How Socialists Solved The Housing Crisis The Gravel Institute 2021-01-29 | American housing is in crisis. With more luxury housing being built every day while huge numbers of people are stuck with substandard homes or none at all, the U.S. model for housing has proven to be a catastrophe. Zohran Mamdani, New York State assemblyman, talks about how Austrian socialists in the 1920s and ‘30s pioneered an approach that offered better, cheaper, and safer homes for everyone.Join us, and make our work possible: patreon.com/gravelinstitute Institute Merch: gravelinstitute.org/merch Sources and further reading: bit.ly/3t6pwGx Follow the Institute!Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstituteInstagram: instagram.com/GravelInstituteFacebook: facebook.com/GravelInstitute0:00 America's Housing Crisis3:26 The Austrian Example6:50 What America Can Do
Marianne Williamson: Why Youre So Sad The Gravel Institute 2022-08-10 | More and more people, in America and around the world, are reporting that they're depressed, lonely, or friendless. People call it a mental health crisis. What's going on? Why are so many people, especially young people, reporting problems with their mental health? Marianne Williamson, spiritual thinker and author, joins us to explain.Citations in the video.These videos are entirely funded by small donations. In order to expand what we do, we need your help. Please join us on Patreon if you can: patreon.com/gravelinstituteOr, if you prefer, give a one-time donation: secure.actblue.com/donate/br-gi-5kmatch/?refcode=yt&amount=19
The Most BOMBED Country in History The Gravel Institute 2022-07-14 | This documentary covers the story of the most bombed country in the history of the world: how a small, unassuming nation in Southeast Asia received two million tons of bombs from American forces – without war having ever been declared. And how it became a model for American interventions in the future.Sources in the video.These videos are entirely funded by small donations. In order to expand what we do, we need your help. Please join us on Patreon if you can: patreon.com/gravelinstituteOr, if you prefer, give a one-time donation: secure.actblue.com/donate/br-gi-5kmatch/?refcode=yt&amount=19
How Oil Companies Are Scamming You The Gravel Institute 2022-06-30 | Gas prices - and the wider crisis of inflation they cause - have become a national crisis. In this short video, we talk about how a big part of the increase in gas prices in recent months is a result of decisions by oil and gas investors, and how a more rational way of running the oil and gas industry could both support ordinary consumers and move toward a post-oil future. Featuring Matt Bruenig.Sources in the video.These videos are entirely funded by small donations. In order to expand what we do, we need your help. Please join us on Patreon if you can: patreon.com/gravelinstituteOr, if you prefer, give a one-time donation: secure.actblue.com/donate/br-gi-5kmatch/?refcode=yt&amount=19
Robert Reich Destroys Minimum Wage Myths The Gravel Institute 2022-06-22 | @RBReich – former U.S. Secretary of Labor, professor at UC Berkeley, prominent economic commentator, founder of Inequality Media – joins us to talk about a crucial topic: the U.S. minimum wage. At a time when prices are growing far faster than wages, leaving workers with tighter and tighter pocketbooks, the U.S. minimum wage remains where it has been since 2007. Robert explains why common myths about the minimum wage fall short, and why raising it will help ordinary working people without contributing to inflation.Sources in the video.These videos are entirely funded by small donations. In order to expand what we do, we need your help. Please join us on Patreon if you can: patreon.com/gravelinstituteOr, if you prefer, give a one-time donation: secure.actblue.com/donate/br-gi-5kmatch/?refcode=yt&amount=19
How China (Actually) Got Rich The Gravel Institute 2022-06-09 | We're putting this video back up! We had to fix some stuff.The economic rise of China is usually painted as a simple story: it was poor, it implemented "the free market," and now it's rich. But that picture is a simplistic one – and it's not accurate. China's rise is a reflection of its NOT implementing the ideological dictates of "shock therapy," but in its pursuing a state-led policy of industrialization. Russia's decline can be attributed largely to Western economists steering it in the exact opposite direction in the 1990s. Isabella Weber, professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, explains.CITATIONS: bit.ly/3OOrLrZJoin us on Patreon, and help keep our videos free: patreon.com/gravelinstituteTwitter: twitter.com/GravelInstituteInstagram: instagram.com/gravelinstituteFacebook: facebook.com/GravelInstitute0:00 The Chinese Miracle1:32 The Russian Collapse5:32 The Chinese Path8:25 China's Success9:40 Credits
Are Electric Cars Actually Good for the Environment? The Gravel Institute 2022-05-26 | Everyone knows electric cars are better for the environment than gas-powered ones. But are they actually good for the environment? We explain why automobile dependence is always a problem, whether it's electric or not. Featuring Paris Marx. Sources in the video.ERRATA: at 4:15, the text reads 26,000, when it should read 20 600.These videos are entirely funded by small donations. In order to expand what we do, we need your help. Please join us on Patreon if you can: patreon.com/gravelinstituteOr, if you prefer, give a one-time donation: secure.actblue.com/donate/br-gi-5kmatch/?refcode=yt&amount=19
How France (Still) Controls Africa The Gravel Institute 2022-04-08 | France's African empire ended in the 1960s...but not really. Ismael Loutfi explains.Sources here: bit.ly/3NVakq9These videos are entirely funded by small donations. In order to expand what we do, we need your help. Please join us on Patreon if you can: patreon.com/gravelinstituteOr, if you prefer, give a one-time donation: secure.actblue.com/donate/br-gi-5kmatch/?refcode=yt&amount=19ERRATA: At 5:16 we show a map of several European countries, not just those that use the Euro. We regret the error!
The LAPD Keeps Killing People The Gravel Institute 2022-03-31 | A documentary about the story of the LAPD's shooting and killing Mely Corado, in the context of a pattern of other "accidental" killings by the LAPD.These videos are entirely funded by small donations. In order to expand what we do, we need your help. Please join us on Patreon if you can: patreon.com/gravelinstitute
Why the FBI Catfished Me The Gravel Institute 2022-03-29 | YouTube age-restricted the video so we removed 10 seconds of potentially violent footage and have a new version. It wasn't age-restricted anywhere else but YouTube has its own rules. Now it's open to watch by anyone!The story of Khalil Abu Rayyan, a pizza delivery guy in Detroit who was caught up in an FBI counterterrorism operation, catfished, and branded as a terrorist.These videos are entirely funded by small donations. In order to expand what we do, we need your help. Please join us on Patreon if you can: patreon.com/gravelinstitute
How America Facilitated a Genocide in Bangladesh The Gravel Institute 2022-03-25 | The story of Pakistan's 1971 genocide in Bangladesh, and how America's leaders, Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger, helped sponsor a genocide. Sources here: bit.ly/36HlWvTThese videos are entirely funded by small donations. In order to expand what we do, we need your help. Please join us on Patreon if you can: patreon.com/gravelinstituteOr, if you prefer, give a one-time donation: secure.actblue.com/donate/br-gi-5kmatch/?refcode=yt&amount=19
How Britain Starved Ireland The Gravel Institute 2022-03-18 | The untold story of Ireland’s worst tragedy.Citations: bit.ly/3qjiOx4 These videos are entirely funded by small donations. In order to expand what we do, we need your help. Please join us on Patreon if you can: patreon.com/gravelinstitute And get some nice merch as well: merch.gravelinstitute.org
How America is Causing a Famine in Afghanistan The Gravel Institute 2022-03-08 | America is creating a massive famine in Afghanistan. Millions of lives are at risk. And the U.S. is unwilling to do what Afghans are asking to end it. Masuda Sultan explains.Citations: bit.ly/3I6GuetThese videos are 100 percent funded by small donations from people like you. And we really need your help. So if you can, join us on Patreon: patreon.com/gravelinstitute
Abu Zubaydah: The Fake Terrorist America Tortured The Gravel Institute 2022-02-04 | This is the story of how the U.S. government made an innocent man out to be a leader of al-Qaeda – how it subjected him to "enhanced interrogation," lied about him, and kept him locked up to this very day. Ismael Loutfi explains.These videos are entirely funded by small donations. In order to expand what we do, we need your help. Please join us on Patreon if you can: patreon.com/gravelinstitute Citations Here: shorturl.at/kqAVYAnd get some nice merch as well: merch.gravelinstitute.org
How Americas Best State Fell Apart The Gravel Institute 2022-01-27 | Wisconsin – that most American of all U.S. states – was once a land where socialists won elected office and where “the Wisconsin Idea” represented a nation where government could be a force for good. But in the last few decades, Wisconsin – and the rest of America – has changed. The story of Wisconsin is a story of much more: it’s the story of the betrayal of America’s poor and working class. Philip Rocco, associate professor of political science at Marquette University, explains.Citations: shorturl.at/mtHK3 These videos are entirely funded by small donations. In order to expand what we do, we need your help. Please join us on Patreon if you can: patreon.com/gravelinstitute And get some nice merch as well: merch.gravelinstitute.org 0:00 Introduction0:41 The Old Wisconsin2:08 Fall3:27 Betrayal4:53 The Collapse7:56 After the Fall9:51 Credits
The Most Radical Speech in Presidential History The Gravel Institute 2022-01-07 | In 1944, an American president proposed a sweeping reorganization of American life: a "second Bill of Rights" that recognized not only political rights, but economic rights as well. Franklin Roosevelt's speech would today be regarded as far outside the political mainstream: but when it was proposed, it was overwhelmingly popular with ordinary Americans. Harvey Kaye, historian of the American left, explains.Citations: bit.ly/3K1AZjkJoin us on Patreon, and help keep our videos free: patreon.com/gravelinstituteGet Institute Merch: gravelinstitute.org/merch Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstituteInstagram: instagram.com/gravelinstituteFacebook: facebook.com/GravelInstitute0:00 The New Deal1:55 Roosevelt's Speech4:10 A Second Bill of Rights?6:35 Conservative Reaction7:40 Credits
The Awful Story of South Americas Most Evil Dictator The Gravel Institute 2021-12-17 | This is the story of state terror in Argentina in the ‘70s and ‘80s: what is traditionally called the “Dirty War.” It’s the story of how a military regime, led mainly by a dictator named Jorge Videla, tortured and killed tens of thousands of people while implementing neoliberal economic “reforms.” But it’s also the story of how they were helped along in that process by people like Henry Kissinger and Elliot Abrams – and how those accomplices were never punished. Pablo Pryluka, PhD student in Latin American history at Princeton University, explains.Citations: shorturl.at/fwBY6These videos are 100 percent funded by small donations from people like you. And we really need your help. So if you can, join us on Patreon: patreon.com/gravelinstituteOr, if you prefer, give a one-time donation: secure.actblue.com/donate/gi-youtube/?refcode=VIDEO&amount=4.20And if you want, get some Institute merch: merch.gravelinstitute.org0:00 Argentina's coup2:25 State terror6:11 Economic "reform"7:52 American support10:52 The regime falls13:15 Credits
Why Credit Scores Are a Scam The Gravel Institute 2021-12-09 | Credit scores are a ubiquitous part of American life. Try to do anything at all – get housing, get a car, get anything that requires a loan – and you’ll be assessed based on a three-digit number that most people recognize as arbitrary and dumb. So what’s the origin of this weird system? Law professor Chase Madar explains the sinister trends behind the rise of the credit score.Citations: https://shorturl.at/ryAIT These videos are 100 percent funded by small donations from people like you. And we really need your help. So if you can, join us on Patreon: patreon.com/gravelinstitute Or, if you prefer, give a one-time donation: secure.actblue.com/donate/gi-youtube/?refcode=VIDEO&amount=4.20 Thank you!Get Institute Merch: merch.gravelinstitute.org Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstitute Instagram: instagram.com/gravelinstitute Facebook: facebook.com/GravelInstitute0:00 What are credit scores?1:51 A journey to the '70s4:32 Enter the '80s6:57 Creating "debt-prone consumers"11:00 Credits
How Many Wars is America Fighting? (Its More Than You Think) The Gravel Institute 2021-11-30 | How many wars is America fighting right now? More than you think. Even though the U.S. hasn’t technically been at war since the 1940s, American war-making has assumed a new character: undeclared, secretive, endless. Even though America is technically “at peace,” it still finds its troops fighting in countless different conflicts around the world. Stephen Wertheim, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment, explains.(Please note – Stephen was at the Quincy Institute when we filmed, but is now at Carnegie.)Join us on Patreon, and help make videos and challenge the right: patreon.com/gravelinstituteCITATIONS HERE: shorturl.at/bgkyK
Did Brazil Find the Solution to Poverty? The Gravel Institute 2021-09-23 | In the 2000s, Brazil’s leftist leader Lula da Silva implemented an audacious program of poverty reduction. It was called Bolsa Família, “the family stipend,” and offered a guaranteed income to all poor families in Brazil. The program went totally contrary to the prevailing neoliberal consensus.But while the countries that implemented “welfare reform” saw poverty increase, Brazil’s program led to massive reductions in poverty. Lula’s program lifted tens of millions of people out of extreme poverty. In essence, Brazil figured out the solution for poverty, and it's very simple. Give people money, and their lives will improve.Citations are provided at the end of the video.Join us on Patreon, and help make videos and challenge the right: patreon.com/gravelinstitute Make a one-time contribution: secure.actblue.com/donate/gi-youtube/?refcode=brazil&amount=100:00 A Short History of Modern Brazil1:32 The Rise of the Workers' Party2:37 Two Ways to Reduce Poverty5:14 Wither Brazil?6:42 Credits and Citations
You Will Never Be Rich #shorts The Gravel Institute 2021-09-16 | A short take on how you will (almost certainly) never be rich. You are much more likely to become homeless than you are to ever be a millionaire. America is composed not of "temporarily embarrassed millionaires," but a small number of rich people and huge legions of people barely scraping by.These videos are only possible with your support on Patreon: patreon.com/gravelinstitute Or make a one-time donation: secure.actblue.com/donate/gi-youtube/?refcode=cancelculture&amount=4.20Get Institute Merch: merch.gravelinstitute.org Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstitute Instagram: instagram.com/gravelinstituteFacebook: facebook.com/GravelInstituteCREDITS:Direction & Animation - Al KamalizadMusic - David MaineSound Design - Ian ReillyNarrator - Carman WilsonWriter - David OksProducer - Reid HildebrandSpecial Thanks - Whitney Gravel
Why Bitcoin is a Scam The Gravel Institute 2021-09-10 | In a little more than 10 years, Bitcoin has become a ubiquitous part of everyday life, and the community around Bitcoin (and other cryptocurrencies) has grown exponentially. People have gotten rich off Bitcoin, you’re told; put money in it, and you’ll get rich too. But it’s all a lie. Doug Henwood, author of Wall Street, explains.Join us on Patreon, and help keep our videos free: patreon.com/gravelinstituteCitations are provided in the video. But we highly recommend, as an additional source, Nicholas Nassim Taleb’s “Bitcoin Black Paper”: fooledbyrandomness.com/BTC-QF.pdf. 0:00 The Financier’s Story1:09 The World of Bitcoin3:07 Is Bitcoin an “Investment”?5:04 What Bitcoin Represents7:15 Credits
The Murderous Police Gangs of Los Angeles The Gravel Institute 2021-08-20 | Los Angeles, America’s second largest city, has a horrible secret. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department – the fourth largest police department in the country – harbors dozens of criminal gangs within its ranks. These LASD gangs have been involved in assaults, the creation of false evidence, and even murder. Now, with the help of the brave journalist Cerise Castle, the story can be told. A Gravel Institute documentary.To raise money for more investigative reporting on gangs within the LASD, we're selling a shirt. You can buy it at googlelasdgangs.com – all proceeds go directly to Cerise Castle, who is working on the ground to expose the racist, thuggish gangs harbored within the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.Google "LASD Gangs"! And go to LASDGangs.com to read Cerise Castle's reporting yourself.Give us a one-time donation to help out! Go here: secure.actblue.com/donate/gi-youtube/?refcode=lasd&amount=4.20Get Institute Merch: gravelinstitute.org/merch0:00 Introduction0:19 The Police Gangs3:12 LASD Gang Primer5:31 The Murder of Paul Rea7:55 The Murder of Anthony Vargas11:07 Keeping Victims Quiet14:05 Google "LASD Gangs"17:45 Credits
Why Do People Go Hungry? The Gravel Institute 2021-08-13 | Why do people go hungry? It’s not because we don’t produce enough food: we actually produce more than enough food to feed everyone in the world, many times over. But the system that governs the world – a system we call capitalism – lets billions starve while huge amounts go wasted, in order to maintain profits. The result is the hunger crisis that exists around us today – and leaves everyone worse off.These videos are only possible with your support on Patreon: patreon.com/gravelinstitute Give a one-time donation: secure.actblue.com/donate/gi-youtube/?refcode=hunger&amount=4.20 Get Institute Merch: merch.gravelinstitute.org Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstitute Instagram: instagram.com/gravelinstitute Facebook: facebook.com/GravelInstituteCREDITS:Direction, Animation & Music - Tristan WhitehillSound Design - Ian ReillyMusic Supervision - David MaineNarrator - Jensen OlayaWriter - Jeanette Moreland & David OksProducer - Reid HildebrandSpecial Thanks - Mike & Whitney Gravel
How Conservatives Created Cancel Culture #shorts The Gravel Institute 2021-08-06 | Conservatives are constantly complaining about “cancel culture,” the idea that people, media, and ideas are being suppressed by online mobs. The real truth, though, is that conservatives created cancel culture—and are its worst offenders. For generations, conservatives have sought to suppress leftist ideas, destroy the lives and livelihoods of their political enemies, and make certain topics taboo in mainstream media. We made a short video to explain.These videos are only possible with your support on Patreon: patreon.com/gravelinstitute Or make a one-time donation: secure.actblue.com/donate/gi-youtube/?refcode=cancelculture&amount=4.20 Get Institute Merch: merch.gravelinstitute.org Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstitute Instagram: instagram.com/gravelinstitute Facebook: facebook.com/GravelInstituteCREDITS:Direction & Animation - Abbie BacillaMusic - David MaineSound Design - Ian ReillyNarrator - Jensen OlayaWriter - Jeanette MorelandProducer - Reid HildebrandSpecial Thanks - Mike & Whitney Gravel
Why American College Is So Expensive The Gravel Institute 2021-07-30 | Believe it or not, college in the U.S. used to be either ultra-cheap or even free to any student who wanted to attend. That may seem like a distant dream to students today, entering lives of debt servitude in order to pay off their student loans. But it’s true: the end of free college was the result of an intentional strategy by elites in the 1970s and ‘80s to destroy any idea of college as a public good, to be enjoyed and shared by all. And tens of millions of people today are paying the price. Luke Herrine, PhD candidate at Yale Law School, explains.We need your help to grow - we’re hiring a full-time animator soon. Give a one-time donation: secure.actblue.com/donate/gi-youtube/?refcode=cross&amount=4.20 Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/gravelinstitute Get Institute Merch: merch.gravelinstitute.org/ Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstitute Instagram: instagram.com/gravelinstitute Facebook: facebook.com/GravelInstitute Citations are provided in the video.0:00 A Story1:23 How America Destroyed Free College4:30 The Student Debt Crisis5:46 How To Erase All Student Debt
Mike Gravels Best Moments The Gravel Institute 2021-07-22 | Mike Gravel passed away on June 26th, 2021 at the age of 91. Mike, who founded the Gravel Institute, had been a U.S. senator, a two-time presidential candidate, and the author of several books. He was a lifelong advocate for direct democracy and a fierce critic of American imperialism. We took a break from releasing videos and made this to remember a few of his best moments. Rest in peace, Mike.Join us on Patreon, and help keep our videos free: patreon.com/gravelinstitute Make a one-time contribution: secure.actblue.com/donate/gi-youtube/?refcode=cross&amount=4.20
What The Monopoly Man Won’t Tell You The Gravel Institute 2021-06-25 | Everyone has played Monopoly, the game where you and your friends compete to see who is the most ruthless capitalist: buying land, developing property, extracting rents from your competitors. But did you know that the original game of Monopoly – before it was bought by Parker Brothers – was in fact a criticism of capitalist greed? A new “short take” from the Gravel Institute.Join us on Patreon, and help make videos to challenge the right: patreon.com/gravelinstitute Make a one-time contribution: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/gi-... Get Institute Merch: gravelinstitute.org/merch Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstitute Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gravelinsti... Facebook: facebook.com/GravelInstitute
“The Most Dangerous Law In My Lifetime” The Gravel Institute 2021-06-16 | In 2020, California approved Proposition 22 – a referendum written by Uber’s lawyers and backed by the most powerful “gig” companies in America. The ballot measure protected these companies from new rules classifying their workers as employees, and when it passed it was a dream come true for some of the most powerful corporations in the U.S. Our latest short documentary explores the referendum’s fallout and the budding workers’ movement among workers for companies like Uber, Instacart, Lyft, and DoorDash.Join us on Patreon, and help keep our videos free: patreon.com/gravelinstitute Make a one-time contribution: secure.actblue.com/donate/gi-youtube/?refcode=cross&amount=4.20 Get Institute Merch: gravelinstitute.org/merchTwitter: twitter.com/GravelInstitute Instagram: instagram.com/gravelinstituteFacebook: facebook.com/GravelInstitute
How Uber Is Scamming You The Gravel Institute 2021-05-28 | The ride-hailing company Uber is everywhere: it has rapidly become one of the most ubiquitous corporate entities in the United States. But beneath all of its bluster, Uber has a big secret: there’s no profit, no gains in efficiency or effectiveness, and, above all, no innovation. Simply put, Uber is one of the biggest scams in American economic history. And it’s not just scamming its investors (although it definitely is): it’s scamming you – its users – and, most of all, it’s scamming its drivers. While they get rich, you get ripped off. Edward Ongweso, Jr., technology reporter at VICE News, explains.Citations are provided in the video for the first time. Hope you enjoy them!Join us on Patreon, and help make videos and challenge the right: patreon.com/gravelinstitute Make a one-time contribution: secure.actblue.com/donate/gi-youtube/?refcode=cross&amount=4.20 Get Institute Merch: gravelinstitute.org/merch Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstitute Instagram: instagram.com/gravelinstitute Facebook: facebook.com/GravelInstitute0:00 Is Uber Efficient?1:55 Uber's Master Plan3:19 Who's Getting Scammed Worse?6:22 Uber's Lies7:36 CreditsERRATA: at 2:55, it should read "foreseeable."Additional Crew:Production Designer: Gabriella MosesKey PA: Molly Pelavin
Why Didnt America Become a Socialist Country? The Gravel Institute 2021-05-21 | America has been the world's largest economy for nearly a century, with one of the largest working classes on Earth. So how come socialism never took hold in America as much as it did in Europe and Asia? Why is there no “labor party” in the United States? And what exactly is the legacy of socialist politics in American history? Emma Vigeland joins us to tell the story.Join us on Patreon, and help keep our videos free: patreon.com/gravelinstituteMake a one-time contribution: secure.actblue.com/donate/gi-youtube/?refcode=cross&amount=4.20 Get Institute Merch: gravelinstitute.org/merch Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstituteInstagram: instagram.com/gravelinstituteFacebook: facebook.com/GravelInstitute/0:00 Intro0:24 Socialists in Europe1:52 Why The American Left Stayed Powerless4:14 Red Scare5:30 Outro
Why American Education is Broken The Gravel Institute 2021-04-29 | Everyone agrees that American education leaves much to be desired. American students consistently report lower test scores than their peers in countries like China, Finland, and Vietnam. But why? Are American students just dumb? Are our teachers too lazy or too ineffective? Or is something else to blame? Nikhil Goyal, sociologist and education activist, joins us to explain.Join us on Patreon, and help keep our videos free: patreon.com/gravelinstituteMake a one-time contribution: secure.actblue.com/donate/gi-youtube/?refcode=cross&amount=4.20 Get Institute Merch: gravelinstitute.org/merch Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstituteInstagram: instagram.com/gravelinstituteFacebook: facebook.com/GravelInstitute/0:00 Intro: The Big Lie0:55 Savage Inequalities2:20 A Tale of 2 School Systems5:20 The Scourge of Poverty6:40 Credits
Legalize All Drugs #shorts The Gravel Institute 2021-04-20 | The war on drugs has destroyed countless lives. Sen. Mike Gravel believes that addiction in all forms can never be considered a criminal problem, but is instead a public health problem - and he's very clear on this. Dramatized by Paulo Araujo.
David Cross: Why America Sucks at Everything The Gravel Institute 2021-03-12 | America: the greatest, richest, freest country in the world – or is it? David Cross, of Mr. Show, Arrested Development, and The Dark Divide, joins us to discuss why Americans, despite living in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, have a much worse standard of living than people who live in poorer countries. The "American Dream" isn't just dying: it's dead and buried. Cross tells us why.Join us on Patreon, and help keep our videos free: patreon.com/gravelinstituteMake a one-time contribution: secure.actblue.com/donate/gi-youtube/?refcode=cross&amount=4.20 Get Institute Merch: gravelinstitute.org/merch Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstituteInstagram: instagram.com/gravelinstituteFacebook: facebook.com/GravelInstitute/Citations: https://rb.gy/bag6d50:00 Intro3:17 Health8:12 Work9:02 American Collapse12:10 Credits
How Socialists Can Win Elections The Gravel Institute 2021-02-19 | Since 2015, the U.S. has witnessed the rise of an insurgent left electoral movement. Not only did Bernie Sanders nearly win the Democratic nomination twice, but socialists across the country have started gaining power – from city councils to congressional seats. But if you’re a socialist who wants to run for office and make people’s lives materially better, how should you start? Jabari Brisport, a Democratic Socialists of America member now serving in the New York State Senate, joins us to explain how you – yes, you! – can win office as a socialist.Join us, and make our work possible: patreon.com/gravelinstitute Institute Merch: gravelinstitute.org/merch No sources for this video! But if you're interested in reading about how Jabari and others pulled it off, this article is good: bit.ly/3qCojFb. And follow Jabari on Twitter: twitter.com/JabariBrisportFollow the Institute!Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstituteInstagram: instagram.com/gravelinstitute/Facebook: facebook.com/GravelInstitute0:00 Socialists Are Winning1:43 Know Why You're Running2:55 You Don't Have to Start by Running4:13 Focus on the Material Issues5:13 If You Lose, Try Again6:24 Credits
Why America Throws the Poor in Prison The Gravel Institute 2021-02-12 | America built mass incarceration: the wholesale imprisonment of entire populations. Why, exactly, are so many people in prison – more than the entire population of New Mexico? That’s our focus for this week’s video: how a crisis of capitalism created a surplus population of former workers concentrated in declining cities, and how politicians and capitalists – instead of helping those people, and building a better and more just economy – built a prison system larger than any other in the history of the world to warehouse them. Chase Madar, professor of law at NYU Gallatin, explains.Sources: https://rb.gy/ngorgzJoin us, and make our work possible: patreon.com/gravelinstitute Institute Merch: gravelinstitute.org/merch Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstituteInstagram: instagram.com/GravelInstituteFacebook: facebook.com/GravelInstitute0:00 Mass Incarceration in America1:39 The Crisis of the '60s and '70s2:49 How America Built Mass Incarceration5:07 What About When Crime Fell?7:24 Credits
The Man Who Exposed Amazon The Gravel Institute 2021-02-05 | The Gravel Institute is launching a new series to supplement our explainer videos: mini-documentaries on the struggles of workers in our stagnating, highly unequal economy. This video focuses on Chris Smalls, an Amazon warehouse employee who exposed their deeply unsafe working conditions, and includes an interview with Tim Bray – who played a key role in building Amazon Web Services, the key profit engine in Jeff Bezos's machine.Join us, and make our work possible: patreon.com/gravelinstitute Institute Merch: gravelinstitute.org/merch Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstituteInstagram: instagram.com/GravelInstituteFacebook: facebook.com/GravelInstitute
Richard Wolff: How You Are Being Exploited The Gravel Institute 2021-01-22 | At the very heart of capitalism is a system of exploitation. That is not a pejorative label: it’s an objective definition of what work actually means. In order for capitalists to make a profit, their workers have to earn less than the value they produce, and that extra value has to go to their bosses. You’re being robbed – and it’s the system called capitalism that’s doing it. Professor Richard Wolff, the Founder of Democracy at Work, explains. Please comment, like, and subscribe!Join us, and make our work possible: patreon.com/gravelinstitute Institute Merch: gravelinstitute.org/merch Further reading: bit.ly/3qKtEKp Follow Democracy at Work: democracyatwork.infoDemocracy at Work Twitter: twitter.com/democracyatwrkFollow the Institute!Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstituteInstagram: instagram.com/GravelInstituteFacebook: facebook.com/GravelInstituteThank you to Richard Wolff and his organization Democracy at Work for helping to make this video possible!
Is Capitalism Actually Reducing Poverty? (with Richard Wolff) The Gravel Institute 2021-01-08 | Professor Richard Wolff of the New School joins us to answer this question. You’ve probably heard that “capitalism has reduced global poverty by 90 percent.” It’s a line frequently parroted by capitalism’s most enthusiastic promoters. But there’s a problem with those claims: they’re either misleading or outright false. Wolff breaks it down.Join us, and make our work possible: patreon.com/gravelinstituteInstitute Merch: gravelinstitute.org/merchCITATIONS: bit.ly/2JVp9ge Follow Democracy at Work: democracyatwork.infoDemocracy at Work Twitter: twitter.com/democracyatwrkFollow the Institute!Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstituteInstagram: instagram.com/GravelInstituteFacebook: facebook.com/GravelInstituteThank you to Richard Wolff and his organization Democracy at Work for helping to make this video possible!
Do We Really Need a Border Wall? The Gravel Institute 2020-12-04 | The US-Mexico border is the most militarized border in the world and it comes at an immense cost: each year American taxpayers spend over 4.8 billion dollars on Border Patrol and another 8.4 billion on Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Is this southern border really worth all of the taxes we pour into it? Absolutely not. America’s fetishization of border security has never worked throughout history, and the pinnacle of its waste, Trump’s border wall, accomplishes nothing. Dr. Doug Massey explains.Join us, and make our work possible: patreon.com/gravelinstituteInstitute Merch: gravelinstitute.org/merchFollow the Institute!Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstituteInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gravelinsti...Facebook: facebook.com/GravelInstituteCITATIONS:Doug Massey, “Understanding America's Immigration ‘Crisis’,” Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, September 2007. jstor.org/stable/4599074?seq=1Doug Massey, “The Mexico-U.S. Border in the American Imagination,” Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, June 2016. jstor.org/stable/26159208?seq=1“The Cost of Immigration Enforcement and Border Security,” American Immigration Council, July 2020. americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/the-cost-of-immigration-enforcement-and-border-security“U.S. Border Patrol Southwest Border Sectors Total Illegal Apprehensions by Fiscal Year,” U.S. Customs and Border Control, (FY 1960 - FY 2018). cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2019-Mar/bp-southwest-border-sector-apps-fy1960-fy2018.pdf“5 facts about illegal immigration in the U.S.” Jens Krogstad, Jeffrey Passel, D’Vera Cohn, Pew Research Center, June 2019. pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/12/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s“Mexicans decline to less than half the U.S. unauthorized immigrant population for the first time,” Jeffrey Passel, D’Vera Cohn, Pew Research Center, June 2019. pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/12/us-unauthorized-immigrant-population-2017“US Undocumented Population Continued to Fall from 2016 to 2017, and Visa Overstays Significantly Exceeded Illegal Crossings for the Seventh Consecutive Year,” Robert Warren, Center for Migration Studies, January 2019. cmsny.org/publications/essay-2017-undocumented-and-overstays
How the Electoral College Breaks Democracy The Gravel Institute 2020-11-02 | Every four years, despite living in a democracy, we talk about the possibility that our election will be decided undemocratically — that the votes of the majority of people will be disregarded by the Electoral College. Does the system have to be this way? No. The Electoral College, designed to subvert democracy and preserve the rule of a rich elite, is just the most obvious example of how our system rewards those in power. Bhaskar Sunkara explains.Join us, and make our work possible: patreon.com/gravelinstituteInstitute Merch: gravelinstitute.org/merchFollow the Institute!Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstituteInstagram: instagram.com/gravelinstituteFacebook: facebook.com/GravelInstituteCITATIONS:Seth Ackerman's "Burn the Constitution" (jacobinmag.com/2011/03/burn-the-constitution), published in Jacobin in March 2011.Meagan Day and Bhaskar Sunkara's "Think the Constitution Will Save Us? Think Again" (nytimes.com/2018/08/09/opinion/constitution-founders-democracy-trump.html), published in the New York Times in August 2018.
What They Didnt Teach You About the Civil War The Gravel Institute 2020-10-15 | What do you know about the Civil War? Everyone knows the familiar images: soldiers in Union blue versus troops in Confederate gray, the Emancipation Proclamation, the triumphant end of slavery. But there’s something schools don’t teach about the Civil War: it was also America’s greatest left-wing revolution. Professor Matt Karp explains.Join us, and make our work possible: patreon.com/gravelinstituteInstitute Merch: gravelinstitute.org/merchFollow the Institute!Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstituteInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gravelinsti...Facebook: facebook.com/GravelInstituteCITATIONS:Matt Karp, “The Mass Politics of Antislavery,” Catalyst (Summer 2019): catalyst-journal.com/vol3/no2/the-mass-politics-of-antislaveryMatt Karp, “Antislavery Wasn’t Popular—Until It Was,” Jacobin, May 11, 2019: jacobinmag.com/2019/05/anti-slavery-abraham-lincoln-abolitionismGillian Brockell, “You know who was into Karl Marx? No, not AOC. Abraham Lincoln,” The Washington Post, July 27, 2019: washingtonpost.com/history/2019/07/27/you-know-who-was-into-karl-marx-no-not-aoc-abraham-lincolnKarl Marx, “Address of the International Working Men's Association to Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America,” January 28, 1865: marxists.org/archive/marx/iwma/documents/1864/lincoln-letter.htm
Does Capitalism Mean Freedom? (with Zephyr Teachout) The Gravel Institute 2020-10-06 | 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.Join us, and make our work possible: patreon.com/gravelinstituteInstitute Merch: gravelinstitute.org/merchFollow the Institute!Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstituteInstagram: instagram.com/gravelinstituteFacebook: facebook.com/GravelInstituteCITATIONS:“Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2018,” Federal Reserve, March 2019See 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 2016Elizabeth Anderson, Private Government (2017)Zephyr Teachout, Break ‘Em Up (2020)
Is Big Government Really the Problem? The Gravel Institute 2020-09-28 | Conservatives like to complain about "Big Government," but despite lower government spending than many peer nations, America is less prosperous and less free. Briahna Joy Gray explains how the government isn't bad because it's big: it's bad because it's bought.Join us, and make our work possible: patreon.com/gravelinstituteInstitute Merch: gravelinstitute.org/merchFollow the Institute!Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstituteInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gravelinsti...Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GravelInstit...CITATIONSIn addition to federal budget data on the size of government and GDP, the following sources were helpful in the making of this video:1:11: Elise Gould, "U.S. lags behind peer countries in mobility," from the Economic Policy Institute, October 2012: epi.org/publication/usa-lags-peer-countries-mobility/. See also Lane Kenworthy, "Is Big Government Bad for Freedom, Civil Society, and Happiness?" in Evonomics Magazine, November 2017: evonomics.com/big-government-bad-freedom-civil-society-happiness/.2:39: Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page, "Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups, and Average Citizens," Perspectives on Politics 12, no. 3 (2014): https://scholar.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/mgilens/files/gilens_and_page_2014_-testing_theories_of_american_politics.doc.pdf.The Gilens-Page study is controversial: the core contention of critics is that by ignoring issues on which the rich and the "middle class" disagree, the "middle class" wins about half the time. For a summary of rebuttals, see Dylan Mathews, "Remember that study saying America is an oligarchy? 3 rebuttals say it's wrong" from Vox, May 2016: vox.com/2016/5/9/11502464/gilens-page-oligarchy-study.For a response from Gilens and Page, see Martin Gilens and Benjamin Page, "Critics argued with our analysis of U.S. political inequality. Here are 5 ways they’re wrong," from the Washington Post, May 2016: washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/05/23/critics-challenge-our-portrait-of-americas-political-inequality-heres-5-ways-they-are-wrong/. Note than neither Gilens and Page nor their critics argue that poor people have any voice in U.S. politics.4:06: Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman, The Triumph of Injustice (2019). For a simple summary, see David Leonhardt, "The Rich Really Do Pay Lower Taxes Than You," The New York Times, October 2019.4:29: Drew DeSilver, "For most U.S. workers, real wages have barely budged in decades," Pew Research Center, August 2018: pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/08/07/for-most-us-workers-real-wages-have-barely-budged-for-decades/.4:43: Matt Bruenig, "Top 1% Up $21 Trillion. Bottom 50% Down $900 Billion," from the People's Policy Project, June 2019: peoplespolicyproject.org/2019/06/14/top-1-up-21-trillion-bottom-50-down-900-billion/.
How to Defeat PragerU: The Gravel Institute The Gravel Institute 2020-09-28 | There's a big problem on the internet: right-wing groups like PragerU pour lies and disinformation into the feeds of every American. H Jon Benjamin (of Bob's Burgers and Archer) explains how The Gravel Institute is fighting back.Make our work possible: patreon.com/gravelinstituteFollow the Institute!Twitter: twitter.com/GravelInstituteInstagram: instagram.com/gravelinstituteFacebook: facebook.com/GravelInstitute
Rock 2.0 - Mike Gravel 2020 The Gravel Institute 2019-04-08 | Support our work: patreon.com/gravelinstituteWelcome to the Gravelanche. Sen. Mike Gravel is running for president - not to win, but to qualify for the debates to push the field to the left on foreign policy and political reform.Credit to Alex Broadwell, http://www.alex-broadwell.com/.
