Cosmopod

Cosmonaut Magazine

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Cosmopod is the official podcast of Cosmonaut Magazine, a project dedicated to expanding the project of scientific socialism in the 21st Century. In our feed we have a combination of podcast episodes and audio articles from our website.

Tricontinentalism: North Korea in Havana & Georgetown with Moe Taylor

Rudy talks with Moe Taylor, author of North Korea, Tricontinentalism, and the Latin American Revolution, 1959–1970 to explore the overlooked role of North Korea in the revolutionary internationalist movement of the 1960s, particularly its influence on Latin America and the Global South. We highlight how the DPRK, alongside Cuba and Vietnam, contributed to Tricontinentalism -a movement distinct from Soviet and Chinese approaches to internationalism. The conversation delves into North Kore

Feb 24, • 1:08:44

White Hoods and Pinkertons with Chad Pearson

Isaac, Cliff, and Jay interview Chad Pearson, author of the book Capital's Terrorists: Klansmen, Lawmen, and Employers in the Long Nineteenth Century. We discuss the armed, violent employer associations of the turn of the century, from the Klan to the Pinkertons. While most of our episodes look at the organization and self-activity of the oppressed, here we look at the organizers, activists, and agitators of the propertied. We discuss the ideological underpinnings of American vigilantism and the

Jan 14, • 59:39

Spanish Anarchism and the New Economy

Rudy joins Miguel Gómez, author of La CNT y la Nueva Economía: Del colectivismo empresarial a la planificación de la economía confederal (1936-1939) for a discussion on the most prominent Spanish anarchist union, the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo. We talk about the origins of the CNT, its base, its history under the Primo de Rivera dictatorship and its reactions to the formation of the Spanish Republic. We then talk about the currents within the CNT, and their ideas for what the econ

Dec 16, 2024 • 1:26:18

Mexico 1920-40: Building the Revolutionary State

Amelia, Carlos and Rudy sit down for the follow-up episode on the Mexican revolution to discuss the consolidation of the revolutionary state with a focus on the figure of Lázaro Cárdenas. They discuss the origins of yellow unionism and agrarian reform in Mexico, the presidency of Plutarco Calles and the Cristero War, and the radical period in the 1930s which led to mass expropriations, the nationalization of oil and a radical international policy. Bibliography: B. Carr - Marxism & Communi

Dec 10, 2024 • 1:36:27

The Untold Story of Gerry Healy and British Trotskyism by Aidan Beatty

James and Rudy join Aidan Beatty, author of The Party is Always Right: The Untold Story of Gerry Healy and British Trotskyism for a discussion on Gerry Healy. We discuss the figure of Gerry Healy, and his contextualization within the British left in the interwar and post-WW2 period and the evolution of his organization up to its dissolution by its own members. We also discuss the strict internal regime of the organizations he lead, the Socialist Labour League and the Workers Revolutionar

Nov 22, 2024 • 1:35:55

Somalia: Colonialism, Socialism and War

Eric and Rob join Abdi for a discussion on Somalia from the colonial period to the present. They discuss the formation of the Somali people, the long and conflictual relationship to Ethiopia, British and Italian colonization and Somali independence before moving on to the scientific socialist period under Siad Barre. They discuss the achievements of this period, the origins of the Ogaden War conflict, and the abandonment of the USSR and of Socialism. They then discuss the disintegration o

Nov 10, 2024 • 2:32:08

Where is the working class' power? An interview with Peter Olney and John Womack

Peter Olney is a labor organizer of over half a century, long-time organizing director at the ILWU, and researcher on labor strategy. John Womack is a Harvard historian of the labor movement and the Mexican Revolution. In this episode they sit down with Ira and Rudy to discuss Peter and John’s 2023 book Labor, Power, and Strategy. They discuss the controversial approach of organizing workers in the choke points of production, what it will take to rebuild the labor movement, and new opport

Oct 28, 2024 • 1:29:15

Ba'ath and Ba'ath: Arab Socialism in Syria and Iraq

Eric, Andrew and Rudy join for a discussion on the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party in the two regions where it held power: Syria and Iraq, covering the history of both countries from the dissolution of the Ottoman empire up to the Hama Rebellion in Syria and the Kuwait War in Iraq. Among other topics we discuss the more military and sectarian character of the party in Syria, the 'left' and 'right' wings of Ba'athism, the figures of Salah Jadid, Hafez Assad and Saddam Hussein, the relationship betwee

Oct 13, 2024 • 2:13:16

Marxism, Labourism, and the Roots of British Communism, 1884-1921 with Tony Collins

Rudy and Andreas join Tony Collins, author of Raising the Red Flag. Marxism, Labourism, and the Roots of British Communism, 1884–1921 for a discussion on the origins of the British Marxist movement from the creation of the Social Democratic Federation to the foundation of the Communist Party. We cover some of the important groups of the British Left at the time, the labor militancy before and during and after the First World War, and the founding of the Communist Party of Great Britain detai

Sep 29, 2024 • 1:45:56

Ending the One Party State: Reflections on Rhode Island Democratic Socialists of America

Tony Unger sets the record straight on Rhode Island DSA’s political experiences with the Democratic Party and need for class independence.  Read By: Christina Carman Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Aug 27, 2024 • 51:15

Pacific Gibraltar: A soft introduction to Hawai'i

Rudy joins Miguel, amateur historian of Hawai'i for a discussion on the history and present of the islands. We cover the first contact, the unification of the Hawai'ian kingdom, its pan-Oceanic profile, the overthrow of the Monarchy which leads to annexation and the Democratic Revolution before talking about the present struggles around military bases, tourism, land and water as well as the way that Hawai'ian identity has changed through the years. References: No Makou Ka Mana: Liberating

Aug 19, 2024 • 1:07:45

The Italian Communist Party: From Resistance to Dissolution

James, Steven and Rudy sit down to talk about the Italian Communist Party (PCI) from its foundation to its dissolution, with a focus on its period of maximum influence from the post-WW2 refoundation to the unraveling of the Historic Compromise in 1980 as well as the differences and similarities to the French Communist Party. We discuss the founding of the PCI in the aftermath of the First World War, followed by its destruction during the fascist period and how this destruction was a histor

Jul 29, 2024 • 1:55:12

The New Thing: Jazz Music in the Cold War, 1950-1970 with Christian Noakes

Jackson and Donald are joined by Christian Noakes author of Do It Yourself, Brother: Cultural Autonomy and the New Thing to discuss jazz music and musicians during the Cold War. We cover the U.S. state department's attempts to weaponize Jazz for imperial cultural diplomacy and how artists in the Jazz avant-garde of the 1950s-60s resisted the exploitation of their music by both the U.S. government and the capitalist music industry.

Jun 17, 2024 • 55:07

Sports and Straight Edge in Red Vienna with Gabriel Kuhn

We join Gabriel Kuhn, author of books like Soccer vs. the State and Antifascism, Sports, Sobriety: Forging a militant working-class culture for a discussion on sports, sobriety and also the ways Austromarxism applied these principles during the interwar period. We discuss Gabriel's attraction to the Straight Edge movement as well as its contemporary transformations, as well as sports and left-wing interventions. We then focus on his study on Austromarxism, Red Vienna, and working-class cul

Jun 3, 2024 • 43:25

Nasserism and the Egyptian Revolution of 1952

Rudy, Andrew and Eric sit down to discuss Egypt from its origins as an independent polity under Mehmed Ali up to the Sadat years, with a focus on the Nasserist revolutionary period. We discuss the origins and aims of the 1952 coup and revolution, the relationship between communists and Nasser(ism), the three periods of Nasserism, the national and international character of the government periods, the (lack of) institutionalization of Arab Socialism and the Arab Socialist Union, the unraveling of

May 27, 2024 • 1:45:17

Escaping the Constitutional Bind with Aziz Rana

Donald and Luke talk with Aziz Rana about his latest book, The Constitutional Bind: How Americans Came to Idolize a Document That Fails Them. Rana discusses why constitutional veneration has remained (for now) "a naturalized, unremarked-upon feature” of American life despite the Constitution's flagrantly undemocratic nature. Along the way, he touches on the Socialist Party of America's constitutional skepticism, the impact of war and foreign revolutions on constitutional ideology, and the risks

May 13, 2024 • 1:22:07

The Making of a Working Class Revolutionary: an Interview with Jerome Scott

We sit down with Jerome Scott, former Detroit Auto worker and founding member of the League of Revolutionary Black Workers to learn about Black working-class radicalizing during the Vietnam War and Detroit uprisings and to get advice on directions for the revolutionary movement today.

May 6, 2024 • 1:23:52

Artificial Intelligence

Ian, Nico, Matt, Chas and Rudy join for a general discussion on artificial intelligence. They cover the early origins of AI as a field, with the debates of the time, all the way up to the present state. They then discuss what to expect from AI in the near future, and give aspects where the prospects may be optimistic, pessimistic or neutral. They finish with a discussion on how Marxists should relate to AI in the present, trying to avoid overly pessimistic or uncritical attitudes.

Apr 21, 2024 • 1:56:15

The Frankfurt School in Context (1923-69)

Exir, Toby and Jackson join for a discussion on the (in)famous Frankfurt School. They discuss the history of the Institute for Social Research from its founding as a think tank for the study of the workers’ movement, through the turn to critical theory and empirical social research in the 1930s, its flight to America in the wake of the Nazis’ rise to power, and its return to Germany after the Second World War. Focusing in on Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, and Herbert Marcuse, they use the

Apr 15, 2024 • 2:22:36

Mining and the Environment with Martin Lallana

Rudy joins Martín Lallana for an introductory discussion on mining. We talk about the importance of mining to capitalism, the ecological impacts of different kind of mining, the way that the materials extracted have changed along history focusing on the materials needed for an energy transition and the way the Ukranian war has changed the needs of European countries before discussing the possibilities to have more just forms of mining and the potentialities of "urban mining"

Apr 1, 2024 • 1:05:17

Jihadism and Military Juntas in the Sahel with Alexander Thurston

Rob joins Alexander Thurston for a discussion on his work on the Sahel region, focusing on the interplay between radical Islamic groups, the civilian governments/military juntas of the regions and international players like the US and France. They discuss the social basis of the groups, the role of different countries and different armies, the reasons behind the military coups and their possible future paths as well as how much is not really known about these groups.

Mar 24, 2024 • 1:03:33

[REMASTER] Communism in the Colours of France: The French Communist Party (1920-2024)

Steven, James and Rudy sit down for a long discussion on the French Communist Party from its inception all the way to its present state. We cover all the periods in its history: the Pre-WW2 Popular Front, the post WW2 entrance into government, its isolation, and its coming back into government with Mitterrand in the 80s, before discussing its decline and the reasons for it. References: M. Adereth - The French Communist party: A Critical History (1920-1984), from Comintern to "the colours of Fran

Mar 11, 2024 • 2:33:42

The Value of Dune: a Communistic Perspective

Rejecting recent interpretations in the U.S. socialist press as truistic, Jackson Albert Mann makes a case for a particular communistic reading of the first novel in Frank Herbert’s Dune franchise. Read By: A Darlymple Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Mar 7, 2024 • 21:23

Towards the Abyss: Ukraine from Maidan to War with Volodymyr Ishchenko

Rudy joins Volodymyr Ishchenko, author of Towards the Abyss: Ukraine from Maidan to War, for a discussion on Ukraine and the broader post-Soviet sphere. We discuss the formation of the Ukranian identity under the USSR, the story of Ukraine after independence through the Orange Revolution, Euromaidan and up to the recent war, and the failures of its elites to enact a political project. We also talk about the role of the far-right, whether the war was preventable, Military Keynsianism in Ukr

Mar 4, 2024 • 1:14:02

Letter: Llorente v. Schaeffer

Written By: Abner Dalrymple Read By: Will Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Feb 23, 2024 • 5:39

Gene Bruskin: A Life in the Labor Movement

Aliyah VanPelt and Cliff Connolly sit down with longtime organizer Gene Bruskin to get his advice and hear stories from his time in the movement, including with US Labor Against the War.

Feb 20, 2024 • 2:04:52

The Korean Miracle’s Rural Legacy

Alex Witherspoon, Yu Zhou, and Alle Fang give an account of socialist agriculture in rural North Korea, arguing that the difficulties faced by the country’s economy have been primarily caused by deteriorating trade conditions. Read By: Allen Lanterman Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Feb 15, 2024 • 33:02

The Mexican Revolution

Amelia, Carlos and Rudy sit down to discuss the revolutionary period of Mexico in the decade of 1910. We talk about the Porfiriato period which led up to the revolution, the conjecture which led to the events of 1910, the three stages of the revolutionary wars, and the diverse factions acting in each stage. We discuss the relevant figures of the revolution, including Francisco Madero, Emilio Zapata, Pancho Villa, the Flores Magón brothers, as well as the ultimate victors in the Sonora clan

Feb 12, 2024 • 1:36:43

Seeds of Power: The Global Food System and The Green Revolution with Raj Patel

Rudy joins Raj Patel for a discussion on the global food system. We discuss how food serves as a powerful educational tool, the paradox of global hunger amidst food abundance and obesity, linking it to the systemic issues in food production and consumption. We discuss producers, vendors and how supermarkets dictate what is cultivated and sold. We also talk about Raj's work on the Long Green Revolution, challenging the conventional view of the Green Revolution as a historical event and p

Feb 5, 2024 • 51:38

Just Another Kautsky Fan

Interpreting Stalin’s fledgling revolutionary career through his later status as a brutal labor dictator obscures an early whole-hearted admiration for the works of Kautsky and Lenin. By Lawrence Parker. Read By Luke Pickrell Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Feb 1, 2024 • 33:48

Captives: the History of Rikers Island and New York City with Jarrod Shanahan

Isaac and Jack join Jarrod Shanahan, an activist, educator, and the author of Captives: How Rikers Island Took New York City Hostage, for a wide-ranging conversation. We cover the last 70 years of New York City's political history from the lens of the city's jails. We discuss the various actors fighting for control in the city: the politicians and bureaucrats responsible for the administration of jails, the repressive jailers and their corrupt labor union, the revolutionary social movements stru

Jan 22, 2024 • 1:39:22

Citizen Marx: Republicanism and the Formation of Karl Marx’s Social and Political Thought with Bruno Leipold

Donald and Luke talk with Bruno Leipold about his forthcoming book, Citizen Marx: Republicanism and the Formation of Karl Marx’s Social and Political Thought. Bruno touches on several topics including English Chartism, democratic republicanism, national constitutions, and the political development Marx and Engels’s over the years. Bruno emphasizes the democratic republican foundation of Marxism and why it needs to be rediscovered.

Jan 15, 2024 • 1:30:19

Solidarność and the Polish People's Republic

Chas, James, and Rudy delve into the history of the Polish People's Republic in this episode, focusing on the influential Solidarity movement. They explore communism's roots in Poland from the interwar period to WWII, highlighting the challenges posed by the Soviet invasion. The conversation covers the post-WWII liberation, the establishment of the Polish nation-state, and the diverse governmental shifts leading up to the 1980s. They also discuss how Solidarity emerges from the Workers' Defen

Jan 4, 2024 • 1:55:50

The Algerian Revolution II (1965-99): Developmentalism, Marketization and War

Rob, Eric and Rudy continue their discussion of the Algerian revolution from the fall of Ben Bella to the end of the Black Decade (known in the West as the Algerian Civil War). We discuss the starting point of Boumedienne's government, the agrarian reform and the developmentalist program undertaken in industry, as well as the internal divisions of the FLN during this period which led to widespread sabotage of this developmentalist program. We then talk about Boumedienne's death, and the change i

Dec 11, 2023 • 1:05:55

Endless Muddle

Renzo Llorente critically responds to Gil Schaeffer’s views on democratic rights and socialism.  Read By: Will Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Dec 7, 2023 • 35:10

Inside the CR-CPUSA/Red Guards: Cults, Violence and the Left

Gus, Donald and Isaac join Esra, author of the webside CR-CPUSA Exposed: Hub for Information and Recovery for a discussion on their experience inside the Committee to Reconstitute the Communist Party of the USA, also known as the Red Guards. We go into a lot of detail on how the CR-CPUSA operated, how it related to its locals and how it was basically centered around the personality of Jared Roark, also knon as Comrade Dallas. We talk about how the CR-CPUSA came to dissolve by a process initiated

Nov 27, 2023 • 2:00:44

Commune or Nothing!: Venezuela’s Communal Movement with Chris Gilbert

Rudy and Christian join Chris Gilbert for a discussion on his new book Commune or Nothing! Venezuela’s Communal Movement and its Socialist Project. We cover the history of the Venezuelan communal project, and how it relates to previous attempts of the government to build a socialist economy including the Venezuelan cooperative movement or the drive to build state-run industry. We discuss the ideas of István Mészáros on how the commune centers the communal control of the labor process, and attem

Nov 13, 2023 • 1:47:21

A Participant's History of the Students for a Democratic Society with Gil Schaeffer

Luke joins Gil Shaeffer, a former member of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and author of "You Can’t Use Weatherman to Show Which Way the Wind Blew” to talk about the SDS, the New Left, and the centrality of democratic republicanism to Marxism. Gil discusses his path to joining SDS in the late 1960s, the impact of figures like C Wright Mills, the little-remembered March on Fort Dix, and the meaning of “participatory democracy.” He explains how SDS and the New Left are presented in

Oct 30, 2023 • 1:26:51

Race, Class and the Zionist State

Gus Breslauer responds to Angry Workers of the World on the issue of Palestine and Zionism. There is no path “around” Intifada, the working class must go in-and-through it. Read by: Will Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Oct 19, 2023 • 30:13

Between Market and Plan: the Soviet Union in the Era of the NEP

Donald, Christian, and Connor sit down to discuss the political economic conditions of the Soviet Union during the period of the New Economic Policy. Over the course of the episode, they cover War Communism, the intellectual currents and debates within the Party, the importance of the peasant question, the geopolitics of isolation, and the NEP’s long term viability. References: R. C. Allen - Farm to Factory: A Reinterpretation of the Soviet Industrial Revolution V. Barnett - The Revolutionary Ru

Oct 17, 2023 • 3:02:27

The Wars of Reconstruction with Douglas Egerton

Luke joins Douglas Egerton, author of The Wars of Reconstruction: The Brief, Violent History of America's Most Progressive Era, for a conversation about an epoch-defining period in U.S. history. Drawing from the lives of lesser-known actors, Douglas details attempts to transform the foundation of society following the Civil War and the vociferous resistance to those changes. Douglas provides an overview of Reconstruction, the forces involved, and, crucially, the way in which the period has

Oct 2, 2023 • 1:22:00

The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya with Matteo Capasso

Rudy joins Matteo Capasso, author of Everyday Politics in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya for a discussion on Libya with a focus on the period from 1969 to 2011. We delves into Matteo's  research on Libya, exploring the myths and stories surrounding Libya's history, aiming to dispel the notion of Qaddafi's authoritarianism and the concept of statelessness among the Libyan people. The conversation takes a historical journey, discussing the antecedents of the Libyan revolution, the formation of the

Sep 25, 2023 • 1:30:35

The Algerian Revolution I (1954-65): Decolonization, Self-Management and Internationalism

Rob, Eric and Rudy delve into the Algerian revolution, tracing its roots back to French colonization, through the liberation war, and the Ben Bella period. This first part of the discussion on Algeria explores the 19th-century French settlement of Algeria and the various phases of colonization. It also examines the impact of Algerian labor migration to France and its role in the liberation war. We provide insights into the National Liberation Front (FLN), highlighting its different factions

Sep 13, 2023 • 1:16:59

Democratic Rights and Socialism

Gil Schaeffer responds to Renzo Llorente’s “The Contradictions and Confusions of ‘Democratic Socialism” and argues that socialists need to base their politics on a coherent ethical theory of democratic rights. Read by: Will Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Sep 7, 2023 • 57:36

Migration as Economic Imperialism with Immanuel Ness

Rudy joins Immanuel Ness to discuss his recent work Migration as Economic Imperialism: How International Labour Mobility Undermines Economic Development in Poor Countries. We begin by explaining why migration is economic imperialism and addressing key questions about who migrates, their reasons, and destinations, highlighting evolving migration patterns. We explore how migration patterns are designed to meet labor demands and the role of recruitment agencies. Ness distinguishes between tem

Sep 4, 2023 • 1:34:23

From Champion of the Oppressed to Truth, Justice, and the American Way: Who Took the Socialism Out of Superman?

Hank Kennedy traces the ideological history of Superman, arguing that the populism of the character’s early iterations would eventually be shed as a result of commercial interests. Read by: Keir Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Aug 31, 2023 • 23:35

A History of the Home and the Fight for Free Time with Helen Hester and Nick Srnicek

Rudy joins authors Helen Hester and Nick Srnicek to explore their latest book, After Work: A History of the Home and the Fight for Free Time. The conversation commences with a clear definition of domestic work, setting the stage for the book's unique perspective on this issue in contrast to other theoretical frameworks. The dialogue delves into 20th-century trends in household labor within the global North, with a special focus on Cowan's paradox. Additionally, the episode explores the real

Aug 28, 2023 • 57:08

Marxism and the Democratic Republic

Luke Pickrell of Marxist Unity Group emphasizes the centrality of radical democracy to the communist project and reintroduces the construction of the democratic republic as the foundational political goal for socialists today. He emphatically asserts that if socialists are to defeat the tricephalic hydra of capitalist domination, we must aim for the heart – “the source and parent of all the other atrocities” – the US Constitution.  Read by: Aliyah Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Out

Aug 22, 2023 • 52:17

Marxist Unity Group & the Democratic Socialists of America’s National Convention

Amelia joins Amy, Steven, and Greg for a discussion centered around the Marxist Unity Group (MUG) in the aftermath of the recent Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) convention. Amy, who earned a seat on the National Political Committee (NPC) through her election at the convention, as well as the others provide an insider's perspective on the organization of DSA and the significance of the National Convention. The conversation delves into the inner workings of DSA, exploring its structural d

Aug 21, 2023 • 1:20:43

Czechoslovakia's Quest for Reform: Unraveling the Prague Spring

Chas, Christian, Rudy, and James come together to delve into a comprehensive conversation about the Prague Spring, a significant Czechoslovak reform movement. Their discussion begins by tracing the roots of Czechoslovak communism, recounting the post-World War II Communist ascension to power, and elaborating on the gradual and intricate reform drive that eventually culminated in Dubček's rise to leadership during the Prague Spring of 1968. Subsequently, they explore the ideologies championed by

Aug 14, 2023 • 2:00:41

Labor Republicanism and the Freedom Question in 19th Century North America

Luke and Donald join Alexander Gourevitch, author of From Slavery to Cooperative Commonwealth: Labor and Republican Liberty in the 19th Century, for a wide-ranging discussion about the republican conception of freedom and how republicanism was taken up by workers in the United States. They begin by discussing older conceptions of freedom and slavery and how those ideas evolved. They consider the Workingmen’s Parties and the Knights of Labor as examples of ‘labor republicans’ who saw wage la

Aug 7, 2023 • 1:43:52

Nurturing Minds, Uniting Movements: Exploring Political Education in the Communist Movement

Jackson, Rudy and Steve sit down to talk about political education in the communist movement. They explore their personal experiences with education in both formal  and political settings, highlighting the contrasting dynamics. Delving  into the models of political education within a party, they emphasize  the significance of cultivating a shared language and vision. The trio  generously shares practical examples and tips for organizing engaging  and diverse reading and study groups, ensuring a

Jul 31, 2023 • 1:11:59

There Is Never One Lamb Alone: On Finding Unity in Diversity

Splits and purges are no solution to the problem of disagreement in the socialist movement. Marisa Miale calls for unity in diversity in the context of the DSA. Read By: LC Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Jul 27, 2023 • 25:23

The Mexican Dirty War: From Cárdenas to Zapatismo with Adela Cedillo

Rudy joins Adela Cedillo, co-editor of Challenging Authoritarianism in Mexico Revolutionary Struggles and the Dirty War, 1964-1982, and author of several studies on the Mexican dirty war such as El Fuego y El Silencio, Historia de las Fuerzas de Liberación Nacional Mexicanas (1969-1974), for a conversation on this period of history. We discuss the mixed legacy of the Mexican revolution, the state of the left after the progressive presidency of Lazaro Cárdenas, the two periods in Mexican insu

Jul 24, 2023 • 1:15:24

The Contradictions and Confusions of “Democratic Socialism”

Renzo Llorente engages with contemporary advocates of Democratic Socialism and argues that they ultimately fail to demarcate between liberal and socialist visions of democracy, resulting in capitulation to the liberal status quo.  Read By: Will Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Jul 20, 2023 • 53:24

The World System and The Beautiful Game ⚽ with Sam Parry

Rudy and Djamil join Sam Parry, author of The Ugly Economics of the Beautiful Game for a discussion on how capitalism interacts with the sport most of the world knows as football. We talk about the many ways in which capitalism interacts with international football from a world-systems perspective including how the periphery ends up supplying talent to the economic core, the tendencies towards vertical integration, the stickiness of capital, the historic patterns of club ownership, and the r

Jul 17, 2023 • 1:31:36

The Question of Worldview and Class Struggle in Philosophy

Daniel Tutt looks to the philosophy of Georg Lukács and his critique of bourgeois irrationalism to explicate the role of intellectuals and worldviews in the class struggle. Read By: Allen Lanterman Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Jul 13, 2023 • 59:56

The African Blood Brotherhood, its Relations and Legacy

Combining the insights of previous scholarship with information gathered from Bureau of Investigation (BOI, predecessor of the FBI) surveillance documents, Ian Szabo presents a new angle on the history of the African Blood Brotherhood (ABB), illustrating the organizations’ particular synthesis of Black radical politics and Marxism, as well as revealing the racial fantasy through which contemporaneous mainstream U.S. media and the state understood its methods and goals. Read by: Luke Intro Music:

Jul 6, 2023 • 41:58

The U.S. Constitution and the Struggle for Democracy with Robert Ovetz

Luke and Donald join Robert Ovetz, author of We the Elites: Why the Constitution Serves the Few, for a discussion on the Constitution as a potent obstacle to political and social democracy in the United States. They begin with a discussion about the history and context of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the various anxieties the Framers held toward indigenous resistance, slave rebellions, and debtor revolts. They explore the document’s inner workings, including the various minoritaria

Jul 4, 2023 • 1:15:30

ACT UP, Fight Back

Charlie Frank gives an overview of the forms of social mobilization that developed as a response to the AIDS pandemic as well as what lessons the left can draw from this chapter of history.  Read by Will Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Jun 29, 2023 • 1:23:54

The People's Republic of Mozambique with Colin Darch

Rudy joins Colin Darch, author of several books on Mozambique and curator of Mozambique History Net for a discussion on Mozambique from the colonial period to the unraveling of the socialist period. We discuss Portuguese colonialism and the economic system the country had, the liberation movement FRELIMO with attention to its origins and its historical leader Eduardo Mondlane, before talking about Samora Machel, the first leader of an independent Mozambique. We discuss the Machel period and

Jun 26, 2023 • 1:34:45

Socializing Care: Against Domestic Realism

The Cibcom Collective take aim at domestic realism, arguing that feminist planning of the domestic economy is necessary to the communist project. This is a translation of an article originally published in Jacobin América Latina. Read By: Luke Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Jun 22, 2023 • 24:09

Karl Marx and Radical Indigenous Critiques of Capitalism

Nodrada explores the tensions and resonances between Marxism and Indigenous thought, putting the writings of Native theorists such as Vine Deloria Jr., Luther Standing Bear, Winona LaDuke, and many others in dialogue with those of Marx. Read By: Aliyah Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Jun 15, 2023 • 2:09:39

The People's Republic of Bulgaria: From the Fields to the Cyberstars with Victor Petrov

Rudy joins Victor Petrov, author of Balkan Cyberia: Cold War Computing, Bulgarian Modernization, and the Information Age behind the Iron Curtain for a discussion on The People's Republic of Bulgaria and its computing industry and offshoots. They discuss the history of socialism in Bulgaria, how it changed the country's productive basis from an agricultural nation to one that could produce an all-Bulgarian satellite in 1981 and be a worldwide leader of computing. We talk about how the computi

Jun 12, 2023 • 1:02:46

Cop City will never be built with Kei and Leila

Isaac joins Kei and Leila from Stop Cop City/Defend Atlanta Forest for a discussion on the movement, its strategy and its ultimate goals. They discuss what brought them into the movement, what the Weelaunee coalition and the Atlanta Police Foundation are, how the movement uses three prongs to aim for victory, and how it relates to the political landscape in Atlanta. They also touch on the centrality of care in a movement which has seen someone murdered, as well as the links to contemporary e

Jun 5, 2023 • 1:15:51

Letter: "Lines of flight" for undeniable problems

Cibcom Collective's Response to Luke P Read by: Will Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Jun 1, 2023 • 11:50

Entropy and the Capitalist System with Robert Biel

Rudy joins Robert Biel, author of The Entropy of Capitalism, The New Imperialism and Sustainable Food Systems for a discussion on systems approaches to analyzing capitalism. They cover Robert's earlier work on entropy and capitalism, how the capitalist system externalizes disorder on the periphery, the role of China in the world-system, the potentialities of agriculture and much more.

May 29, 2023 • 1:57:18

Letter: On Sortition and Democratic Decision-making

This letter is in response to Conquering Democracy, Abolishing Political Representation by the Cibcom Collective. I appreciated the comrades’ thought-provoking work and the opportunity to clarify my ideas in response. I have several peripheral agreements regarding the importance of democracy and the utility of workers’ councils, and one fundamental disagreement about the nature of the democratic republic. Read by: Will Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Frie

May 25, 2023 • 14:08

Neither Vertical nor Horizontal: A Theory of Political Organization with Rodrigo Nunes

Rudy and Harry join Rodrigo Nunes, author of Neither Vertical nor Horizontal: A Theory of Political Organization for a discussion on Rodrigo's approach to thinking about the problem of organization. We cover the need to move beyond certain dichotomies like vertical and horizontal, self-organized vs organized from the outside, the need for understanding organization ecologically, the problem of organizational fitness, and discuss the potential applications of the ideas in this book.

May 21, 2023 • 1:25:36

The Beijing Revolutionary Women’s Conference of '49 with Elisabeth Armstrong

Annie joins Elisabeth Armstrong, author of Bury the Corpse of Colonialism: The Revolutionary Feminist Conference of 1949 for a discussion of the Beijing conference and the international women's movement of the period. They discuss the composition and politics of the Women’s International Democratic Federation, the key figures in the WIDF who played a role in the Asian Women’s Conference, the different rhetorical strategies formulated through the conference, including revolutionary motherhood

May 8, 2023 • 1:20:32

Is This the Left that Jacobin Wants?: Chris Maisano’s Perilous Drift Towards Post-Marxism

A recent Jacobin piece by Chris Maisano argues that building “a Left that matters” requires focusing on Democratic Party electoral work, but we must be clear about the consequence of such an orientation: a middle-class Left that remains disconnected from the proletariat and abandons the fundamentals of Marxism. By Jacque Erie. Read By: Keir Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

May 4, 2023 • 1:03:17

Conquering Democracy, Abolishing Political Representation

The Cibcom Collective argues that Communist society will require an overcoming of political representation in favor of forms of direct democracy like sortition and referendum. Read By: Will Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Apr 27, 2023 • 23:38

Cultivating the City with George Martin and Salvatore Engel

Rudy joins Salvatore Engel-Di Mauro and George Martin, authors of Urban Food Production for Ecosocialism: Cultivating the City for a discussion on urban agriculture. We talk about the history of food and the city, the ways the Global North/South divide is reflected in food, before focusing on the authors' fieldwork on what the political uses as well as limitations of urban food gardens are. We discuss examples in Ghana, Italy, the US, China and Cuba, and what is done right and wrong in each

Apr 24, 2023 • 1:40:06

American Socialism from 1892 to 1908

Transcription and commentary by SA Reed. Read by Cliff Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Apr 20, 2023 • 36:58

H. T. Odum's Environment, Power and Society

Amelia, RK, Harry and Rudy sit down for a discussion on systems approaches to ecology using as a basis H. T. Odum's Environment, Power, and Society for the Twenty-First Century: The Hierarchy of Energy . We talk about Odum's innovations in the field of ecology, his ideas about the hierarchies of energy and matter, how to use Odum's framework to extend Marxist analysis of society towards constructing an eco-socialist program, and use that to critically evaluate several current political proposals

Apr 11, 2023 • 1:34:05

Letter: MUG and R&R’s Joint Resolutions for the 2023 DSA National Convention

links to read and sign resolutions here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXgSds8qpoyqfwY-wXfs00htSRExsofCdvgLDRN-_Zn82IsQ/viewform https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc_9gWNbmroeapzEBICuZotHoLElzUalW_jD84jxqqkVF8L-w/viewform

Apr 9, 2023 • 12:38

Democracy and Socialism, the Two Edges of Marxism’s Knife

Gil Schaeffer responds to Ben Grove’s “Twelve-Step Program for Democrat Addiction” and its arguments about the need for a mass party, critiquing Mike Macnair, Ben Lewis and Lars Lih’s concept of Erfurtian Marxism. Read By: Will Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Apr 3, 2023 • 1:12:48

Unite the Pro-Party Wing to Revolutionize the DSA!!

Shuvu Bhattarai of the Marxist Unity Group outlines an overview of the recent history of DSA and finds a demarcation between pro-party and anti-party tendencies, calling on those sympathetic to the former to join the fight for a mass socialist party in the United States of America. Read by: Aliyah Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment. Part 2 of Shvu's response to Lazare will deal with building a Un

Mar 27, 2023 • 1:42:30

Marxist approaches to International Law with Robert Knox

Anton joins Robert Knox for a discussion of Marxist approaches to law, with a focus on international law. We discuss critical legal studies, international law and how it compares to other branches of law, its origins and how it has evolved through the years focusing on the cases of Haiti, the USSR and decolonization movement, and law and neocolonialism. We also discuss how Marxists can approach law in general through principled opportunism.

Mar 20, 2023 • 1:58:58

Why Socialists Must Reject the Yimby-Nimby Binary

Harry Zehner analyzes the discourse and politics of the YIMBY-NIMBY divide and argues that socialists should reject this binary entirely. Read By: Aliyah Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Mar 17, 2023 • 32:04

The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen

Rudy, Carson, Eric and Rob sit down to talk about the only socialist state in the Arab peninsula, and arguably in the Arab world: The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, also known as South Yemen. We discuss its origins, the struggles of the left factions to pursue a socialist path, its economic policies and political turns, as well as the factors that led to its demise through reunification with the north. We also briefly talk about the revival of South Yemeni sentiment during the present wa

Mar 9, 2023 • 1:21:00

The Problem of Unity

In a comparative study of Austro-Marxism, the French Socialist movement, and Bolshevism, Medway Baker argues for the left to seek unity around a programme of constitutional disloyalty. Read By: Will Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Mar 6, 2023 • 51:30

Montreal is an Island: 1968 and the Black International Left with David Austin

Isaac and Jackson join David Austin, author of Fear of a Black Nation and Dread Poetry and Freedom: Linton Kwesi Johnson and the Unfinished Revolution, for a discussion of the Afro-Caribbean diasporic left, focusing on Montreal in the late 60s. They discuss the influence of the U.S. black power movement on the world, the black left in Montreal, and in particular the confluence between Caribbean nationalism and Quebec nationalism. They discuss the Congress of Black Writers, Walter Rodney's prese

Feb 27, 2023 • 1:07:44

The Rise of Revolutionary Abolitionism with Jesse Olsavsky

Cliff and Isaac join Jesse Olsavsky, author of The Most Absolute Abolition: Runaways, Vigilance Committees, and the Rise of Revolutionary Abolitionism, 1835–1861, for a discussion on his book on the early abolitionist movement. They discuss the textbook history of abolition, and how this masks the role of runaways and other radicals substituting them for a white middle-class leadership, what Vigilance Committees were and how they acted, the exchange of ideas between different social groups in th

Feb 20, 2023 • 1:27:50

Naming The System

Isaac KD and Jack L defend their critique of DSA’s dominant strategic orientation towards reform campaigns in a response to Sam Lewis’ “In Defense of Campaigns“.  Read by: Allan Lanterman Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Feb 17, 2023 • 31:31

The Hungarian Tragedy of '56: Origins, Events and Consequences

James, Cliff, Chas and Rudy join for a discussion on the events that take place in Hungary in 1956. We discuss the origins of the revolt, talking about the short lived Hungarian Soviet Republic in 1919, the People's Democracy period under Rakosi, the New Course and the roots of discontent. We then discuss the events themselves, as well as the reactions of the USSR and the wider Eastern Bloc and those of the West. We also talk about the program of the uprising, and what possible consequences it c

Feb 9, 2023 • 1:57:36

To Talk of Organization - On Nunes' Neither Vertical nor Horizontal

Alex James reviews Rodrigo Nunes’ latest book Neither Vertical nor Horizontal, finding a refreshing new vocabulary for talking about organization that raises difficult questions rather than providing simple answers. Narrated by Aliyah Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Feb 6, 2023 • 39:43

Cuba in Africa with Piero Gleijeses

Rudy joins Piero Gleijeses, author of Conflicting Missions: Havana, Washington and Africa, 1959–1976 and Visions of Freedom: Havana, Washington, Pretoria, and the Struggle for Southern Africa, 1976–1991 for a short discussion on Cuba's internationalist efforts in Africa. We discuss the start of Piero's project, and how he was allowed access to the Cuban archives and his interactions with Cuban official Jorge Risquet during his research on Cuba in Algeria. We then talk about what moved Cubans

Jan 30, 2023 • 44:00

Knowledge: Power and Emancipation

Renato Flores discusses the privatization of scientific knowledge and examines efforts of revolutionary movements to democratize this knowledge to help develop a communist approach to science. Narrated By: Allen Lanterman Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Jan 23, 2023 • 1:02:06

The Twilight of the Sweatshop Age: Labor, Monopsony and Supply Chains with Ashok Kumar

Rudy joins Ashok Kumar author of Monopsony Capitalism: Power and Production in the Twilight of the Sweatshop Age for a discussion on global sweatshops, labor and commodity chains. We start off by comparing the Triangle Shirtwaist fire of 1912 and the Rana Plaza disaster of 2013, and explaining what has changed and what has stayed the same. We talk about the particular role of the textile industry in capitalism, how it changed under globalization and what it reveals for the capitalist system

Jan 21, 2023 • 52:11

Legislative Campaigns and Policy Feedback

With a focus on the recent organizing work of New York City Democratic Socialists of America, Comrades Isaac KD and Jack L critique the notion of a “policy feedback” loop as the guiding element of DSA’s legislative strategy, as well as provide an alternative socialist framework for how DSA can engage with reform campaigns. Narrated by: Aliyah Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Jan 16, 2023 • 31:32

The Conservative Party and the Decline of Tory Britain with Phil Burton-Cartledge

James and Harry join Phil Burton-Cartledge, author of Falling Down: The Conservative Party and the Decline of Tory Britain for a discussion on his book. They discuss the Tories' crisis of political reproduction, how the party set the grounds for this with the Thatcher reforms, the class basis of the Conservative party before turning to explaining why understanding the Conservative party is important for the left not only in the United Kingdom but in the world. They follow by talking about the To

Jan 12, 2023 • 1:10:33

Coalitions of the Liberal and Socialist Left

How should socialists engage in coalitional politics? Jack L draws conclusions based on historical lessons and recent experiences in the housing struggle. Narrated by: Cliff Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Jan 8, 2023 • 34:56

Soviet Cybernetics and the Promise of Big Computer Socialism

Amelia, Djamil, Christian, and Rudy join for a discussion on the history of Soviet Cybernetics and the use of computers for socialist planning. We discuss the origins of Cybernetics, its role as a reform movement in the sciences, and why cybernetics became attractive to the Soviet academy in the 50s, before moving to the biographies and projects of Anatoly Kitov and Viktor Glushkov. We reflect on the failures of OGAS, and what could have been done better, as well as its positive legacy and fi

Jan 3, 2023 • 1:52:24

Probabilistic Approaches to Political Economy and Labor with Machover, Farjoun & Zachariah

Rudy joins Emmanuel Farjoun, Moshé Machover and David Zachariah for a discussion on their two books Laws of Chaos: A Probabilistic Approach to Political Economy (EF&MM only) and How Labor Powers the Global Economy: A Labor Theory of Capitalism . We cover the origins of the project to develop a probabilistic approach to political economy and how it has developed, what are its basic assumptions, what sort of theory of value it proposes, why it treats labor preferentially and how it compares to

Dec 14, 2022 • 1:26:11

The Workers' Opposition in the Russian Communist Party with Barbara C. Allen

Annie and Lucas join Barbara C. Allen, editor of the recent collection of documents The Workers' Opposition in the Russian Communist Party: Documents, 1919-30 and author of Alexander Shlyapnikov, 1885-1937: Life of an Old Bolshevik for a conversation on the Workers' Opposition in the Russian Communist Party. They discuss what the Workers' Opposition was, as well as the biographies of the more important members such as Alexander Shlyapnikov and Sergei Medvedev, what the Workers' Opposition stood

Dec 7, 2022 • 1:40:58

New York City Food Worker Organizing, 1912-37 with Kevin Bruce

Last week, over 100 Starbucks stores went on strike, the latest step in the astonishing growth of organizing in the restaurant industry. Astonishing now, but as Kevin Bruce writes in his excellent new book We Have Fed You All For A Thousand Years: New York City Food Worker Organizing, 1912-1937, in the long run of working class history, this is nothing new. Kevin is joined by Jackson and Isaac for a discussion on present and past labor organizing in the restaurant industry.

Nov 28, 2022 • 1:25:34

Twilight of World Trotskyism with John Kelly

Warning: Sexual abuse is discussed in this episode. Brendan and James join John Kelly, author of Contemporary Trotskyism and The Twilight of World Trotskyism for a discussion on the history of world Trotskyism. They talk about the primacy of doctrine, the structure of Trotskyist parties around the world and their difference in structures and tactics, Trotskyism's lack of success in building mass parties, Latin American Trotskyism and the outlook of world Trotskyism. They also discuss the smal

Nov 21, 2022 • 1:25:22

From Guerrilla Mime to Brecht & Ecology: An Interview with Ron G. Davis

Rudy joins Dr. Ron G. Davis, founder of the San Francisco Mime Troupe in 1959, for a reflection of a life in art and politics. We discuss the SFMT's beginnings during the civil rights era, how it turned into a "guerilla" operation, the relationship to Teatro Campesino, civil rights and the black radical movement, why his time with the SFMT came to an end, and the influence of Brecht and his PhD work on a Brechtian ecology.

Nov 14, 2022 • 1:21:29

Addiction is not a Crime

Beyond failing at preventing the ills of addiction, the War of Drugs has served as a war on those dispossessed by capitalism. Billy Anania argues that a socialist approach is needed. Read by: Riley Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Nov 10, 2022 • 29:45

The Goal: Scientific Management, Lean and Safe Organizations

Matt, Rudy, and Amelia sit down for a critical discussion about contemporary scientific management practices and frameworks, ranging from Lean, the Theory of Constraints, Improvement Kata to safety culture. Drawing on The Goal by E. M. Goldratt, Toyota Kata by Mike Rother, The Phoenix Project by Gene Kim et al., and other works, they explore what socialists can learn from scientific management to apply in their organizations and in economic planning. They also discuss critiques of scientific man

Nov 7, 2022 • 2:12:53

Larouche: a Warning for us All

Donald Parkinson argues the seeds of what Lyndon LaRouche would become were present from the very beginnings of his organization in this analysis of the early days of his career.   Read By: Riley   Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix    Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Oct 31, 2022 • 24:11

Ecological Leninism with Kai Heron

Rudy joins Kai Heron for a discussion on ecological political strategy. We discuss his political background, how to develop an ecological program out of the different ecology schools, the agrarian and land questions and how to approach liberal climate movements and trade unions. We also talk about the Green New Deal, the debates around focusing on production or consumption, eco-modernism and degrowth. We finish by talking about Kai's articles on Ecological Leninism.   Links: Revolution or Ruin a

Oct 26, 2022 • 1:03:53

State, Democracy, and Transition: Is There a “Democratic Road” to Socialism?

Maxi Nieto critiques the perspectives of the “new democratic socialism” and argues they are based on a misunderstanding of capitalism as a structural totality. Read By: Riley Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Oct 21, 2022 • 1:04:56

Stalin pt. 2: the Second World War, Reconstruction, and the Making of High Stalinism

Donald, Christian, and Connor return to the subject of Stalin and Stalinism. Picking up from the Great Purge, the episode covers the Second World War through the death of Stalin, or the High Stalinist period. Among other things they take up the questions of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Gulag system, and the rise of technocracy in the postwar years. The episode ends by exploring the lessons to be learned from studying Stalin and Soviet history, and what a lot of the Left gets wrong in their

Oct 18, 2022 • 3:13:31

Women, Life, Freedom: The Iranian Protests with Slingers Collective

Annie and Matthew sit down with Foroogh, Niloo, and Ida from the Slingers Collective, an Iranian leftist media project, to discuss the ongoing protest wave in response to the killing of Mahsa Amini. The conversation covers the history of the imposition hijab in the Islamic Republic and the position of women in Iranian society, including how this varies by class and ethnic background, the status and history of peripheral areas and ethnic minorities in Iran, the state of the Iranian Left and work

Oct 9, 2022 • 2:07:50

From Petrograd to Shanghai: The Party and Mass Democracy in Lenin and Mao

James, Matthew and Rudy join for a followup on From Paris to Petrograd: State and Revolution in Practice to discuss how the ideas of the party, the masses and democracy changes from Lenin's State and Revolution to the proclamation of the Shanghai Commune during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. We start off talking about Lenin's attitude towards the problem of specialists in the RSFSR, how this was solved by Stalin by strengthening the Party, and how Mao made an immanent critique of

Sep 30, 2022 • 1:52:25

Leon Trotsky and Cultural Revolution

Doug Enaa Greene argues that in Trotsky’s work a theory of cultural revolution can be found, one which differs from Mao Zedong’s that was developed in the context of the Russian Revolution and its struggle against bureaucracy.  Narrated by: Will Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Sep 26, 2022 • 35:28

A New Jihad: Afghanistan from 1992 to the Present

Eric, Rob and Rudy join for the second part of the Afghanistan podcast, which covers the start of the Afghan civil war, the birth of the Taliban and their takeover of the country, 9/11 and the US Invasion, the period of the occupation government and the Taliban resurgence and return. We discuss the origins of the Taliban, and what has made them popular throughout the decades, what the US occupation government meant to the Afghan people, the differences between the first and second Emirates, the

Sep 19, 2022 • 1:45:20

Communists and the National Question in the 21st Century

Stani Bjegunac takes a look at different approaches to the national question by historical communists and how we may approach issues of national oppression in a 21st-century context.   Narrated by: Allan Lanterman Allen Lanterman   Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Sep 12, 2022 • 1:21:08

Science Fiction, Emancipation and Yugoslavia with Darko Suvin

Rudy joins Darko Suvin, author of many books and pieces on science-fiction and also, an Splendour, Missery and Possibilities: An X-Ray of Socialist Yugoslavia for a discussion on his life-long work. We talk about the role of science fiction in socialist politics, Bertolt Brecht and the estrangement effect, and what emancipation means. We also talk about his life in Yugoslavia, and what he saw as positive and negative from the Yugoslav experience, and what were ultimately the hurdles that preven

Sep 5, 2022 • 55:28

Long, Queer Revolution

Revolution won’t follow a neat and clean schema, fitting easily into one stage or another, argues Tom Frome. Instead, revolution will be a long process, a process that cannot always be categorized with preconceived definitions. The ideal of revolutionary vision never fully survives contact with the messy and unpredictable realities of political change. Narrated by: Riley Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regimen

Aug 29, 2022 • 15:36

Disculpe, No Entiendo: Language Justice with Esme and Lizette

Rudy joins Esme and Lizette, from the LA Tenants Union for an introductory discussion on language justice. We discuss what language justice and linguicism are and what kind of barriers people face, before discussing the ways the LATU tries to bridge these barriers through their language justice work. We talk about interpretation, how it can be categorized as a service, how to adequately relate to bilingual members in organizing and why they can often feel alienated or burnt out. We finish by dis

Aug 17, 2022 • 58:59

Under the Socialist Banner with Mike Taber

Donald Parkinson sits down with Mike Taber, editor of 'Under the Socialist Banner', a collection of resolutions from the Congresses of the Second International's revolutionary period (1889-1912). Donald and Taber go through the various Congresses and discuss their approaches to a variety of issues such as imperialism, the general strike, immigration, women's emancipation, colonialism, and cooperatives. Struggles between reformists and revolutionaries, militarists and militarists, orthodox Marxis

Aug 10, 2022 • 1:21:56

The Platform is the Message

Amelia Davenport and Renato Flores argue that social media cannot be ignored despite its negative effects on modern culture. Instead, the left needs its own approach to social media that takes into account the values encoded into tech platforms. Narrated by: Allen Lanterman Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Aug 8, 2022 • 34:41

The Tortoise and the Hare: Cybernetics, Evolution, and Socialism

Amelia Davenport argues for the relevance of cybernetics to the project of developing a communism that transcends the modernist project. Read by Will Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed by Felix Dzerzhinsky Guards Regiment.

Aug 1, 2022 • 39:37

Ireland: Colonialism and the Unfinished Revolution with Robbie McVeigh and Bill Rolston

Rudy joins Robbie McVeigh and Bill Rolston, authors of Anois ar theacht an tSamhraidh: Ireland, Colonialism and the Unfinished Revolution for a discussion on Irish history from colonization to the present. We discuss the earliest colonization attempts, the Ulster plantation and the formation of the planter/gael binary and Protestant Ascendancy, the Act of Union and how the Act co-opted a Catholic minority and made colonialism in Ireland distinct. We then follow by discussion how Partition came a

Jul 24, 2022 • 1:46:58

No End in Sight: On the War in Ukraine

Alexander Gallus pushes against the haze of propaganda to assess the current course of the war between Ukraine and Russia. Article read aloud by John Turner.

Jul 21, 2022 • 25:53

Constructive Criticism: The Dialectics of Unity & Struggle

Jean, Jess, Annie and Rudy sit down to discuss Gracie Lyons' Constructive Criticism: A Handbook based on their organizing experiences. They discuss the events that led them to take an interest in this book, how this book uses Marxism and Maoism to frame (self)criticism in ways that go beyond-self help, before going through the methods the book proposes to improve giving and receiving criticism giving ample examples along the way. They finish with a reflection on the role of criticism and person

Jul 17, 2022 • 2:06:20

Christianity and the Revolutionary Origins of the Jesus Movement

Lydia Apolinar, Alexander Gallus, and Ryan Tool pay tribute to the revolutionary and plebeian origins of Christianity.  Read by William (Note: Originally Published December 25th 2020)

Jul 12, 2022 • 18:44

Passing the Torch: The Art of Communist Mentorship

Dillon, Rudy, Amelia and Lucas sit down to discuss the art and practice of mentorship. We talk about how to assert yourself as a mentor without being resented or developing an unbalanced relationship, one-on-one mentorship vs group mentorship and what makes a good mentor. We follow up by discussing how to adequately make a person feel welcome and contribute to the movement and allowing them to grow, the art and practice of delegation, and give ample examples on our experiences with these topics

Jul 4, 2022 • 1:26:54

From Paris to Petrograd: State and Revolution in Practice

Parker, James, Rudy and Cliff join for a discussion on the context of Lenin's State and Revolution, and how those ideas were applied in the early years of the Soviet government. We start by discussing the context of the book, especially in relationship with the recent audiobook by Kautsky on Democracy and Republicanism. We continue by discussing the debates in the Second International around the Paris Commune, the Immediate Genesis of the Book during the First World War, the text itself and its

Jun 26, 2022 • 1:29:29

Roots of the Rank and File Strategy with Kim Moody

Annie and Paul join Kim Moody, a socialist and labor movement theorist and author of The Rank and File Strategy and Breaking the Impasse. We discuss Kim's political origins between the civil rights movement and labor unionism; his experience with unions and rank-and-file rebellion in the 1970s as a member of International Socialists; the history, purpose and achievements of Labor Notes, Kim’s vision of political change through mass action, including his thoughts on the Amazon Labor Union, and w

Jun 13, 2022 • 1:37:40

Value Chains, Supply Chains and Economic Imperialism with Intan Suwandi

Rudy joins Intan Suwandi, author of Value Chains: The New Economic Imperialism and co-author of Covid-19 and Catastrophe Capitalism: Commodity Chains and Ecological-Epidemiological-Economic Crisis for a discussion on Global Commodity Chains. We discuss supply chains from a bird's eye, the theoretical development of the concept, and why they are so crucial to capitalist production and why they consolidate inequality and imperialism. We discuss how large companies use 'arms-length' contracting to

Jun 6, 2022 • 1:21:21

[Audiobook] Karl Kautsky on Democracy & Republicanism: Part IV

This is a narration of chapters 9-13 of Karl Kautsky's Parliamentarism and Democracy (1893-1911), from Karl Kautsky on Democracy & Republicanism by Ben Lewis. The full audiobook is currently in production by the team at Cosmonaut Magazine. A copy of the book itself can be purchased at Haymarket Books. Narration and editing by Myk Labas, with apologies for the microphone difficulties. Music: 'Red Sleeping Beauty' by McCarthy

Jun 2, 2022 • 2:03:41

Redefining Environmentalism: Unions, Workers and Nature with Chad Montrie

Isaac and Rudy join Chad Montrie, author of numerous books on the intersection of workers' movements and the environment for a discussion on the often ignored facets of working class environmentalism. We begin by discussing Chad's earlier work To Save the Land and People, on the worker and farmer opposition to strip mining in Appalachia in the 1970s, and how that movement interfaced with the United Mine Workers of America and the Sierra Club. We continue by reflecting on what the definition of

May 28, 2022 • 1:21:33

The Machiavellian State, Fascism, and the Tribune of the Proletariat

Sam Thomas argues that Machiavelli can help us understand the bourgeois nature of fascism, and how anti-fascism must empower the proletariat.

May 24, 2022 • 41:33

Stalin pt. 1: The Long Road to the Red Inquisition

Donald, Christian, and Connor sit down and discuss the man of steel: Joseph Stalin. Less of a focused biography, we put Stalin in his historical context. In this episode we focus primarily on his ascension to power over the course of 1920s and the road to the Great Terror. Other important topics covered include the Agrarian Question, the First Five Year plan, along with a brief detour into the adventures of a young Stalin and  the Russian Civil War.  We end the first part here because of the im

May 21, 2022 • 3:02:29

The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan: Origins to Collapse

Eric, Rob and Rudy join to discuss Afghanistan, focusing on its socialist period from 1979 to 1992. We discuss the history of the Afghan state from its beginnings as the Durrani empire, its interactions with Russia and the British empire, the Zahir Shah monarchy and the Daoud period all the way up to the Saur revolution, including a discussion of the communist and Islamist factions in the country. We talk about the initial reforms the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) tried to make

May 14, 2022 • 1:41:33

[Audiobook] Karl Kautsky on Democracy & Republicanism: Part III

This is a narration of chapters 4-8 of Karl Kautsky's Parliamentarism and Democracy (1893-1911), from Karl Kautsky on Democracy & Republicanism by Ben Lewis. The full audiobook is currently in production by the team at Cosmonaut Magazine. A copy of the book itself can be purchased at Haymarket Books. Narration and editing by Myk Labas. Music: 'Class War', the Dils 'Aired Out', blackchai

May 11, 2022 • 1:39:49

Marxism and the Philosophy of Science with Helena Sheehan

Djamil and Donald join Helena Sheehan, author of Marxism and the Philosophy of Science: A Critical History for a deep dive on the interactions between these two fields. They start off with Sheehan’s intellectual history, before discussing what Marxism is and how it relates to other philosophies of science. They talk about Marx & Engels’ relationship to science, in particular to Darwinism, Engels’ much maligned Dialectics of Nature, its relationship to Hegel, and the laws of dialectics. They con

May 5, 2022 • 1:32:53

Socialism of the Oppressed: The Stakes of the Bowman Affair

Jean Allen and Marisa Miale, authors of For An Internationalist DSA, sketch out a strategy for building a left opposition committed to electoral discipline and unity between socialism and the international working-class. Read by LC

Apr 28, 2022 • 49:49

Organizing The Social Care Factory: Careworkers, Houseworkers and the Women's Strike with Imogen Woods

Lydia and Rudy join Imogen Woods from Prometheus Journal to discuss her articles on organizing social care workers and houseworkers. We talk about the concept of social care factory, and how the mass privatization has resulted in declining care standards as well as working standards. We talk about how democratically run care system can look like, how to organize social care workers and how "love" is used as a currency. We then switch to a discussion of the International Feminist Collective and

Apr 25, 2022 • 1:00:10

[Audiobook] Karl Kautsky on Democracy & Republicanism: Part II

This is a narration of the two prefaces, introduction, and chapters 1-3 of Karl Kautsky's Parliamentarism and Democracy (1893-1911), from Karl Kautsky on Democracy & Republicanism by Ben Lewis. The full audiobook is currently in production by the team at Cosmonaut Magazine. A copy of the book itself can be purchased at Haymarket Books. Narration and editing by Myk Labas.

Apr 21, 2022 • 1:14:17

A Brief History of The Paris Commune with Carolyn Eichner

Charlie and Rudy join Carolyn Eichner, author of The Paris Commune: A Brief History and Surmounting the Barricades: Women in the Paris Commune for a discussion on the Paris Commune, its origins, its place as a  transitional state in a civil war, its tragic end as well as its  legacies. We talk about the situation of Paris in 1871, the forming of  the Commune, the meaning of "social republic" and how women had to fight  for a place in it, the political tendencies in the Commune, the  cooperative

Apr 15, 2022 • 1:29:34

[Audiobook] Karl Kautsky on Democracy & Republicanism: Part I

This is a narration of the preface and introduction for Karl Kautsky on Democracy & Republicanism by Ben Lewis, who has also provided a preface to the audiobook. The full audiobook is currently in production by the team at Cosmonaut Magazine. A copy of the book itself can be purchased at Haymarket Books. Narration and editing by Myk Labas.

Apr 11, 2022 • 1:44:29

Dissolving the People and Electing Another

Drawing from the experience of the Democratic Socialists of America and Marxist Center, Marisa Miale examines the everyday, interpersonal level of party-building and argues for a revolutionary strategy that can weave together cultural intervention, base-building and political unity. Comrade Lacus reads aloud.

Apr 7, 2022 • 54:34

Western Sahara: Colonialism, Settler-Colonialism and Resistance with Garazi Hach Embarek

The Spanish government has just sided with the Moroccan government on the issue of the Western Sahara. Djamil and Rudy join Garazi Hach Embarek for an introductory discussion on the history and present of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic of the Western Sahara. We discuss the pre-colonial and Spanish colonial history, the context and formation of the Polisario Front liberation organization. We follow up by talking about the liberation wars against Morocco and Mauritania, the place of the Poli

Apr 4, 2022 • 1:07:28

Disarming the Magic Bullet

Renato Flores responds to Cam W’s argument for Maoism and the mass line. Gabriel Palcic reads aloud.

Mar 31, 2022 • 36:16

American Communist Labor Strategy during the Third Period (1929-34) with Victor Devinatz

Annie and Cliff join Victor Devinatz, a management theorist and labor  historian, to discuss the formation of the Trade Union Unity League  (TUUL), its successes and failures, and the role it played in the  development of the labor movement. We focus on its emergence from the end of the Trade Union Education League (TUEL), its relationship between bottom-up initiative and Comintern direction in the shift toward dual unionism;  CPUSA’s three-pronged strategy of constructing the TUUL, building an

Mar 28, 2022 • 1:28:07

Which Way Forward for the Marxist Left?

In light of the liquidation of DSA’s BDS working group, Charlie Frank argues that Marxists must continue the political fight rather than turn towards localist activism or the various left-wing sects. Comrade Mike reads aloud.

Mar 24, 2022 • 29:32

The Farthest Promised Land: An Introduction to New Zealand's Political Economy

Giacomo Bianchino and Rudy join Amal for an introductory discussion on New Zealand's (Aotearoa in the Maori language) political economy, with a focus on how the country was settled and connected to the world market. We discuss the nature of the first settlements, the dispossession of the Maori, the Treaty of Waitangi and why it is a cornerstone of the myth of biculturalism, why the colonization process of the Maori was different when compared to the one in Australia and why New Zealand is an i

Mar 21, 2022 • 1:47:02

Beyond Son Nica: Revolutionary Popular Music in Sandinista Nicaragua with T.M. Scruggs

Jackson joins ethnomusicologist and anthropologist T.M. Scruggs to discuss Nicaraguan popular music in the decades leading up to the 1979 Sandinista Revolution, as well as during the first Sandinista government from 1979 to 1990. With a focus on the work of FSLN-affiliated musician Carlos Mejía Godoy, we dive into the history of the Nicaraguan political song movement that emerged in the late-60s and early 70s and discuss how, especially after the 1972 earthquake that devastated Nicaragua’s capi

Mar 14, 2022 • 1:24:15

Why Machines Don't Create Value

Ian Wright defends Marx’s theory of surplus-value and its claim that human labor is the ultimate cause of economic profit. Gabriel Palcic reads aloud.

Mar 11, 2022 • 49:12

The Historic Defeat of the Female Sex: Revisiting Engels' The Origin of the Family

Agata, Anne, Lydia and Rudy join to talk about the historic context of Engels' The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State, and how we can apply it today. We discuss Engels' theories on the historically evolving family structure and the origin of the state, how the evolution of  women's conditions in the 20th century changed from what he expected, how the economic base interacts with the family structure and women's liberation, how families today both help and oppress people, the

Mar 8, 2022 • 1:32:00

Five Letters On Russia/Ukraine

Myk Labas reads five letters in dialogue with each other around the topic of Alexander Gallus' recent article "The Russian "Threat to Freedom and Democracy"".   Letters can be read at: 1. "Comments On "The Russian Threat"" 2. "Letter on the Reply to "The Russian 'Threat to Freedom and Democracy'" 3. "Regarding Gallus' The Russian "Threat to Freedom and Democracy"" 4. "The Hegemony of Humanitarian Intervention" 5. "On Russia and Ukraine and Geopolitical Realpolitik"   Music featured: 'Sickles a

Mar 3, 2022 • 49:18

The Eco-Centrist Movement: The Sierra Club & Earth First! with Keith Makoto Woodhouse

Rudy joins Keith, author of The Ecocentrists: A History of Radical Environmentalism for a discussion on the history of the mainstream  environmental movement in the US. We discuss the term ecocentrist, the philosophy behind the environmental movement, how it led to Neo-Malthusianism as well as the critics of this philosophy like Murray Bookchin. We also discuss the Sierra Club's origins as a promoter of  Nature and how it turned into an organization for the defense of Nature,  its defeat around

Feb 28, 2022 • 1:21:56

The Russian "Threat to Freedom & Democracy"

Gabriel Palcic reads The Russian "Threat to Freedom & Democracy", wherein comrade Alexander Gallus takes a closer look at the developments leading up to this week’s dramatic events and offers some explanations for how we got to this moment.

Feb 27, 2022 • 18:41

Understanding & Learning with the Working Class: Workers' Inquiry and Social Investigation

AJ, Annie, Ira and Rudy discuss the methods of workers' inquiry and social investigation and how they have applied it to their organizing. They talk about the history of workers inquiry and its uneven use across tendencies, the usefulness of the method and the varying objects and objectives of the investigation. They also reflect on the ways that have used the methods of inquiry in their organizing.  References: A Workers Inquiry (1880) - K. Marx Struggle at FIAT - R. Alquati Socialist Uses of

Feb 21, 2022 • 1:44:30

The Genesis of the Transformation Problem

The infamous Transformation Problem has long stood as a supposed example of the failure of Marx’s economic theories. Ian Wright gives an explanation of the problem to help pave the way for a possible solution. Gabriel Palcic reads aloud.

Feb 17, 2022 • 43:51

From the Fields to the Stars!: Sputnik, Spaceflight and the Soviet Imagination

For our 100th episode, we go back to our roots. Djamil, Virginia and Rudy sit down to discuss the launch of Sputnik, using Asif A. Siddiqi's The Red Rockets Glare: Spaceflight and the Soviet Imagination 1853-1957 to ground the discussion. We talk about the intellectual origins of the Soviet space program in Cosmism, the figures in the space race, the science-from-below and from-above aspects of the space program, how the space program evolved through the eras of NEP, Five Year Plans, Purges and

Feb 14, 2022 • 2:06:05

Profits Beyond Reason and Reason Beyond Profit

Is the economic calculation problem a valid argument against planned economies? Max Black argues that this so-called problem is based on flawed reasoning and that a world beyond markets is possible. Robert Fisher reads aloud.

Feb 10, 2022 • 25:42

Modes of Production and the Transition to Capitalism with Jairus Banaji

Donald and Rudy join Jairus Banaji, author of Theory as History and A Brief History of Commercial Capitalism to discuss his theoretical  contributions around the mode of production debates. We begin with his  political starts in the UK and in India, and how he saw the  organizational and cultural failures of the left in both countries, the  debates on the mode of production in India and what he brought to this  debate using the theories of formal and real subsumption. We turn to his  analysis o

Feb 7, 2022 • 1:33:57

On the Stalin Question

Parker McQueeney introduces two of Paul Costello’s essays on the topic of Stalin and Stalinism: Stalin and Historical Reality and Stalin and the Problem of Theory.

Feb 3, 2022 • 1:02:37

The Unknown Cultural Revolution: Life and Change in a Chinese Village with Dongping Han

Matt and Rudy join Dongping Han, author of The Unknown Cultural Revolution: Life and Change in a Chinese Village for a discussion on his experiences growing up in Maoist China. We  discuss his hometown in Jimo County, his experiences with the Great Leap  Forward and how they compare to common historiography of the period,  the attitude of Communist Party officials and how the Cultural  Revolution changed the long tradition of politics in rural China by  empowering the common people to fight bac

Jan 31, 2022 • 1:14:20

Historiography Wars: The French Revolution

Historiographical debates around the French Revolution are ultimately political debates, not just debates about the facts. Donald Parkinson argues for revitalizing the tradition of the social historians against the new revisionist orthodoxy. Myk Labas reads aloud. https://cosmonautmag.com/2019/09/historiography-wars-the-french-revolution/

Jan 27, 2022 • 1:00:03

The Colony Hates its Own Black People: Australian Indigenous Struggles with Boe & Kieran

Rudy and Giacomo Bianchino join Boe Spearim, host of Frontier Wars and Kieran from the Australian Communist Party and the NSW Aboriginal Land Council association for an introductory discussion on indigenous  Australians. We discuss the history of indigenous Australians before the  arrival of Europeans, what the "Frontier Wars" were and the  "historiography wars" around their story, how the indigenous struggle  changed after the "end" of these wars, including the day of mourning  protests, the F

Jan 25, 2022 • 2:12:12

Workers and Writers: The Communist Novel in Britain

The history of the British communist novel is ultimately the story of the political degeneration of the Communist Party of Great Britain. By Lawrence Parker. Narration by LC.

Jan 21, 2022 • 1:00:16

End of an Era: 30 Years After the Soviet Collapse

Connor, Christian and Donald sit down to discuss the collapse of the Soviet Union. They begin by situating the economic and political problems of the system, such as the siege economy and the centralization/decentralization dichotomies which led to the general malaise of the late Brezhnev period. They continue by discussing the rise of Andropov and Gorbachev, and what reforms they tried to implement: bans on alcohol and the opening of political discussion, and how those reforms ended up backfir

Jan 17, 2022 • 2:56:52

Bismarck, Browder, Biden: Joe's Hegemony versus Ours

Sam Miller polemicizes against the delusions of the left in the Biden administration and proclaims the necessity for a class independent approach to politics. Myk Labas reads aloud. https://cosmonautmag.com/2021/10/bismarck-browder-biden-joes-hegemony-versus-ours/

Jan 14, 2022 • 42:21

The Dialectic of Assimilation

How have Jews in the US have gone from an unwelcome immigrant group prone to left-wing radicalism to Zionists and beneficiaries of whiteness? Lane Silberstein investigates. Harley Oliviera reads the article aloud.

Jan 11, 2022 • 21:17

On the Giving of Orders: Power and Freedom in Democratic Organizations

Dillon, Jake, Rudy and Amelia discuss the work of management consultant Mary Follett and how to use her ideas to enable democratic  problem-solving and functioning of mass organizations. We discuss several common problems faced when organizing such as how to adequately replace leaders, how the person who does the work leads and how to effectively give orders. We follow by talking about how we can use Follett's ideas on integrating experience and the law of the situation to make leadership incre

Jan 4, 2022 • 1:35:28

Plowed Under: Communist Folk-Revival and Mid-Century Suppression with Aaron J. Leonard

Donald and Jackson are joined by historian Aaron J. Leonard, author of The Folk Singers and the Bureau: The FBI, The Folk Artists and the Suppression of the Communist Party USA 1939-1956, to discuss the folk-revival music scene that emerged within and around the American Communist Party in the mid-1930s and which continued through the early 1950s. We dive into the scene’s relationship with the Party’s changing strategy and platform, how Earl Browder related to this revival, the scene’s instituti

Dec 29, 2021 • 1:13:20

The Counterinsurgency State

To commemorate the anniversary of Salvador Allende’s death and the fall of Chile’s Popular Unity government, we present this analysis of reactionary military governments in Latin America by Ruy Mauro Marini in honor of all who have died fighting for socialism in the hands of Pinochet’s counter-revolutionary military regime. Translation by Jorge M and introduction by Renato Flores. Mick Labas reads the article aloud.

Dec 24, 2021 • 43:05

The History of Palestine Solidarity in the US with Michael Fischbach

Josh and Rudy join Michael Fischbach, author of Black Power and Palestine: Transnational Communities of Color and The Movement and the Middle East: How the Arab-Israeli Conflict Divided the American Left for a discussion on the history how the Left and the black liberation  movements have historically related to the Israel-Palestine conflict,  exploring the distinct factions of these movements which were  pro-Zionism and pro-Palestinian. We discuss the initial reaction of the  left parties to t

Dec 21, 2021 • 1:22:26

[Audiobook] Revolutionary Strategy - Chapter Nine

This is a narration of Chapter Nine of Mike Macnair's groundbreaking book Revolutionary Strategy. Narration and editing by Lydia Apolinar. The free market triumphalism of the 1990s is over. Early 21st century capitalism looks like Karl Marx’s description: growing extremes of wealth and poverty, and irrepressible boom-bust cycles. But for the moment, rightwing religious and nationalist nostalgia politics is the main beneficiary of the opposition this has spawned. The political left remains in th

Dec 16, 2021 • 33:22

Voices from the Bolivarian Revolution: Communes and the Transition to Socialism with Chris and Cira

Christian and Rudy join Chris Gilbert and Cira Pascual Marquina, authors of Venezuela, The Present as Struggle: Voices from the Bolivarian Revolution for a discussion on the past, present and future of the Bolivarian  revolution. We cover the history of the revolution from its origins as a  reaction against the neoliberal adjustments in the late 80s, through  the electoral victory up to the declaration of the revolution as  socialist in 2006. We discuss Communes in both urban and rural settings

Dec 13, 2021 • 1:40:04

Class Struggle in the Carpenters Union with Art Francisco

Annie talks with Art Francisco, a rank-and-file carpenter in the Seattle area and leader of the Peter J McGuire Group, a caucus in the United Brotherhood of Carpenters that fights for accountability and class struggle in the union. They discuss the origins of the recent carpenters  strike in the Pacific Northwest, corruption and bureaucracy in the UBC, City Councilor Kshama Sawant’s relationship to the strike, and the Peter J McGuire Group’s unique vision of unionism and how it compares to  othe

Dec 6, 2021 • 1:24:31

[Audiobook] Revolutionary Strategy - Chapter Eight

This is a narration of the eighth chapter of Mike Macnair's groundbreaking book Revolutionary Strategy. Narration and editing by Lydia Apolinar. The free market triumphalism of the 1990s is over. Early 21st century capitalism looks like Karl Marx’s description: growing extremes of wealth and poverty, and irrepressible boom-bust cycles. But for the moment, rightwing religious and nationalist nostalgia politics is the main beneficiary of the opposition this has spawned. The political left remains

Dec 2, 2021 • 57:08

Zapatismo through Women's Eyes: Democracy, Autonomy and Liberation with Hilary Klein

Rudy joins Hilary Klein, author of Compañeras: Zapatista Women Stories for a discussion on the history of the Ejercito Zapatista de Liberacion Nacional (EZLN) from its foundation in the 1980s through their 1994 uprising and their continued existence as a social movement that holds power in areas of Chiapas. We focus on the alternative government structures of the movement: participatory democracy, economic cooperatives, transformative justice and Juntas de Buen Gobierno. Other things we discuss

Nov 29, 2021 • 1:19:49

[Audiobook] Revolutionary Strategy - Chapter Seven

This is a narration of the introduction to Mike Macnair's groundbreaking book Revolutionary Strategy. Narration and editing by Lydia Apolinar. The free market triumphalism of the 1990s is over. Early 21st century capitalism looks like Karl Marx’s description: growing extremes of wealth and poverty, and irrepressible boom-bust cycles. But for the moment, rightwing religious and nationalist nostalgia politics is the main beneficiary of the opposition this has spawned. The political left remains i

Nov 25, 2021 • 34:54

Socialist States and the Environment with Salvatore Engel-Di Mauro

Rudy sits down with Salvatore Engel-Di Mauro, author of Socialist States and the Environment, for a discussion on environmental history of socialist states, as well as on doing science from a socialist standpoint. We cover what studying soils reveals, why they had an impact on Marx, and what the history of soils shows about economic transitions in Hungary. We talk about the unfairness of comparisons done in current scholarship,  the environmental record of the USSR and what happened after the co

Nov 22, 2021 • 1:10:03

[Audiobook] Revolutionary Strategy - Chapter Six

This is a narration of the introduction to Mike Macnair's groundbreaking book Revolutionary Strategy. Narration and editing by Lydia Apolinar.   The free market triumphalism of the 1990s is over. Early 21st century capitalism looks like Karl Marx’s description: growing extremes of wealth and poverty, and irrepressible boom-bust cycles. But for the moment, rightwing religious and nationalist nostalgia politics is the main beneficiary of the opposition this has spawned. The political left rema

Nov 18, 2021 • 31:57

Cambodia 1975-89: From Year Zero to Capitalism

Donald, Connor, Christian and Rudy sit down for a discussion on Cambodia throughout the Democratic Kampuchea period under Pol Pot (75-79) and the People's Republic of Kampuchea period under Heng Samrin (79-89). We talk about the ideological and material origins of Pol Pot's faction within the Communist Party of Kampuchea, and clarify its relationship to the other pro-Vietnamese factions in the CPK. We discuss what the material conditions were in '75 when the CPK takes power, the events during th

Nov 15, 2021 • 1:42:10

The Worker and the Hydra: A Reply to Partisan Mag

The development of working-class consciousness requires more than struggles against the employer on the shopfloor, argues Marisa Miale. Mick Labas reads the article aloud.

Nov 11, 2021 • 29:58

Indigenous Flows of Resistance with Mike Gouldhawke

Jackson and Rudy join Mike Gouldhawke, a Métis and Cree writer whose  family is from kistahpinanihk (City of Prince Albert) and nêwo-nâkîwin  (Mont Nebo) in Treaty 6 territory in Saskatchewan, for a discussion on  indigenous issues in Canada with a focus on the Métis. We talk about the  history of the Métis, through ethnogenesis, the Red River Resistance  and the North-West Resistance. The conversation continues with  cross-border organizing, the similarities and differences between  Canadian a

Nov 8, 2021 • 1:36:23

The Fight for a Marxist Program in the DSA

Donald Parkinson assesses the 2021 DSA Convention and imagines a path forward beyond its current political and strategic deadlock. Cliff Connolly reads the article aloud.

Nov 5, 2021 • 39:57

[Audiobook] Revolutionary Strategy - Chapter Five

This is a narration of the introduction to Mike Macnair's groundbreaking book Revolutionary Strategy. Narration and editing by Lydia Apolinar.   The free market triumphalism of the 1990s is over. Early 21st century capitalism looks like Karl Marx’s description: growing extremes of wealth and poverty, and irrepressible boom-bust cycles. But for the moment, rightwing religious and nationalist nostalgia politics is the main beneficiary of the opposition this has spawned. The political left remai

Nov 3, 2021 • 30:49

Untold Stories of the United Electrical Workers with Chris Townsend

Annie joins Chris Townsend, longtime organizer with both the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers (UE) and the Amalgamated Transit Union for an oral history on UE from the second World War, through their split with the Congress of Industrial Organizations, the offshoring wave of the late 20th century and the collapse of the USSR. They discuss how UE develops a militant class consciousness in its members, their survival through the dark years of the 1990s, organizing the unorganized, the

Nov 1, 2021 • 1:31:09

To Hell With The American Gentry

Nicolas D Villarreal argues against populist appeals for a common front between the working-class and small business owners. Mick Labas reads the article aloud.

Oct 29, 2021 • 18:32

The Value of Law: The Judiciary and the State with Mike Macnair

Anton and Donald join Mike Macnair for a discussion on law in history and in Marxist thought. They discuss the purpose of law, the different schools of philosophy of law, how Hegel conceived law and the state, and what Marx and Engels took from it, the legal theories of the Soviet theoretician Pashukanis, the role of the constitution in a bourgeois state, what is the role of judges in capitalism and how to organize law in a socialist society. References: Mike Macnair - Law and State as Holes in

Oct 25, 2021 • 2:10:01

Trans-cending the Market: How Socialist Planning Can Meet the Needs of Transgender People

Stani Bjegunac lays out the ways a planned economy could contribute to the project of transgender liberation, focusing on the issues of bathrooms and medical transition. Marina reads the article aloud.

Oct 22, 2021 • 17:43

[Audiobook] Revolutionary Strategy - Chapter Four

This is a narration of the introduction to Mike Macnair's groundbreaking book Revolutionary Strategy. Narration and editing by Lydia Apolinar.   The free market triumphalism of the 1990s is over. Early 21st century capitalism looks like Karl Marx’s description: growing extremes of wealth and poverty, and irrepressible boom-bust cycles. But for the moment, rightwing religious and nationalist nostalgia politics is the main beneficiary of the opposition this has spawned. The political left remai

Oct 20, 2021 • 41:23

Class Struggle and Corporatism: A Brief History of Australian Colonialism

Rudy joins Roxy Hall and Giacomo Bianchino for a discussion on the past, present and future of the Australian state. We talk about the history of Australian colonization with its differences and similarities with US and Canada, the squatter vanguard of settler-colonialism, the failed attempt at a bourgeois revolution that was the Eureka Stockade and the process of Federation. We then turn to the formation and pivotal role of the Australian Labor Party in Australian politics, outlining the broad

Oct 18, 2021 • 1:45:14

The Class Struggle in Afghanistan and its Future

In light of the Taliban’s consolidation of power in response to U.S. withdrawal from the region, Rob Ashlar predicts not the foreclosure of class struggle in Afghanistan but new beginnings. LC reads the article aloud.

Oct 14, 2021 • 21:54

The World-Ecology: Capitalism and Nature with Jason Moore

Niko and Rudy sit down with Jason Moore, author of Capitalism in the Web of Life and The Capitalocene (Part I, II) for a discussion on his approach to world-ecology including the  concepts of Capitalism as a way of organizing nature and of the Web of  Life. We discuss how Capitalism has organized nature since its inception  and why it is necessary to begin a periodization of capitalism's effects on nature in the colonization of the Atlantic Islands, the debates around Metabolic rift/shift, th

Oct 11, 2021 • 1:48:50

[Audiobook] Revolutionary Strategy - Chapter Three

This is a narration of the introduction to Mike Macnair's groundbreaking book Revolutionary Strategy. Narration and editing by Lydia Apolinar.   The free market triumphalism of the 1990s is over. Early 21st century capitalism looks like Karl Marx’s description: growing extremes of wealth and poverty, and irrepressible boom-bust cycles. But for the moment, rightwing religious and nationalist nostalgia politics is the main beneficiary of the opposition this has spawned. The political left remai

Oct 7, 2021 • 30:29

Imperialism in the 21st century with John Smith

Donald and Rudy join John Smith, author of Imperialism in the 21st  Century: Globalization, Exploitation and Capitalism's Final Crisis for a discussion on imperialism and unequal exchange. We discuss the history of three global commodities: t-shirts, iPhones and coffee and what they  can tell us about the worldwide social relationships of capitalism, why  GDP and productivity are illusions that hide exploitation and  super-profits, the concept of labor aristocracy and super-profits and the poli

Oct 4, 2021 • 1:52:42

Ten Theses on the Gender Question

Roxy Hall makes an intervention into debates around transgender issues, critiquing both trans liberalism and anti-trans radical feminism to stake out a position that seeks the abolition of gender. Annie Rose reads the article aloud.

Sep 30, 2021 • 23:45

Radical Approaches to Mental Health: Decolonial and Democratic Psychiatries with Sasha Durakov

Matt and Rudy join Sasha Durakov Warren from An Unsound Mind for a discussion on the history of psychiatry reform movements and radical mental health. We discuss how the definition of mind has changed across history, and how  the internal movements to reform psychiatry and mistakenly grouped under  broad umbrellas that hide a myriad of approaches and contradictions. We  also discuss the Franco Basaglia's Democratic Psychiatry movement and Fanon's decolonial psychiatry, and end by envisioning wh

Sep 27, 2021 • 1:30:46

Intro to Historical Materialism by Nikolai Bukharin

Written by Bolshevik philosopher, economist, and statesmen Nikolai Bukharin in 1921, Historical Materialism: A System of Sociology was the standard primer on sociology and the historical materialist method in the early Soviet Union. Christian Cail introduces the text in the latest offer from Cosmonaut Press, which Cliff Connolly reads aloud. The book is available for purchase at cosmonautmag.com and a reading group starting Sept 30th will be available to all Patreon subscribers.

Sep 24, 2021 • 18:41

[Audiobook] Revolutionary Strategy - Chapter Two

This is a narration of the introduction to Mike Macnair's groundbreaking book Revolutionary Strategy. Narration and editing by Lydia Apolinar.   The free market triumphalism of the 1990s is over. Early 21st century capitalism looks like Karl Marx’s description: growing extremes of wealth and poverty, and irrepressible boom-bust cycles. But for the moment, rightwing religious and nationalist nostalgia politics is the main beneficiary of the opposition this has spawned. The political left remai

Sep 23, 2021 • 31:00

The Practice of Marxist Psychoanalysis with Daniel Tutt

Donald and Rudy join Daniel Tutt for a discussion on the history and present of psychoanalysis and its relationship to Marxism. We discuss whether psychoanalysis can be considered a science and how psychoanalysts produce knowledge before explaining the libidinal economy and possible psychoanalytic interventions in the sphere of exchange. We also discuss Wilhelm Reich: his claim to being the first Marxist psychoanalytic as well as his writings on fascism and its relationship to the family. We con

Sep 20, 2021 • 1:30:52

[Audiobook] Revolutionary Strategy - Chapter One

This is a narration of the introduction to Mike Macnair's groundbreaking book Revolutionary Strategy. Narration and editing by Lydia Apolinar.   The free market triumphalism of the 1990s is over. Early 21st century capitalism looks like Karl Marx’s description: growing extremes of wealth and poverty, and irrepressible boom-bust cycles. But for the moment, rightwing religious and nationalist nostalgia politics is the main beneficiary of the opposition this has spawned. The political left remai

Sep 16, 2021 • 24:49

Revisiting the Agrarian and National Questions with Paris Yeros

Rudy joins Paris Yeros editor of Reclaiming the Nation: The Return of the National Question in Africa, Asia and Latin America and Reclaiming the Land: The Resurgence of Rural Movements in Africa, Asia and Latin America for a discussion on the agrarian and national questions in the 21st century, with a focus on the Zimbabwe land occupations of the 2000s. We  discuss the semi-proletarization and land hunger in the Global South,  the relevance of the peasantry as a social class, national sovereign

Sep 13, 2021 • 1:16:31

[Audiobook] Revolutionary Strategy - Preface & Introduction

This is a narration of the introduction to Mike Macnair's groundbreaking book Revolutionary Strategy. We have also included a preface from Parker McQueeney on what this book means in the context of 2021. Narration and editing by Lydia Apolinar.   The free market triumphalism of the 1990s is over. Early 21st century capitalism looks like Karl Marx’s description: growing extremes of wealth and poverty, and irrepressible boom-bust cycles. But for the moment, rightwing religious and nationalist n

Sep 9, 2021 • 46:04

Canadian Settler-Capitalism with Brendan and Tyler Shipley

Rudy and Brendan join Tyler Shipley, author of Canada in the World: Settler Capitalism and the Colonial Imagination,  for a discussion on the past, present and future of the Canadian state. We discuss the terms "Settler Capitalism" and "Colonial Imagination",  the formation of Canada through Confederation, the historical policy of  Canada towards indigenous people and the current debates around  residential schools and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), how Canada is falsely posited

Sep 6, 2021 • 1:31:23

Capitalism, Socialism and Subsistence in Laos with Boike Rehbein

Rudy joins Boike Rehbein, author of Globalization, Society and Culture in Laos and Society in Contemporary Laos for a discussion on the past, present and future of the Lao People's  Democratic Republic. We start by discussing the concept of habitus and how it can be used to study Laotian society. We then talk about the  structure of pre-communist society, the communist takeover in 1975 and  the early attempts to build a centralized economy, and the market  reforms of 1986. We finish by discu

Aug 30, 2021 • 40:46

Communism and the Disabled with Maddie and Jess

Rudy joins Maddie and Jess from Philly Socialists to discuss the politics of disability and its relationship with organizing. We discuss different models of disability and how they operate under capitalism, what disability can teach us about organizing methods, and the disability rights movements in the US. We the dive into how to relate to accessibility in our organizing, and how to handle conflicting needs around it. We end by discussing the liberatory horizons for disabled people under socia

Aug 24, 2021 • 1:24:30

[Audiobook] Lenin Rediscovered: Chapter Nine and Conclusion

This is a narration of the ninth chapter and conclusion of Lars Lih's excellent book Lenin Rediscovered: What Is to Be Done? In Context. In this chapter, Lih explores the debates between Bolshevik and Menshevik RSDWP members after their infamous split at the party's Second Congress. The conclusion hammers home Lih's insightful critique of the "textbook interpretation" of Lenin broadly and WITBD in particular, revealing the former as an optimistic and dedicated Erfurtian revolutionary.   The f

Aug 19, 2021 • 2:35:07

Lifting the Double Burden: The Women’s Movement under State Socialism

Lydia, Agata, Anne and Rudy join for a discussion of Kristen Ghodsee's Second World, Second Sex: Socialist Women's Activism and Global Solidarity during the Cold War. We begin with the forgotten Communist history of International Women's Year (1975) which later became the United Nations Decade for Women (75-85), and the conflicts between the Western and Eastern blocs regarding women's liberation. We also discuss the double burden of women in Bulgaria, and how women's associations interfaced wi

Aug 16, 2021 • 1:29:26

The Procedural is Political

Renato Flores argues for a culture shift around meeting procedures that takes into account differing backgrounds to make our organizing spaces more accessible to everyone regardless of education and time available. Unoriginal Smack reads the article out loud.

Aug 12, 2021 • 17:35

Communists and the Miners' Upsurge with Mike Ely

Rudy and Annie join Mike Ely, a veteran of the Revolutionary Union and the wildcat strike movement in the West Virginia coalfields of the 1970s. Drawing from Ely's experiences as a communist in West Virginia, we discuss the practice of social investigation, the role of communists in strike struggles, the structural and conjectural views of revolution and the connection to Alain Badiou, and state repression of the radical left.   Contact Mike at wildcatincoal@gmail.com   References by Mike E

Aug 9, 2021 • 2:03:20

Grenada: Volcanic Memories and Stone Legacies of Revolution with Shalini Puri

Isaac and Rudy join Shalini Puri, author of The Grenada Revolution in the Caribbean Present: Operation Urgent Memory,and the companion website urgentmemory.com, for a discussion on the Grenadian Revolution and its legacies in both the island itself and the wider Caribbean. We cover the Revolution's accomplishments as well as some of its pitfalls, the contradictions and mutual strengthening of Marxism and regional liberation movements, and the Revolution's collapse. We then discuss the concepts

Aug 1, 2021 • 1:08:01

[Audiobook] Lenin Rediscovered: Chapter Eight

This is a narration of the eighth chapter of Lars Lih's excellent book Lenin Rediscovered: What Is to Be Done? In Context. In this chapter, Lih examines the culture of the Russian revolutionary underground to elucidate the world that Lenin's organizational proposals in WITBD would go on to shape.   The full audiobook is currently in production by the team at Cosmonaut Magazine. You can find more episodes (and other audio books) on our Youtube channel, and you can purchase a physical copy of

Jul 29, 2021 • 2:07:42

Californian Dreams: Tech Utopia or Dystopia

Donald has a chat with Richard Barbrook, author with Andy Cameron of The Californian Ideology and the book Imaginary Futures. The two discuss Silicon Valley techno-Utopianism and its transformation into our current tech dystopia, the Cold War left and their attempts to use Marxism in service of capitalism, the role of China in shaping the development of modern technology, crypto-currency, why the USSR failed to develop cyber-communism, and Barbrook’s work in the Labor Party with the Digital D

Jul 26, 2021 • 2:04:54

The Founding of the Chinese Communist Party with Matt Rothwell

Matt and Rudy join Matt Rothwell from the People's History of Ideas podcast for a discussion on the founding of the Chinese Communist Party on its 100th anniversary. We base ourselves on the book From Friend To Comrade: The Founding of the Chinese Communist Party, 1920-27 by Hans J. van der Veen, and discuss issues such as the influence of the Soviet Union on its formation, how intellectuals , moving past liberalism adopted Marxism and translated it to the Chinese context, the way policy impleme

Jul 23, 2021 • 59:24

Vietnam: From National Liberation to Liberalization

Rudy, Connor and Donald sit down to talk about Vietnamese political economy and the Vietnamese Communist Party with a particular focus on the period of reunification and market reforms. We discuss the formation of Vietnamese Communism in isolation, the history of Vietnam up to reunification and how that set up a very divided country for the VCP to rule over, the short planned economy period and how and why the market reforms took place. We also discuss the particularities of Vietnamese Socialis

Jul 19, 2021 • 1:15:05

Neither Intersectionality nor Economism: For a Genuine Class Politics

Neither a politics of identity informed by theories of intersectionality nor reductive economistic readings of Marxism are adequate for a modern socialist project, argues Donald Parkinson. Robert Fish reads the article out loud.

Jul 15, 2021 • 28:32

How Capitalism Produces Pandemics with Rob Wallace

Djamil and Rudy join Rob Wallace, author of Big Farms Make Big Flu: Dispatches on Influenza, Agribusiness, and the Nature of Science, and Dead Epidemiologists: On the Origins of COVID-19, for a discussion on how capitalism produces mass pandemics through the destruction and creation of new ecologies. We discuss how humans 'fit' in nature, and how capitalism destroys natural barriers that prevent pandemics and creates harmful new ecologies. We also talk about what types of regulatory mechanisms

Jul 12, 2021 • 1:23:18

[Audiobook] Lenin Rediscovered: Chapter Seven

This is a narration of the seventh chapter of Lars Lih's excellent book Lenin Rediscovered: What Is to Be Done? In Context. In this chapter, Lih maps out Lenin's basic conception of Russian Social Democracy's present challenges and asserts that "the political poetry of WITBD is located in this larger definition of the situation".   The full audiobook is currently in production by the team at Cosmonaut Magazine. You can find more episodes (and other audio books) on our Youtube channel, and yo

Jul 8, 2021 • 1:42:57

From Cochabamba to a People's Green New Deal with Max Ajl

Rudy joins Max Ajl, author of A People's Green New Deal (Pluto Press, 2021), for a broad discussion on the themes of his book and on the agrarian question in general. We speak about Max's background in agrarian movements with a particular focus on the Arab region, the Cochabamba People's Agreement and its relevance today, the critique of the current Green New Deal and of eco-modernism, the appearing splits in the ruling class between fossil and non-fossil capital, unequal environmental exchange

Jul 5, 2021 • 1:14:07

The Revolutionary Minimum-Maximum Program

Donald Parkinson explains and defends the format of the  minimum-maximum program using the model established in Marx and Guesde’s Programme of the Parti Ouvier. Lydia Apolinar reads the article out loud.

Jul 1, 2021 • 31:20

Invisible Empire: The Global Power of Finance with Tony Norfield

Rudy joins Tony Norfield, author of The City: London and the Global Power of Finance (Verso Books) for a broad theoretical practical discussion on the topic of finance. We discuss Hilferding and Lenin's theories of finance and imperialism, and where they are lacking, how finance is used to enforce global domination today, the exorbitant privilege of the dollar, the discussions around the rate of profit, the role of China and the Belt & Road Initiative, cryptocurrencies and Norfield's outlook fo

Jun 28, 2021 • 1:16:43

[Audiobook] Lenin Rediscovered: Chapter Six

This is a narration of the sixth chapter of Lars Lih's excellent book Lenin Rediscovered: What Is to Be Done? In Context. In this chapter, Lih examines the remaining three interlocuters Lenin polemicizes with in WITBD: the anonymous authors of the Joint Letter, Boris Savinkov, and L. Nadezhdin. All three are marginal historical figures in their own right, but their importance in contextualizing the debates of WITBD cannot be overstated. The full audiobook is currently in production by the team

Jun 24, 2021 • 1:51:48

Constitution and Class Struggle in the Early American Republic with Matt Christman

Parker and Christian join Matt Christman for a discussion on the class dynamics of the founding of the US, using Charles Beard's book An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution of the United States as a jumping off point. They cover the main idea of the book: how the Founding Fathers designed the Constitution and the federal institutions to ensure their class interests after the Independence War. They also discuss how other events of the time such as Shay's Rebellion showed the limits of th

Jun 21, 2021 • 55:14

A Twelve-Step Program for Democrat Addiction

Jonah Martell lays out a twelve-step program for the Democratic Socialists of America to pursue a path of independent working-class politics. Christian Cail reads the article out loud.

Jun 17, 2021 • 1:01:07

Cybersyn, Cybernetics and Allende's Chile with Raúl Espejo

Amelia and Rudy join Raul Espejo, one of the top members of  the Cybersyn project in Allende's Chile, the founder of Syncho Research  and the president of the World Organization of Systems and Cybernetics  for a conversation. We discuss Raul's experiences, his current projects,  and what he thinks socialists should learn about Cybernetics in today's  world, especially around the concept of variety.

Jun 14, 2021 • 52:52

[Audiobook] Lenin Rediscovered: Chapter Five

This is a narration of the fifth chapter of Lars Lih's excellent book Lenin Rediscovered: What Is to Be Done? In Context. In this chapter, Lih breaks down the causes and details of the intense polemical war between rival Social Democratic publications Rabochee Delo and Iskra. The context of Lenin's What Is to Be Done? cannot be understood without a thorough examination of this dispute, which ultimately ended in victory for Lenin and the Iskra faction. The full audiobook is currently in product

Jun 10, 2021 • 1:45:21

Dialectical Materialism, Marxist Realism and Quantum Mechanics

Djamil and Rudy sit down for a hardcore episode on the interaction  between Soviet diamat philosophy and Quantum Mechanics.  We discuss the  analytic core of dialectical materialism through the lens of the  philosophy of science and the position of scientific realism. We analyze  the main propositions of this core in an attempt to extract what is  best, and most relevant to physics: those propositions and thematics which will play heavily in formulating and advancing soviet physics. We  discuss

Jun 6, 2021 • 1:45:39

[Audiobook] Lenin Rediscovered: Chapter Four

This is a narration of the fourth chapter of Lars Lih's excellent book Lenin Rediscovered: What Is to Be Done? In Context. In this chapter, Lih scrutinizes two opponents of the Russian Erfurtianism that Lenin championed: the Credo and Rabochaia mysl. This gives valuable insight into the political terrain on which What Is to Be Done? was deployed.   The full audiobook is currently in production by the team at Cosmonaut Magazine. You can find more episodes (and other audio books) on our Youtube

Jun 3, 2021 • 2:08:05

Trade Unionism and Identity in the Israeli State with Ehud Ein-Gil

Lydia and Rudy join Matzpen member Ehud Ein-Gil for a  discussion on trade unionism within the Israeli state. We discuss Ehud's  experiences around the founding of Koach LaOvdim as a new sort of  union, the history and structure of the Histadrut and how that has  affected trade unionism inside the '48 borders, his experience  organizing bus drivers, the intermediate status of the Mizraim Jews in  Israeli society, the effects of the Arab Spring on Israel, his thoughts on religion and secularism,

May 31, 2021 • 1:10:44

On Winning and Losing

Ellie, Amelia, Matt and Rudy discuss the life and work of Col. John Boyd, one of the foremost military strategists of the last century. We discuss how the left should relate to military science, Boyd's main ideas such as the OODA loop and the Moral & Mental domains of struggle, his influences: Clausewitz and Sun Tzu, and how Boyd was able to use them to develop his ideas on strategy, and we finish up with examples of how politicians use similar ideas to Boyd and how we should use them for winni

May 23, 2021 • 1:26:27

[Audiobook] Lenin Rediscovered: Chapter Three

This is a narration of the third chapter of Lars Lih's excellent book Lenin Rediscovered: What Is to Be Done? In Context. In this chapter, Lih explores three crucial texts from the Iskra period of Lenin's career, December 1900 to August 1903. The first, Russia and Its Crisis, was written by liberal revolutionary Paul Miliukov and explains the context of the revolutionary situation leading up to 1905 in which Iskra was published. The second, the Bolsheviks' Amsterdam Report from 1904, looked ba

May 20, 2021 • 1:51:33

Building a Mass Tenants Movement with Stomp Out Slumlords

Annie and Rudy join Greg Afinogenov from Stomp Out Slumlords for a discussion on tenants unions, and how SoS has thought about the work of Cloward and Piven to develop ideas on how to build sustainable mass organisations. We discuss how to build mass constituencies for actions and what the goal of tenants unionism should be. Further reading: R. A. Cloward, F. F. Piven - Disruptive Dissensus: People and Power in the Industrial Age Stomp Out Slumlords's organizing report of February 2021

May 16, 2021 • 59:07

[Audiobook] Lenin Rediscovered: Chapter Two

This is a narration of the second chapter of Lars Lih's excellent book Lenin Rediscovered: What Is to Be Done? In Context. In this chapter, Lih examines all the programmatic writings from Lenin in the 1890s and demonstrates the revolutionary leader's consistency throughout this time. This sets the stage for Lenin's later polemics at the start of the 20th century, including What Is to Be Done? The full audiobook is currently in production by the team at Cosmonaut Magazine. You can find more epi

May 13, 2021 • 1:42:55

Cuba: Past, Present, and Future with Helen Yaffe

Christian and Connor sit down with Helen Yaffe to discuss her book We Are Cuba. We talked about the history and political economy of revolutionary Cuba before and after the post-Soviet period. Some of topics we touched on were the nature of democracy on the island, the relationship of Cuba to the United States, and how Cuba has dealt with the pandemic and coming crisis of climate change. Other resources mentioned: Emily Morris - Unexpected Cuba  The documentary Cuba & COVID 19 Public Health, Sc

May 9, 2021 • 1:50:17

A life in Marxist Economics and Education with Sam Bowles

Amelia Davenport joins Samuel Bowles for a short discussion on his life-long research on global poverty and education. They discuss Bowles's history and how this led to his orientation, his work on education "Schooling in Capitalist America", including what he has changed his mind on, his thoughts about markets, incentives, central planning and capitalist economies, as well as other theories such as the value-form abolition, neo-liberal economics. He also talks about teaching economics to underg

May 3, 2021 • 45:43

[Audiobook] Lenin Rediscovered: Chapter One

This is a narration of the first chapter of Lars Lih's excellent book Lenin Rediscovered: What Is to Be Done? In Context. In this chapter, Lih explains how the legacy of figures like Marx, Engels, Lassalle, Kautsky, and others influenced Lenin. There's also a wonderful exploration of how the pre-war SPD served as the original model for the "vanguard party" (though in a very different way from how the term is used today).   The full audiobook is currently in production by the team at Cosmonau

Apr 29, 2021 • 2:25:58

Organizing Amazon: AU's Shop Floor Alternative

Rudy joins Zama and Jonathan from Amazonians United to discuss their shop floor alternative which has organized walkouts in Chicago, and started a national fight for PTO.  They discuss the way they bond with co-workers on the shop floor, what their next steps are, and how different their organizing looks like to that of RWDSU which organized the Bessemer (Alabama) unionization effort. We also discuss medium- and long-term goals, as well as how they relate to the existing socialist movement.

Apr 26, 2021 • 1:21:01

Cults of our Hegemony: An Inventory of Left-Wing Cults

Destructive cults are usually considered the domain of religious movements. The Left, however, has its own track record of cults. Gus Breslauer sympathetically examines this history in search of the political questions that produce such groups, how they operate, and how to overcome them. Robert Fish reads the article out loud.

Apr 22, 2021 • 55:42

Strikes & Boycotts: The Two Souls of the United Farm Workers with Frank Bardacke

Roger and Rudy join Frank Bardacke, author of Trampling out the Vintage: Cesar Chavez and the Two Souls of the United Farm Workers for a discussion on the UFW, its history, its tactics, its structure and its slow loss of relevance. We focus on the boycott as a tactic: how the UFW pioneered the use of boycotts, how winning the 1965-70 Delano grape campaign through a boycott shifted the power in the union from workers to staffers, and how both tactics, and what they represented in the union, woul

Apr 19, 2021 • 1:30:07

[Audiobook] Lenin Rediscovered: Introduction

This is a narration of the 37-page introduction to Lars Lih's excellent book Lenin Rediscovered: What Is to Be Done? In Context. Going against conventional wisdom, Lih presents a detailed study that paints Lenin as an optimist inspired by the capacity of the working class and determined to guide them to carry out their historic mission. Furthermore, Lih identifies the German Social Democratic Party as Lenin's ideal model of a revolutionary party, which he tried to implement to the greatest exte

Apr 15, 2021 • 1:22:20

The Class Struggle in Contemporary China with Yueran Zhang

Parker and Matthew sit down with sociologist and labor activist Yueran Zhang to discuss workers' struggles in contemporary China. Topics discussed include public memory of Tiananmen Square, the Chongqing model, trade unionism and labor activism in the Pearl River Delta, the Jasic workers' struggle, and prospects for the revolutionary left. ------ Check out Yueran's articles on The Forgotten Socialists of Tiananmen Square and Leninists in a Chinese Factory

Apr 12, 2021 • 1:19:27

From Ruins to Ruins in East Germany

Alex, Rudy and Christian sit down to discuss the history of the German Democratic Republic from its foundation atop the ruins of WW2 to the prelude of reunification. They discuss the challenges of building socialism in the fourth of ruined country, the challenges of brain drain, the economy before and after the Wall was built, the intelligentsia/worker divide, the varying responsiveness of the ruling party to criticism and how the GDR was able to provide a normal life to most of its population

Apr 4, 2021 • 1:36:26

Fight the Constitution! Demand a New Republic!

Jonah Martell proposes a radical New Union Act to throw the antiquated US Constitution into the dustbin of history. Cliff Connolly reads the article out loud.

Apr 1, 2021 • 33:33

Ethiopia: From the '74 Revolution to the present with Ian Scott Horst

Sam and Rudy join Ian Scott Horst, author of Like Ho Chi Minh! Like Che Guevara! The Revolutionary Left in Ethiopia, 1969–1979 (Foreign Languages Press) for a discussion on the 1974 revolution in Ethiopia and  the relationship to the Ethiopian present, as well as what we can learn and apply from it for today's world. We talk about the questions of Eritrean and Ethiopian nationalism, the role of the military in a revolution, the student  movements in Ethiopia and their role, with a comparison

Mar 28, 2021 • 1:29:31

The Early Communist Women's Movement with Daria Dyakonova

Lydia and Anne sit down with Daria Dyakonova to discuss the often neglected history of the Communist Women's Movement (1920-22). They talk about the origins of the movement, its most important figures, the debates around what the base of the CWM would be, and what would be the main issues it tackled, its changing relationship to the Comintern and its recurring fight against male chauvinism within the communist and broader workers movement. The discussion finishes with the slow eclipse of the C

Mar 21, 2021 • 1:06:14

Organizing our Organizations

Amelia, Jake, Steve and Rudy sit down for a discussion of what experiences in organizing brought them to be interested in Cybernetics and Beer's viable system model, and how they try to think through the structures of the organizations they currently are members of in Beerian terms. They discuss the dichotomies of centralization/de-centralization and here/now vs then/there, and how to balance them as well as the need for regulation in organization in the shape of arbitration and policies. ------

Mar 14, 2021 • 1:18:42

Create a Mass Party!

Cliff Connolly critiques CounterPower’s vision of the “party of autonomy” and offers an alternative vision of the mass party.  Cliff reads his article aloud.

Mar 11, 2021 • 51:58

Class and race in Israel/Palestine with Emmanuel Farjoun

Lydia, Isaac and Rudy join Emmanuel Farjoun from Matzpen for a discussion on his 1983  piece Class divisions in Israeli society and how the divisions have changed in the present day. We  discuss the changing strength of the Palestinians inside Israel and how that is reflected in their changing political aims, the differences between whiteness in the US and the construction of race in Israel, and the BDS movement internationally.

Mar 7, 2021 • 1:31:01

Mission Statement of the Marxist Unity Slate

Matt Strupp reads aloud the a reprint of the mission statement of Marxist Unity Slate, a set of proposals for the 2021 DSA convention with the aim of fostering democratic discipline and principled election campaigns, as well as uniting Marxists in DSA around a vision of a mass socialist party. The proposals can be read and signed here, 100 signatures are needed to bring these to the convention. Most of the participants in Marxist Unity Slate are associated with Cosmonaut Magazine, either as cont

Mar 4, 2021 • 15:15

A Marxist Education with Wayne Au

Donald and Rudy sit down with Wayne Au, author of A Marxist Education. They discuss his experiences on providing a critical education, how education in the US currently stands and how Covid has just brought to the forefront issues faced by students. They discuss the Au's work on Paulo Freire and Lev Vygotsky, and end up envisioning how a socialist school could look like.

Feb 28, 2021 • 1:00:59

Beyond Work? The Shortcomings of Post-Work Politics

Mikael Lyngaas argues that post-work theorists ranging from Bob Black to Srnicek and Williams are utopian socialism for the current era. Sam Wiles reads the article out loud.

Feb 24, 2021 • 33:01

Reparations and Self-Determination: Loosening the Black-Belt

Renato Flores argues for self-determination and reparations for Black Americans as a key part of the revolutionary struggle in the USA. Robert Fisher reads the article out loud.

Feb 19, 2021 • 24:50

Republicanism and Freedom in Marx with William Clare Roberts

Ian and Donald join William Clare Roberts (@MarxInHell), author of Marx's Inferno for a discussion on the wider themes of his book: republicanism,  non-domination, theories of freedom, the early communist movement, and  how to read capital both politically and scientifically.

Feb 15, 2021 • 59:32

The origins of Matzpen: the Israeli Anti-Zionist New Left with Moshé Machover

Isaac and Rudy join Moshé Machover, one of the four founding members of the Israeli Socialist Organization, better known as Matzpen after the name of their publication for a discussion on the group's  origins, how their anti-zionist consciousness originated and developed,  their marginalization by Israeli society during the 1967 war and how  Arab/Jewish solidarity was built. The conversation then pivots to how  the Israeli Class Structure has changed since its early analysis by Matzpen and what

Feb 7, 2021 • 1:49:21

The Revolutionary Karl Kautsky with Ben Lewis

Parker and Alex have a conversation with the editor and translator of Karl Kautsky on Democracy and Republicanism  (Haymarket, 2020) on the legacy of Karl Kautsky before he turned  renegade. They discuss the convergence of various conflicting political views, from 'Leninists' to Social Democrats and Cold War Warriors, into what Ben Lewis calls in his book a "peculiar consensus" that fundamentally misrepresents the historical figure of Kautsky.   Please support Ben Lewis's work Marxism Translate

Jan 31, 2021 • 59:47

The Family is Dead, Long Live the Family

With family abolition a controversial topic in the current-day leftist discourse, Alyson Escalante argues for a more nuanced and sensitive approach to the topic by looking at the works of Karl Marx and Alexandra Kollontai while exploring the relation of colonialism to the family. Sam Wiles reads the article aloud.

Jan 29, 2021 • 53:18

The Chinese Rural Commune with Zhun Xu

Matt and Christian join Zhun Xu, author of From Commune to Capitalism: How China’s Peasants Lost Collective Farming and Gained Urban Poverty for a discussion on China's communes from their construction to their dismantling. They contextualize land reform globally, elaborate on how the Chinese land reform process looked different from the Soviet one, discuss how the  communes looked and functioned, and what services they provided as well  as their achievements and their points of failure. They th

Jan 24, 2021 • 1:35:10

Holocaust Capitalism

Richard Hunsinger argues that migrant concentration camps represent a descent into fascist barbarism and are related to the inherent tendencies of capitalism. Remi Debs reads the article aloud. -------------------- Find more information about Richard's case in: https://twitter.com/DefendRichard/ , and please donate to the Atlanta Solidarity Fund

Jan 12, 2021 • 29:28

An X-Ray of the Yugoslav Experiment in Self-Management

For the latest episode of our series on Actually Existing Socialism, Christian, Rudy, Donald and Connor join forces for a discussion on the Yugoslav self-management in its different iterations. We use Darko Suvin's Splendor, Misery and Possibilities: An X-Ray of Socialist Yugoslavia as a background to outline an exploration of the successive reforms where self-management was first brought in as a response to the failures of the command economy to take advantage of plebian creativity, and how slo

Jan 2, 2021 • 1:26:58

Radio Free Punjab

Rudy is joined by Jasdeep and Sangeet to talk about the recent farmers protests going on in Northern India, especially around the regions of Punjab and Haryana. They discuss the origins of the movement and of the farmers union, how the movement relates to workers and urban dwellers and how the questions of caste, religion and gender are dealt with. The conversation then examines the total participation of society in the movement and how this was achieved, and what we can learn from it. We finali

Dec 27, 2020 • 45:36

Attic Communists of the Netherlands

Parker and Alex join Emil Jacobs of the Socialist Party of the Netherlands to discuss the factional struggle and expulsion of the Communist Platform group. They discuss the party's bureaucratic centralism and opposition to open democratic struggle by the party's parliamentary fraction. Should communists bother to try to push for principled politics within the broader workers movement? Why or why not? Emil also asks for context on the struggle for socialism in the US and the Democratic Socialists

Dec 21, 2020 • 57:57

Driving in reverse: Prop 22 and AppBased Drivers’ resistance with Boston Independent Drivers Guild

Rudy is joined by Jonathan, Henry and Felipe from the Boston Independent Drivers Guild for a discussion on how gig drivers are  resisting and organizing against precarity in their jobs. We discuss  what a typical working day looks like and how drivers relate to their  jobs and what the workforce looks like and what challenges that entails  when organizing, such as multilingualism. Felipe discusses how Uber and Lyft workers can meet each other, how BIDG was started, its current organizing strate

Dec 16, 2020 • 1:03:04

Faith, Family and Folk: Against the Trad Left

Donald Parkinson takes issue with the calls for a “socially conservative leftism” that have increased in popularity since Jeremy Corbyn’s defeat in the UK election. Matthew Strupp reads the article aloud.

Dec 10, 2020 • 46:48

Revisiting the Lysenko Affair

In the second episode of our Soviet Science series, Donald, Djamil and Rudy sit down to contextualize an infamous episode of this story: The case of T. D. Lysenko and Lysenkoism. We discuss the origins of vernalization and Lysenkoism in peasant folk knowledge and Michurin's plant garden, how the state of Soviet scientifical structures and Soviet agriculture favoured his rise, how he took advantage of the Soviet purges to solidify his standing, how he managed to absolutely ban the research of ge

Dec 5, 2020 • 1:28:25

Revolutionary Discipline and Sobriety

Cliff Connolly argues for a culture of sobriety within our organizations, drawing from the example of Austrian Socialism.

Dec 3, 2020 • 38:44

The Tragedy of American Science with Cliff Conner

Alex and Rudy welcome historian Cliff Conner for a discussion of his recent book The Tragedy of American Science: From Truman to Trump published by Haymarket Books. They discuss how this tragedy is a tragedy of capitalist science which is seen across the capitalist world, the role of science as an unchallengeable source of authority and how that is squared with the antiintelectualism needed to sustain a power structure, the influence of money in regulation and research, the precautionary princi

Nov 28, 2020 • 1:08:03

An Accumulation of Affect

This article's author, Richard Hunsinger, is currently being held without bail in an ICE detention facility and could use our support. Donations to the Atlanta Solidarity Fund help political prisoners like Richard, and can be made at https://atlsolidarity.org/ Letters can be sent to Richard by emailing writetodick@protonmail.com Donations to his commissary can be sent on Venmo to Kat-Richards-1 or cashapp to $KatRichards. Discourse related to the concept of emotional labor can highlight the way

Nov 23, 2020 • 26:42

Pull the Plugs? Labor, Power, and the Rise of Fossil Capitalism

Join the Cosmonaut Ecocrew as they discuss Andreas Malm’s piercing 2016 text Fossil Capital and attempt to dispel the myriad of myths that have been erected around the energetic transition to coal. The fateful intertwining in mid-19th century British cotton districts of capital and fossil fuels is examined in the context of class struggle, the ascendancy of the steam engine, and alternative futures which were incompatible with the logic of capital. ----- Check the previous episodes of this seri

Nov 21, 2020 • 1:17:38

Without a Party, We Have Nothing

Donald Parkinson responds to Taylor B’s Beginning’s of Politics: DSA and the Uprising, arguing that a workers’ party is necessary to advance an emancipatory politics. Cliff Connolly reads the article aloud.

Nov 15, 2020 • 29:08

Organizing the Oppressed with Mara & Janaya of Philly Socialists

Rudy and Annie join the two co-chairs of Philly Socialists, Mara and Janaya, for what starts as a conversation on the issues women and non-men comrades face when organizing, and ends up being a discussion of Philly Socialists' base-building activities and their philosophy on the party. The episode starts off with a discussion of the experiences in PS to make the spaces more welcoming to everyone, the role of child-care and of strong sexual harassment policies, and how to provide spaces for every

Nov 8, 2020 • 1:23:08

Was Mao a Bukharinist?: The “Three-Line Struggle” in Economic Debates Preceding the Great Leap Forward

Matthew Strupp examines economic debates in China during the leadup to the Great Leap Forward and assesses comparisons made between Mao and Bukharin. Cliff Connolly reads the article aloud.

Nov 6, 2020 • 27:54

Revolutionary Parliamentarism with August Nimtz

Parker and Peter join August Nimtz, the author of Lenin's Electoral Strategy (now reprinted as The Ballot, The Streets-- or Both) to discuss how Lenin and the Bolsheviks approached electoral politics and what we can learn from them to apply to today's situation. They talk about the origins of Nimtz's research project as an attempt to refute the point that electoralism must mean programmatic compromises, the influence on Lenin of Marx and Engels' 1850 address to the Communist League and how Lenin

Oct 31, 2020 • 58:30

Knowledge Democratization, Bourgeois Specialists and the Organization of Science in the Early Soviet Union

For the first instalment of our in-depth study of Soviet Science, Djamil, Donald and Rudy sit down to discuss the scientific institutions and the practice of Science in the early Soviet Union up to the conclusion of the Stalin Revolution. They start off with a survey of the Tsarist Academy, and what kind of structures and specialists the Bolsheviks inherited. The conversation continues with the changing ways the Bolsheviks related to specialists during the Civil War and the NEP, and how they we

Oct 25, 2020 • 1:38:28

The Politics of Drugs and Harm Reduction with Michael Gilbert

Annie and Cliff join Michael Gilbert, a public health technologist and a harm reduction organizer for a conversation on how communists should relate to harm reduction efforts. They discuss the reasons why people use drugs, the role of drug availability in harm reduction, how international regulations shape the drug trade and how that is used to justify politics such as strong borders and even invasions. They also discuss the roots of drug criminalization in the US and how that relates to public

Oct 18, 2020 • 1:20:50

Hold Your Fire!: A Warning to the Left

Daniel Newman urges patience and caution in the face of current political turmoil. Cliff Connolly reads the article aloud.

Oct 12, 2020 • 25:57

The Zhenotdel and Women's Emancipation in the Central Asian Republics with Anne McShane

Donald and Lydia join human rights lawyer and fellow Marxist Anne McShane to discuss her recent PhD thesis on the Zhenotdel, the women's department of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. They discuss the origins of the Zhenotdel,  how it attempted to solve the shortcomings of the women's movement in the second international and its role in women's liberation after the October Revolution. The conversation then pivots to the specific focus of Anne's thesis: the changing role the Zhenotdel pl

Oct 4, 2020 • 1:31:56

Marxist Center Double Feature

Two articles from the archive pertaining to MC.  The first is Building Revolution in the USA: Notes on Marxist Center Conference, 2018, by Parker McQueeney and Donald Parkinson. The second article is For the Unity of Marxists with the Dispossessed: The Bolsheviks and the State, 1912-1917, by Medway Baker. Cliff Connolly reads both articles aloud.

Sep 25, 2020 • 1:14:26

No Replacement For The Marxist Theory Of Revolution

Gabriel Palcic argues that various attempts in academia to develop theories of revolution as alternatives to Marx’s theory of revolution and historical materialism only serve to disguise the centrality of class contradiction in these events. Cliff Connolly reads the article aloud.

Sep 18, 2020 • 12:59

Karl Marx's Ecosocialism: Capital, Nature and the Unfinished Critique of Political Economy with Red Library

Remi and Niko join Comrade Adam from Red Library to discuss Kohei Saito's Capital, Nature, and the Unfinished Critique of Political Economy: Karl Marx's Ecosocialism. We discuss the concept of metabolism, Marx's evolution of thought on ecology being the core realm of capitalist crisis, agricultural chemistry, the role of a Marxist ecosocialist perspective to stop the destruction of capital across the planet, and much more even including Žižek's thoughts on ecology! Note: The episode ends a bit a

Sep 13, 2020 • 1:51:09

The Practical Policy of Revolutionary Defeatism

Matthew Strupp lays out the politics of revolutionary defeatism in contrast to the approaches of third-campism and third-worldism. Cliff Connolly reads the article aloud.

Sep 9, 2020 • 35:05

Different Horizons of Science Fiction under Socialism with Virginia Conn

Rudy and Medway are joined by recently graduated Dr. Virginia Conn to discuss about her research on science fiction in the USSR, the German Democratic Republic and China. We discuss what the purpose of science  fiction under socialism is, the continuities and ruptures of science fiction in the People's Republic of China during it's diverse political  periods, how the new Soviet citizen contrasted with the Chinese new  citizen, the figure of Bogdanov within Russian Cosmism, how the particulariti

Sep 6, 2020 • 1:07:56

From Trade-Union Consciousness to Socialist Consciousness with Chris Townsend

Three of our writers are joined by veteran union organizer Chris Townsend to discuss labor organizing across history and in the present day. Chris, Remi, Peter and Annie will explore how to do what Lenin emphasized had to be done: how do we inject the political 'good news' of socialism into the workers' economistic struggle? They recapitulate how the Russian Social-Democratic Labor Party situated itself in the labor organizing of the early 1900s, how the 'third period' of the Comintern laid the

Aug 30, 2020 • 1:24:18

Che Guevara and the Economics of Socialist Transition

Christian, Donald and Rudy sit down to discuss Che Guevara's program for a socialist transition using Helen Yaffe's book Che Guevara: The Economics of Revolution as a background.  We visit the economic "Great Debate" of Cuba in the early 1960s, the different approaches to using the law of value for socialist transformation, Che's critique of market socialism, his model of Cuba as a single socialist factory, and how this model compares to contemporary approaches such as the People's Republic of

Aug 23, 2020 • 1:22:19

Capitalism in the Web of Life

Join us for the second installment in Cosmonaut's critically acclaimed ecology series to discuss Jason Moore's "Capitalism in the Web of Life". Niko, Matthew and Remi discuss how this work merges concepts from Marxist ecology and world-systems analysis to reveal how capitalism organizes nature as a whole oikeios, and how this sets limits to capitalist accumulation once "the Four Cheaps" (energy, food, work and raw materials) become scarce and capitalism is forced to shift to new regimes of accu

Aug 16, 2020 • 1:19:30

Unmasking Social Construction with Djamil Lakhdar

Donald and Rudy are joined by Djamil Lakhdar to discuss Ian Hacking's book The Social Construction of What?. Written during the "science wars", Hacking intervenes in the debate between strict constructivism and strict realism. Hacking reframes the types of questions to be asked when interrogating the social origin of something, and clarifies the different approaches we can take when we interrogate the construction of a concept. We start off with natural and social sciences, and continue to the

Aug 9, 2020 • 1:37:35

Food, Capitalism and the Necessity of a Socialist Program

Capitalist food production is based on ecological destruction, imperialism, inhumane labor practices, and the degradation of human health. A socialist program that guarantees healthy food for all is the only alternative. By Katie Paige, Kelly Alana, and Renato Flores. Cliff Connolly reads the article aloud.

Aug 5, 2020 • 37:51

Protests, Guerillas and Revolution in Iran with Yassamine Mather

Donald and Lydia interview Yassamine Mather, former Fedayeen (minority) guerrilla fighter, chair of the Hands off the People of Iran coalition and editor of Critique. The episode starts off with the history of the debates leading to the formation of the minority Fedayeen faction, and why they decide to break from the majority Fedayeen faction, take up arms and start a guerilla/focoist campaign against the Iranian Republic after the 1979 revolution. Yassamine also offers her account of why the

Aug 2, 2020 • 1:30:14

Building Camaraderie in the CPUSA, 1930-1950

In this article, Josh Morris investigates how the Communist Party USA created a sense of camaraderie in its organizing efforts between members, looking at how both circumstances forced on organizers as well as conscious efforts of the party helped create an organizational culture that promoted (or in some cases damaged) solidarity among workers and oppressed people. Cliff Connolly reads the article aloud.

Jul 29, 2020 • 53:50

Spontaneous Philosophy in Science and Activism

The Cosmonaut crew sits down to discuss Althusser's Lectures on Spontaneous Philosophy of the Scientists. We historically situate the text and talk about Althusser's conception of science and of philosophy, how they both relate to each other and what happens when one exploits the other and "common sense", in the form of the dominant ideology, creeps in. This is followed by a discussion on actual examples of how philosophy and science interrelate, and what it means to defend a materialist line i

Jul 26, 2020 • 1:25:31

DSA Double Feature

Cliff Connolly reads two articles aloud. In the first article, What Do the Democratic Socialists of America Stand for Politically?, DT Seel proposes what the DSA’s program would be if based on the politics of its endorsed candidates. This ‘inductive program’ is then examined and put under critique. In the second article, Structuring the Party: The Case of the DSA, Diego AM explores the organization conundrums of the modern left, looking at the Democratic Socialists of America and the alternati

Jul 22, 2020 • 58:11

Fascism Double Feature

Cliff Connolly reads two articles aloud. In the first article, Why Define Fascism?: In Defence of Making Distinctions, Jacob Smith argues that if the left wishes to take fascism seriously we shouldn’t use the term lightly but with precision. In the second article, The End of the End of History: COVID-19 and 21st Century Fascism, Debs Bruno and Medway Baker lay out the conditions of the current crisis, the political potentials it opens up, and the need for a socialist program to pave a path forw

Jul 18, 2020 • 47:02

Prefiguration and (Cosmic) Utopia with A. M. Gittlitz

Remi and Rudy welcome A. M. Gittlitz, the author of "I Want to Believe: J. Posadas, UFOs and Apocalypse Communism" and The Antifada producer to discuss the role of utopias and prefiguration in historical and modern day communist strategy. We cover topics from Russian Cosmism, the parallels between New World and Space Utopias, the relationship between the subjective and objective conditions for revolution, finding spaces where we can imagine a better world and how to find hope in the end of the

Jul 15, 2020 • 1:19:49

Marx's Ecology: Materialism and Nature

The Cosmonaut team inaugurates the ecology series by discussing John Bellamy Foster's seminal book "Marx's ecology" on its twentieth anniversary. Join Niko, Ian, Matthew and Remi as they discuss the context of this work, and how it started a rediscovery of Marx's ecological politics. They discuss how ecology informed Marx's understanding of the world since his doctoral thesis, the relationship between Marx, Darwin and Malthus and the concept of metabolic rift.

Jul 8, 2020 • 1:42:06

Why Have a Political Program?

In one of our earliest articles, Parker McQueeney lays out the case for building a party around a minimum-maximum program. Cliff Connolly reads the article aloud.

Jul 4, 2020 • 30:47

Articulating and Organizing the Social Body with Asad Haider

Donald and Rudy welcome Asad Haider from Viewpoint Magazine to discuss the present political moment. Using Badiou's "The Rebirth of History: Times of Riots and Uprisings" as a starting point, we discuss riots as a political expression in an intervallic period. We talk about the shape of the party should take to represent this political will, the racial context, overdetermination and spontaneity, and how history is being restarted.

Jul 1, 2020 • 1:20:29

The USSR’s Founding Mother

English language sources still describe Nadezhda Krupskaya first as "Vladimir Lenin's wife" rather than " a radical revolutionary whose ideas [...] were monumental in Soviet state formation". To begin the process of correcting this error, M.A. Iasilli writes on what she can teach us about education and labor. Cliff Connolly reads the article aloud.

Jun 28, 2020 • 16:07

To Live and Die in Kerala

Rudy, Ahmed, and Remi join Sam Agarwal, a PhD student at Johns Hopkins University in sociology, whose research on and fieldwork in Kerala provide insight into the Indian state’s handling of societal crisis like the 2018-9 floods and COVID-19. We discuss the left politics of the CPI(M) and its various rival parties, the Indian political climate, the feminist movement, the handling and mitigation of climate change, and what we can learn from a contemporary communist-governed state while dealing wi

Jun 24, 2020 • 1:14:28

The Democratic Bolshevik

In this article from our site, Alexander Gallus reviews Ilona Duczyńska’s German language book ‘The Democratic Bolshevik’ which explores the socialist experiment of Red Vienna and its failure to defend itself from reaction. Matthew reads the article aloud.

Jun 19, 2020 • 27:33

Komsomol Life: Interrogating the Soviet Young Communist League with Sean Guillory

Donald sits down with Sean Guillory from the SRB Podcast to discuss Komsomol, which was often one of the only organizations that provided a link to the early soviet state in many small towns. They discuss the way the early Soviet state was structured with attention to how soft and hard power was transmitted, communist values, gender relationships, the rebirth of social conservatism and comradeship among other things.

Jun 17, 2020 • 1:15:31

The fight for a better end of the world

Join our round table where we listen to on-the-ground reports from our writers of the protests around the country, how they were organized, and how the police and the NGO-industrial complex have responded to them. Robert, Cliff, Alex, Ahmed and Remi discuss the possibilities for this movement, and where we go from here.

Jun 11, 2020 • 1:18:49

Historiography of the CPUSA with Josh Morris

On this episode of Cosmopod, Donald and Parker welcome Cosmonaut author Josh Morris on to discuss the history and historiography of the US Communist Party. Academic accounts of the party have largely fit in two camps; Josh’s upcoming book The Many Worlds of American Communism attempts to go beyond the standard story and rethink the scholarship for a post-Cold War era.

Jun 3, 2020 • 1:27:38

Some Words of Advice for our Comrades in the Streets

Throughout the United States, revolt against police violence and the state has broken out in response to the callous murder of George Floyd at the hands of the police. To help contribute to this outbreak of militancy, we have published these words of advice on successful protest from Ahmed Nada, a veteran of the Egyptian protest movements in 2011, 2012, and 2013. Cliff Connolly reads the article aloud.

Jun 2, 2020 • 29:56

Brick by Brick: An Appeal to Strength...and Hate Mail!

Cliff Connolly reads an article from CLR Gainz expressing that the left needs physical as well as mental strength if we are going to be victorious in making revolution and defeating reaction. Escalating police violence in the wake of George Floyd's death only reinforces this idea. Stay safe, comrades.

May 31, 2020 • 16:46

The Past and Future of Socialist Labor with Adolph Reed and Ed Bruno

In this special edition of Cosmopod's ongoing labor interview and history series, Remi is joined by two legends of the US socialist labor scene: Adolph Reed and Ed Bruno. Tune in for a long and enlightening discussion of the attempt at an American Labor Party in the 1990s-2000s, where we stand both as a working class and an organized left in light of waning neoliberalism, the trendlines emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, the necessary order of priority between identity- and class-based organi

May 27, 2020 • 1:46:45

Radio Free Seoul

In the second installment of the Internationalism series, Remi and Ahmed are joined by Bori, a South Korean student activist for a discussion of Korean history, the social dynamics underlying today’s political situation, the prospects for a left resurgence in RoK, and the elusive nature of South Korea’s much-maligned neighbor to the north and the unreality of reunification talks.

May 20, 2020 • 1:31:18

Cybernetic Revolutionaries: A Discussion

For this installment of our series on Actually Existing Socialism, Donald, Christian, and Rudy have a discussion based on Eden Medina's book Cybernetic Revolutionaries and the experience of cybernetic planning under Allende's Chile. Outro music is “Litany for a computer and a child about to be born” by Angel Parra and Stafford Beer.

May 13, 2020 • 1:50:17

“Left” Anti-Immigration: A Chauvinist Disorder

Lydia Apolinar reads J.R. Murray's essay combating the chauvinist politics of left anti-immigration.

May 9, 2020 • 25:24

Progress of the Storm: Collaboration with Rev Left Radio

We are very happy to release this crossover episode with Breht O'Shea from Revolutionary Left Radio and Red Menace! Remi, Parker, and Donald have a wide-ranging discussion with Breht touching on current events, ecological Marxism, organizing, labor,  electoral strategy, and more.

Apr 25, 2020 • 1:45:43

Christopher Caudwell and the Crisis in Physics: A Discussion

To continue our series on the relation of Marxism to science, we read and discussed Christopher Caudwell's Crisis in Physics. Join Donald, Matthew, Rudy, and Remi for a conversation that covers the life of Caudwell, the relevance of his thought to topics such as ecology and the meaning of freedom, theoretical physics, and the possibility of "proletarian science".

Apr 23, 2020 • 1:42:40

Organizing for Power: Stealing Fire From the Gods

Cliff Connolly reads Amelia Davenport's long-form essay Organizing for Power.  Davenport argues for leftist organizers to reclaim the ideas of Taylor’s Scientific Management, making a broader argument for the relevance of cybernetics, cultural revolution in the workers’ movement, and a Promethean vision of socialism. https://cosmonaut.blog/2019/11/19/organizing-for-power-stealing-fire-from-the-gods/

Apr 17, 2020 • 1:54:30

STEMbrain Socialism

Join Remi as he discusses the history and philosophy of science, as well as its use for socialists with two professional scientists, Matt and Rudy (author of the Cosmonaut article "Knowledge: Power and Emancipation").

Mar 15, 2020 • 1:26:26

Super Tuesday Special

Donald, Parker and Christian are joined by one of the greatest political commentators of our time, Jake from Swampside Chats, to discuss the struggle between Social-Democracy and Woke Liberalism in the Democratic Party. What lies ahead? How can the left benefit from the Bernie movement/campaign? Are Boomers holding us back? Join us for a discussion on a historic election.

Mar 5, 2020 • 1:31:04

Political Undercurrents in Soviet Economic Debates: A Discussion

Christian and Donald sit down for a discussion on Moshe Lewin's 1974 tome Political Undercurrents in Soviet Economic Debates. They discuss Bukharin, the Left Opposition, Stalin, Soviet reformers, cybernetic planning, and more. Unfortunately, Lewin's book is out of print but we recommend getting your hands on a used copy if possible. If you can't, his book The Soviet Century is still in print from Verso Books. We hope to continue this to be a continuous reading series on the problems of building

Feb 29, 2020 • 1:35:09

Where Does Power Come From?

Audio recording of our very first article by Cliff Connolly. Read the original article by Amelia Davenport here: https://cosmonaut.blog/2018/09/03/where-does-power-come-from/

Feb 10, 2020 • 1:09:12

Carrying the Burden of Communist Man

Reading by Cliff Connolly. Read the article here:  https://cosmonaut.blog/2019/11/01/carrying-the-burden-of-communist-man/

Jan 15, 2020 • 26:56

Her Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition

For this episode, Parker and Donald welcome Cosmonaut editor and writer Medway Baker on to Canadasplain the Westminster system. Join us as we put on our inner socdem wonk to discover what went wrong for the Labour Party in the recent UK election.

Dec 31, 2019 • 1:26:55

From NPC to PMC

Parker & Donald welcome Jake from Swampside Chats on to discuss the professional managerial class. What is the PMC, its relation to other classes, and its role in contemporary capitalist society? We discuss this and more, including topics like the Democratic primary, Marxology, Brexit, intersectionality, and Ben & Jerry's. Intro music is The Internationale, arrangement and recording by Christian Cail Outro Music is Yuppie Rap by Mike Saad and Bill O'Neil

Dec 13, 2019 • 1:20:21

Stealing Fire From the Gods: Interview with Amelia Davenport

Parker and Donald sit down with Amelia Davenport to discuss her article 'Organizing for Power: Stealing Fire From the Gods' and touch on a variety of topics like Taylorism, cultural revolution, Bogdanov, and systems theory. Read the whole article here: https://cosmonaut.blog/2019/11/19/organizing-for-power-stealing-fire-from-the-gods/

Nov 24, 2019 • 58:11

From Workers' Party to Workers' Republic

Matthew Strupp reads Donald Parkinson's essay "From Workers' Party to Workers' Republic", an attempt to develop a strategy for communists today by looking at the history of the movement. Read it here: https://cosmonaut.blog/2018/10/17/from-workers-party-to-workers-republic/

Nov 13, 2019 • 1:36:06

Degrees of Kevin Bacon from the PKK

Remi and Guy, a multi-tour volunteer foreign fighter in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, sit down for an extended interview around the history, political and economic structure, military situation, and future outlook for the project in Rojava. Addressed are the most pressing critiques of the political structure adopted by the peoples of the region, with an eye toward marginalized ethnic and political groups, the relationship of the multitude of factions to one another and t

Oct 22, 2019 • 2:27:02

A Conversation on the DSA Convention

Parker and Donald discuss last month's DSA convention, of which Parker was a delegate.

Oct 12, 2019 • 1:20:41

Puerto Rico, Imperialism, and Protest w/ Hector Reyes

Recorded on July 23rd, 2019, J.R. Murray interviews Hector Reyes, a Puerto Rican socialist activist and faculty union organizer at University of Puerto Rico campus in Mayagüez.    Since the recording of this interview the Governor of Puerto Rico has resigned and protests have continued. Further reading on the events that have taken place between the end of July and now can be found below:  https://www.jacobinmag.com/2019/08/puerto-rico-socialist-spring-ricardo-rossello https://www.jacobinmag.com

Sep 18, 2019 • 57:11

Whose Democracy?: An Introduction to Oligarchy in the United States

Cliff Connolly reads us an article by J.R. Murray. The United States is a mockery of what democracy is supposed to be. J.R. Murray unpacks the reality of a corrupt system that is designed to empower the rich against the working class majority.  Arrangement and recording of L'internationale by Christian Cail

Sep 3, 2019 • 31:12

Socialism & The U.S. Military w/ Ellie Bryant

J.R. Murray sits down with Ellie Byant, a former Marine and current communist, for a short discussion on the United States military and how socialists should approach organizing soldiers and veterans.   https://aboutfaceveterans.org/

Aug 21, 2019 • 18:43

Culture Beyond Capital: Art, Authenticity, and the 21st Century Workers' Movement

Welcome to our audio article series! Today, Cliff Connolly reads us his article "Culture Beyond Capital: Art, Authenticity, and the 21st Century Workers’ Movement" published on July 10, 2019. The article can be found at https://cosmonaut.blog/2019/07/10/culture-beyond-capital-art-authenticity-and-the-21st-century-workers-movement/ Arrangement and recording of L'internationale by Christian Cale

Jul 22, 2019 • 15:18

Communism & Republicanism

Welcome to Cosmopod. Comrades Donald, Rosa, Ian, & Parker sit down to discuss historical republicanism and its connection to the socialist movement.

Jun 22, 2019 • 1:27:31