Shows
Varn VlogAn Inconvenient Woman and the Reactionary South with Keri Leight MerrittIn this episode of VarnVlog, host C. Derick Varn sits down with historian, writer, and independent scholar Dr. Keri Leigh Merritt (author of Masterless Men: Poor Whites and Slavery in the Antebellum South) to discuss her new book, "An Inconvenient Woman: The Extraordinary Life of Lillian Smith, The Southerner Who Defied Jim Crow America" (St. Martin's Press).Together, they explore the life and legacy of Lillian Smith—a radical Southern white woman, educator, and writer who publicly called for complete integration long before it was widely accepted. From running the avant-garde Laurel Falls Camp in Appalachia alongside he...
2026-10-221h 25
Varn VlogNo Royal Road: Class Conflict and the Crisis of Feudalism, Part 3While the introduction music is that of Varn Vlog on this podcaster, this series will be simultaneously released on both the Varn Vlog podcast feed and the Regrettable Century podcast feed. This is a long-running series we are doing on understanding social technologies, relationships of production, and how we get here: i.e. what is the social and class history of the past. In this episode, finish discussing sections of "Class Conflict and the Crisis of Feudalism: Essays in Medieval Social History" by Rodney Hilton.Feudalism's progression into capitalism is the next phase of our captivating conv...
2023-12-181h 14
Varn VlogNo Royal Road: Getting Medieval With Rodney Hilton, Part 1While the introduction music is that of Varn Vlog on this podcaster, this series will be simultaneously released on both the Varn Vlog podcast feed and the Regrettable Century podcast feed. This is a long-running series we are doing on understanding social technologies, relationships of production, and how we get here: i.e. what is the social and class history of the past. In this episode, begin discussing sections of "Class Conflict and the Crisis of Feudalism: Essays in Medieval Social History" by Rodney Hilton.Wondering why British Marxists are often overlooked? Or perhaps you're curious about the...
2023-09-181h 30
Varn VlogNo Royal Road: The End of Techno-Feudalism? part 5While the introduction music is that of Varn Vlog on this podcaster, this series will be simultaneously released on both the Varn Vlog podcast feed and the Regrettable Century podcast feed. This is a long-running series we are doing on understanding social technologies, relationships of production, and how we get here: i.e. what is the social and class history of the past. In this episode, we finish our discussion of Evgeny Morozov's "Critique of Techno-Feudal Reason." .Ever wondered how the state's role in the economy has shaped the modern business landscape and the rise of Silicon Vall...
2023-08-071h 04
Varn VlogFrom Cybernetics to Social Reproduction: Examining the Interconnectedness of Community and Technology with Dr. Erica Robles-AndersonWhat happens when we reframe our understanding of community and technology? Join us in a fascinating conversation with Dr. Erica Robles-Anderson, associate professor at NYU in Media, Culture, and Communication, as we explore this complex relationship and challenge our perspectives on cybernetics, Marxist theories, and the impact of historical and technological transformation.In this thought-provoking episode, we discuss the financial crisis of 2008-2012, its effects on the publishing industry, and how social organizations leverage technology to achieve their goals. We also touch on the unique challenges of leftist goals, the need for coordination between different actors, and...
2023-07-141h 48
Varn VlogExploring the Minimal Self: Narcissism, Politics, and Our Collective Psyche With Elijah EmeryWhat if the key to understanding contemporary politics, society, and culture were hidden in our collective psyche? In this thought-provoking episode, we explore Christopher Lasch's influential book "The Minimal Self" and its implications for our modern world. Join us as we delve into the fascinating concept of narcissism, the intriguing idea of the "parties of the psyche," and the relevance of Freudian and neo-Freudian theories to politics and society today.Our conversation takes us through the evolution of psychoanalysis and its interaction with politics, focusing on the role of narcissism in shaping our understanding of the self...
2023-07-062h 57
Varn VlogUnraveling Christopher Lasch's Minimal Self with Elijah EmeryWhat does the dual legacy of Christopher Lasch mean for the left tradition? Join us in this fascinating conversation with young scholar Elijah Emery as we explore Lash's ambivalence towards the left and how his work influences contemporary political discourse. We delve into Lasch's struggle with communitarianism, his views on religion, populism, and American history, and the complexities of his changing perspectives over time.In this episode, we discuss Lasch's myth-making effort to create a unified history of populism and his critiques of the social democratic left. We uncover his seemingly contradictory opinions on racism within populism...
2023-07-032h 14
Varn VlogDecrypting the Global Economy: Tech Giants, NFTs, and Labor Changes with Rob LarsonWhat if we told you that the political economy of Silicon Valley, the European Union's impact on big tech platforms, and Apple's recent victory against Epic Games are just the tip of the iceberg of a rapidly changing global economy? Join us for a thought-provoking discussion with our guest, Rob Larson, professor of Economics and author of books such as "Capitalism vs. Freedom" and "Bit Tire and Subpolitical Economy of Silicon Valley." We dive into topics like crypto bubbles, NFTs, and unexpected tech layoffs, as well as the potential recession due to inflation and the Russo-Ukrainian war....
2023-06-291h 21
Varn VlogHorror Films, Free Speech, and Female Desires: A Conversation with Mary WildWhat happens when we merge the worlds of horror cinema and psychoanalysis? Join us for an enlightening conversation with Freudian cinephile and podcaster, Mary Wild, as we unravel the synergy between these two powerful forces. Delve into the realm of horror films and their connections to psychoanalytic theory.As we explore the depths of horror cinema, we also confront the controversial subject of free speech and fandom culture within the film industry. Uncover our thoughts on the growing trend of moral censorship and the pressures creators face to follow certain guidelines. Additionally, we discuss the potential political...
2023-06-261h 30
Varn VlogNavigating the Intricacies of Western Marxism with Stephen HammalWhat does it mean to explore the depths of Western Marxism and uncover the complexities of capitalism's mutations? Join us for a thought-provoking conversation with musicologist and host of The Measures Taken, Stephan Hammel, as we take a deep dive into the ABCs of Communism and the importance of a maximum program for a just and prosperous future.Capitalism may have ended a decade ago, but its implications continue to reverberate through the global economy. We discuss the role of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) and zero-interest rate lending as we navigate the uncertain future of capitalism and...
2023-06-232h 20
Varn VlogNo Royal Road - Neo-Feudalism, Or The Fuzzy Edges of Capitalism, part 4While the introduction music is that of Varn Vlog on this podcaster, this series will be simultaneously released on both the Varn Vlog podcast feed and the Regrettable Century podcast feed. This is a long-running series we are doing on understanding social technologies, relationships of production, and how we get here: i.e. what is the social and class history of the past. What does Techno Neo-feudalism mean for the future of capitalism? Join us as we critically examine the concept and explore Eugeny Morosov's presentation of it. We'll tackle Durant's observations on new forms of rents and...
2023-06-191h 17
Varn VlogNo Royal Road - Neo-Feudalism, Or The Fuzzy Edges of Capitalism, part 4While the introduction music is that of Varn Vlog on this podcaster, this series will be simultaneously released on both the Varn Vlog podcast feed and the Regrettable Century podcast feed. This is a long-running series we are doing on understanding social technologies, relationships of production, and how we get here: i.e. what is the social and class history of the past. In this episode, we discuss Evgeny Morozov's "Critique of Techno-Feudal Reason." We specifically focus on the revisions to Marxist theoretical development that enables the thesis.Ready to challenge your perception of capitalism and...
2023-06-191h 19
Varn VlogNo Royal Road - Neo-Feudalism, Or The Fuzzy Edges of Capitalism, part 3While the introduction music is that of Varn Vlog on this podcaster, this series will be simultaneously released on both the Varn Vlog podcast feed and the Regrettable Century podcast feed. This is a long-running series we are doing on understanding social technologies, relationships of production, and how we get here: i.e. what is the social and class history of the past. In this episode, we discuss Evgeny Morozov's "Critique of Techno-Feudal Reason." We specifically focus on the revisions to Marxist theoretical development that enables the thesis. Please support our patreon. For early and ad-fr...
2023-05-081h 48
Varn VlogSusanna Kleeman on Love, Desire, and Other Fatal StrategiesPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Susanna Kleeman (@susannakleeman) is a writer from London who works in digital tech. Her first book, MY REJECTIONS (2020) is a short memoir of hubris, humiliation, and triumph against the odds. She published the novel Twice in 2021 (Zero Books, 2021). She is the host of Fatal Dates and more information on her work can be found here.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music...
2023-03-201h 54
Varn VlogNo Royal Road - Neo-Feudalism, Or The Fuzzy Edges of Capitalism, part 2While the introduction music is that of Varn Vlog on this podcaster, this series will be simultaneously released on both the Varn Vlog podcast feed and the Regrettable Century podcast feed. This is a long-running series we are doing on understanding social technologies, relationships of production, and how we get here: i.e. what is the social and class history of the past. In this episode, we discuss Evgeny Morozov's "Critique of Techno-Feudal Reason." We specifically focus on the sections on the Political Marxism vs. World Systems Theory debates of the 1970s/1980s. We also mention Dylan Riley...
2023-03-192h 22
Varn VlogSpecial Episode with Nicolas D. Villarreal on Stocks, Start-Ups, and the FEDPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Nicolas D. Villarreal is a writer and analyst on political economy and theory. He has contributed work to Palladium Magazine and Cosmonaut Magazine. He is the founder of Casper Forum. We talk about what may be going on with the Silicon Valley Bank collapse. NOTE: BOTH OF US THINK THIS MAY BE BIGGER THAN THE NUMBERS INDICATED ON SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 2023. That said, we think in the main most of this analysis stands. Crew:Host: C. Derick Varn
2023-03-162h 35
Varn VlogAndrew Hartman on Marx in AmericaPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Andrew Hartman is Professor of History at Illinois State University, where he teaches courses in U.S. intellectual, cultural, and political history, as well as courses in the philosophy of history, historiography, and pedagogy. Hartman co-hosted a podcast dedicated to politics, ideas, and history, titled "Trotsky and the Wild Orchids." He is the author of "A War for the Soul of America: A History of the Culture Wars" (University of Chicago Press, 2016) and "Education and the Cold War: The Battle for the American Sc...
2023-03-131h 27
Varn VlogDaniel Bessner on Imperialism Realism and the Impasse of the LeftPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Daniel Bessner is currently an Associate Professor in International Studies at the University of Washington. He is also a Non-Resident Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and a Contributing Editor at Jacobin. In 2019-2020, he served as a foreign policy advisor to Bernie Sanders’s presidential campaign.Daniel is an intellectual historian of U.S. foreign relations. He is the author of Democracy in Exile: Hans Speier, The Rise of the Defense Intellectual (Cornell, 2018), and Imperialist Realism (Zero Books, Forthcoming). He is...
2023-03-0656 min
Varn VlogEric Daitser on Russian Cultural Production and Stopping XenophobiaPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Eric Draitser is an independent political analyst and host of CounterPunch Radio. You can find his exclusive content including articles, podcasts, audio commentaries, poetry, and more at patreon.com/ericdraitser. You can follow him on Twitter @stopimperialism. We talk about many, many things including early Soviet art, xenophobia against Russia, and more cultural politics. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bit...
2023-03-021h 57
Varn VlogSudip Bhattacharya on Inter-racial Solidarity and OrganizingPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Sudip Bhattacharya is a Ph.D. candidate at Rutgers University, an activist, and a writer. He researches the history of organizing and labor movement. We discuss his article, The Usefulness of POC identity and its limits (https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/09/25/the-usefulness-of-the-poc-identity-and-its-limits/) (Pay-walled), as well as the need and limits of inter-racial organizing. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake....
2023-02-272h 46
Varn VlogTodd McGowan on Right and Left EnjoymentPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Todd McGowan is a Professor of English at the University of Vermont, USA. He is the author of 15 books, including Universality and Identity Politics (2020), Emancipation After Hegel (2019), and Capitalism and Desire (2016). We discuss his recent book for Sublation Media, "Enjoyment: Left and Right."Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Design: Jason Myles, Dejene Balajan...
2023-02-231h 22
Varn VlogSam Kangarloo on Modern Monetary Theory and the Nation StatePlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Sam Kangarloo is a Modern Monetary Theory, aka MMT, Subject Matter Expert and an Anarchist who spent several years studying MMT and stress testing the validity of it thru challenges to the 1st and 2nd wave communities of MMT economics professionals. Today we're focusing on why MMT's framework is not necessarily Nationalist and what its Revolutionary implications might be.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Der...
2023-02-202h 05
Varn VlogRob of the Right Podcast Discussion the Recuperation of PopulismPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Rob is the host of the Right Podcast. We talk about the misuse of 19th-century politics and the misunderstanding of American populism. The misappropriation of this history is pernicious. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Design: Jason Myles, Dejene BalajanSend us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Per...
2023-02-162h 04
Varn VlogNadim of 99 Zu Eins on the Limits of Parliamentary SocialismPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Nadim is a co-host of 99 Zu Eins (Note: episodes are in English and German, but more often in German.) We discuss the situation of congressional and parliamentary socialism and how things don't seem to be changing much despite the "return" of socialism in much of the anglophone world. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Vi...
2023-02-132h 01
Varn VlogJonny Meade on Infamous Legacy of Lydon LaRouchePlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Jonny Meade is a former congressional candidate, SPA member, and socialist. He has become concerned about the influence of Lydon LaRouche on a fringe of the "socialist" left and traces its influence on ideas like "MAGA Communism." Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Design: Jason Myles, Dejene BalajanSend us Fan Mail ...
2023-02-092h 09
Varn VlogVivak Soni on Dialectics, Genomics, and BiologyPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Vivak Soni is a post-doctoral fellow in population genetics at ASU and a Marxist. Here is the paper I mention to be linked: Recommendations for improving statistical inference in population genomicsCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Design: Jason Myles, Dejene BalajanSend us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Us...
2023-02-072h 26
Varn VlogNo Royal Road - Neo-Feudalism, Or The Fuzzy Edges of Capitalism, part 1While the introduction music is that of Varn Vlog on this podcaster, this series will be simultaneously released on both the Varn Vlog podcast feed and the Regrettable Century podcast feed. This is a long-running series we are doing on understanding social technologies, relationships of production, and how we get here: i.e. what is the social and class history of the past. In this episode, we discuss Evgeny Morozov's "Critique of Techno-Feudal Reason." Please support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. ...
2023-02-061h 50
Varn VlogEric Draitser on the complications of Russia, Ukraine, and the contemporary leftPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Eric Draitser is an independent political analyst and host of CounterPunch Radio. You can find his exclusive content including articles, podcasts, audio commentaries, poetry, and more at patreon.com/ericdraitser. You can follow him on Twitter @stopimperialism. We talk about the various contradictions the left deals with in dealing with the Russia - Ukraine war.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Out...
2023-02-022h 12
Varn VlogAdam and Tish Turl on Born Again Labor Museum, Radicalism and ArtPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Adam Turl and Tish Turl are both activists and artists who co-founded the Born-Again Labor Museum ( https://www.bornagainlabor.com/ ) . Tish is a poet and writer and Adam is an artist and writer. Both are also members of the Locust Arts and Letters Collective.You can read more about BALM here: https://thesouthern.com/news/local/born-again-labor-museum-in-carbondale-showcases-stories-struggles-of-working-class/article_887e1acc-456b-5213-934b-75168e3c5991.htmlhttps://therealnews.com/at-the-born-again-labor-museum-art-is-a-weapon-for-the-working-classCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnA...
2023-01-301h 17
Varn VlogMatt Lech of Left Reckoning on Understanding Rural Politics and Socialist StrategyPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Matt Lech is a producer for @Majority Report and a co-host of @Left Reckoning. He currently lives in New York but is originally from North Dakota. We talk about socialist strategy, progressivism in the far west, and rural politics. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Design: Jason Myles, Dejene BalajanSend us Fan...
2023-01-231h 58
Varn VlogAlexander Prähauser on Category Theory, Math, and Hegelian DialecticsPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Alexander Prähauser is an artist and mathematician living in Austria. We discuss the usefulness of mathematics and category theory in developing scientific thought from and contributing to Hegelian Dialectics. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Design: Jason Myles, Dejene BalajanSend us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all...
2023-01-191h 55
Varn VlogChris Wright on the Myth of American ModerationPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Chris Wright is a historian and socialist, the author of “Worker Cooperatives and Revolution” and "Popular Radicalism and the Unemployed in Chicago during the Great Depression." We discuss the myth of American moderation and also how identitarian movements are often framed in an exclusivist way to actually promote that myth while also seeming radical. Links mentioned: Race Reductionism Threatens to Doom the LeftMarxism and the Solidarity Economy: Toward a New Theory of RevolutionCrew:Host...
2023-01-162h 28
Varn VlogNicolas D Villarreal on Worker Inquiry, Economic Research, and Casper ForumsPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Nicolas D. Villarreal is a writer and analyst on political economy and theory. He has contributed work to Palladium Magazine and Cosmonaut Magazine. He is the founder of Casper Forum. We discuss workers' inquiry, economic analysis and its difficulties, theories of interpretation, and the purpose of Casper Forum. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Desi...
2023-01-122h 04
Varn VlogCyber Dandy on American Anti Communism, Part 2Please support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Today we are talking to Cyber Dandy, who blogs at Cyber Dandy and vlogs on Cyber Dandy Youtube on existentialism, leftism, anarchism, and the post-Biden left milieu. We talk about anti-communism and anti-radicalism in the US from in 1940s-1970s. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Design: Jason Myles, Dejene BalajanSend us Fan...
2023-01-091h 40
Varn VlogGabriel Winant on Barbara Ehrenreich and the Changing Nature of ClassPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Gabriel Winant is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Chicago. His writing about work, inequality, and capitalism in modern America has appeared in The Nation, the New Republic, Dissent, and n+1. We discuss the legacy of Barbara Ehrenreich, the development of her concept of the PMC, uses and abuses of the concept, critiques of its relevance, and the specific ways class relationships changed. We reference the following articles: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674292192https://ww...
2023-01-051h 51
Varn VlogThe crisis of the left in India with Spencer Leonard, Dwaipayan Sen, and Atiya SinghPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Spencer returns to the show to begin the first of our series on the history and issues of the left in India. He brings two fellow scholars from South Asia, Dwaipayan Sen, and Atiya Singh. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Design: Jason Myles, Dejene BalajanSend us Fan Mail Musi...
2023-01-021h 57
Varn VlogZhala Taghi-Zada on Schizophrenia, Mental Health, Stigma, and the LawPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.This is Strange Matters and Varn Vlog collaboration. Zhala Taghi-Zada is a Clinical Research Coordinator based in Toronto. We discuss her recent article on "The Complex Stigma of Schizophrenia" and the implications of mental health in the Canadian (and US) legal system. Support Strange Matters.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Desig...
2022-12-261h 19
Varn VlogMike Gouldhawke on Land as a Social RelationPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Mike Gouldhawke is a Métis & Cree writer, whose family is from kistahpinanihk (City of Prince Albert) and nêwo-nâkîwin (Mont Nebo) in Treaty 6 territory in Saskatchewan. He is also an amateur Marxologist and has written for publications like Briarpatch, New Inquiry, and Redwire on both indigenous and Marxist issues and their overlap. Today we talk primarily about his article in Brairpatch, "Land as a Social Relationship." but also the weaving of Marxism in the indigenous rights and first nations movements in Canada...
2022-12-221h 54
Varn VlogChris of Regrettable Century on the German Conservative RevolutionPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Chris is a friend of the show and co-host of Regrettable Century and No Royal Road (with me and his brother Jason). Chris is also a doctoral student studying Weimar Germany and we discuss the German conservative revolutions. This will likely be a series. There are some points where the connection gets spotty. We apologize for that.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIn...
2022-12-191h 16
Varn VlogAndrei Migunov on Math, Cybernetics, System Theory and the LeftPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Andrei Migunov ( @FelixCowsdorff ) teaches computer science at Drake University. We discuss the various meanings of complexity and system theory, the left reaction to science, logic, math, computational limitations, scientific theory, and much more. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Design: Jason Myles, Dejene BalajanSend us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Us...
2022-12-122h 08
Varn VlogM.C. Toussaint on Green Socialism and Left MediaPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.M.C. Toussaint is a producer for This Is Revolution and has worked with Jacobin and Majority Report. We talk about her journey into socialism through environmentalism and ecology. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Design: Jason Myles, Dejene BalajanSend us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all righ...
2022-12-082h 24
Varn VlogAlex Hochuli Returns to Talk about Lula's Victory and the Brazilian ElectionPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Alex Hochuli is a co-host of Bunga Cast and co-author of the "End of the End of History." We discuss the situation in Brazil, anglophone left narratives about it, and why we should be happy Lula won but temper our expectations. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Design: Jason Myles, Dejene BalajanSe...
2022-12-051h 25
Varn VlogBeatrice Alder-Bolton On Health Communism and DisabilityPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Beatrice Adler-Bolton is the co-host of Death Panel podcast and the co-author of Health Communism. We talk about the limits of current left thinking around health and disability, the problems of illness and socialism, and how Marxian analysis in health care leads to some surprising conclusions. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Design: Jason Myles, Deje...
2022-12-011h 34
Varn VlogDaniel Tutt Interrogates NietzschePlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Daniel Tutt is a philosopher with a focus on Lacanian psychoanalytic theory and Marxist thought. Founder of Study Groups in Psychoanalysis and Politics. He is the author of Psychoanalysis and the Politics of the Family: The Crisis of Initiation with the Palgrave Lacan Series and an Adjunct Professor of philosophy at George Washington University, Marymount University, and elsewhere. He is the host of Jouissance Vampires.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Ba...
2022-11-282h 18
Varn VlogTim DiMuzio on Interest Rates, Inflation, and Carbon CapitalPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.This episode is part of a partnership between Varn Vlog and Strange Matters Magazine. Tim DiMuzio is an Associate Professor in International Relations and Critical Politcial Economy at the University of Wollongong, Australia. . Previous to this role he was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Centre for Excellence in Global Governance Research at the University of Helsinki, Finland. He has taught at a number of Universities including Oxford, York University, Trent University, and the University of Western Ontario. His recent article on D...
2022-11-211h 24
Varn VlogConan Neutron Returns to Talk About Culture NowPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Conan Neutron (@conanneutron) of Protonic Reversal podcast, Movie Night Extravaganza, and the band, Conan Neutron and His Secret Friends returns. We talk about his tour; we talk about his new ep; we talk comics; we talk post covid politics. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Design: Jason Myles, Dejene BalajanSend us Fan Mail
2022-11-172h 42
Varn VlogJason Myles of This is Revolution returns to Woodstock 99 and Nu Metal, Part 2Please support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.We discuss an article by Jason Myles on the legacy of Woodstock. Jason Myles is the primary host of This Is Revolution and a musician with Bitterlake. We discuss rock and roll and politics but veer off to talk about Jason's new show on TIR about pop culture, film, and music as well as the way politics and media culture have subordinated each other. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and...
2022-11-142h 39
Varn VlogDaniel Tutt on Lasch and PsychoanalysisPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Daniel Tutt is a philosopher with a focus on Lacanian psychoanalytic theory and Marxist thought. Founder of Study Groups in Psychoanalysis and Politics. He is the author of Psychoanalysis and the Politics of the Family: The Crisis of Initiation with the Palgrave Lacan Series and an Adjunct Professor of philosophy at George Washington University, Marymount University, and elsewhere. He is the host of Jouissance Vampires.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Dj...
2022-11-072h 06
Varn VlogRalf Ruckus on the Communist Road to the CapitalismPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Ralf Ruckus is the author of Communist Road to Capitalism (PM Press).Ralf Ruckus has been involved in squatting, militant inquiries, labor struggles, and cross-border solidarity for decades, mainly in Western and Eastern Europe, East and Southeast Asia, and North America. China has been Ralf’s main focus since the early 2000s, especially regarding social struggles, migration, gender relations, and the country’s changing global role. He also writes for Gongchao.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul...
2022-11-031h 37
Varn VlogJulian Assele on Wallerstein and World SystemsPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Julian Assele ( @Catholicclod) is a writer and researcher who writes on socialism and Marxism. We discuss Emmanuel Wallerstein and the World Systems Analysis. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Design: Jason Myles, Dejene BalajanSend us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport th...
2022-10-312h 22
Varn VlogCarolyn J Eichner on Women and the Paris CommunePlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.CAROLYN J. EICHNER teaches in the Departments of History and Women's & Gender Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Her books include Surmounting the Barricades: Women in the Paris Commune, The Paris Commune: A Brief History, and Feminism's Empire. We discuss the legacy of women in the Paris Commune, the context of the commune, the under-reported and under-studied nature of socialist feminism, etc.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. D...
2022-10-271h 14
Varn VlogElijah Emery on Christopher Lasch and the Contemporary Left, part 2Please support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Elijah Emery is a Cornell student researching Christopher Lasch. We discuss the applications and limitations of Lasch.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Design: Jason Myles, Dejene BalajanSend us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Ho...
2022-10-241h 45
Varn VlogEskandar Sadegh-Boroujerdi on the Iranian Protests and the Iranian LeftPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Assistant Professor in Contemporary Politics and Modern History of the Middle East, Department of Politics and International Relations, Goldsmiths, University of London. We discuss the history of the left struggle in Iran, the context for the context protests, how these protests differ from the Green movement, etc. You can find his prior guest spots on This is Revolution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDgDglgSLVkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHMJXrnHaLg&t=909sCrew:Host: C. Derick Varn...
2022-10-231h 44
Varn VlogDjene Bajalan on the Kurds, Iran, and Responsible Geopolitical CommentaryPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Djene Bajalan is a historian of the Middle East specializing in the rise of nationalism and the evolution of the Kurdish question. He is an associate professor at Missouri State University, the co-host of This is Revolution and a co-host of Gaming Materialists. He also sometimes writes for Jacobin. He discusses the Kurdish perspective on recent protests in Iran. We also mention his article at Jacobin here.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design...
2022-10-221h 45
Varn VlogElijah Emery on Christopher Lasch and the Contemporary Left, part 1Please support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Elijah Emery is a Cornell student researching Christopher Lasch. We discuss the applications and limitations of Lasch.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Design: Jason Myles, Dejene BalajanSend us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Ho...
2022-10-201h 59
Varn VlogNicholas Scott on the Chilean Constitutional SituationPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Nicholas C Scott is a PhD candidate in Latin American history at the University of Virginia and a specialist in the history of the role of the Cordones during the Chilean revolution. We discuss the situation of the current Chilean government.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Design: Jason Myles, Dejene BalajanSend us Fa...
2022-10-171h 38
Varn VlogBrad Wydra of Touring News on Bank Bail Outs and the Federal Reserve FlailingPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Brad Wydra is the host of Touring News. He covers climate, macroeconomics, agriculture, geopolitics, and currency. Note: I called semi-conductors, super-conductors. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Videos Design: Jason Myles, Dejene BalajanSend us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the...
2022-10-162h 02
Varn VlogJulian Assele on the Paradox of Christopher LaschPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Julian Assele ( @Catholicclod) is a writer and researcher who writes on socialism and Marxism. Like me, Julian has an anti-GOP conservative background and, like me, was influenced by Christopher Lasch on both his past right and current socialist politics. Julian wrote a piece abandoning the late Lasch's thought at Athwart: https://www.athwart.org/abandoning-christopher-lasch-elites-labor-republican/ Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bit...
2022-10-131h 16
Varn VlogSpencer A Leonard on Marx's journalism, Bonapartism, and ImperialismPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Spencer Leonard was the editor of Sublation magazine at the time of this recording and is a founder of the Platypus Affiliated Society. We discuss his upcoming edited and annotated edition of Marx and Engels on Bonapartism: Selected Journalism, 1851-59. We also talk about the problems posed by new left scholarship and political tactics, the seeming failure of the millennial left to respond, and the problems of Bonapartism and Imperialism from the 19th century to the 21st century.Abandon all hop...
2022-10-101h 47
Varn VlogJason Myles of TIR on Woodstock, Nu Metal, and Politics, Part 1Please support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.We discuss an article by Jason Myles on the legacy of Woodstock. Jason Myles is the primary host of This Is Revolution and a musician with Bitterlake. We discuss rock and roll and politics. Here is the article discussed.Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.In...
2022-10-071h 34
Varn VlogNick Marcil on Crises in EducationPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Nick Marcil is an education policy activist and organizer. We discuss the problems of the PA college system, the problems of collegiate re-organization in a neo-liberal economy, and the complexity of secondary and primary education. You can find him at @MarcilNick Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene Bajalan and C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.In...
2022-10-032h 40
Varn VlogSean Capener on Medieval Money, Usury, and Origins of Modern Racial Thinking\Please support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Sean Capener is a post-doctoral fellow at Dartmouth. His research interests include time, debt, slavery, philosophy, and political theology. We discuss his dissertation, The Time That Belongs to God: The Christian Prohibition on Usury in the 12th-13th Centuries and the Making of the Subject of Debt. You can follow Sean Capaner at @seancapener Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Branding Design: Djene...
2022-09-291h 49
Varn VlogAmelia Davenport on Mary Marcy and CyberneticsPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Amelia Davenport ( @davenportofcall) is a writer, podcaster, and editor for Cosmonaut Magazine. She has edited and revised the work of Mary Marcy and has also dedicated significant time to studying the socialist ends of cybernetic theory, system logic, and logical positivism. There is some wind and other background noise in this audio that could not be edited out. Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Br...
2022-09-261h 41
Varn VlogMax From Lines Going Down on Economic Information and ChaosPlease support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Varn Vlog Patron's Only: Max from Lines Going Down. This is a bonus and an example of the kinds of discussions that I have on the Patreon feed. I hope you enjoy it. Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesLinks and Social Media:twitter: @skepoetF...
2022-08-222h 18
Varn VlogNo Royal Road- As Old Worlds End and New Ones Begin: Part 5 (With Chris and Jason of the Regrettable Century)While the introduction music is that of Varn Vlog on this podcaster, this series will be simultaneously released on both the Varn Vlog podcast feed and the Regrettable Century podcast feed. This is a long-running series we are doing on understanding social technologies, relationships of production, and how we get here: i.e. what is the social and class history of the past. In this episode, in this episode, we return to Chris Wickham's discussion of Neo-feudal revolutions and contextualize it. This finishes our "As Old World End..." series, a new series will begin soon on other ways...
2022-04-201h 11
Varn VlogNo Royal Road- As Old Worlds End and New Ones Begin: Part 4 (With Chris and Jason of the Regrettable Century)While the introduction music is that of Varn Vlog on this podcaster, this series will be simultaneously released on both the Varn Vlog podcast feed and the Regrettable Century podcast feed. This is a long-running series we are doing on understanding social technologies, relationships of production, and how we get here: i.e. what is the social and class history of the past. In this episode, we end ours into this unlimited series with a flight of discussions of the work of Marxist historian Chris Wickham, Roman Tax Policy, and the Difficulty of Periodization. Please supp...
2022-02-2358 min
Varn VlogNo Royal Road- As Old Worlds End and New Ones Begin: Part 3 (With Chris and Jason of the Regrettable Century)While the introduction music is that of Varn Vlog on this podcast, this series will be simultaneously released on both the Varn Vlog podcast feed and the Regrettable Century podcast feed. This is a long-running series we are doing on understanding social technologies, relationships of production, and how we get here: i.e. what is the social and class history of the past. In this episode, we try to talk Roman tax policy but veer wildly down the record. Please support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Abandon all h...
2022-01-121h 02
Varn VlogSean K.B. of Antifada on "Specters of Bernie"First, let's credit Maxximilian Seijo (@MaxSeijo)for the title. Sean KB of Antifada comes to talk with me about a bunch of the problems of the "Great Bern-Out." We talk Arrighi and Braudel, we talk communization, we talk the naivete about Unions, we talk about depoliticization and a bunch of other topics. We also announce the possibility of Varn Vlog/Antifada joint series in the future for the patrons of either podcast. Check Sean (and Andy and Jamie) out at Antifada.Please support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Ab...
2021-12-072h 28
Varn VlogNo Royal Road- As Old Worlds End and New Ones Begin: Part 2 (With Chris and Jason of the Regrettable Century)While the introduction music is that of Varn Vlog on this podcaster, this series will be simultaneously released on both the Varn Vlog podcast feed and the Regrettable Century podcast feed. This is a long-running series we are doing on understanding social technologies, relationships of production, and how we get here: i.e. what is the social and class history of the past. In this episode, all roads lead to and from Rome. We actually get the meat of Chris Wickham's argument about the development of feudalism out of the collapse of the Roman imperial systems of produ...
2021-11-301h 22
Varn VlogThe Culture Crew Discusses Network (1976) and the Media MalaisePlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.This bonus episode is part of our Patreon podcast. C. Derick Varn, P.H. Higgins, and Shalon Van Tine--the crew of the last few episodes of Former People--come together to talk Sidney Lumet and "Paddy" Chayefsky's 1976 classic Network. P.H. Higgins is a co-host of the Radical Thoughts Podcast and part of the Former People editorial crew. He is also a regular partner in crime with Varn. Shalon Van Tine is a Ph.D. candidate in American cultural and intellectual history at Ohio University, part o...
2021-11-231h 47
Varn VlogNo Royal Road- As Old Worlds End and New Ones Begin: Part I (With Chris and Jason of the Regrettable Century)While the introduction music is that of Varn Vlog on this podcaster, this series will be simultaneously released on both the Varn Vlog podcast feed and the Regrettable Century podcast feed. This is a long-running series we are doing on understanding social technologies, relationships of production, and how we get here: i.e. what is the social and class history of the past. In this episode, we begin our first foray into this unlimited series with a flight of discussions of the work of Marxist historian Chris Wickham. While we don't hit on Wickham's primary concern: the hazy...
2021-10-191h 48
Unapologetically VarnUnapologetically Varn Ep1 Duke from DukeOn this first episode of Unapologetically Varn the guys discuss Anthony Joshua fight (3:40), Jon Bonez Jones (16:22), Lower Eastside nights (19:38), To circle back to Jon Bonez Jones (21:40), Giants and their defense (26:50), Jets are terrible (33:56), Fantasy football update (34:47), Knicks predictions (41:04) Boston Celtic talk (46:22) Boston weather (50:03) Surviving Karen Civil (55:10)
2021-10-051h 09
Varn VlogArnold from Fight Like an Animal On Humans on the Crust of the EarthPlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Arnold Schroder is the host of Fight Like an Animal. We briefly discuss the essay "The Human Species and the Earth's Crust" by Amadeo Bordiga, but quickly move on to discuss infrastructure, human temperament, social psychology, and adjusting your political theory to your audience beyond superficial ideological appeals. Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Intro and Outro Music by B...
2021-08-161h 22
Varn VlogJohn Michael Colon on Shifting Nature of Media and PoliticsPlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.John Michael Colon is a writer and libertarian socialist in New York. He and I speak about the shifting of the media landscape. This is the first of a two-part series. You can find John Michael Colon's work at the Point, Jacobin, etc. He is at @red_dilettanteAbandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Intro and Outro Music by Bit...
2021-08-122h 01
Varn VlogRe-reading Re-Reading Wolfe with James and CraigPlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.I talk to James and Craig of the Re-Reading Wolfe Podcast about the legacy of Gene Wolfe and what it is like to engage with his works. Check out their work. Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesLinks and Social Media:twitter: @skep...
2021-08-091h 21
Varn VlogJ. Andrew World on the joys of film and doing art in political spacesPlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.J. Andrew World is a comic and sketch artist who does work for podcasts such as Give Them An Argument and publishers like Zero Books, and is also the co-host of two podcasts, Bad Takes and Movie Night Extravaganza. This is a free-ranging conversation on pop art, 'zines, politics, and economics of art with lots of digressions from both guest and host. Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:Host: C. Der...
2021-08-051h 33
Varn VlogThe Structuralism Debates with Nicolas Villareal and Varn, part 1Please support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.This is the first of a Patreon series of streams: we are making it free as a bonus. Nicolas Villareal and C. Derick Varn debate Althusser all the time on Twitter and messages. While Varn has had Nico on before to talk about Econophysics and Structural Marxism, Varn and Nico often talk about this antagonistically. This is the first of what is literally to be an irregular series as both their time allows where they discuss and debate the limits of anti-humanist/humanist debates. Becau...
2021-08-021h 38
Varn VlogMike and Bori of Red Star Over Asia on Leftism in South Korea and AsiaPlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Mike and Bori from Red Star Over Asia podcast talk about the left in South Korea and Asia, and the historical and political context and difficulties of left organizing in the Republic of Korea. Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesLinks and Social Medi...
2021-07-291h 25
Varn VlogNia Cola on Biden, the Left, and MMTPlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Nia Cola is a heterodox economist and proponent of MMT. She has debated with me before on Give Them An Argument on the International use of MMT. Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesLinks and Social Media:twitter: @skepoetFacebookYou...
2021-07-261h 03
Varn VlogNatalie Smith on the MMT Humanities and the political situation in ChilePlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Natalie Smith is a co-host of the Superstructure podcast. We discuss the appeal of MMT humanities and the political situation in Chile. We also discuss some of the tensions between Marxists and MMTers and the limits of methodological nationalism. Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason Myles
2021-07-221h 20
Varn VlogCordelia of Reel Abstractions on the Mysteries of Value and the Value of SciencePlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Cordelia is many things but one of them is a writer and another is the co-host of Reel Abstractions. We talk about value theory, scientific realism and anti-realism, the scholars of Michael Heinrich, and more. Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesLinks and Socia...
2021-07-191h 32
Varn VlogCamilo Gomez on the Delayed Victory of Castillo in PeruPlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Camilo Gomez is freelance writer and podcast host based in Lima, Peru. His podcast is History and Politics. We discuss the ongoing election in Peru, US coverage of the election, and Peruvian cultural and political history that complicates the American left's understanding of the situation. Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.
2021-07-141h 01
Varn VlogDaniel Bessner on Imperialist realism and the international orderPlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Daniel Bessner discusses liberal imperialism, imperialist realism, and the international order with us. Daniel Bessner currently holds the Joff Hanauer Honors Professorship in Western Civilization at the University of Washington. He is a member of the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies and was previously the Anne H.H. and Kenneth B. Pyle Associate Professor in American Foreign Policy. He is also a Non-Resident Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and a Contributing Editor at Jacobin. Daniel is an intellectual historian of...
2021-07-1358 min
Varn VlogBen Burgis on America's and Capitalism's Tendency to CancelPlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Ben Burgis is a regular contributor to Jacobin and other publications, a former philosophy professor, and the author of Give Them An Argument and Cancelling Comedians While the World Burns (both from Zero Books). He is also the host of Give Them An Argument and a colleague and friend of mine. We discuss how canceling is by no means a left-wing only development in capitalism and other developments on the left in the US. Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We ar...
2021-07-121h 38
Varn VlogZara and Sher from Facing Autonomy on Facing the left in 2021Please support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Zara and Sher are from the Facing Autonomy podcast. Zara and Sher discuss the limits of our imagining of the collective worker and how autonomism and accepting decentralization in the immediate future may be key for a revitalized left. Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason Myles...
2021-07-091h 50
Varn VlogJason and Pascal from This is Revolution on Black Leadership from Cruse to ObamaPlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Jason Myles is a musician in Bitter Lake and podcaster out of Oakland. Pascal Robert is a Haitian American Lawyer regular contributor to Black Agenda Report. Together they host This is Revolution. We discuss the history of black leadership in the US from Harold Cruse to Barack Obama. Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Intro and Outro Music by Bitte...
2021-07-071h 15
Varn VlogAlex Gendler on the Hoarding of Virtue and Much Ado About the PMCPlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Alex Gendler is a writer and content producer in NYC. He is also a leftist man-about-town. We discuss and review Catherine Lieu's Virtue Hoarders and the discussions around the PMC. I do make a mistake about where Lieu teaches, so please take that into advisement. We also mention Mike MacNair's critique of Lieu. This episode was recorded in May so it may already be dated. Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:
2021-07-021h 31
Varn VlogFrom the Patreon Vaults: Former People on Films of MemoryPlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.This is podcast regulars and former Former People squad, Shalon Van Tine, P. H. Higgins, and C. Derick Varn talking about films of memory. Former People may no longer be with us, but we still produce shows on art for Patrons and sometimes here for the many podcast. This is a bonus to make up for my haitus. Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio...
2021-07-021h 30
Varn VlogNicole and Hugh of Run With Us Podcast on communes and leftism in Canada and the USPlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Nicole and Hugh of the Run with Us podcast talk about starting a commune, the nature of anarchism in the US and Canada, the differences between US and Canadian leftism, and dinner food. Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesLinks and Social Medi...
2021-06-151h 43
Varn VlogJohn and Madison of the Fresh Kill Podcast on the Semi-Parmed Kind of LifePlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.John and Madison host the Fresh Kill's podcast: a socialist podcast with New York/New Jersey charasticistics. We discuss the failures of the post-Bernie left, but not particularly seriously.Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesLinks and Social Media:twitter: @skepoet...
2021-06-111h 49
Varn VlogAlex Grant on the future of Trotskyism, the history of the IMT, and Leftism in CanadaPlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Alex Grant is the editor of Editor at Fightback, http://marxist.ca, and a member of the IMT. We talk about the history of the IMT, the future of Trotskyism in US, UK, and Canada, and Leftism in Canada. Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason Myles
2021-06-081h 15
Varn VlogFreddie deBoer on the limits of educationPlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Freddie deBoer is the author of The Cult of Smart and maintains a substack. We discuss the limits of education research, the relatively limited movement in education,and the overuse of schooling where larger social issues should be addressed. Note, I give a stat on Ivy League income ratios that I could not verify and was quoting from memory. If you can confirm or disprove this stat, please inform me. I tried to find the study I thought I remembered and could not. Ab...
2021-06-041h 16
Varn VlogChris and Jason from Regrettable Century on Revolutionary Pessimism after "Bern-Out"Please support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Chris and Jason are two of the four hosts of the Regrettable Century Podcast. This is the first hour on the topic. There are bonus episodes of two hours on Patreon expanding on the topic. We discuss "revolutionary pessimism," the toxicity of Twitter, and getting beyond the Bernie Sanders campaign.Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Intro and Outro...
2021-05-291h 02
Varn VlogP.H. Higgins on the Legacy of Autonomia and OperaismoPlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.P.H. Higgins is an editor at Former People, a co-host of the podcast of the same name, and a co-host of Radical Thoughts podcast. We discuss the legacy of Operaismo and Autonomia in the context of Italian socialism and communism. We focus on the legacy of Mario Tronti and Antonio Negri in particular. Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip...
2021-05-271h 41
Varn VlogAndres Bernal on Left MTT, International Monetary Policy, and Latin American PoliticsPlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Andres Bernal (@andresintheory) is Associate Editor of Money on the Left, Policy Advisor to Dianne Morales, and former policy advisor for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, professor of critical-heterodox policy studies at The New School. We discuss the development of Left MMT, getting MMT policy beyond national boundaries and the developed world, and the situation in Colombia and in the rest of Latin America.Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:Host: C. De...
2021-05-241h 33
Varn VlogKuba Wrzesneiwski on the realities of the US foreign policy elitesPlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Kuba Wrzesneiwski is an independent foreign policy consultant and regular guest on This is Revolution. We speak on the realities of the US foreign policy elites and their primary concerns. We also talk about leftist misunderstandings on these issues. Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason Myle...
2021-05-221h 51
Varn VlogNightmare Masterclass On Folk Horror, Reactionary Horror, The Left (Teaser)Please support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Dave from Nightmare Masterclass talk about horror, folk horror, left-wing analysis of pop culture, working-class taste, etc. This is an hour-selection of a nearly 4-hour interview. The rest of the interview is available to all subscribers at Patreon and on the original youtube feed. Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. We are affiliated with the Emancipation Network.Crew:Host: C. Derick VarnAudio Producer: Paul Channel Strip ( @aufhebenkultur )Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro...
2021-05-1759 min
Varn VlogA.M. Gittlitz on Posadism, BLM, and the specter of communizationPlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.A.M. Gittlitz and C. Derick Varn discuss the historical development of Posadism, BLM and the summer insurrections, and the specter for communication theory. His writing focuses on counter-culture, radical politics, and the paranormal. Gittlitz's book I Want to Believe: Posadism, UFOs and Apocalypse Communism was published by Pluto Press in 2020. Other essays and journalistic pieces have appeared in The New York Times, Baffler, Vice, The New Inquiry, HTML Giant, Truthout, Protean, and the Outline. He also produces and co-hosts the Antifada podcast. His ne...
2021-05-161h 28
Varn VlogRoss Wolfe on "Bern-Out" and the situation of the LeftPlease support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more. Ross Wolfe and C. Derick Varn discuss the situation of the left after a year of covid-19 and the collapse of the second Bernie Sanders' campaign through two articles. Ross Wolfe is a writer, historian, and architecture critic living in New York. His work has appeared in publications such as Metropolis, Mute, e-flux, Radical Philosophy, Cambridge Literary Review, The Advocate, and Platypus Review. He used to update the blog, The Charnel House. The episode's Q and A session is available on Youtube or...
2021-05-161h 57
Varn VlogMatt McManus on a Left-wing understanding of "The Other Side"Please support our patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more. Matt McManus discusses the division within conservatism, why a socialist should understand these intellectual divisions. We different conservative movements in the US, particularly the rise of post-liberal conservatism. Matt McManus is a visiting professor of politics at Whitman College. He is the author of The Rise of Post-Modern Conservatism and Myth and the coauthor of Mayhem: A Leftist Critique of Jordan Peterson. He is a regular columnist for Jacobin. He is a co-host of Plastic Pills.This is episode still has the Q and...
2021-05-141h 23