Revolutionary Left Radio

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his Guerilla History co-hosts (Henry Hakamaki and Adnan Husain) wrote for the brand new book put out by Iskra Books "Historical Documents of the P.L.O.: A Collection for Critical Organizational Study", a scholarly yet accessible anthology of the documents that forged the backbone of the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

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 s

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: Interview with Kate Interview with Steve the Clown OCD books to read: The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD: A Guide for Overcoming Obsessions and Compulsions Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behvaioral Therapy Rewire Your OCD Brain: Neuroscience-Based Skills to Break Free from Obsessive Thougths and Fears Other OCD Resources: OCD Recovery Youtube Channel OCD and Anxiety Youtube Channel (liscensed therapist) Reid Wilson, PHD (OCD specialist) International OCD Foundation Giving Up The Internal Battle (Fear of Fear in OCD)   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 polit

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/ B

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

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

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: Hood Communist Blog Venceremos Brigade All-African People's Revolutionary Party (Florida) Liberation Through Reading Black Alliance for Peace (ATL) Join BAP Groundings Podcast