Intellectuals and Workers: Glenn Diesen

On December 9, 2023, Glenn Diesen presented at a webinar entitled "The Fateful Divorce of Intellectuals and Working People. You can watch the entire webinar at kzbin.info/www/bejne/mp3bpZ6sp9mfsJI.
This panel discussion, which took place December 9, 2023, featured analyses of the apparent severing of the relationship between intellectuals and the working class, and the historical importance of an alliance between working people and intellectuals for socialist politics. The webinar was co-hosted by the International Manifesto Group, Critical Theory Workshop and the Midwestern Marx Institute.
Glenn Diesen is a Professor at the University of South-Eastern Norway and an editor at the Russia in Global Affairs journal. Follow him on Twitter @glenndiesen.
LINKS:
Geopolitical Economy Research Group: geopoliticaleconomy.org/
Critical Theory Workshop: criticaltheoryworkshop.com
Midwestern Marx Institute: www.midwesternmarx.com

[@deselby9240]

Excellent video. Thank you.

[@desert.mantis]

Professor Diesen never disappoints me with his analysis and commentary.

[@davidschlessinger9945]

excellent

[@babs420th9]

Glenn is the best analyst!

[@davidalexanderlourie4371]

That is why we had senior civil servants...to give advice to decision makers. Think tanks funded mainly by billionaire oligarchs were to have the perspective of private business interest groups bypass neutral civil servants. The think tanks have revolving doors with global consultancy firms that have revolving doors with local and central governments around the world. Global consultancy firms encourage their staff to take senior management positions in local and central governments around the world to restructure management and alter policies to suit the needs of major clients of consultancy firms to capture the government income streams and privately manage their infrastructure and assets as well as push through questionable development projects.

[@SLF-o2w]

RAND used to have a small building in a park in Santa Monica. SAIC started in another small building in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf with a simple wood sign next to the Indonesian consulate, then moved to Oakland near City Hall on the sixth floor of the Pacific Renaissance office building, where they were present during the shutdown of Occupy Oakland.

[@mathquir190]

I'm an intellectual worker. Architecture, philosophy, wood working, marquetry, luthier, cabinet worker, carpenter. I've seen a lot of people totally disconnected with the material reality around college... That always surprised me how they can call for integrity and have not any sense of it in theirs actions.

[@mathquir190]

That just disgusted me from going further into an academic career.

[@FrancesSanchez-gw7lt]

as someone said, " we are in the age of the reproduction of ignorance"

[@KanyeDgit]

The USA has the best government money can buy. It's good enough, anyway, for those who buy it. And since the free market provides the allocation of resources which is somehow optimal, who could object if policy becomes a commodity?

[@danapeck5382]

'Think tank", also known as "sellout", Bernays in action

[@SLF-o2w]

My now deceased older friend used to call up “Eddie, what do you think of this or that?” Back in the old days in New York. As a nephew of Sigmund Freud, Bernal’s understood the role emotion in human interactions. All this is covered in a documentary called The Commanding Heights.

[@SLF-o2w]

Wall Street’s Think Tank: The Council on Foreign Relations and American Foreign Policy 1947-1997.

[@TheRantingRooster]

You might mention the Powell memo to the US Chamber of Commerce in 1971 and its huge influence on right-wing sponsorship of think tanks.

[@Lyra0966]

Yeah, Chris Hedges often mentions this in his talks about the US and its decline.

[@danielhutchinson6604]

Are "Intellectuals" incompetent in the real world? Are Working Class Stiffs just dim light bulbs? Discussing Class definitions always uncovers similarities. Where does a person draw the line?

[@paulfrenkiel274]

Does that mean western think-tanks conned the Russian Federation into commencing the special operation !?

[@torbenzenth9718]

Pretty much. Jeffrey Sachs explains the whole background for the special military operation in a very digestable way in his interview by Tucker Carlson if interested - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gISQZISpqLuDm8ksi=7rtEG4uygbB8gaGs

[@karmaandkerosene_music]

Intellectuals are very good when it comes to technology. When it comes to politics and shaping sound policy they seem to be absolutely terrible - unless thier whole purpose is to be terrible. (Electric car policy is the best , most recent example.) (They look like fools today.)

[@adamsmith275]

...there is a difference between... TECHNOCRATS... and... INTELLECTUALS... BUT... intellectuals in the Anglo-Saxon world have never had... the weight... and influence... that the intellectuals have had in France, Germany, and other countries... P.S. JULIEN BENDA, LA TRAHISON DES CLERCS (1927)... EDWARD SAID, LA TRAHISON DES INTELLECTUELS

[@mazlomak]

Your programs are so boring with boring speakers and boring speeches read from papers about very interesting topics. Draw inspiration from Prof. Richard Wolff , and the journalist Caleb Muapin. You need to influence the masses, and with this style you won't.

[@nickprobst6841]

If you have a critique of anything this man is saying, by all means place it in the comments. If all you have to contribute is that you find the speakers boring, I guess this is not for you. These people are not entertainers - I find their contributions fascinating and thought provoking. As a member of the working class who has been trying to educate myself on class politics, geopolitical conditions, the nature of social formations and so on, I thank god for podcasts like this.