American Socialist (2021)

12/23/21 by NPR

Web player: https://podcastaddict.com/episode/133079699
Episode: https://play.podtrac.com/npr-510333/edge1.pod.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/throughline/2021/12/20211223_throughline_eugene_debs_final_mix_wads_repeat_lw2221_real_real_forreal_last_one.mp3

American workers are reaching a breaking point. We’re seeing a wave of resignations and labor strikes, and a supply chain that’s cracking under the pressure. At the turn of the 20th century, one man faced a similar world and dreamt of something more – Eugene V. Debs.

He was a bold and irreverent labor organizer, and the first socialist candidate for president. He believed in welfare programs, early childhood education, and the collective ownership of public resources. To him, there was nothing more American than standing up against oppression. When he spoke to the masses, people leaned in to listen. This week, the founder of American socialism and the legacy he left behind.