The Goldwaters are back for a second season, and they’re here to talk dirtbags. The dirtbag left, that is.
The self-styled dirtbags are a subset of leftists known for their vulgarity and irreverence. It’s a movement on the left that is tired of the traditional political divisions and unwilling to compromise on issues in the name of politeness. Funny and profane, the dirtbag left is bringing a new generation of people into left-wing politics. Dr. Samantha and Daniel take time this episode to break down what it all means for the present of the left, and where leftism might be heading.
Joining them to talk about the dirtbag left this episode is Ethan Cox. He’s the editor and co-founder of ricochet.media, an independent progressive news outlet based in Montreal. Ethan brings his experience in media and union organizing to help Daniel and Samantha understand where progressive politics are at.
Daniel said he wanted to dig deep on this topic because he found himself drifting away from his right-wing roots, and saw the left-wing U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders capturing his attention. “I chose this topic because I found something provocative on the left and the dirtbag left, and I wanted to explore it and see if there’s hope that it will animate the left of the future,” Daniel said.
Further reading:
- Samantha Goldwater-Adler: Chapo Trap House—This week Samantha recommends a podcast that is mentioned a number of times in this episode. It’s one of the primary media outlets of the dirtbag left, she said, and is a great place to get a sense for what the movement is about. “It’s a nice way to get a little bit of a feel for what the dirtbag left is bringing to the table. I think it’s worth exploring to get into those ideas,” she said. “Some the humour in there is a little slapstick and a little silly, but it’s still worth being exposed to and listening to.”
- Ethan Cox: Rules for Revolutionaries by Becky Bond and Zack Exley—Cox chose this book, is written by two key members of Sanders’ campaign. The book explains how they were able to be so successful in the 2016 election. “It’s really a manual, a guidebook for how to win elections on a grassroots populist platform,” he said. “I think it’s an instructive look at where politics are going in these coming years as millennials become more influential.”
- Daniel Goldwater: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck— A novel about the dustbowl in 1930s America, where a family is forced to leave their home in the great plains and travel west in search of work. Daniel chose the work because it’s from a time when devastated workers took earnestly to socialist policies as a way to better their lives. “It’s plain and without the identity politics of today that I find rears its shadow in so much left wing rhetoric,” he said. “It’s very profound.”