Does Capitalism Mean Freedom? (with Zephyr Teachout)

According to the standard account, capitalism—whatever your criticisms of it—is synonymous with freedom. Zephyr Teachout explains how we are told other systems necessitate central planning by undemocratic bureaucracies. But what if that’s not true? capitalism puts us at the whims of employers, bosses, and huge corporations, despite its claims. Capitalism doesn't mean freedom.

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CITATIONS:

“Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2018,” Federal Reserve, March 2019

See David Graeber, Bullshit Jobs (2001) and Barbara Ehrenreich, Nickel and Dimed (2001)

Sarah Krouse, “The New Ways Your Boss Is Spying on You,” Wall Street Journal (July 2019)

“No Relief: Denial of Bathroom Breaks in the Poultry Industry,” Oxfam America, May 2016

Elizabeth Anderson, Private Government (2017)

Zephyr Teachout, Break ‘Em Up (2020)

[cameronikswokark]

They privatize the profits, and socialize the losses.

[EricSandwich]

in high school textbooks they have these color coded maps of the world of "free" and "unfree" countries, with all the nice "free" countries in soothing blues and everything else in dangerous reds. These are actually just maps of how much those countries submit to American corporate hegemony and allow themselves to be suppliers of raw resources or cheap manpower to the machine. It's pure propaganda. Someone ought to make a map somehow quantifying *actual* freedoms, like choosing how to live your life, and color code countries like that

[Takapon]

I know it isn’t the point of the video but “Zephyr Teachout” is such an incredible name???? Wow.

[ivanalbert]

These videos are awesome, but the so far they've all felt like they're missing something if they want to have Prager U levels of influence. I think it's this:

There's nothing to interact with and no call to action. It's a lot of good facts and information, but this would have been a good video to end on unions and some examples of what they've been able to accomplish, and encouraging viewers to join them or start them.

[Reedskiii]

Theodore Roosevelt was one of our best presidents, my favorite personally. His imperialism sucked, but his conservation, monopoly control and consumer protection was pretty cool

[rinarina]

Gravel Institute: *Invites university scholars, practicing journalists and Bernie Sanders*
PragerU: *Invites Steven Crowder*
Y'all be careful, flex any harder and you might detach a muscle!

[Xalimata]

Monopolies are a danger to the human species.

[Yes_Fantasy_Done]

so much right-wing rhetoric on the internet is just making the case for ethnic cleansing but trailing off at the conclusion to the argument so as not to get deplatformed

[hheintze]

It is difficult for me to imagine what “personal liberty” is enjoyed by an unemployed hungry person. True freedom can only be where there is no exploitation and oppression of one person by another; where there is not unemployment, and where a person is not living in fear of losing his job, his home and his bread. Only in such a society personal and any other freedom c.an exist for real and not on paper

[TheCommanderFluffy]

I was trying to figure out who this "Gravel Institute" was and why, while unlike Prager U, I had come to agree with the video. It gave me a sinking feeling... at first.

Then I heard Jon H. Benjamin in smooth baritone explain that this is an anti-PU and I couldn't be happier right now. Godspeed Gravel Institute, and good luck. Patronage incoming.

[austinhernandez]

You have a CHOICE! Either pay $100, 000 for brain surgery, or die! It's your choice! That's freedom!


No joke, I was in that situation. Luckily I was a child that got covered by Medicaid. It saved my life.

[harrrieee]

Even if you disagree with Gravel Institute, there is no denying that they are better than PragerU. Their videos are higher quality, they actually cite their sources, and they aren’t funded by oil billionaires

[wildmano]

I used to work in the private security industry. We were forced to perform jobs for various "clients" that amounted to assisting big companies doing their best to keep unions from airing their grievances with private employers. It was truly awful. People are brainwashed by corporate power. The idea of always remaining vigilant and questioning "authority" always seems to get lost.

[bmo]

nothing but chads over at the gravel institute

[adonispittman]

Dennis Prager disliking on alt accounts

[kyleandrewhopper]

I'm irrationally excited about this channel.

[allinwatts]

“Government regulations enable monopolies by stifling their small business competitors, if you remove regulations those monopolies would disappear” conservative logic ignoring that monopolies exist because they buy politicians so as to disincentivize enforcing antitrust laws against them. Get money out of politics and you will see a reduction of monopolies and fairer market competition.

[Horesmi]

Time to catch all the mad people and be extra smug about facts over feelings in their faces.

[kevinmayer]

Thank you for showing the truth about capitalism. It reminds me of Bush, who was always going on about "freedom". When I understood it meant freedom for his class and not for the rest of us it all made sense.

[noellelavenza]

Pog moment. But unironically, y'all are doing great!