Jacobin Radio

The Dig: Nusantara Ep. 8 — Reform Stalls, Oligarchy Triumphs

Jacobin Radio

Show Notes

The eighth and final episode in a series on the history of Indonesia: a hinge in the world system where colonialism and revolution have decisively shaped the trajectory of global history. This last installment picks up with the 2014 election of Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, to the presidency. That promise was soon betrayed, laying the groundwork for the rise of Prabowo Subianto, a scion of Suharto who represents nearly everything repugnant about the New Order regime. And yet Prabowo’s rule remains beset by contradiction and controversy — and Indonesia’s political future remains uncertain. Featuring Rianne Subijanto, Made Supriatma, Iqra Anugrah, and Farabi Fakih.

Support The Dig at Patreon.com/TheDig

Check out IndoPROGRESS promotion of Nusantara in Bahasa Indonesia: instagram.com/reel/DafhG9-qdPW/

Watch Pig Feast: Colonialism in Our Time: youtube.com/watch?v=A-pPemC8m_M

Buy The Extended Universe at Haymarketbooks.org

Find Money In The Mountains at Plutobooks.com

The Dig goes deep into politics everywhere, from labor struggles and political economy to imperialism and immigration. Hosted by Daniel Denvir.

More from Jacobin Radio

Oct 22, 2026

Featuring Alyssa Battistoni on Free Gifts: Capitalism and the Politics of Nature. Fossil-fueled capitalism has pushed our planet into a profound set of crises. How Marxists should make sense of this all, however, is unclear. Battistoni offers a Marxist theory of nature that’s simultaneously a brilliant reworking of Marxist theory more generally. The first episode in a two-part interview.

Oct 19, 2026

Rodrigo Nunes, author of Anatomy of Disintegration, speaks about Bolsonaro, Brazil, and the global far right. Shawn Gude, author of American Socialist, details the life and legacy of Eugene V. Debs

Oct 16, 2026

Featuring Yael Bridge, Jeremy Flood, and Erick Stoll on Who Moves America, a powerful documentary about the massive 2023 Teamsters strike against UPS that ultimately did not happen.

Oct 15, 2026

From Madrid to Paris, tenants and teenagers are forcing their crises onto the agenda. Suzi talks to Agustín Santos Maraver, Spain’s former UN ambassador and Sumar MP, who explains how the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal ignited a national housing uprising, why the Catalan right sank the government’s rent decrees, and why a general strike on the eve of the November 29 snap election is a first for Spain.

Oct 14, 2026

The Left looks poised to pick up some big electoral wins in the midterm elections. But with virtually all of the Left’s victories since the first Sanders presidential primary coming through elections, are socialists and progressives at risk of devolving into electoralism?

See all episodes →