Dustbowl Diatribes 10: Entering the Cutrone Zone (Interview with Chris Cutrone of Platypus)

In this capstone to Season 1, Spencer and Laurie interview the Platypus Affiliated Society’s Chris Cutrone, “the last Marxist” and our favorite contemporary Marxist (Wednesday, October 12, 2022). The first half covers Cutrone’s early life. He explains how he went from a working class/Catholic/Reagan-Democrat family to an orthodox Marxist, including his journey through the education system. One element of particular interest to us is his exposure to Catholic Worker-style Christians at an early age, and what impression that left on him. We get into his thoughts on what constitutes a good education, and whether or not education ought to differ depending on who is receiving it. The second half of the interview delves further into why leftists have a hard time dealing with the working class, whether it’s because of their (now) Trumpian conservatism, their religiosity, or both. We discuss the future of capitalism, how the environment might fare in a turn toward socialism, and why and how socialists and religious people might be able to cooperate, not to protest or posture, but to actually get things done.