Revolutionary Left Radio

Breht speaks at length about the upcoming election, changes and trends within the two parties, the Democratic Coalition of neoconservatives and neoliberals, the inevitable culmination of this era of American crises, the GOP identity-crisis after Trump, the accelerationist perspective on a Trump victory, the emptiness of Kamala's campaign, why socialists cannot support either party/candidate, the total dead-end of liberal and conservative identity politics, and much more.

This is a segment of a much longer patreon-exclusive bonus episode. Join our patreon to listen to the full episode - and get bonus episodes like this every month, as well as access to over 300 bonus episodes in our back catalogue: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio

On this Halloween, Jon Greenaway returns to the show to discuss his new book "Capitalism: A Horror Story (Gothic Marxism and the Dark Side off the Radical Imagination)". 

What does it mean to see horror in capitalism? What can horror tell us about the state and nature of capitalism? Blending film criticism, cultural theory, and philosophy, Capitalism: A Horror Story examines literature, film, and philosophy, from Frankenstein to contemporary cinema, delving into the socio-political function of the monster, the haunted nature of the digital world, and the inescapable horror of contemporary capitalist politics. Revitalizing the tradition of Romantic anticapitalism and offering a “dark way of being red”, Capitalism: A Horror Story argues for a Gothic Marxism, showing how we can find revolutionary hope in horror- a site of monstrous becoming that opens the door to a Utopian future.

Check out Jon's Substack HERE

Check out and Support the Horror Vanguard Podcast HERE

Support Rev Left HERE

Follow RLR on IG HERE

Tracy Rosenthal and Leonardo Vilchis, co-founders of the LA Tenants Union, join Breht to discuss their organizing and their new book "Abolish Rent". Together, they discuss the housing crisis, the role played by private equity, developers, politicians, and landlords, the history and experiences of LA Tenants Union, the importance of political education, how the housing struggle is tied to land struggles, how the housing crisis is inexorably tied to the broader crisis of capitalism and connected to almost every other issue we care about, the forms and strategies of fighting back (rent strikes, eviction defenses, etc.), the socialist struggle and the communist vision, advice for other organizers, and so much more!

Learn more and support the LA Tenants Union HERE

Purchase Abolish Rent HERE

Support Rev Left HERE

Follow RLR on IG HERE

James from Prolekult joins Breht to discuss Prolekult's expansive new documentary, which you can find for free on YouTube, called "For Land: Capitalism as Extinction". Together, they discuss the documentary, political education, how the internal logic of capitalism produces environmental destruction, how the commodity form of labor is at the root of the eco-crisis, eco-marxism, the hyper-destructive role played by colonialism and imperialism, what the revolutionary socialist left needs to grapple with in regards to the crises of our time, and much more!

Check out For Land Pt. 1: Capitalism as Extinction

Outro Song: "Steady" by CYNE

Support Rev Left HERE

Follow RLR on IG HERE

Alyson and Breht reflect on the life and death of the Palestinian resistance leader Yahya Sinwar.

Outro Song "Gaza Strip 2 Detroit" by Sammy Shiblaq

Jenna Martin, an independent journalist from Montana, joins Breht to discuss her recent visit to the West Bank. Together, they discuss her trip, how she got into the occupied territories amidst war, her first-hand account of the brutality and violence of the Israeli apartheid regime in the West Bank, settler violence against the indigenous Palestinians, how Palestinian's rely on creativity and community to fight back, the arbitrary nature of fascist violence employed by the IDF, the day-to-day indignities faced by Palestinians, Palestinians families in need that you can directly help in the links below, and much more. 

Outro Song: "Wake Up" by Llunar

Below are a list of verified donation links for families in Gaza in desperate need of help. If you have the ability, please consider helping. Put your love into action:

Help Samaher and her three children pay rent in Egypt and get their dad out of Gaza: https://www.gofundme.com/f/mwb37-help-me-and-my-kids?utm_campaign=p_cp+fundraiser-sidebar&utm_content=icons_only_var_c1&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer

Alyson and Breht discuss the unfolding regional war between Israel and literally all of its neighbors, the restrained Iranian response to Israeli aggression, US complicity and contributions to the fascist mass murder campaign, Hezbollah and Lebanon, Russia and Syria, the decrepit war criminals littering the US ruling class, who is actually running the Biden adminstration, Kamala and Trump tripping over one another to declare their love and loyalty to Israel, why Democrats and their ardent supporters are thoroughly right-wing, the looming prospect of nuclear war and how it might happen, how this regional war might spill over into a world war, how US propaganda employed after 9-11 is used today to justify war and violence against Arab Muslims, the lessons learned from the CIA assassination of JFK, why the US and Israel must be defeated for the good of humanity, how resources are taken away from desperate people in the US facing CC-fueled natural disasters and spent on war instead, and much, much more. 

Outro Song: "I May Be Young" by MC Abdul

Support Rev Left HERE

Check out all Red Menace Eps HERE

Follow us on IG HERE

Professor and author Matt McManus returns to the show to discuss his newest book, "The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism". Together they explore the major themes of the book, hash out the disagreements they have between revolutionary Marxism and democratic socialism, explore critical thinkers like Karl Marx, Thomas Paine, Mary Wollstonecraft, and John Rawls, wrestle with the questions of revolution and communism as the ultimate goal of socialism, and much more.

"Providing a comprehensive critical genealogy of liberal socialism from a sympathetic but critical standpoint, McManus traces its core to the Revolutionary period that catalyzed major divisions in liberal political theory to the French Revolution that saw the emergence of writers like Mary Wollstonecraft and Thomas Paine who argued that liberal principles could only be inadequately instantiated in a society with high levels of material and social inequality to John Stuart Mill, the first major thinker who declared himself a liberal and a socialist and who made major contributions to both traditions through his efforts to synthesize and conciliate them."

Check out our other episodes with Matt HERE

Outro Song: "Best of All Possible Worlds" by Ajj feat: Kool Keith & Kimya Dawson

Support Rev Left HERE

Follow us on IG HERE

Alyson and Breht return to do a follow up conversation to their well-received previous episode regarding this topic, "On Mysticism: Ego, Suffering, & Love". In this episode, they dive even deeper, discussing what enlightenment really is, the universal accessibility of Non-Dual awareness, the arguments for and against Perennialism, the mystical branches of Abrahamic religions, Buddhism and Taoism, meditation, awareness, fascist mysticism, and much more. 

Support Rev Left HERE

Check out all Red Menace Eps HERE

Follow us on IG HERE

Outro Song: Lonely Heart by Neva Dinova

Seth and Jade from OTU join Breht to discuss their tenant organizing, their recent victories, implementing the Mass Line, the importance of political education, how to take the fight to landlords, concrete advice for those who might want to start their own tenant organization, and much more!

Learn more about OTU HERE

Get 15% off any book at Left Wing Books HERE

Outro Song: Rent Man by Black Uhuru

---------------------------------------------------------

Rev Left is and always will be 100% listener funded. You can support the show and get access to hundreds of bonus episodes HERE

Follow Rev Left on Insta

Space from Art For The People and Thomas O'Connell from MCU (Maoist Communist Union) join Breht to discuss these organizations, their aims and goals, the role of art and artists in a revolutionary movement, the impossibility of "non-political art", their shared love of hip hop, Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, the importance of giving and receiving criticism, communist organizing, and much more!

MCU's instagram

MCU's website

AFTP's Instagram

Marxism Today on Youtube

Space's music

Space's Instagram

Space Baby's Songs featured in this episode: Martyrs, Go In, Damn I'm In Debt, and Nothing to Lose

---------------------------------------------------------

Rev Left is and always will be 100% listener funded. You can support the show and get access to hundreds of bonus episode in our back catologue HERE

Follow Rev Left on Insta

Willy Massay joins Breht in-studio to discuss his time as a medical volunteer in Gaza. Willy got back into town just last week and speaks candidly and movingly about his experiences with and among the Palestinian people in Gaza.

Donate to 3 displaced families in Gaza HERE

Donate to Fidaa and her children in Gaza HERE

Learn more about Rahma Worldwide HERE

Learn more about Jewish Voices for Peace HERE

Learn more about Nebraskans for Palestine HERE

Outro Song: World Goes Blind by Samer

A book of poetry dedicated to the human experience of the working class poor in the American Midwest...

Buy and/or review At Least the Pain is Cheap HERE

Get a free copy at: atleastthepainischeap@gmail.com

Shoeless in South Dakota: In this fourth edition of our All Too Human interview series, Breht and Dave welcome their old friend from high school, Christian, into the Shoeless Shed to have an honest conversation about his struggles with alcoholism, methamphetamine, and incarceration. This is the first time Breht and Christian have seen eachother in 15 years! With these All Too Human interviews, we aim to highlight and destigmatize the mental health and addiction struggles of regular working class people in hopes that we can provide insight into this type of human suffering, help others who struggle with similar things feel less alone, and deepen our understanding of the modern human condition.

Outro music: "Learning to Change" by Tidda (Christian)

Check out more of Christian's music HERE

----------------------

Contact us, support us, follow us, or learn more about the show here: https://www.shoelessinsouthdakota.com

Chase from the Maoist Communist Union (MCU) joins Breht to discuss revolutionary strategy, both historically and presently, and the specific role of the industrual proletariat in that strategy. Together, they discuss communist organizing, different class stratas and their revolutionary potential, the science of Marxism, historical materialism, imperialism and its ideological and material impacts on the working class of the imperial core, the social divison of labor, the service industry, large scale v. small scale industry, trade unions, right and left deviations, and much more!

Learn more about the Maoist Communist Union HERE

Reach out to MCU at maoistcommunistunion@riseup.net

Join the MCU Open Study group by contacting at MCUstudy@proton.me

Reach out to Chase at MassStrugglePod@protonmail.com

Get 15% off any book at Left Wing Books HERE

---------------------------------------------------------

Rev Left is and always will be 100% listener funded. You can support the show and get access to hundreds of bonus episode in our back catologue HERE

Follow Rev Left on Insta

Too Black returns to the show to discuss the case of the Pendleton 2, the story of John “Balagoon” Cole and Christopher “Naeem” Trotter, the leaders of the Indiana prison uprising that rescued Lincoln "Lokmar" Love from being brutalized and killed by prison guards, exposed Pendleton’s dehumanizing conditions, and unleashed the vindictive wrath of the Indiana Department of Correction.

Together, he and Breht discuss the backstory, the legal case and trial, the absurdly long prison sentences they recieved, the KKK-affiliated "Sons of Light" operating amongst the prison guards, The Black Dragons, prison organizing, solitary confinement, how you can help the Pendleton 2 directly, the powerful legacy of George Jackson, the unacceptable and inhuman conditions of American prisons, the Black Alliance for Peace's "Black August" events, and more!

You can donate directly to campaign to free the Pendleton 2 HERE

Watch the documentary "The Pendleton 2: They Stood Up" for free on YT HERE

Check out Too Black's website HERE

Here are previous episodes discussed during this converation, including the latest episode of the Black Myths Podcast, which you can find on your preferred podcast app:

Follow Rev Left on IG

Outro Song: "Police State" by Dead Prez

Join Breht, Amanda, and Evan as they delve into Soviet filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky's first feature film, Ivan's Childhood (1962). The episode starts with a lighthearted discussion about dream dinner guests, then moves into a detailed analysis of themes like innocence lost, war trauma, and symbolic elements such as trees and cobwebs. The hosts draw parallels between the film's depiction of war and ongoing humanitarian crises like those in Palestine. Part of their Tarkovsky series, this episode also touches on broader issues like moral responsibility toward children and insights from the guests' personal work.

Check out our other two episodes on Tarkovsky's "Solaris" and "Stalker": https://revolutionaryleftradio.libsyn.com/size/5/?search=tarkovsky

Amanda Joy Moon:

⁠⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandajoymoon/ ⁠

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/riotgrrrlprintz/?etsrc=sdt ⁠⁠

TikTok⁠⁠: https://tiktok.com/@amandajoymoon

Left of the Projector Links

https://www.patreon.com/LeftoftheProjectorPod

https://boxd.it/5T9O1

https://leftoftheprojector.com

https://instagram.com/leftoftheprojector

-----------------------------------------------------

Get 15% off any book in the Left Wing Books Library HERE

Support Rev Left Radio

Follow Rev Left on IG 

Ruehl Muller joins Breht to discuss his upcoming book, put out by Iskra Books, titled "Building a People's Art: Selected Works of Trường Chinh and Tố Hữu".

Together, they discuss Vietnamese Socialist Realism, Maoist China, Cultural Revolution, dialectics, the death drive, fascism in Germany and Israel, New Democracy, and much more!

Find this book, stay up to date on all releases, get into contact with Ruehl, and so much here at www.iskrabooks.org

Outro Song: "Opening Salvo" by Blue Scholars

--------------------------------

Rev Left is and always will be 100% listener funded, you can support the show and get access to hundreds of bonus episode in our back catologue on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio

Follow Rev Left on Insta

Breht reflects on recent global events, from the fascist riots in the UK, to the escalating tensions in the Middle East, to another coup attempt in Venezuela, to the electoral spectacle here in the US... Then he offers up a positive vision of the future and how each of us can contribute to human civilizational evolution.

Outro Song: The Cure by Non-Prophets

-------------------------------------------------------

Rev Left is and always will be 100% listener funded. We appreciate deeply everyone who supports the show in any way, you can support the show and get access to hundreds of bonus episode in our back catologue HERE

Follow Rev Left on Insta

Originally aired on Shoeless in South Dakota

In this second edition of our All Too Human interview series, Breht and Dave welcome Tabitha into the studio to have an honest conversation about her struggles with alcohol. With these All Too Human interviews, we aim to highlight and destigmatize the mental health and addiction struggles of normal working people in hopes that we can provide insight into this type of human suffering, help others who struggle with similar things feel less alone, and deepen our understanding of the modern human condition.

Reach out to us: shoelessinSD@gmail.com

Follow us on Insta

For this full episode, and hundreds of bonus episodes in our back-catalogue, join our patreon and support the show directly: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio

Rev Left is and always will be 100% listener funded. We appreciate deeply everyone who supports the show in any way. 

Follow Rev Left on Insta

In this crossover episode of Guerrilla History and Rev Left, Adnan (GH) and Breht (RLR) discuss the essays of an important new book studying many aspects of the history and contemporary expression of right wing demographic obsessions, anti-immigrant and fascistic patriarchies, and the politics of Islamophobia in Europe, North America and beyond with co-editors Luiz Manuel Hernandez Aguilar and Sarah Bracke.  The book is The Politics of Replacement: Demographic Fears, Conspiracy Theories, and Race Wars, and is definitely worth picking up!

Sarah Bracke is Professor of Sociology of Gender and Sexuality at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She is the principal investigator of the research project EnGendering Europe’s “Muslim Question”, funded by the Dutch Research Council.  Follow her on twitter @SarahABracke

Luis Manuel Hernández Aguilar is an associate researcher at the European University Viadrina, Frankfurt Oder, Germany. He holds a PhD in sociology by the Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main. His research interests focus on racism, Islamophobia and antisemitism, conspiracy theories, and the far right.

Trump gets shot. Biden drops out. Kamala is coronated. Alyson and Breht discuss and analyze it all.

Omaha Tenants United: https://omahatenantsunited.wordpress.com

Outro Song: Music for Shoplifting by P.O.S.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow Rev Left on Insta

Support Rev Left Radio and get access to multiple bonus episodes a month

Jeremy, Rae, & Tony from Proles Pod join Breht to talk about the new show, the changes they have made to the original Proles of the Roundtable, Marxism and its relevance for the modern world and contemporary moment, the importance of the masses as well as leaders in the communist tradition, some critiques of the North American left, the essential traits that a revolutionary must possess, and much more!

Check out Proles Pod HERE

Check out the Actually Existing Socialism podcast on Spotify or Apple 

Support Proles Pod HERE

Follow Proles on Insta and Twitter

Email the Proles: prolespod@outlook.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow Rev Left on Insta

Support Rev Left Radio and get access to multiple bonus episodes a month

or make a one time donation via PayPal HERE

Breht reads the forward that him and his Guerilla History co-hosts (Henry Hakamaki and Adnan Husain) wrote for the brand new book put out by Iskra Books "Historical Documents of the P.L.O.: A Collection for Critical Organizational Study", a scholarly yet accessible anthology of the documents that forged the backbone of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s struggle for sovereignty and liberation.

Get the book HERE

All profits from the book go to the Middle East Children's Alliance

Alyson and Breht reflect on the pathetic Presidential Debate, analyze the fallout from the debate, and then reflect on some major internal divisions within both American and Israeli societies. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow Rev Left on Insta

Support Rev Left Radio and get access to multiple bonus episodes a month

Author and Scholar Marcello Musto joins the show to discuss his book "The Last Years of Karl Marx: An Intellectual Biography".

Together, Marcello and Breht explore the last couple years of Karl Marx's life, including his personal tragedies and illnesses as well as his continued study, travels, and theoretical development. They discuss and counter the criticisms that Marx was irredeemably euro-centric, didn't wrestle with the question of colonialism, or was a class reductionist, while also diving into his relationship with his wife and children, his best friend and colleague Engels, his analysis of Russia, and finally, his own death.

Marcello Musto is a Professor of Sociological Theory at York University, in Toronto – Canada, where he is the founding director of the Laboratory for Alternative Theories. He is acknowledged globally as one of the authors who has made significant contributions to the revival of Marx studies over the last decade and his research interests also include Socialist thought, the history of labour movement, and alternative socio-economic systems. His work has been translated worldwide in twenty-five languages and among his publications there are four single-authored books and twelve edited volumes.

Get 15% off any book in the Left Wing Books Library HERE

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow Rev Left on Insta

Support Rev Left Radio and get access to multiple bonus episodes a month

Aaron J. Leonard returns to the show to discuss his newest book "Meltdown Expected: Crisis, Disorder, and Upheaval at the End of the 1970s". The final years of the 1970's were a moment of crisis and transition for the United States, both at home and abroad. Today, in 2024, we are also in a moment of crisis and transition - though without the benefit of hindsight we struggle to see where this transition might lead; moreover, we still have the ability to learn from the past and influence this transition through political struggle. Aaron not only writes about this period as a historian, but also lived through this period as a Marxist and an organizer and has personal as well as professional reflections on it. Together, Aaron and Breht talk about the end of the 70's, the imperial crisis in the middle east (specifically regarding Iran) which still shapes regional politics to this day, The opening up of China and its consequences, Jimmy Carter and the rise of neoliberalism, de-industrialization inside the US, the shifts in and around the FBI, the changes in music and culture, and much more. 

Check out all of Aaron's previous interviews on Rev Left HERE

Get 15% off any book in the Left Wing Books Library HERE

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Support Rev Left and get access to over 300 bonus episodes in our back catalogue, as well as new bonus episodes each month. 

In our final installment of our Modern China series, we conclude with this important, and inevitably controversial discussion of the Deng Reforms and the Reform Period!  Very important that no matter your ideological tendencies, you come into this episode with an open mind, because there will be a lot of useful information for you regardless of how you analyze the Deng Reforms overall - this is meant primarily as a resource to allow you to deepen your personal understanding and analysis of this critical juncture in Chinese and world history.  We definitely want to also thank Ken for spending over 6 hours with us on this mini-series, and we hope that you all get some use from it!

Check out episodes 1 - 3 HERE

Ken Hammond is Professor of East Asian and Global History at New Mexico State University. He has been engaged in radical politics since his involvement in the anti-war movement at Kent State in 1968-70.  Ken is also the author of the book China’s Revolution & the Quest for a Socialist Future.

Breht opens up about his lifelong struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in the hopes that it might help others. He discusses developing contamination OCD as a child after a traumatic event, reflects on how his OCD has morphed over the years and taken on different forms, and offers words of encouragement, loving compassion, and hope for those dealing with this condition. 

OCD Interviews to watch:

OCD books to read:

Other OCD Resources:

Outro Song: "Yellow Datsun" by Neva Dinova

Students and organizers Cheli and Phia join Alyson and Breht to discuss their different experiences on the front lines of student encampments at Cal State LA and the University of Oregon. Together, they discuss the reasons for their protests, share the differing reactions from university administrations and faculty, and give listeners an inside look at the negotiations, stratagies, and current developments of the encampments - all while highlighting the reason they are doing this in the first place: to help work toward a free and liberated Palestine!

Help baby Fai'a in Gaza get surgery for a genetic disorder HERE 

We Are Not Numbers

Follow Students for Justice in Palestine at CSU Los Angeles HERE

Outro Song:

 "The Sound of War (Remix) by Eddy Mack, Norhan, and Abu Batata

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Support Rev Left and get access to over 300 bonus episodes in our back catalogue, as well as new bonus episodes each month. 

Philosopher Scott Sehon joins Breht to discuss his new book "Socialism: A Logical Introduction". Together they analyze arguments in favor of capitalism, argue against them, and defend socialism as a superior form of socio-economic organization in the process. They discuss different definitions of socialism, social democracy vs. democratic socialism, have a friendly back and forth about the Soviet Union, the role of morality and values in political debate, wealth inequality and its deleterious impact on society, the contradiction within capitalism between free markets and monopoly formation, democracy v. markets, and much more. 

Get 15% off any book in the Left Wing Books Library HERE

------------------------------------------------------------

Support Rev Left and get access to over 300 bonus episodes in our back catalogue, as well as new bonus episodes each month. 

In this episode of Guerrilla History, we get into part 3 of our 4 part miniseries on modern Chinese history featuring Ken Hammond (and guest host Breht O'Shea of Revolutionary Left Radio) with an amazing discussion of The Great Leap Forward and The Cultural Revolution!  If you haven't already listened to part 1 of the series, on the Taiping and Boxer Rebellions, or part 2 on The Chinese Revolution & Civil War, be sure to go back and check those out because we pick up right where we left off last time.  With these final two episodes in the series, we enter the period where various ideological traditions diverge in their analysis of the events, but regardless of what ideological background you come from, we encourage you to listen to these and engage with the information, as we believe the information will help you deepen your own analysis regardless of your ideological position.  

Ken Hammond is Professor of East Asian and Global History at New Mexico State University. He has been engaged in radical politics since his involvement in the anti-war movement at Kent State in 1968-70.  Ken is also the author of the book China’s Revolution & the Quest for a Socialist Future.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Support Rev Left Radio

In this final iteration of our long-standing series "Dialectics Deep Dive", Matthew Furlong joins Breht to discuss Althusser's essay "Contradiction and Overdetermination" and in the process they discuss many aspects of dialectical materialism and Marxist philosophy.

Get 15% off any book in the Left Wing Books Library HERE

Check out Part 1 of this episode here: https://revolutionaryleftradio.libsyn.com/dialectics-deep-dive-iix-contradiction-and-overdetermination-pt-1

Check out all our Dialectics Deep Dive episodes here: https://revolutionaryleftradio.libsyn.com/size/5/?search=dialectics+deep+dive

Video at 21:47: "Alan Watts on Life and Death"

(Tricontinental Institute for Social Research - Hyperimperialism: A Dangerous, Decadent New Stage https://thetricontinental.org/studies-on-contemporary-dilemmas-4-hyper-imperialism

Tricontinental Institute - The Churning of the Global Order (Condensed version of Hyperimperialism): https://thetricontinental.org/dossier-72-the-churning-of-the-global-order/

BreakThrough News - Hyperimperialism: US-NATO's Dangerous and Decadent New Stage (Rania Khalek w/ Vijay Prashad): https://youtu.be/CJDxxkVhlJM

BreakThrough News - Israel's Descent Into Madness & The Holocaust Comparison (Rania Khalek w/ Tarik Cyril Amar): https://youtu.be/UbppCU7uiJw

Electronic Intifada - How Zionism pushes liberalism into decay (Nora Barrows-Friedman w/Matteo Capasso): https://https://youtu.be/bK6-10H80Bs

Zhun Xu - "Industrial Agriculture: Lessons from North Korea" https://monthlyreview.org/2024/03/01/industrial-agriculture-lessons-from-north-korea/

Red Clarion - "The Cult-building Tendency" https://clarion.unity-struggle-unity.org/2024-04-02-the-cult-building-tendency/

Red Clarion - "Undead Unionism" https://clarion.unity-struggle-unity.org/2023-08-13-undead-unionism/

The Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam - Curriculum of the Basic Principles of Marxism-Leninism Part 1: The Worldview and Philosophical Methodology of Marxism-Leninism (translated and annotated by Luna Nguyen) https://www.lunaoi.com/product/ebook-the-worldview-and-philosophical-methodology-of-marxism-leninism/

Rasul Mowatt and Too Black join Breht to discuss their new book Laundering Black Rage: The Washing of Black Death, People, Property, and Profits. The book is a spatial and historical critique of the capitalist State that examines how Black Rage—conceived as a constructive and logical response to the conquest of resources, land, and human beings racialized as Black—is cleaned for the unyielding means of White capital. Interlacing political theory with international histories of Black rebellion, it presents a thoughtful challenge to the counterinsurgent tactics of the State that consistently convert Black Rage into a commodity to be bought, sold, and repressed. Laundering Black Rage investigates how the Rage directed at the police murder of George Floyd could be marshalled to funnel the Black Lives Matter movement into corporate advertising and questionable leadership, while increasing the police budgets inside the laundry cities of capital - largely with our consent.

Essayist/Performer Too Black and Geographer Rasul A. Mowatt assert Black Rage as a threat to the flow of capital and the established order of things, which must therefore be managed by the process of laundering.

Intertwining stories of Black resistance throughout the African diaspora, State building under capitalism, cities as sites of laundering, and the world making of empire, Laundering Black Rage also lays the groundwork for upending the laundering process through an anti-colonial struggle of reverse-laundering conquest. Relevant to studies of race and culture, history, politics, and the built environment, this pathbreaking work is essential reading for scholars and organizers enraged at capitalism and White supremacy laundering their work for nefarious means.

Check out The Black Myths Podcast

You can find the book HERE

(25% Discount code at checkout: EFLY01)

Support Rev Left Radio

Follow Rev Left on IG 

Breht is interviewed as a guest on Left of the Projector (along with Amanda Joy Moon). Together, with the host Evan, the three discuss Soviet Filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky's film "Stalker" from 1979.

In case you missed our first collab on Tarkovsky's film "Solaris" you can find that discussion HERE

Left of the Projector:

Subscribe: https://leftoftheprojector.com

⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠: https://boxd.it/5T9O1 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://www.patreon.com/LeftoftheProjectorPod ⁠⁠

⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://www.instagram.com/leftoftheprojectorpod/

Amanda Joy Moon:

⁠⁠Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandajoymoon/ ⁠

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Get 15% off any book in the Left Wing Books Library HERE

Support Rev Left Radio

Follow Rev Left on IG 

Alyson and Breht discuss the student-led protests for Palestine sweeping across American universities, the reaction to them by the ruling class elite and their attack dogs (the cops), lessons learned from previous movements over the past decade or so, parallels to 1968 and the anti-Vietnam War protests, the current negotiations between the Palestinian resistance and Israel, and what it all means for the broader crisis (geopolitical and internal) racking the U.S.

---------------------------------------------

Support Rev Left Radio

Follow Rev Left on IG 

This is a teaser for our other show, Shoeless in South Dakota... a podcast about mental health, addiction, recovery, comedy, friendship, philosophy, self-help (and a million other things). To listen to the rest of THIS episode, and all of our other Shoeless episodes, check us out at:

https://www.shoelessinsouthdakota.com/

In this episode of Guerrilla History, we get into part 2 of our 4 part miniseries on modern Chinese history featuring Ken Hammond (and guest host Breht O'Shea of Revolutionary Left Radio) with this absolutely terrific discussion on the Chinese Revolution & Civil War!  If you haven't already listened to part 1 of the series, on the Taiping and Boxer Rebellions, be sure to do so because we pick up right where we left off last time.  The next two installments will cover the Great Leap Forward and the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, and then the Reform period up to the present day, so be sure to not miss any of those upcoming episodes!

Ken Hammond is Professor of East Asian and Global History at New Mexico State University. He has been engaged in radical politics since his involvement in the anti-war movement at Kent State in 1968-70.  Ken is also the author of the book China’s Revolution & the Quest for a Socialist Future.

Shoeless in South Dakota: In this third edition of our All Too Human interview series, Breht and Dave welcome Niko into the Shoeless Shed to have an honest conversation about his struggles with alcoholism.  With these All Too Human interviews, we aim to highlight and destigmatize the mental health and addiction struggles of regular working class people in hopes that we can provide insight into this type of human suffering, help others who struggle with similar things feel less alone, and deepen our understanding of the modern human condition.

Outro music: 'Hundreds of Ways' by Conor Oberst 

----------------------

Contact us, support us, follow us, or learn more about the show here: https://www.shoelessinsouthdakota.com

In this episode, Alyson and Breht wrestle with the possible rise of artificial general intelligence and its implications. Together they discuss the Silicon Valley Techno-Cult and their dark religious search for immortality, their hubristic attempts to "build god" and escape death, their neoliberal subjectivities and how that manifests in their work, how AI might manifest under the capitalist mode of production, the horrors and contradictions of "capitalism without workers", deflationary critiques of AI, humans as transitional creatures, consciousness and its complexities, intelligence without consciousness (philosophical zombies), Nietzchean nihilism, real religion and what it offers, embracing the inevitability of your own death, and much more!

---------

Support Rev Left

Shoeless in South Dakota: In this first edition of our All Too Human interview series, Breht and Dave welcome "Katie", Breht's sister, into the studio to have an honest conversation about her struggles with alcohol and gambling.  With these All Too Human interviews, we aim to highlight and destigmatize the mental health and addiction struggles of normal working people in hopes that we can provide insight into this type of human suffering, help others who struggle with similar things feel less alone, and deepen our understanding of the modern human condition.

Learn more about Shoeless in South Dakota: ShoelessInSouthDakota.com

Check out the Inaugural Episode of Shoeless HERE

Subscribe to Shoeless in South Dakota on your preferred podcast app.

Musa Springer, Erica Caines, & Onyesonwu Chatoyer from Hood Communist join Breht O'Shea to discuss their participation in The Second International Meeting of Theoretical Publications of Left Parties and Movements in Havana, Cuba before discussing the history and current events playing out in Haiti. Together they converse about their time in Cuba, the various speeches they gave at the event, the ongoing embargo and its impacts, recent protests in Cuba, internationalism, the Zone of Peace campaign by the Black Alliance for Peace, US imperialism, the history of colonialism in Haiti, current events in Haiti, how Haiti is portrayed by Western corporate media, and much more!

Links:

In this episode of Guerrilla History, we launch our 4 part miniseries on modern Chinese history featuring Ken Hammond (and guest host Breht O'Shea of Revolutionary Left Radio) with this terrific discussion on the Taiping and Boxer Rebellions!  Be sure to go back and listen to the previous episode we did with Ken in the fall, which serves as a bit of an introductory work for this miniseries. The other three installments will drop every other week (with other episodes in between), and will cover the Chinese Revolution/Civil War, the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution, and the Reform period, so be sure to subscribe to not miss any of those coming episodes!

Ken Hammond is Professor of East Asian and Global History at New Mexico State University. He has been engaged in radical politics since his involvement in the anti-war movement at Kent State in 1968-70.  Ken is also the author of the book China’s Revolution & the Quest for a Socialist Future.

This is a small extract from a much larger patreon exclusive episode. To get access to the full episode, and over 300 other patreon exclusive episodes, join our patreon at: patreon.com/revleftradio

Listen to the first installment of this four-episode series HERE

Kenneth J. Hammond is Professor of History at New Mexico State University. Hammond was a student and Students for a Democratic Society leader at Kent State University from 1967 to 1970. He later (1985) completed his degree in Political Science, then studied Modern Chinese language at the Beijing Foreign Languages Normal School in Beijing. Hammond received an M.A. in Regional Studies - East Asia (1989), and a Ph.D in History and East Asian Languages (1994) from Harvard University. In 2007, Hammond was appointed director of the Confucius Institute, a cultural initiative funded in part by Hanban on the NMSU campus that is dedicated to studying and publicizing China and Chinese culture. He is the editor of the journal Ming Studies. 

Follow Guerrilla History on X

Follow Guerrilla History on IG

Subscribe to Guerrilla History on your preferred podcast app

Support Rev Left Radio

Black Red Guard returns to the show for a no-holds-barred, wide-ranging discussion on a multitude of topics, including Palestine, Aaron Bushnell, the DSA, line struggle, party building, Taiwan, revolution, the future, and much more!

Check out BRG's YT Channel HERE

Follow BRG on Twitter HERE

Check out his Twitch  HERE

Outro Music: To Cause Your Own Death by Mon Rovia

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Get 15% off any book in the Left Wing Books Library HERE

Support Rev Left Radio

Follow Rev Left on IG 

Alyson and Breht explain and explore this famous text from Karl Marx, in the process they discuss French history, class conflict, the peasantry and lumpenproletariat, Bonapartism and Fascism, history, the role of the State under capitalism, and how all of this helps us to make sense of our contemporary moment of crisis in the US and around the world. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Support Rev Left and get immediate access to over 300 bonus episodes, with new ones coming every month!

This unlocked patreon episode was originally released Feb. 27th 2024

To get access to more bonus episodes like this every month, and support the show, join our patreon at patreon.com/revleftradio

---------------------------------------------

In this patreon exclusive, Breht reads and reflects on Buddhist writings including Thich Nhat Hanh's letter to MLK Jr. regarding Buddhist monks in Vietnam engaging in self-immolation and how it differs from suicide,  and a response by John Peacock to criticism by Slavoj Zizek of so-called Western Buddhism wherein he argues that mindfulness meditation is merely a way to cope with the depravities of capitalism; a new Opium of the Masses. 

Along the way, Breht takes many detours, and touches on the self-immolation and martyrdom of Aaron Bushnell, the ongoing multi-faceted evolution of the human species, and much more.  

Check out other Rev Left episodes on Buddhism and related topics, including the ones mentioned in this episode HERE 

Musa and Tunde from the ATL chapter of the Black Alliance for Peace join Breht to discuss the GILEE Program (Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange) and its implications, the construction of Cop City (and the plans for more), the militarization of police in an era of capitalist and liberal crisis, Israel and its connections to GILEE, the Palestinian Liberation movement, "Black Mecca" and its class contradictions, and what all this means for our near-future...

Check out BAP-Atlanta HERE

Check out the Groundings Podcast HERE

Check out Demilitarize US to Palestine HERE

Follow BAP on Twitter or on Insta

Outro Song by Liberation Beats

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Get 15% off any book in the Left Wing Books Library HERE

Support Rev Left Radio

Follow Rev Left on IG 

Josh Fernandez joins the show to discuss his new biography "The Hands That Crafted the Bomb: The Making of a Lifelong Antifascist". Together Josh and Breht have a wide ranging conversation on antifascism, teaching, prison, organizing, parenting, drug and alcohol abuse, and much more. 

Check out the book HERE

Check out an article about Josh from The Real News HERE

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow Rev Left on Insta

Support Rev Left Radio and get access to multiple bonus episodes a month

After a wonderful 3 and half years, Breht and Producer Dave are bidding farewell to Guerrilla History. Henry and Adnan will continue the program. In this episode, they all reflect on their time together and promise to keep collaborating when and where possible going forward!

Please Subscribe to Guerrilla History on your preferred podcast app. 

Support Guerrilla History HERE and follow them HERE

Check out Shoeless in South Dakota HERE

Follow Shoeless in South Dakota HERE

Rest in Peace, Aaron. Free Palestine! 

"To burn oneself by fire is to prove that what one is saying is of the utmost importance. There is nothing more painful than burning oneself. To say something while experiencing this kind of pain is to say it with utmost courage, frankness, determination, and sincerity."

- Thich Nhat Hanh in a letter to MLK Jr. regarding the self-immolation of Vietnamese Buddhist monks

This is a snippet from a much longer patreon exclusive episode. To listen to the full episode and support the show at the same time, CLICK HERE

On this episode of Red Menace, Alyson and Breht had some things come up such that they couldn't record their planned episode on Marx's 18th Brumaire (coming soon!), so instead they have a deep, organic and wide-ranging conversation on mysticism; together they explore humanities religious and spiritual traditions and the mystical strain within them, discuss atheism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Sufism, mystical experiences, the role of suffering, holy union and oneness, the dissolution of subject/object duality, the role of psychedelics historically and experientially, dialectics, and whether or not any of this has any relevance for political struggle.

Support Rev Left HERE

Check out all Red Menace Eps HERE

Follow us on IG HERE

All Music by Mount Eerie

Passy and Maurice from Friends of the Congo join Breht to discuss the history and the present of the Congo. Together, they discuss their organization, Passy's on-the-ground organizing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the history of the Congo, Patrice Lumumba and his legacy, European and Belgian colonialism, King Leopold II, the brutal ongoing violence and displacement occuring in the Eastern DRC, US imperialism and the Kagame Regime in Rwanda, M23, Neo-Colonialism, Colbalt and rare-earth mineral mining, modern day slavery and the industries it serves, the so-called "green capitalist transition" and its rotting underbelly, and much more.

Friends of the Congo (FOTC) is a Pan African solidarity organization raising global consciousness about the challenges and potential of the Congo.

Become A Friend of the Congo:

Follow Rev Left on Insta

Support Rev Left Radio and get access to multiple bonus episodes a month

Matthew Furlong returns for another installment of our Dialectics Deep Dive Series.

Together, they discuss Althusser, Hegel, Dialectical Materialism, Marxism, Palestine, process philosophy, and much more!

Get 15% off any book in the Left Wing Books Library HERE

Interview referenced in the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZDGvT04sNA&ab_channel=BreakThroughNews

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Support Rev Left Radio

Follow Rev Left on IG 

In this fouth installment of our ongoing W.E.B. Du Bois series, Breht and PM sit down with Saudia Durrant and Geo Maher from the W.E.B. Du Bois Movement School for Abolition and Reconstruction. Together, they discuss Du Bois, their organization, abolition, the struggle for socialism and communism, the failure of reconstruction, the Palestinian liberation struggle, Cop City in Atlanta, and much more. Follow PM on Twitter or Insta

Follow Rev Left on Insta

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Support Rev Left Radio and get access to multiple bonus episodes a month

Breht got invited onto Left of the Projector to discuss Soviet filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky's famous sci-fi film from 1972 "Solaris" with Evan and Amanda. Together, they discuss and analyze the film, exploring the human condition, the subconscious, modernist subjectivity, alienation, our fear of death, the Cold War, spiritual experience, the central importance of Love, Stanley Kubrick, and much more in the process. 

This is extracted from a larger patreon bonus episode; to listen to the full episode, hundreds of other bonus episodes, AND support the show, go to: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio

Check out our Instagram HERE

In this episode of Guerrilla History, we bring back the official unofficial fourth member of the hosting panel, Alexander Aviña!  Here we discuss Alex's freshly released article at Foreign Exchanges titled A Future of Walls or Liberation, which examines some of the role and relationships between "Israel" and the countries and governments in Latin America.  This is a really interesting piece of the Zioimperialist story, and one which is frankly very under-discussed.  Tune in, learn something, and share with others who you think would also benefit from hearing this history!

Alexander Aviña is associate professor of Latin American history at Arizona State University and author of Specters of Revolution: Peasant Guerrillas in the Cold War Mexican Countryside. Alex's website is available at alexanderavina.com, and he can be followed on twitter @Alexander_Avina

Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory 

Dr. Joy James joins Breht and PM for the third installment of Rev Left's ongoing Du Bois series, but this conversation goes well beyond the life and work of Du Bois to cover James' newest book, her long history of organizing, the history of black liberation struggles in the US, and much more. Together, they discuss George Jackson, James' concept of the Captive Maternal, Erica Garner, "New Bones Abolition", Marxism, black history, Ida B. Wells, and much more. Overall its a wide-ranging conversation with an incredibly wise and experienced revolutionary intellectual. 

Dr. James is Ebenezer Fitch Professor of Humanities at Williams College. Her book is New Bones Abolition: Captive Maternal Agency and the (After)life of Erica Garner.  Proceeds from New Bones Abolition: Captive Maternal Agency and the (After)Life of Erica Garner go to Prison Radio.

Follow PM on IG

Check out Dr. Joy James on Millennials are Killing Capitalism HERE & HERE

Get 15% off any book from Leftwingbooks.net 

Outro Music: "Sorrow Tears and Blood" by Fela Kuti

Support Rev Left Radio 

If you enjoy these monologue-style episodes and want to support the show and get access to multiple bonus episodes like this every single month, you can do so HERE

UNLOCKED: Breht opens this Patreon episode with a discussion of American politics, talks about Lenin's anaysis of what makes for a revolutionary situation, and then he reads, reflects upon, and comments on an article by Ahjamu Umi from Hood Communist titled "The Unknown Relationship between Malcolm X and Kwame Nkrumah"

Nicholas Richard-Thompson and Tunde Osazua from the Black Alliance for Peace join Breht to discuss the life and legacy of Kwame Nkrumah. Together, they discuss the Ghanaian Marxist and Pan-Africanist politician, political theorist, and revolutionary, his upbringing, his entrance into Ghanaian and African politics, his political ideology, the many assassination attempts on his life, the coup that overthrew him and who backed it (just take a guess...), his life in exile, his continuing legacy on the continent and beyond, and much more!    Learn more and support Black Alliance for Peace    Follow Nicholas on Twitter    Follow Tunde on Twitter   BAP Chicago's Twitter     IMPORTANT: As the PAIGC/A-APRP is an active member of BAP's U.S Out of Africa Network (USOAN), and As the PAIGC is facing dire political repression within Guinea Bissau due to its substantial revolutionary gains against neo-colonialism in that country,   We therefore call on BAP and the USOAN to mobilize immediate support for the PAIGC/A-APRP.   Please read the following for background information:

Support Rev Left Radio 

Everett from The Age of Napoleon and Arjun from Deep into History join Breht to discuss Napoleon Bonaparte. Together they explore and reflect on the new film by Ridley Scott, the actual history involved and what the film got wrong, Napoleon's real personality, the importance of the French Revolution in Napoleon's rise, the reaction to the French Revolution and Napoleon from the rest of Europe, Napoleon's treatment of Haiti, Napoleon's exile and death, and then they grapple with the question of how the socialist left today should view and understand Napoleon. 

Outro Song: Napoleon's Hat by Bright Eyes

https://leftwingbooks.net/discount/REVLEFT

-------------------------------------------------------

Support Rev Left Radio: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio

In this Rev Left Family Annual Collab (Rev Left+Red Menace+Guerrilla History), Alyson, Henry, Adnan, and Breht sit down for a deep dive on South African Apartheid. Together they discuss its euro-colonialist origins, explain the significance of the Boer Wars, define and explicate the origins of apartheid, explore the political economy of apartheid and how brutal racism shaped it, examine the multi-faceted indigenous resistance to apartheid, analyze the end of formal apartheid as well as its ongoing legacy in post-apartheid South Africa, and try to extract important lessons from this history to apply to the ongoing struggle in Palestine. -------------------------------------------------------

Support Rev Left Radio: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio

or make a one time donation: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/revleft

This episode is from our sister podcast Guerrilla History, subscribe to it on your preferred podcast app!

In this absolutely fabulous episode of Guerrilla History, we bring back on the one and only Dr. CBS, Charisse Burden-Stelly!  Here, we discuss her outstanding new book Black Scare/Red Scare: Theorizing Capitalist Racism in the United States.  This work focuses on how anti-radical repression (especially anti-communist repression) is infused and inseparable with anti-Black racial oppression, and vice versa.  This is a critical work by one of the most critical voices in our times, and we think that this conversation is a truly important one for everyone to hear!

Charisse Burden-Stelly is associate professor of African American studies at Wayne State University. She is the coauthor (alongside Gerald Horne) of W.E.B. Du Bois: A Life in American History and the coeditor (alongside Jodi Dean) of Organize, Fight, Win: Black Communist Women’s Political Writing.  Join the Black Alliance for Peace or BAP Solidarity Network, keep up with Dr. CBS's work by checking out her website www.charisseburdenstelly.com, and follow her on twitter @blackleftaf.

Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory

Corey Mohler from Existential Comics returns to the show to discuss the famous novel (and its many adaptations) by Victor Hugo "Les Misérables". Together they discuss the novel, its various adaptations, its political and social themes, 19th Century France, the "Giants of '93", read some passages from the book, and discuss its ongoing legacy and relevance for us today!

Check out Existential Comics HERE 

Check our all our previous episodes with Corey on a wide range of topics HERE

-------------------------------------------------------

Support Rev Left Radio: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio

or make a one time donation: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/revleft

In this crossover episode that we have done in collaboration with our sister podcast Guerrilla History, we bring on Ashley Fataar to provide a primer into Apartheid in the South African context, and where we also begin to explore some of the parallels to the apartheid that the settler-colonial state of Israel is enforcing in occupied Palestine today.  This is a good introduction to the topic, and we plan on getting everyone in the RevLeft family (Breht, Henry, Adnan, & Alyson) together in the coming weeks to do a deep dive into apartheid in South Africa and where we can further explore these connections to what we are seeing today!  Be sure to listen to this conversation to prepare for that coming conversation, and be sure to subscribe to Guerrilla History, RevLeft, and Red Menace wherever you get your pods.

Ashley Fataar is a long time socialist activist and writer based in South Africa.  If you would like to get in touch with Ashley, you can reach him via email at ash.fataar@gmail.com.  

Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory

Professor Matthew McManus returns to the show to discuss his newest book "The Political Right and Equality: Turning Back the Tide of Egalitarian Modernity"

Together they explore over 2,000 years of conservative, anti-egalitarian, and reactionary political thought to get a better understanding of what the political right believes, and where those beliefs come from. They discuss aristotle, the Englightenment, the French Revolution and the reaction it generated, Hegel, Dostoevsky, liberalism and socialism, Heigegger, and how conservative thought evolved throughout the 20th Century. 

Check out more of Matt's work HERE

Check out our previous episode on the politics of Nietzsche HERE

Check out our episode with Corey from Existential Comics on the life and work of Dostoevsky HERE

Outro Song: Rebel Music by Bob Marley and Krayzie Bone

-------------------------------------------------------

Support Rev Left Radio: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio

or make a one time donation: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/revleft

Alyson and Breht discuss the ongoing national liberation struggle in Palestine. Together, they discuss the incredible shift in public opinion on Israel and Palestine, the internal and external contradictions culminating in unison for Israel, the discussion about whether or not what Israel is doing is technically a genocide (it absolutely is), international law, Frantz Fanon on the psychology of national liberation, the prospects of a broader regional war, the possibilities of Turkish or Iranian engagement, the history and core elements of Zionism, the analytical importance of the settler colonial and decolonization frameworks, the disgusting role that Biden and the Democratic Party are playing in manufacturing consent for Israel's civilian mass murder campaign, the "lesser of two genocider" arguments being trotted out by liberals, how Hamas is basically an orphan army of men who have had their families killed by Israel in previous assaults, why we should reject the "terrorist" framing of the western ruling elites, what the palestinian resistance has managed to accomplish, and what might emerge from the Ruins of Gaza when all is said and done...

(recorded Oct. 30th 2023)

Support Rev Left Radio : https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio

Nicholas Richard-Thompson and Tunde Osazua from the Black Alliance for Peace join Breht to discuss AFRICOM, or The United States Africa Command - responsible for U.S. military operations and imperialism on the continent. Together they discuss the ongoing conflict in Palestine, the connections between black liberation movements and palestinian liberation, BAP's Month of Action against AFRICOM, recent coups in West Africa, developments in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, the recent history of Libya, the role of French neo-colonialism on the continent, the revolutionary contributions of Patrice Lumumba and Kwame Nkrumah, and much more!      Learn more and support Black Alliance for Peace    Follow Nicholas on Twitter    Follow Tunde on Twitter   BAP Chicago's Twitter

Check out Rev Left's episode on Thomas Sankara

Revolution in Sahel?

Get 15% off any book from Leftwingbooks.net 

outro music 'Terrorist?'  by Lowkey

Support Rev Left Radio 

or make a one time donation: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/revleft

Breht listens and responds to a conversation between liberal Zionist Sam Harris and pseudo-intellectual charlatan Eric Weinstein on Israel, Palestine, Islam, and more. In the process he deconstructs common Zionist talking points, highlights the colonialist framework that liberals and Zionists take for granted, shows how regular working people can intellectually confront ivy league PhDs, and offers up lines of argumentation that you, dear listener, can bring to conversations on these topics in your own life.

Listen to the full episode here

UPSTREAM INTERVIEW W/ BREHT AND ALYSON: 

What Is To Be Done? This is the question so profoundly posed by the Russian Revolutionary and Bolshevik leader, Vladimir Lenin, in his landmark text of the same name. Although it was written well over a century ago, this text, the questions it asked, and the paths forward that it provided, are just as relevant today as they were a hundred years ago. And just as urgent.

What roles do spontaneity and disciplined organization have in leftist movements? Can we focus simply on economic reform, or do our actions need a larger political framework to structure, guide, and propel them? 

Why does it feel like even though so many of us are motivated to work towards structural change, that things continue to get worse? Why does it seem like potential revolutionary struggles in the West always seem to stall and fail to move from a singular moment to a protracted movement? 

These are old and familiar questions — a lot of ink has been spilled and speeches made exploring them — and in this Conversation, we’ve brought on two guests who've not only thought about these questions in depth, but who have some pretty compelling answers that draw from revolutionary theory and practice in both their personal lives and from the deep well of wisdom bequeathed by theorists Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Mao. 

Breht O’Shea is the host of the podcast Revolutionary Left Radio and a co-host of Guerrilla History. He’s been on the show multiple times so you may already be familiar with his voice. Alyson Escalate, who has also been on the show, is the co-host, along with Breht, of Red Menace, a podcast that explains and analyzes revolutionary theory and then applies its lessons to our contemporary conditions. 

Further Resources:

This episode of Upstream was made possible with support from listeners like you. Upstream is a labor of love — we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support

If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries, we have a number of sponsorship packages available. Find out more at upstreampodcast.org/sponsorship

For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky.

In this critical episode of Guerrilla History, we bring on Max Ajl and Patrick Higgins to discuss some recent history and the ongoing situation regarding Palestinian resistance to the Zionist project and the ongoing bombardment on Gaza.  Max and Patrick provide some absolutely crucial information here, so be sure to tune in, and forward the episode along to anyone you think would benefit from it.

Our guests recommend you to donate to the Middle East Children's Alliance, read the work of Electronic Intifada and Mondoweiss, as well as follow their respective social media pages @intifada and @Mondoweiss, and keep up to date with the Palestinian Youth Movement and Within Our Lifetime.

Max Ajl is a postdoctoral researcher at the Ghent University, and is author of the fantastic A People's Green New Deal.  Read Max's other written work on his Researchgate page.  Max also has a twitter page, but you must find it yourself!

Patrick Higgins is a researcher at the University of Houston's Center for Arab Studies.  You can find Patrick's writings on the internet by searching for his name and his affiliation, or with the keyword Palestine.

Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory 

Breht returns with another monologue episode on the ever-evolving war in Palestine, this time with a focus on the history of the Nakba, the weakness of a two state solution, the widening global implications of the conflict, and where things might be headed...

Breht discusses the current situation in Palestine, helps listeners navigate and dismantle common Zionist talking points, and (hopefully) brings some much needed moral clarity and intellectual honesty to a topic that, especially in the West, often lacks both...

Originally Aired on Dec 22, 2019

In our third and final installment of "The Wretched of the Earth" Alyson and Breht summarize, examine, and apply the lessons of the final chapter and conclusion of Frantz Fanon's masterpiece work, then they reflect on the text as a whole.

Originally aired on Nov 23, 2019

In our second installment of "The Wretched of the Earth" Alyson and Breht summarize, examine, and apply the lessons of the third and fourth chapters of Frantz Fanon's masterpiece work. 

 Originally Aired on Oct 22, 2019

In our first installment of "The Wretched of the Earth" Alyson and Breht summarize, examine, and apply the lessons of the first two chapters of Frantz Fanon's masterpiece work.

Originally aired on Jun 3, 2021

In this classic mini-episode, Alyson Escalante summarizes and analyzes the history of Jewish Anti-Zionism. 

Originally aired on May 30, 2021 In this classic episode, Alyson and Breht use texts from Fanon, Cesaire, Mao, and Lenin to help make sense of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, the history of zionism, the role of the United States in the conflict, and more. They define settler colonialism and imperialism, show how they are operative in the conflict, and then have a wide ranging conversation on the recent attack on Gaza, ongoing Isreali settlements, the principle contradiction of the conflict, why we should advocate for a one state solution instead of a two state solution, the importance of BDS, and more! 

Support Rev Left Radio on Patreon

or make a one time donation

Chase from Mass Struggle joins Breht to discuss American labor history and communist political theory in relation to the trade union struggle through the lens of TUEL, or the Trade Union Educational League (1920 -1929). Together they discuss trade union consciousness, the necessity of a vanguard party, William Z. Foster, the limitations of spontaneity, specific actions taken by TUEL in their struggle against bosses and labor beurocrats, the importance of revolutionary theory, and then they even have a comradely back and forth over the differences between MLs and MLMs on the question of China. Chase on instagram: @massstrugglepod     Emails for contact: massstrugglepod@protonmail.com; aj5284@proton.me; lenniM17@proton.me     Link to the Vote No episode      Recommended Reading: From Bryan to Stalin     Outro Music: "Vote No (Which Side Are You On)" by Space Baby ft. Red Teamsters and Math Rock Matt Follow Space Baby on Insta HERE   --------------------------  

Support Rev Left Radio on Patreon

or make a one time donation

EARLY RELEASE: Jared from Millennials are Killing Capitalism podcast invited Breht on to talk about Friedrich Engels' draft to the Communist Manifesto entitled Principles of Communism! 

Together, they discuss the document, highlight and explain its theoretical substance, and have a wide-ranging discussion about Communist political theory, connecting the past to the present in the process. 

Get 15% off any book from Leftwingbooks.net HERE

Support Rev Left Radio on Patreon

or make a one time donation

In this outstanding episode of Guerrilla History, we bring on Jon Melrod to discuss his new book Fighting Times: Organizing on the Front Lines of the Class War (use code FIGHTING to get 40% off)!  In this episode, we discuss the life and times of Jon, who in many ways is a real working class hero.  We talk about his early embrace of radical political ideology, his radical campus organizing, his 13 years fighting in and organizing within industrial factories in Wisconsin, his rise within the UAW, and his post-factory work as a lawyer representing political refugees and victims of police violence.  This conversation is really inspiring, and we cannot recommend enough that you pick up the book, read it with fellow workers, and share this episode with those you think would benefit!

Jon Melrod is a journalist, activist, and lawyer that left the campus for the factory in 1973. For thirteen years, he immersed himself in the day-to-day struggles of Milwaukee’s working class, both on the factory floor and in the political arena. Despite FBI surveillance and interference, Jon organized a militant rank-and-file caucus and rose through union ranks to a top leadership position in UAW Local 72. After this part of his career, he opened a law firm in San Francisco, successfully representing hundreds of political refugees.  You can follow Jon on twitter @JonathanMelrod, and keep up with his latest work and read more about his story on his website jonathanmelrod.com.

Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory 

Teddy Ostrow and Maximillian Alvarez from The Real News Network join Breht to discuss the recent "stand up" strike launched by the United Auto Workers labor union. Teddy and Max discuss the strike, explain the causes of the strike and the demands of the workers, the UAW union president Shawn Fain and the democratic election that put him in leadership, what this strike - and others like it - mean for the American working class, the importance of solidarity in the labor movement and beyond, why the working class should own what it produces, and much more!

Teddy's Interview with UAW President Shawn Fain Labor Notes 

In These Times 

The Upsurge Podcast 

Support Rev Left Radio on Patreon

or make a one time donation

Support Rev Left Radio on Patreon

or make a one time donation

Henry Hakamaki and Salvatore Engel-Di Mauro join Breht to discuss the new translation (by Henry and Salvatore) of Domenico Losurdo's Stalin: History and Critique of a Black Legend from Iskra Books. 

Henry Hakamaki is the co-creator and co-host of Guerrilla History. Salvatore Engel-Di Mauro is Professor at the Geography Department of SUNY New Paltz and is chief editor for the journal Capitalism Nature Socialism.  His book Socialist States and the Environment is available from Pluto Press. You can also find the journal Capitalism Nature Socialism for more invaluable anti-capitalist environmental perspectives.

music 'Damn the Working Man'  by Croy and the Boys

Support Rev Left Radio on Patreon

or make a one time donation

(This was originally a patreon exclusive episode. To get access to hundreds of bonus episodes like this one, join and support the show here: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio)

Arjun - from Deep into History - joins Breht to discuss their love of history, and a deep and wide-ranging conversation ensues...

- Support Deep into History HERE

- Deep into History on Apple

- OR find Deep into History on your preffered podcast app!

Dr. Charisse Burden-Stelly joins Breht and PM for a second installment of our Du Bois series, this one focusing on Du Bois' human rights and peace activism and how he tied that in with his revolutionary Marxism. Together they discuss Du Bois' political evolution, the influence of his friend, comrade and wife Shirley Graham Du Bois, his book "In Battle for Peace", DR. CBS' articles on Du Bois, the targeting and trial of Du Bois by the US State, what he meant by "real pacifism", the Black Alliance for Peace, and much more!  

Check out Dr. CBS' article “In Battle for Peace During Scoundrel Time”

Check out her upcoming book  "Black Scare / Red Scare: Theorizing Capitalist Racism in the United States

You can find PM on IG @worldmaking_  

Or find out more about him and his work HERE

Check out the Black Alliance for Peace and their Solidarity Network

music 'Balloons'  by Noname (feat. Jay Electronica & Eryn Allen Kane)

Support Rev Left Radio

or make a one time donation

Nick and Levi from The Intervention podcast are joined by Breht O'Shea of Rev Left Radio to discuss the history of the making of the New Deal "from below."  We talk about the movements and dynamics that forced concessions from the ruling class, the importance of understanding the New Deal in our current moment, and much, much more.

Check out The Intervention HERE or on your preffered podcast app

Follow them on insta HERE

Donate to help finish this important film here: https://earthsgreatestenemy.com/

In this episode of Guerrilla History, we are joined by Mike Prysner to discuss the devastating impact of the US military, and the forthcoming documentary that Mike and Abby Martin are putting together on this topic titled Earth's Greatest Enemy (watch the trailer here)! This is a critical and deeply underappreciated topic that we really appreciate Mike and Abby taking the effort to tell the story of.  Do us a favor, share this episode, and contribute to the finishing of Earth's Greatest Enemy if you are able to!

Mike Prysner is a co-founder of March Forward, a long time organizer with the ANSWER Coalition, and is on the National Board of Directors of Veterans for Peace.  He also is a producer and cowriter for The Empire Files.  You can find out more about the documentary and the information for how to contribute to it at earthsgreatestenemy.com.  Mike can be followed on twitter @MikePrysner, Empire Files is @EmpireFiles, and Eyes Left is @EyesLeftPod.

Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory

Roxana and Enrique from the Black Rose Anarchist Federation join Breht to discuss their new political program, the analysis and strategy contained therein, the importance of organization for revolutionaries, their orientation toward Marxists in their organizing, platformism and Especifismo, the importance of internationalism, and more! Then Breht and Enrique discuss modern american history and current politics together.

Check out their political program and get a free pdf version of it, fully illustrated, here: https://blackrosefed.org/program-may-day-2023/

---

Rev Left Radio is 100% listener-funded! Please support the show and get access to our entire patreon backlog as well as hours and hours of bonus patreon exclusive content every single month: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio

Alyson and Breht finish their series on Friedrich Engels' text "The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and The State", and reflect on the text as a whole. Together, they wrestle with questions, like: What is family abolition? How do rich people buy extended, communal family? What happens to the family and romantic relationships under communism? Should people ever be treated like commodities? How does the title of the text reflect historical and dialectical materialism? and much more! 

Get access to multiple bonus episodes a month here: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio

Breht and Arjun from Deep into History join forces to have a wide-ranging discussion on 20th century American history, with a focus on the underlying racial and class dynamics of early to mid-century America that led to the rise of the Civil Rights Movement and then the Black Panther Party - specifically their preemminent organizer and leading revolutionary from Chicago Illinois, Chairman Fred Hampton. The conversation naturally takes many interesting and worthwhile detours along the way! 

Check out Deep into History's episode on Fred Hampton: Fred Said...

Check out Rev Left's episode on The Life and Legacy of Fred Hampton

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rev Left Radio is 100% listener-funded! Please support the show and get access to our entire patreon backlog as well as hours and hours of bonus patreon exclusive content every single month: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio

Breht joins Della from the wonderful podcast Upstream to discuss Buddhism and Marxism! From Upstream: "When you think about the philosophies and practices of Buddhism and Marxism, you might not immediately think that they have much in common. However, you might be surprised at how much overlap and complementary resonance there actually is between these two rich and beautiful traditions.

In this conversation, we’ve brought on Breht O’Shea, a Buddhist practitioner and Marxist political educator based out of Omaha, Nebraska. Breht is the host of the podcast Revolutionary Left Radio and co-host of the podcasts Red Menace, Guerrilla History, and, most recently, Shoeless in South Dakota. You might remember Breht from when he was on the show about a year ago to talk about revolutionary leftist theory.

In this conversation, we explore how both Buddhism & Marxism offer helpful pathways to liberation and provide a spot-on analysis of the root causes of suffering. We also explore some of the potential tensions between Buddhism and Marxism, as well as what each tradition can learn from the other. And we end with a powerful invitation to embark on the path of the Bodhisattva Revolutionary to both end the internal and structural causes and conditions of suffering and to bring forth the systemic changes necessary for the transition to a socialist and eventually communist economy based on liberation, equity, and justice for all.

This interview was inspired by an episode of Revolutionary Left Radio titled Dialectics & Liberation: Insights from Buddhism and Marxism where Breht read a speech he gave at Arizona State University on the topic of dialectical materialism, Buddhism, and Marxism. Definitely check that episode out when you’re done listening to this — it’s a great complement to this conversation.

Thank you to Carolyn Raider for this episode’s cover art and to Mount Eerie for the intermission music. Upstream theme music was composed by Robert Raymond/Lanterns.

Further Resources:

This episode of Upstream was made possible with support from listeners like you and by Resist Foundation. Upstream is a labor of love — we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support

If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries, we have a number of sponsorship packages available. Find out more at upstreampodcast.org/sponsorship

For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org 

These are random teaser snippets from an almost 2 hour long patreon episode!

For the full episode - and more exclusive content like this - join our patreon and help support the show:  https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio

---------------------------------------

Here is the Hampton Institute article referenced in the episode: https://www.hamptonthink.org/read/cornel-west-the-pitfalls-of-bourgeois-politics-and-forging-a-new-future-among-the-rubble