I have invited Chris Cutrone onto the show for a critical debate and discussion on our differences regarding Marxism in America, imperialism, interpretations of Nietzsche and the meaning of the left. Chris Cutrone is not someone that I agree with in matters of Marxism, but we have talked past each other for several years now and we have decided to …

Send us a text Benjamin Studebaker unpacks the complexities of legitimacy and ideology in liberal democracies, revealing how these narratives shape our understanding of political engagement. The conversation emphasizes the need for constructive alternatives within political discourse and challenges listeners to confront the narratives they adopt an…

Send us a text The episode explores the fragmentation of the left in America following the Bernie Sanders phenomenon. It examines the dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party, the struggle of third parties like the Green Party, and the rise of alternative political ideologies among disillusioned leftists. • Reflection on Bernie Sanders' impact and…

Send us a text Join us for a thought-provoking conversation with Chris Catron as we dissect the evolving dynamics of leftist movements, from the millennial wave to the emerging Zoomer left. We're making the bold statement that the recent Leninist turn intertwined with neo-Kautskyism is reshaping contemporary leftist politics. Exploring the rise of …

Send us a text Dr. Djene Bajalan joins us to unpack the intricate dynamics of alternative media and its influence on Middle Eastern politics. Ever wondered how alternative media might mirror the biases of its mainstream counterpart? Our conversation explores this fascinating intersection, focusing on the challenges pundits face in providing evidenc…

In this episode, we sit down with Adar Weinreb, founder of Sulha, to explore the roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and discuss alternative governance models beyond the nation-state. From the failures of partition to federal and confederal solutions like the Federation Plan, we delve into how decentralized frameworks could address the challe…

Send us a text Can copyright laws coexist with digital lending in libraries? Join us as librarians Jay and Justin offer their expert insights into the controversies surrounding the Internet Archive and its bold approach to controlled digital lending. The episode unravels the chilling effects of legal challenges on library innovation and casts a cri…

Send us a text Is capitalism the true culprit behind our environmental crises?" Join us for a thought-provoking episode featuring James from ProCult Films as we unravel the intricate connections between industrial capitalism, societal evolution, and ecological degradation. We challenge the conventional narrative that blames humanity at large for cl…

Please welcome Jacques Rancière to the Emancipations podcast. In the unlikely event you are not aware of the work of Jacques Rancière, he is seemingly impossible to classify as a thinker. He emerges from the May 68 moment, a student of Althusser who broke from his teacher and went on to develop some of the most uniquely inspiring works on emancipat…

Send us a text Philosopher Daniel Tutt is with us, offering a unique lens through which to view the crossroads of psychoanalytic theory and Marxism. Ever wondered how intellectuals can navigate a depoliticized public sphere? We promise you'll leave this episode armed with strategies to engage meaningfully on compromised platforms and foster a vibra…

Send us a text Charles Dashings joins us for a fascinating exploration of the enduring relevance of Søren Kierkegaard. A teenage discovery of Kierkegaard's existential musings on anxiety and self-meaning sparked Charles's profound appreciation for this complex thinker. Despite his initial skepticism of Christian theology, Charles found that Kierkeg…

Send us a text Join us for a thought-provoking journey as we welcome the insightful Jonathan Korman to explore the evolving landscape of political ideologies. As a noted radical liberal, Jonathan brings a unique perspective on the tensions within liberalism and socialism, diving into how leftist circles are appropriating right-wing rhetoric to crit…

We are joined by Marxist philosophers Vanessa Wills and Daniel Tutt for a discussion moderated by Sam Greenhouse. This in-person podcast event delves into the philosophy of Marx and how Marx's thought relates to the ongoing quest for freedom in today’s world. We discuss Marx's Ethical Vision, Vanessa's important new book on Marx. Please join us on …

Send us a text Join us for a thought-provoking exploration into the intricate world of French philosophy and its significant impact on leftist thought, featuring insights from our esteemed guest, Jon Repetti of the Five Good Hours Substack and a PhD candidate at Princeton. What hidden influences shaped Althusser's theories, and how did Lacan's medi…

Send us a text Benjamin Studebaker joins us to dissect the paradox of American politics, where the stakes are monumental, yet policy differences between parties have narrowed. We explore how this shift aligns with recent UK elections and the transition from detailed policy debates to a focus on signaling and messaging. The episode uncovers how figu…

We welcome Branko Milanović for a discussion on inequality and Marxism and his latest book Visions of Inequality: From the French Revolution to the End of the Cold War. A sweeping and original history of how economists across two centuries have thought about inequality, told through portraits of six key figures. Branko Milanovic obtained his Ph.D. …

Send us a text Are modern political ideologies simply a remix of old ideas, or are we witnessing a seismic shift in belief systems? Join us as we, along with my longtime interlocutor Alex Strekal, embark on a riveting exploration of alternative politics spanning the last twenty years. This episode unravels the journeys of influential figures like R…

We are joined by Dr. Gerald Horne for a discussion on the meaning of the American Revolution and his extensive scholarship on re-assessing 1776 as a "counterrevoluton." At the heart of this discussion is the political and practical question for socialist politics in our time, namely: what is salvageable from 1776, and what is not? How do we read hi…

Send us a text Eco-Leninism, degrowth, and sustainability solutions all come under the spotlight as we welcome the insightful Nicolas D Villareal to Varn Vlog. What if just cutting down on capitalist consumption isn’t enough to save our planet? Nico challenges some common misconceptions about degrowth theories, especially those linking human labor …

We turn to a study group on Domenico Losurdo's Class Struggle: A Political and Philosophical History, a crucial text for understanding class struggle within Marx and Engels’ thought that challenges populist understandings of class struggle and seriously incorporates gender, race, and post-colonial thought within the framework of class struggle. If …

Send us a text Curious about the moral underpinnings of leftist politics? Join us as we sit down with Devin Gouré and Charles Dashings from the Moral Minority Podcast to navigate the often-neglected realm of meta-ethics within Marxist traditions. We challenge the pervasive moral skepticism and cynicism that could derail emancipatory politics, empha…

A new interview with Henry Holland from Nietzsche POParts, a recently-founded Swiss magazine dedicated to debating Nietzsche's relevance today—essayistic yet grounded in the latest scholarship. Henry interviewed me on my book How to Read Like a Parasite (https://a.co/d/3RxOrXO). A meticulous reader and a careful scholar, Henry asks very intelligent…

Send us a text Can art and design reshape the future of our economic systems? Join us for a compelling conversation with Eric Meier, formerly Greta, co-founder of the International Network for Democratic and Economic Planning, as we explore the unexpected marriage of aesthetics and economic ideologies. As we move beyond the cold, impersonal visuals…

Send us a text What if the very framework meant to safeguard democracy is actually undermining it? Lucas de Hart and Luke Pickerel join us from the Democratic Constitution blog and podcast, who offer a bold critique of America's constitutional framework. As members of the Marxist Unity Group, Lucas and Luke draw on the ideas of influential thinkers…

We are joined by philosopher and Marxist intellectual Gabriel Rockhill to discuss the relevance and importance of the recently translated work, Western Marxism (Monthly Review Press, 2024) by Domenico Losurdo. In this discussion, we analyze Losurdo's book with a focus on extracting the most seminal insights and lessons from the text. We discuss the…

Send us a text Note: This was recorded in September during the early parts of the Harris campaign, some characterizations now I don't agree with. Get ready to unpack the complexities of progressive politics in Nevada with grassroots organizer Zee Cohen-Sanchez. As we navigate this battleground state's unique blend of libertarian and progressive inf…

Send us a text What if modern society is hurtling towards decadence just like the Roman Empire, yet we remain blissfully unaware of it? Join us as we embark on a journey with the Regrettable Brothers, Chris and Jason, to explore this possibility and unravel the complexities of societal progress through a Marxist lens. We bring you an insightful dis…

We welcome Lacanian philosopher Samo Tomšič for a presentation and discussion on Lacan's relationship to structuralism and politics. We center this discussion around Seminar XVI, "From an Other to the Other" where we witness a shift in Lacan’s structuralism, indicated in the very seminar title: from an Other (symbolic order) to the other (enjoyment…

We welcome philosopher Christopher Satoor for a discussion on the philosophy of Schelling, the great German idealist. We will focus our conversation on two Marxist critiques of Schelling in Lukács' The Destruction of Reason, to Engels' critique of Schelling from his notes on attending Schelling's lectures as a younger student. Christopher Satoor is…

Send us a text Ridhiman Balaji offers a profound examination of sweatshops and labor exploitation, challenging us to rethink everything we know about these complex global issues. From the historical roots in the Industrial Revolution to the alarming similarities with today's gig economy, Ridh unravels how labor practices have evolved yet remain fun…

2011 witnessed a resurgence of protest movements from the Movement of the Squares, Occupy Wall Street, to the Arab Spring. These events propelled Marxist intellectuals Slavoj Žižek and Alain Badiou into the limelight, resulting in a surge in their popularity. But was the precondition of their popularity based on the absence of anti-imperialism in t…

We discuss Part IV: "The Triumph and Death of Western Marxism" with particular focus on the work of Hannah Arendt in The Origins of Totalitarianism and On Revolution. We discuss Losurdo's analysis of "recognition" from Hegel and how revolution is theorized as recognition in Marx and Engels and how subsequent liberal theories of revolution in Arendt…

Send us a text Could the millennial left's political failures be traced back to a misalignment with historical Marxist frameworks? Join us on VarmVlog as we unpack this and more in an eye-opening conversation with Alex Hochuli, author of Omelets with Eggshells: On the Failure of the Millennial Left and co-host of Aufbungabunga Podcast. We dive into…

We welcome Lacanian scholar Robert Beshara back to the show to discuss his new book A Psychoanalytic Biography of Ye: The Legacy of Unconditional Love. It particularly focuses on the 5-year period from 2016 to 2021 (the Shaky-Ass Years) in an effort to think psychoanalytically about Ye's complex subjectivity, his struggle with manic-depression, the…

Send us a text Can Marx help us navigate the climate crisis, or is de-growth socialism the answer? Join us for an in-depth discussion with Lee Phillips and Matt Huber as we unravel Kohei Saito's controversial interpretations of Marx's writings on natural limits and the metabolic rift which they began this piece for Jacobin. We challenge Saito's red…

We examine Losurdo's criticism of western Marxism in relation to anticolonial revolution following the Second World War. We discuss Walter Benjamin's "Theses on the Philosophy of History," Max Horkheimer's Authoritarian State, Althusser's antihumanist turn, Sartre's Critique of Dialectical Reason, Adorno's Nietzschean pessimism, and Tronti's worker…

Send us a text Have you ever wondered how the concept of privilege has evolved from the French Revolution to modern times? Join us as we sit down with Stephan Bertram-Lee, a PhD student who has just completed a groundbreaking dissertation on the history and limitations of the concept of privilege. We trace its origins, revisit Peggy McIntosh's infl…

In our second session, we discuss Domenico Losurdo's theory of the birth of Western Marxism as a response to the First World War and the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. We begin with a few remarks on the Marxist theory of intellectuals and power, particularly how imperialism fragments the intellectual in relationship to the working class. We then dis…

Send us a text What does the 2024 U.S. presidential election mean for the future of American politics? Join us as Elijah Emery unpack the unpopularity of both major candidates and the labyrinthine electoral system that confounds even seasoned pundits. We probe Kamala Harris's evolving political strategies on critical issues such as student loan for…

We are discussing Domenico Losurdo's newly translated work, Western Marxism: How It Was Born, How It Died, How It Can Be Reborn in a public study group. Our aim is to learn the practical challenges facing Marxist politics in our time through a close reading method. Each session begins with a brief talk on the salient themes and concepts and then pr…

Send us a text Ever wondered if the state really just serves capitalist interests? Zoe Baker, a libertarian socialist philosopher, joins us to sift through the logical arguments and historical contexts behind anarchist positions. From Brexit to Kropotkin’s nuanced view of state factions, we dissect the complexities of state power and its role in cl…

We are joined by Aymeric Monville, author of Neocapitalism According to Michel Clouscard and publisher of Delga Editions to discuss the work of French Marxist philosopher Michel Clouscard. In this interview, we discuss Clouscard's thought, his major works, concepts and ideas. Michel Clouscard was a prominent French Marxist philosopher whose work ai…

Send us a text What do Hegel, Marx, and esoteric traditions have in common? Join us for an enlightening episode featuring Dr. Justin Sledge from the Esoterica channel as we explore this fascinating intersection. Dr. Sledge shares his insights into the influence of figures like Hegel and Marx on political theology and esoteric traditions, while also…

We are joined by philosopher Stuart Blaney to discuss the thought of Jacques Rancière, his work on 19th century worker autodidacts and his theories of emancipation, aesthetics and equality. This conversation is based around a forthcoming book by Stuart Blaney that is entitled, Equality and Freedom in Rancière and Foucault with Bloomsbury Books. Ple…

Send us a text Is modern socialism merely a revenge fantasy against historical colonizers? Join Elijah Emery and C. Derick Varn as we critically examine Sam Gindin's "Socialism for Realists," tracing our journey from initial excitement to ultimate disillusionment. We argue that Gindin's vision lacks the aspiration for a classless society and falls …

Send us a text What if our apocalyptic narratives are actually masking the true dystopia we live in today? Join us as we challenge conventional wisdom in our latest episode, featuring a thought-provoking conversation with Bram Gieben, author of "The Darkest Timeline, Living in a World with no Future." Bram shares his insights into how these narrati…

We explore the big philosophical questions at the heart of Marxism. Does Marxism require a supplementary philosophy such as Nietzscheanism or Freudianism to properly ground its practice? How have the changing material conditions post-2008 shaped Marxist thought and practice? What is the best Marxist response to speculative realism, a major movement…

Send us a text Can neoliberalism be truly understood without examining its Southern roots? In this episode, Marxist writer and thinker Connor Harney joins us to unpack the complex history and dynamics behind the rise and persistence of neoliberalism. We trace its origins back to the 1970s, focusing on the American Southeast, dissecting how anti-war…

Send us a text Step into the complex world of geopolitics as we engage in a provocative dialogue with Donald Parkinson from the Marxist Unity Group and Cosmonaut Magazine. Ever wondered how Aleksandr Dugin's perspectives on Vladimir Putin shift when viewed from Russia's internal lens? Discover the nuances of his book "Putin vs. Putin: Vladimir Puti…

Send us a text E.P. Thompson versus Louis Althusser—what if their debate reshaped our understanding of Marxist theory forever? Join Nicolas D. Villareal as we unpack Thompson's contentious critiques of Althusser, revealing the misunderstandings and secondary sources that fueled their intellectual clash. We'll dissect Althusser's argument against hi…