

Varn Vlog
C. Derick Varn
Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. Varn Vlog is the pod of C. Derick Varn. We combine the conversation on philosophy, political economy, art, history, culture, anthropology, and geopolitics from a left-wing and culturally informed perspective. We approach the world from a historical lens with an eye for hard truths and structural analysis.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 8, 2022 • 2h 5min
Amogh Sahu and the Promise of Marxism, Part 2: The Spectre of Lukacs
Please support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Amogh Sahu was my co-host on the defunct Symptomatic Redness podcast. Amogh and I ran a show on the problems and developments of Marxism from 1213-2019-first under our own aegis and then as a supplement for Doug Lain's tenure at Zero books. This is the second of two episodes and hopefully many future appearances. Amogh and I talk about the legacy of Lukacs and the problems of a codified "Marxism" as a belief set.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: @skepoetFacebookYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeSend us a text Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic

Sep 5, 2022 • 1h 30min
Elizabeth Sandifer on Sci-Fi and Neo-Reaction
Please support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Elizabeth Sandifer is the author of Neoreaction a Basilisk: Essays on and Around the Alt-Right. She writes media criticism on various topics at eruditorumpress.com and at Strange Matters. Her essay on Retro Shock in Strange Matters appears here.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: @skepoetFacebookYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeSend us a text Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic

Aug 29, 2022 • 1h 40min
Amogh Sahu and the Promise of Marxism, Part 1: The Pod Cycle
Please support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Amogh Sahu was my co-host on the defunct Symptomatic Redness podcast. Amogh and I ran a show on the problems and developments of Marxism from 1213-2019-first under our own aegis and then as a supplement for Doug Lain's tenure at Zero books. This is the first of two episodes and hopefully many future appearances. Amogh and I talk about our podcast history and the goals of the o.g. show here. In the next episodes, we will get into the problems of Lukacs. 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: @skepoetFacebookYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeSend us a text Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic

Aug 25, 2022 • 2h 28min
Stephan Hammel on the Marxist Conception of Class
Please support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Stephan Hammel is a scholar and podcaster, co-host of the Measures Taken. We discuss class as structure and an analytic as opposed to as an identity.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: @skepoetFacebookYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeSend us a text Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic

Aug 22, 2022 • 2h 19min
Max From Lines Going Down on Economic Information and Chaos
Please 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: @skepoetFacebookYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeSend us a text Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic

Aug 15, 2022 • 2h 2min
Doug Greene on Harrington and Limits of Democratic Socialism Today
Please support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Doug Greene is the author of "A Failure of Vision: Michael Harrington and Limits of Democratic Socialism" and "Communist Insurgent: Blanqui's Politics of Revolution." He maintains a Patreon for his research.Here is our prior interview.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: @skepoetFacebookYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeSend us a text Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic

Aug 11, 2022 • 2h 4min
Ted Reese on the Legacy of Henryk Grossman and Breakdown Theory
Please support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.This week we talk to Ted Reese about the importance of Henryk Grossman. Reese is the author of Socialism or Extinction and The End of Capitalism: The Thought of Henryk Grossman (Zero Books). Reese goes over Grossman's history, his use of Grossman's theory, and his updating Grossman on automation.Articles mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySefzpYVBy8https://www.marxisthumanistinitiative.org/economics/henryk-grossmanns-breakdown-model-on-the-real-cause-of-the-fictitious-breakdown-tendency.htmlhttps://cosmonautmag.com/2021/07/the-importance-of-henryk-grossman/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: @skepoetFacebookYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeSend us a text Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic

Aug 8, 2022 • 2h 51min
David Griscom on Climate Change, Texas, and Limits of Liberal Responses
Please support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.David Griscom is a writer, podcaster, producer, and co-host of Left Reckoning . We discuss the limits of the liberal understanding of the Texas electrical grid, presumed neoliberalism, miscomprehending the rural area in the United States, and have some friendly debates about the DSA. We also refer to the following articles: https://jacobin.com/2022/07/texas-energy-power-abbott-fossil-fuels-gas-gndhttps://catalyst-journal.com/2019/07/ecological-politics-for-the-working-classhttps://catalyst-journal.com/2021/03/still-no-shortcuts-for-climate-changehttps://jacobin.com/2022/07/amazon-starbucks-union-organizing-strategyAbandon 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: @skepoetFacebookYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeSend us a text Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic

Aug 4, 2022 • 2h 23min
Jeff from Morning Comrade on The Paradoxes of Teacher's Unions
Please support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Jeff is a teacher in Jefferson Parish, a Union member, and the host of Morning Comrade. We discuss the history of perpetual ineffectiveness of the Democrats, and their inability to deal with Roe. Vs. Wade reversal, and union complications.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: @skepoetFacebookYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeSend us a text Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic

Aug 1, 2022 • 1h 3min
Jeff from Morning Comrade on Political Frustrations
Please support our Patreon. For early and ad-free episodes, members-only content, and more.Jeff is a teacher in Jefferson Parish, a Union member, and the host of Morning Comrade. We discuss the history of perpetual ineffectiveness of the Democrats, and their inability to deal with Roe. Vs. Wade reversal, and union complications.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: @skepoetFacebookYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeSend us a text Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic