Capitalism Hits Home: The Right vs. Gender Freedom
[S5 E10] New
With rising inflation rates, mass resignations, poor working conditions, and expensive housing, it’s clear that capitalism in the US is falling apart. To counter this, the right wing is working hard to repress each and every marginalized group in order to keep the working class divided. In this episode of Capitalism Hits Home, Dr. Fraad looks at that fascist push to maintain a hierarchy in family, faith...
Read moreCapitalism Hits Home: Mental Health in a Profit-Driven, Isolated Society
[S5 E09] New
In this episode of Capitalism Hits Home, Dr. Fraad continues her discussion of mental health. She argues that we need to do away with the medical model of mental health that diagnoses depression as a brain disease and seeks to treat it exclusively with medication rather than acknowledging the societal and systemic...
Read moreCapitalism Hits Home: The Business of Mental Health
[S05 E08] New
"One out of four American women take antidepressant drugs." In this episode, Dr. Fraad addresses how mental health is diagnosed and treated in the US. Human suffering and misery have been systematically categorized as disorders for which treatment...
Read moreCapitalism Hits Home: Why The Women’s Liberation Movement Fractured
[S5 E07] New
During its inception, the Women’s Liberation Movement was rooted in anti-capitalist and anti-racist ideals, pushing for equality for all. Today, however, feminism tends to focus mainly on gender equality. In this episode of Capitalism Hits Home, Dr. Fraad discusses how that fracture happened and the...
Read moreCapitalism Hits Home: The Origins of Racism - An Untold History
[S5 E06] New
Our nation's racism was a deliberate policy developed in response to rebellions in the 1600s when white indentured servants, free black men and women and enslaved black people rose up together against their...
Read moreCapitalism Hits Home: Sex Work - A Marxian Class Analysis
[S5 E05] New
**CW: RAPE, SEX TRAFFICKING**
In this episode of Capitalism Hits Home, Dr. Fraad brings a Marxian class analysis to a highly controversial topic: sex work. Though illegal in the United States, sex work is all around—from brothels and sex trafficking to...
Read moreCapitalism Hits Home: Political Right vs. Abortion Rights
[S5 E04] New
**CW: THIS EPISODE DISCUSSES ABORTION AND FORCED STERILIZATION**
Control of women's reproduction is a common weapon in the hands of the Right Wing. In the episode of Capitalism Hits Home, Dr. Harriet Fraad breaks down the fight for reproductive rights by looking at abortion access and forced sterilization. These issues are fundamentally about...
Read moreCapitalism Hits Home: How Americans Cope With Falling Living Standards
[S5 E03] New
Declining living standards, joblessness and pronounced inequality are leaving Americans feeling disconnected, helpless and depressed. In this episode of Capitalism Hits Home, Dr. Fraad talks about the 3 Ds - depression, dissociation and...
Read moreCapitalism Hits Home: Capitalism and Opioids - A Deadly Combination
[S5 E02] New
In this episode of Capitalism Hits Home, Dr. Fraad continues an ongoing critique of the for-profit health care system in the US and examines some of its deadly effects. Overdose numbers are far higher than in any other rich country and could...
Read moreCapitalism Hits Home Episode List: Season 5
Season 5 | Season 4 | Season 3 | Season 2 | Season 1
Season 5
Season 5 began in January, 2022.
May 2022 (Season 05 - Episode 10)
With rising inflation rates, mass resignations, poor working conditions, and expensive housing, it’s clear that capitalism in the US is falling apart. To counter this, the right wing is working hard to repress each and every marginalized group in order to keep the working class divided. In this episode of Capitalism Hits Home, Dr. Fraad looks at that fascist push to maintain a hierarchy in family, faith, morality, and nationalism. One way the Right does this is by attacking women and LGBTQ+ rights with abortion bans and anti-trans bills. In this legal stage of early fascism in the US, we need to take cues from other countries that successfully countered right-wing attacks on body autonomy by creating coalitions and unified fronts.
Mental Health in a Profit-Driven, Isolated Society
April 2022 (Season 05 - Episode 09)
Watch on YouTube | Read Episode Transcript
In this episode of Capitalism Hits Home, Dr. Fraad continues her discussion of mental health. She argues that we need to do away with the medical model of mental health that diagnoses depression as a brain disease and seeks to treat it exclusively with medication rather than acknowledging the societal and systemic conditions which lead to this chronic unhappiness. Fraad contends that human misery stems from a lack of meaningful connections to others, society and the world. Capitalism keeps people isolated and often unable to satisfy basic human needs. To truly address the mental health crisis the US faces, we need to create a system built on collective resources, collaboration, and connection.
The Business of Mental Health
April 2022 (Season 05 - Episode 08)
"One out of four American women take antidepressant drugs." In this episode, Dr. Fraad addresses how mental health is diagnosed and treated in the US. Human suffering and misery have been systematically categorized as disorders for which treatment with medication is needed and prescribed by psychiatrists. She argues that the collusion of medical doctors, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and hospitals driven by their quest for profits, are to blame.
Why the Women's Liberation Movement Fractured
March 2022 (Season 05 - Episode 07)
During its inception, the Women’s Liberation Movement was rooted in anti-capitalist and anti-racist ideals, pushing for equality for all. Today, however, feminism tends to focus mainly on gender equality. In this episode of Capitalism Hits Home, Dr. Fraad discusses how that fracture happened and the deliberate forces behind it. Now more than ever we need an intersectional and collaborative approach to our social movements, with involvement from everyone.
The Origins of Racism - An Untold History
March 2022 (Season 05 - Episode 06)
Watch on YouTube | Read Episode Transcript
Our nation's racism was a deliberate policy developed in response to rebellions in the 1600s when white indentured servants, free black men and women and enslaved black people rose up together against their exploitation. In this episode of Capitalism Hits Home, Dr. Fraad shares the story of this hugely important, yet often untaught, historical moment and its implications today.
Sex Work - A Marxian Class Analysis
March 2022 (Season 05 - Episode 05)
**CW: RAPE, SEX TRAFFICKING**
In this episode of Capitalism Hits Home, Dr. Fraad brings a Marxian class analysis to a highly controversial topic: sex work. Though illegal in the United States, sex work is all around—from brothels and sex trafficking to the sugar industry and communes. Fraad traces a brief history of sexuality and exploitation from antiquated marital expectations and slavery to the choices women make today to be single, not have children, or find a sugar daddy to fund higher education and stay independent. When looked at through a class analysis, it becomes clear that the issue of morality need not be focused on the work itself, but rather, on the level of exploitation the sex worker endures.
Political Right vs. Abortion Rights
February 2022 (Season 05 - Episode 04)
**CW: THIS EPISODE DISCUSSES ABORTION AND FORCED STERILIZATION**
Control of women's reproduction is a common weapon in the hands of the Right Wing. In the episode of Capitalism Hits Home, Dr. Harriet Fraad breaks down the fight for reproductive rights by looking at abortion access and forced sterilization. These issues are fundamentally about class and control: forcing women to have unwanted pregnancies, denying immigrants and minorities the right to reproduce, keeping women out of the labor force and reliant on men, and dividing the masses so organization and unity is impossible.
How Americans Cope With Falling Living Standards
February 2022 (Season 05 - Episode 03)
Declining living standards, joblessness and pronounced inequality are leaving Americans feeling disconnected, helpless and depressed. In this episode of Capitalism Hits Home, Dr. Fraad talks about the 3 Ds - depression, dissociation and denial - Americans are resorting to as coping strategies for their stark decline in health and living standards. Fraad offers examples of more productive and beneficial ways to cope and heal.
Capitalism and Opioids - A Deadly Combination
January 2022 (Season 05 - Episode 02)
In this episode of Capitalism Hits Home, Dr. Fraad continues an ongoing critique of the for-profit health care system in the US and examines some of its deadly effects. Overdose numbers are far higher than in any other rich country and could have been avoided if it weren’t for the collusion between drug companies, pharmacies, doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies. Dr. Fraad looks at what other countries have done to mitigate the effects of their own drug epidemics, and calls for a more humane and just approach to addiction and treatment in the US, if only capitalism could get out of the way.
Identity Politics, Intersectionality, and Unity
January 2022 (Season 05 - Episode 01)
Watch on YouTube | Read Episode Transcript
In this episode, Dr. Fraad explores identity politics by looking into the many facets of her own identity. 99% of us share an identity as exploited, oppressed people. We have different experiences and extents of exploitation. How can we honor our identities while remaining unified as a human race? Can we reclaim identity politics to include a human identity that connects everyone in order to create a safer, freer, and more inclusive world?
OTHER SEASONS OF CAPITALISM HITS HOME
Season 5 | Season 4 | Season 3 | Season 2 | Season 1
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