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Renowned Italian Marxist theorist and activist Franco “Bifo” Berardi discusses our current political impotence and the tool of humiliation in demoralizing and manipulating citizens, which helps to explain Trump’s victory and the power of figures like Nigel Farage. But rather than despair, Bifo argues that we should see in this humiliation the possibility of autonomy and eventually, communism. He maintains that we should emancipate from the superstition of waged labor and create a world where richness is for everyone. Whenever there is a hippie, a punk, an engineer, a rebel with a keyboard, the global silicon Valley is there. If we want to win the battle against the global corporations that are the real force of capitalism, it’s not politics that will help us, it’s not the nation state or political parties, it’s us. Anne Helen Petersen talks about her new book Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of the Unruly Woman with Julie Gerstein, BuzzFeed Senior Lifestyle Editor.
If a woman dares to be too boisterous, or too outspoken, society’s reaction is to tear them down. This has always been the status quo, but in spite of the opposition, the persona of the unruly woman has begun to garner positive attention and carve itself into the cultural consciousness. In this fascinating read, Petersen examines the traits that make a woman unruly, and why in today’s culture, some celebrities that meet the mark are met with ever rising fame, as well as scorn. Why are we as societal voyeurs drawn to these women, and simultaneously harsh in our judgement of them? 
Laurie Penny launches her new book Bitch Doctrine: Essays for Dissenting Adults. Compiled and displayed as a manifesto for change, the essays here address issues of gender, feminism, and power – all inexorably a part of politics.
As the inalienable rights of marginalized peoples are under siege by the rise of conservatism in the western world, Penny lends her voice to the resistance, battling social and political injustice with dark humor and cutting wit. Penny critiques the rise of the alt-right, the US presidential election, women’s gender roles, and tackles questions related to sex work, trigger warnings, rape culture, cyber-bullying, and much more.
Laurie Penny is an award-winning journalist, essayist, public speaker, writer, activist, internet nanocelebrity and author of six books, including Unspeakable Things (Bloomsbury 2014) and Everything Belongs To The Future (Tor, 2016). She is Contributing Editor of New Statesman magazine, a columnist for The Baffler, and writes for many other outlets including The Guardian, Time Magazine, Buzzfeed, The New York Times, Vice, Salon, The Nation, The New Inquiry, Tor.com and Medium. When she’s not on the road, Laurie is based in London, UK. Read more at www.laurie-penny.com. “Good in theory, bad in practice.” Sure, the concept sounds nice, but people aren’t very nice, right? Isn’t capitalism much more suited to human nature—a nature dominated by competitiveness and venality?
Socialists don’t believe these truisms. They don’t view history as a mere chronicle of cruelty and selfishness. They also see countless acts of empathy, reciprocity, and love. People are complex: they do unspeakable things, but they also engage in remarkable acts of kindness and, even in difficult situations, show deep regard for others.
Adaner Usmani is a graduate student at New York University and on the board of “New Politics.”
Filmed at Verso Books in Brooklyn, March 14, 2017. 
Richard D. Wolff is Professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he taught economics from 1973 to 2008. He is currently a Visiting Professor in the Graduate Program in International Affairs of the New School University in New York City. He wrote Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism and founded www.democracyatwork.info, a non-profit advocacy organization of the same name that promotes democratic workplaces as a key path to a stronger, democratic economic system.
Professor Wolff discusses the economic dimensions of our lives, our jobs, our incomes, our debts, those of our children, and those looming down the road in his unique mixture of deep insight and dry humor. He presents current events and draws connections to the past to highlight the machinations of our global economy. He helps us to understand political and corporate policy, organization of labor, the distribution of goods and services, and challenges us to question some of the deepest foundations of our society. Since 2015, April Ryan, Washington Bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks and author of At Mama’s Knee and The Presidency in Black and White, has brought together panelists and moderated an ongoing series of discussions on the topic of race in America today. During these panels, which are often broadcast on C-SPAN Book TV, leading writers and commentators address recent and longstanding issues with candor and urgency. Click the images on the left to view previous discussions, and find out more about the upcoming or most recent event below.
Panelists Include: Mary Frances Berry, Avis Jones-DeWeever, Wesley Lowery, and Julianne Malveaux
Founded by Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade in 1984, Politics and Prose Bookstore is Washington, D.C.'s premier independent bookstore and cultural hub, a gathering place for people interested in reading and discussing books. Politics and Prose offers superior service, unusual book choices, and a haven for book lovers in the store and online.
