronting our vulnerabilities can become a collective source of power.

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[Original Release Date: December 18, 2023]

Description: Can we turn our insecurity into power? Consumer debt stands at $17.29 trillion and many Americans are drowning in debt, with the average household owning over $100 thousand. The climate crisis, threats to democracy, and global wars add more worry to our already stressful lives. In her new book out from House of Anansi Press, “The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart”, writer, filmmaker, organizer, and the 2023 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Massey Lecturer, Astra Taylor uses mythology. psychology and the history of capitalism to break down the different kinds of insecurities we face, and explore how our insecurities help capitalism flourish. Without it, the system would cease to function, she says. In her years of work as Co-Founder of the Debt Collective, which emerged from Occupy Wall Street, Taylor has used debt as a tool for bringing people together and organizing. She is the author of The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart, Democracy May Not Exist But We'll Miss It When It is Gone, and The People's Platform (winner of the American Book Award), and the director of What Is Democracy?, among other books and films. In this wide-ranging discussion, Astra Taylor and Laura Flanders discuss the history of capitalism, the rights of debtors, and what we can do to lessen insecurity and expand security both as individuals and as a society. All that, plus a commentary from Laura about language and disruption..

“There is a debate here about motivation and what motivates us, and we are constantly being told that if people are too secure, that society's going to collapse and that we can't afford to invest in other folks. And I really want to challenge that idea.” - Astra Taylor

“. . . When you start talking about [debt] with others, you realize you're actually in the same boat and you start coming together to demand change, to demand debt cancellation, to demand the provision of these public goods. Debt actually can become a source of power.” - Astra Taylor

Guest: Astra Taylor, Co-Founder of the Debt Collective & Author, The Age of Insecurity*

(*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. The LF Show is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.)

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Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes:

• Watch this episode

•. Listen to the full uncut conversation or search in this podcast feed 'Astra Taylor, Age of Insecurity'

• Naomi Klein & Astra Taylor: Are We Entering “End Times Fascism”? Episode and/or Full Uncut

• Peter Linebaugh on International Workers' "May Day" Origins. Plus, Commentary: 19th Century Anarchist Lucy Parsons, REWIND

•. Catastrophic Capitalism: Marjorie Kelly & Edgar Villanueva on “Wealth Supremacy” Watch / Download Podcast Download Full Conversation

• Stimulus Checks Every Month? Watch / Download Podcast

Research Articles:

• “Your Debt is Someone Else’s Asset” with Astra Taylor illustrated by Molly Crabapple, The Intercept, Watch Here
• “Freedom Dreams: black Women and the Student Debt Crisis by The Intercept with support by the, Economic Hardship Reporting Project, Watch Here

Full Episode Notes are available HERE.

Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders, along with Sabrina Artel, Jeremiah Cothren, Veronica Delgado, Janet Hernandez, Jeannie Hopper, Gina Kim, Sarah Miller, Nat Needham, David Neuman, and Rory O’Conner.

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