Guerrilla History

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.  The final installment will drop in two weeks (with another episode in between), and will cover the Reform period, so be sure to subscribe to not miss that episode! 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. Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory                               

In this terrific and wide ranging episode of Guerrilla History, we bring on Pawel Wargan to discuss the recent elections in Pakistan, which he was an international observer for, as well as his excellent article Disarming Empire (which we HIGHLY recommend reading!).  We truly enjoyed this conversation, and are really looking forward to having Pawel back on again soon to discuss Western Sahara and the work he has done there.   Pawel Wargan is an activist, researcher, organizer, and coordinator of the Secretariat of the Progressive International, and has been published in many places. You can follow Pawel on twitter to keep up with his latest work @pawelwargan Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory                               

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 drop every other week (with other episodes in between), and will cover 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. Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory                               

In this outstanding episode of Guerrilla History, we have another installment of our Sources and Methods series, and this time with the terrific Louis Allday.  Here, we bring on Louis to discuss Liberated Texts and the work that is done within that project, as well as the recently released special edition of Ebb Magazine, For Palestine.  We loved the conversation with Louis about preserving and spreading under-appreciated and supressed sources and books, Kanafani, solidarity with Palestine, and more, and we are sure you will too!  Be sure to check out the links we are including to the work Louis does for more! Louis Allday is a writer and historian. He has a PhD in History. He is the founding editor of Liberated Texts, a book reviewing and publishing project dedicated to reviewing and (re)publishing works that have been neglected, overlooked or suppressed in the mainstream since their publication. In July 2022, in collaboration with Ebb Books, Liberated Texts published the first English language translation of Ghassan Kanafani’s On Zionist Literature to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of his assassination. Louis is also an editor at Ebb Magazine.  Follow Louis on twitter @Louis_Allday Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory                               

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

In this absolutely fascinating and important episode of Guerrilla History, we are joined once again by Patrick Higgins to discuss the history of Palestinian communism. Patrick serves up an masterclass here, and honestly this one is worth listening to and then re-listening to while taking notes despite its 2 hour length.  You certainly don't want to miss this one!  Also be sure to share this with comrades, this episode is sure to benefit many! If you didn't catch Patrick's last appearance on the show, you should check out our episode Palestinian Resistance vs. The Zionist Project w/ Max Ajl & Patrick Higgins, where he and comrade Max Ajl provided biting and vital analysis immediately after October 7.  A wonderful (and extremely popular) episode of Guerrilla History in its own right! Patrick Higgins is a researcher and writer, holding a PhD in Arab History.  Patrick recently completed his dissertation titled "Palestinian Revolution and World Imperialism in the 'American Century': 1945-1972".  While Patrick doesn't use social media, he is going to be co-presenting a class on April 13 on the topic History of Palestinian Revolution, which is hosted by the excellent journal Middle East Critique as part of their Ramadan Course on Palestine and Imperialism.  The whole course is free, so sign up! Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory                               

In this episode of Guerrilla History, we mark an era change in the show's history as we bid farewell to cohost Breht and Producer Dave.  After almost three and a half years of working together on the show, we amicably part ways as Breht and Dave take on new endeavors in their lives and renew their focus on Rev Left Radio and Red Menace.  From the bottom of our hearts, Adnan and Henry thank the Breht and Dave for their tireless pursuit of justice and for the effort they have put in alongside us from the inception of this show.  While we are officially parting ways for now, we will remain lifelong friends, and are looking forward to continuing to collaborate periodically going forward (including on an upcoming miniseries that you will be hearing soon on the History of Modern China, which Breht is guest hosting!).  Be sure to keep up with everything that they continue to do at revolutionaryleftradio.com. Also, special thanks to Comrade Booker Omole, Manny Ness, Brandon Wolfe-Hunnicutt, Ken Hammond, Jon Melrod, and Alex Aviña for coming through on short notice to make an audio contribution to this episode, we deeply appreciate it!  Further thanks to all of the other guests we have had since the show's inception, we know that Breht has appreciated working with each of you! Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory 

In this blockbuster episode of Guerrilla History, we bring on two outstanding guests to discuss the modern history of Yemen, as well as their ongoing struggle against Zionist imperialism and opposition to the genocide in Gaza.   Shireen and Rune bring fantastic insight and analysis, making this complicated history accessible and utilizable for individuals in our movement against imperialism in all forms, and Zionist imperialism specifically at this moment.  Be sure to take in all that our guests say, and share this episode with comrades you believe would similarly benefit! Shireen Al-Adeimi is an assistant professor of language and literacy at Michigan State University, and is an expert on the war and humanitarian crisis in her country of birth, Yemen. She writes for In These Times and Responsible Statecraft, and speaks and writes frequently on Yemen for media globally.  You can follow her on twitter @shireen818, and help support the Yemen Relief & Reconstruction Foundation. Rune Agerhus Political Commentator & Member of the International Commission for Solidarity with Yemen (ICSY).  He is the founder of Hamra Books, which Iskra Books and Guerrilla History have just announced a partnership with in order to release materials from the socialist People's Democratic Republic of Yemen. You can follow him on twitter @Aldanmarki. Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory 

In this fantastic episode of Guerrilla History, we bring back our esteemed friend and guest, Prof. Hakim Adi, to discuss his eminently important new book African and Caribbean People in Britain: A History, which has just been shortlisted for the prestigious Wolfson History Prize!  In this conversation, we trace this history back thousands of years and come up to the present, but you MUST get this book in order to truly appreciate the work that Prof. Adi has done here.  We also get an update on the previous conversation we had with Hakim about the eminent closure of the MRes in the History of Africa and the African Diaspora program.  For more updates on the legal challenges and ways to get involved, follow this link. Hakim Adi is a Professor of the History of Africa and the African Diaspora, and the founder of History Matters and its affiliated journal.  He has authored numerous books, and has written many articles which can be found on his website hakimadi.org.  You can follow him on twitter @hakimadi1 Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory 

In this episode of Guerrilla History, we are joined by returning guest Michael Fox (whom you may remember from our episode The Rise of Fascism, Bolsonaro, & the Brazilian Elections) to discuss his excellent new series Under the Shadow, a collaboration between The Real News Network and NACLA which examines the lasting impacts of American imperialism on Latin America.  This is a fantastic conversation, and one which we hope to follow up with Michael on as his project continues for years to come! Michael Fox is a Brazil-based journalist, contributor to The World, former Editor of NACLA, and the host of the podcast series Under the Shadow and  Brazil on Fire, both collaborations between NACLA and The Real News Network. Michael can be followed on Twitter @mfox_us, you can support his project on his patreon and follow his band Monte Perdido (who will be releasing an album soon!). Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory

In this terrific Sources and Methods episode of Guerrilla History, we are joined by Torkil Lauesen, Nemanja Lukić from the Anti-Imperialist Network, Immanuel Ness, and Joseph Mullen (whom you may remember from our episode with The Cadre Journal, which has since merged with Anti-Imperialist Network), who are members of the newly formed Arghiri Emmanuel Association!  We discuss the life of the legendary theorist of Unequal Exchange, his theory, as well as the Association's efforts to archive his works.  A fantastic conversation on some incredibly important work being done!  Be sure to check out the Arghiri Emmanuel Digital Archive. Torkil Lauesen is a longtime anti-imperialist activist and writer living in Denmark. From 1970 to 1989, he was a full-time member of a communist anti-imperialist group, supporting Third World liberation movements by both legal and illegal means.  He has been a multiple time guest on Rev Left and Guerrilla History discussing his books The Principle Contradiction and Riding the Wave: Sweden's Integration into the Imperialist  World Order. Nemanja Lukić is a Yugoslav anti-imperialist activist who runs the Anti-Imperialist Network website. You can also follow Anti-Imp Net on twitter @antiimpnet. Immanuel Ness  is  Professor of Political Science at Brooklyn College, City University of New York and Visiting Professor of Sociology at the University of Johannesburg.  He is the author or editor of numerous works including Organizing Insurgency: Workers' Movements in the Global South, Southern Insurgency: The Coming of the Global Working Class, and The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Imperialism and Anti-Imperialism.  You can follow Manny on twitter @ImmanuelNess. Joseph Mullen is a student activist who was a member of the Cadre Journal, which has since been merged with Anti-Imperialist Network.  He runs unequalexchange.org/.  You can follow Anti-Imperialist Network  - North America on twitter @antiimpnetna. Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory

In this great episode of Guerrilla History, we are joined by the creative team behind the new graphic novel Toussaint Louverture: The Story of the Only Successful Slave Revolt in History!  This tremendous work is the graphic novelization of a long lost CLR James play about the Haitian Revolution (which, incidentally, starred the great Paul Robeson the only time it was staged). In this conversation, we talk about this play and the process of adapting it, as well as the objectives behind doing so.  A great discussion about how to make subjects like the Haitian Revolution more accessible to broad audiences! Sakina Karimjee is a theatre designer and draughtsperson, an activist and socialist and co-creator of graphic novels with her partner Nic Watts. Nic Watts is an illustrator, activist and socialist. He has created artwork for numerous fiction and non-fiction books for children and adults, as well as other publications, websites, political campaigns and newspapers. He is the co-creator of graphic novels with his partner Sakina Karimjee. You can follow him on instagram @nicwatts_illustrator Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory

In this fascinating episode of Guerrilla History, we are joined by fan-favorite Manny Ness to discuss one of his new books, Migration as Economic Imperialism: How International Labour Mobility Undermines Economic Development in Poor Countries.  This work directly takes on and dismantles the notion that labor migration is beneficial for the countries of the Global South who send their workers abroad.  This is a common refrain in mainstream, neoliberal developmentalist discourse, and this book and the conversation we are having around it are a vital corrective.  We are sure you are going to get a lot out of this one! Immanuel Ness  is  Professor of Political Science at Brooklyn College, City University of New York and Visiting Professor of Sociology at the University of Johannesburg.  He is the author or editor of numerous works including Organizing Insurgency: Workers' Movements in the Global South, Southern Insurgency: The Coming of the Global Working Class, and The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Imperialism and Anti-Imperialism.  You can follow Manny on twitter @ImmanuelNess. Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory

In this collaboration, we went onto The Deprogram (hosted by comrades Hakim, JT, and Yugopnik) to provide an introduction to Colonialism and Imperialism.  While we didn't have  quite as much time to discuss newer theories of imperialism, such as World Systems Theory and Unequal Exchange, or specific forms of colonialism, such as settler-colonialism and neocolonialism, we hope that this primer will be  of use to you and we also hope to reconvene with The Deprogram boys again to talk about some of these other threads.   The Deprogram (Spotify | YouTube) can be supported on patreon, and you can  follow them on twitter @TheDeprogramPod Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory

In this critical episode of Guerrilla History, we have a two part-conversation with absolutely terrific guests.  Ali Kadri rejoins us to give a more theoretical background on the role of Lebanon historically and in the present with regards to its relations to the West and to the Zioimperialist project, after which Rania Khalek comes on to discuss some of the recent history and analyzes the current role of Lebanon vs. the Zioimperialist project and how it relates to the struggle in Gaza.  A fantastic conversation, one you don't want to miss!  Be sure to share this with comrades you think would benefit! Also, don't miss Rania's incredible interview with Hezbollah's second-in-command Sheikh Naim Qassem! Ali Kadri is an esteemed Professor at various institutions around the world, as well as the author of many important books including Arab Development Denied: Dynamics of Accumulation by Wars of Encroachment, The Accumulation of Waste: A Political Economy of Systemic Destruction, and The Unmaking of Arab Socialism.   Rania Khalek is a renowned journalist at Breakthrough News and who's work has appeared in numerous outlets.  You can follow Rania's work on her website https://raniakhalek.com/ and by following her on Instagram @raniakhalek and on twitter @RaniaKhalek. Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory

In this episode of Guerrilla History, bring on two exceptional guests to discuss a critical topic for deepening our understanding of Palestine and the ongoing settler-colonial domination by the state of "Israel"!  Nick Estes and Mohamed Abdou come on the show for a conversation about Indigeneity and Palestine, and we found this discussion to be incredibly fruitful and useful when analyzing the situation in Occupied Palestine today. We are sure that you will also find use in this, and we encourage you to send it along to comrades to help them deepen their thinking of this as well! A few pieces to check out:  Mohamed did an YouTube event and wrote an article on the topic "1492 Palestine". Nick was active in the in the drafting of a letter by indigenous activists and scholars condemning the actions of Israel, and there is also an episode of The Red Nation where you can learn about this letter and indigenous solidarity with Palestine. Nick Estes is a Lakota organizer, journalist, and historian at the University of Minnesota. He has cofounded The Red Nation and Red Media. Be sure to pick up Nick's book Our History is the Future, and he can be followed on twitter @nickwestes  Mohamed Abdou is a North African-Egyptian Muslim anarchist activist-scholar. He has been a Visiting Scholar at Cornell University and an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the American University of Cairo, and is incoming at Columbia University. Pick up his book Islam and Anarchism: Relationships and Resonances, and follow him on twitter @minuetinGmajor  Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory

In this year end episode, we do our annual Year In Review.  We discuss some of the major things that happened globally in 2023 as well as the work we have done over the course of this year.  With this, we've released over 50 publicly available episodes this year on a wide range of topic, and we are really proud of what we have been able to provide to you for political education purposes.  We are looking forward to continuing to grow and expand as we go into 2024!  If you appreciate what we do, consider signing up to our patreon to help us do what we do. Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory

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                               

In this Revolutionary Guerrilla Menace get-together, also known as the 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. Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory

In this episode of Guerrilla History, we bring on The Leninist Lawyer to discuss settler colonial law, and use the case study of Sue the T. rex, which was extracted from native lands, to help demonstrate how this works.  A really interesting conversation, and while we are using a dinosaur fossil as the case study, this conversation is much more about settler colonial law generally, and therefore should be relevant for all of you regardless of whether you find dinosaurs interesting or not! *Note, this episode was recorded before October 7, 2023, and has had its release delayed while we have been creating materials for understanding the history and ongoing conflict in Palestine* The Leninist Lawyer is an anonymous lawyer from Georgia that specializes in tribal law and worker's compensation law.  While we cannot provide more details than this about him, you should follow him on twitter @MarxistLaw and @LovelyLeninist! Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory