Revolutionary Left Radio

Alyson and Breht were invited to join Robbie on the Upstream podcast to talk about Lenin's "Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism".  Capitalism, imperialism, monopoly—far from being separate concepts that just happen to take shape parallel to one another or to overlap from time to time, these terms all really refer to the exact same overall process. We call it capitalism because it’s not always practical to call it “monopoly capitalism in its imperialist stage” or something like that, but really, capitalism is, as we’ll see, inevitably monopolistic and imperialist. The process of capitalism’s historical evolution from its so-called, and somewhat fabricated stage of free-enterprise to monopoly capitalism, and then further into what we refer to as imperialism, was outlined both theoretically and empirically by Vladamir Lenin well over a century ago in his classic text, Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism. The connection between monopoly and imperialism might not seem quite straightforward to you at first, and an understanding of imperialism itself as a process grounded in political economy may seem somewhat counterintuitive—especially if you’re used to thinking of imperialism and empire in the more popular sense of the words. But that’s why we’ve brought on two guests to walk us through this crucial text and help us make sense of it all.  Alyson Escalante and Breht O’Shea are the hosts of Red Menace, a podcast that explains and analyzes revolutionary theory and then applies its lessons to our contemporary conditions, and they’re both return guests of the show. In fact, they’ve been on a number of times to talk about other texts by Lenin but also to explore a wide variety of topics from trans liberation to revolutionary Buddhism. Breht is also the host of the terrific podcasts Revolutionary Left Radio and Shoeless in South Dakota.  In this episode, we unpack Lenin’s Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism. This episode is an excellent introduction to the text but it also takes deep dives and gets granular at times, picking apart the nuances and various interpretations of the text. We explore the historical context in which Lenin wrote this book and then trace capitalism’s history from its early stages into its monopoly form. We explore how finance capital emerged and became similarly concentrated, how this merging of concentrated finance and industrial capital began to spread out from capitalist countries into the periphery and began to carve up the world, and how this process led to what we now understand to be capitalism’s final and highest stage: imperialism. And, of course, we apply the text to a variety of current events and explore how we can apply Lenin’s ideas in ways that help us grow and strengthen our socialist movements globally.  Learn more about Upstream HERE Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio

Torkil Lauesen joins Breht to discuss his newest book "The Long Transition Towards Socialism and the End of Capitalism". Together they discuss the book, why capitalism is ripe for replacement, the importance of historical and dialectical materialism, the history of socialist movements and revolutions, each revolutions unique contributions to the historical process of socialism, the core and periphery and their connection to colonialism, the ongoing crisis of imperialism and how it relates to the end of the neoliberal era, the differences between capitalist and socialist modes of production, Torkil's vision of the next few decades, and much more!    Get the book or download the free PDF HERE Check out previous Rev Left episodes with Torkil HERE Check out Guerrilla History's latest James Connolly episode HERE --------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/revleftradio Follow RLR on IG HERE Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio

Alyson and Breht finally dive into the German Revolution of 1918! Together they discuss this rather ambigious revolution, give a detailed overview of events, and reflect on what lessons we can learn from it. From the toppling of the Kaiser, to the brutal fight between social democrats and communists (including the horrible murders of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht), to the rise of the Freikorp and the Weimar Republic (and beyond), they help listeners understand the importance, the successes, the failures, and the tragedies, of this often neglected revolution. ---------------------------------------- Check out the 3-part series on YT mentioned in the episode HERE Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/revleftradio Follow RLR on IG HERE Subscribe to Red Menace on your preferred podcast app

Breht gently and lovingly gives his unique and nuanced perspective on the murder of the CEO of Healthcare United.  Outro Song: To Cause Your Own Death by Mon Rovia Support Rev Left Radio and get access to more episodes like this here: Patreon.com/RevLeftRadio Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio  

Inea, Noah, and Jack from Climate Vanguard join Breht to discuss their organization, the role of youth in the struggle for a livable future, the various ecological crises facing us, eco-leninism and the importance of the Party in eco-socialist struggle, practical revolutionary political strategy, the essential role of anti-imperialism and anti-colonialism, degrowth, climate change, the interrelated nature of the many problems we face, and much more! Check out their brand new brief on the importance of an eco-socialist party as a key instrument for building such a social majority, unpacking its functions, activities, and structure HERE Website: climatevanguard.org Instagram: @climatevanguard Twitter: @climate_vguard Outro Song: "Broken Belief" by Bob Moses   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 episodes HERE Follow Rev Left on Insta

Breht listens to, reflects on, and critically engages with a public lecture by the late philosopher Michael Sugrue entititled "Marx on Alienation and Ideology". Professor Sugrue passed away recently, and Breht has always found his free, public lectures on philosophy to be helpful and really well done. In the spirit of free and open access to education, Breht offers his knowledge of Marxist philosophy alongside this offering by Professor Sugrue.  The use of this lecture series falls under the protections of the Fair Use doctrine.  Outro Music: "Steal for a Meal" by Bambu   Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/revleftradio Follow RLR on IG HERE Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio

Alyson and Breht analyze the results of the recent presidential election and explore its various meanings. Together they discuss the grotesque hollowness of the Democratic Party, the identity crisis of the post-Trump Republican party, dealignment and realignment, the end of neoliberalism, the rise of the illiberal Right around the world, strategies for developing the socialist left as a serious player on the electoral terrain, how Trump might navigate the Israel issue, the end of neoliberal identity reductionism, the importance of solidarity across identities, building power outside of the Democratic Party, neoliberalism and neoconservatism, challenges to liberalism, Tenant Organizing, the Labor Movement, how Trump's second term might (or might not) be different from his first term, and MUCH more!  Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/revleftradio Follow RLR on IG HERE Subscribe to Red Menace on your preferred podcast app  

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 Support Prolekult and help them make parts 2 and 3 HERE     Follow Prolekult on Twitter and Instagram 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 Malak provide for her three small children in Gaza: https://chuffed.org/project/malak   Help Eman provide for her three small children in Gaza: https://chuffed.org/project/eman   Help Hamouda and her three small children in Gaza:  https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-hamoudas-family-in-gaza-crisis?lang=en_US&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link 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 Help Marwan and Ahmed pay for school and  help their family still trapped in Gaza: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-baby-judy-and-her-family-survive-in-gaza?lang=en_US&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link    

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