Democrats have a material problem, not a message problem: A critique of David Brooks' NYT article, "The Democrats’ Problems Are Bigger Than You Think"

The Left Wing Case Against Immigration

In this episode we will discuss what the left-wing arguments against immigration are, why right-wing parties sometimes deliver high immigration numbers, and what the historic relationship between the left and migration is. Timestamps: * 0:00 introduction, what I mean by "left" * 3:55 wages * 9:10 rents and public services * 16:20 culture and social cohesion * 28:35 crime * 36:55 (digression - "the immaterial left" * 45:08 (historical digression - Asahi Heigo and political violence as a response to immateriality) * 48: 15: Ecology * 54:48: Indigenous Rights * 58:25: Brain Drain * 1:06:07: Addressing some pro immigration arguments from the right and left * 1:14:15: (digression - "Cruelty Theatre") * 1: 19:35: History - Marx, Engels, Kearney, and Chavez on migrant crises * 1: 39:43: History - Debs in favor of internationalism * 1: 46: 00: Thought terminating cliches about immigration * 1: 50: 30: Terrifying predictions of the future and how to avoid them

Democrats have a material problem, not a message problem: A critique of David Brooks' NYT article, "The Democrats’ Problems Are Bigger Than You Think"

Do the democrats have a messaging problem, or a material problem? In this episode we critically discuss David Brooks' June 5, 2025 NYT opinion piece, "The Democrats’ Problems Are Bigger Than You Think".