Varn Vlog

In this episode of VarnVlog, C. Derick Varn is joined by veteran sociologist, author, and activist Dr. Charles Derber (Boston College) to discuss his book Wired for Authoritarianism: American Oligarchies and How to Rewire America for the People (Routledge). Dr. Derber traces the structural roots of American authoritarianism from the medieval Magna Carta ("Articles of the Barons") to the propertied design of the U.S. Constitution. Deconstructing the myth of an exceptional constitutional democ...

In this episode of VarnVlog, C. Derick Varn is joined by psychiatrist, writer, and political commentator Dr. Tad Tietze (co-author of Left Flank) to unpack the evolving dynamics of anti-politics and hyperpolitics across the Western world. Tietze revisits his foundational framework distinguishing anti-politics from below, anti-politics from above, and anti-politics as social revolution. Engaging with the work of political scientist Peter Mair (Ruling the Void) and Anton Jäger (Hyperpolitics),...

In this episode of VarnVlog, C. Derick Varn is joined by Howard Polskin, veteran media analyst, journalist, and founder/chief curator of The Righting. Polskin details his daily work monitoring, curating, and analyzing the headlines, narratives, and editorial strategies driving conservative and right-wing media. Together, they dissect the structural shift from legacy conservative outlets (National Review, Breitbart) to the decentralized creator economy on Substack, Rumble, TikTok, and podcast...

In this episode of VarnVlog, C. Derick Varn is joined by political scientist and author Dr. Matt McManus (Spelman College) to discuss his books What Is Liberal Socialism? (Repeater Books) and Analytical Marxism and Democratic Socialism in the 21st Century (co-authored with Ben Burgis). McManus unpacks the historical and philosophical tensions between liberalism and socialism, tracing how Cold War binaries obscured nineteenth-century liberal-socialist traditions (John Stuart Mill, Eduard Bern...

In this episode of VarnVlog, C. Derick Varn sits down with scholar Max Wade to dive deep into ancient philosophy, exploring the evolution, metaphysics, and lasting legacy of Neoplatonism. Together, they unpack the shift from Plato’s classical dialogues—such as the Republic and the Parmenides—to the systematized, highly technical metaphysical frameworks developed by late antique Neoplatonists like Plotinus and Proclus. They discuss the historical periodizations of Platonism, the role of comme...