Capitalism: What Makes Us Free?

Today on the show, the balance of Congressional power is up for grabs in this midterm election. It could be determined by a small number of voters in a few battleground states. Blueprints from the past could be the guide for big wins. The GOP has embraced a block-the-vote strateg ...  Show more

Major League Baseball’s postseason is just a few weeks away, and here on Throughline we know the power of a good walk-up song. But how did baseball become such a musical sport? And where did the idea for walk up-music come from? Guests:John Thorn, author and Official Baseball His ...  Show more

Can we construct a society free of state coercion and inequality? Is there a place for Capitalism in that society?  

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Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss economic rights. Is democracy the truest conduit of capitalism, or do the forces that make us rich run counter to the democratic institutions that safeguard our rights? The economist Milton Friedman once said, “If freedom weren’t so economically ef ...  Show more

For much of its history, America is a country that has valued free markets, allowed people to pursue their interests, and created opportunity for anyone, without too much government intervention.  But now, as capitalism falters, and the rich move their money out of the country, v ...  Show more

Today we begin our discussion on the work of Mark Fisher surrounding his concept of Capitalism Realism. We talk about the origins of Neoliberalism, it's core strategies, some critiques of Neoliberalism, and the hyperfocus on individualism and competition that has come to define a ...  Show more