Episode
William C. Anderson: "We Don’t Have a Functional Left" Today
- Podcast
- The Real News Podcast
- Published
- May 27, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2308
- Processing state
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- https://www.spreaker.com/episode/william-c-anderson-we-don-t-have-a-functional-left-today--72186211
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Summary
In 2026, fascism in the US is rising while “the left” descends further into powerlessness, goofiness, and irrelevance—but, author William C. Anderson argues, it doesn’t have to stay that way. In this episode of Rattling the Bars, Anderson returns to the show for an unflinching conversation with former political prisoner and host Mansa Musa about the state of the political left today and the lessons organizers and everyday people can learn from the Black Liberation Movement and figures like the late Russell Maroon Shoatz. Editor's Note: This conversation was recorded on May 1, 2026. Guests: William C. Anderson is a writer and activist from Birmingham, AL. His work has appeared in outlets ranging from The Guardian , MTV, Truthout , British Journal of Photography , to Pitchfork . He is the author of The Nation on No Map: Black Anarchism and Abolition , and co-author of As Black as Resistance: Finding the Conditions for Liberation . He’s also the co-founder of Offshoot Journal and provides creative direction as a producer of the Black Autonomy Podcast . Additional links/info: William C. Anderson, Prism / TRNN, “ Another Way Out: We need a mosaic movement, not fragmented ‘leftism’ ” Credits: Producer / Videographer / Editor: Cameron Granadino Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support . Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer. Follow us on: Bluesky: @therealnews.com Facebook: The Real News Network Twitter: @TheRealNews YouTube: @therealnews Instagram: @therealnewsnetwork Become a member and join the Supporters Club for The Real News Podcast today!