Upstream

August Nimtz, a Marxist perspective on elections, discusses the role of electoralism for the revolutionary left and its relation to the working class. The podcast explores the history of the Russian Revolution and how Marx, Engels, and Lenin approached electoralism. The Democratic Party's connection to the working class and the importance of organizing solidarity for strikes are also discussed.

In this episode, Mia Birdsong, author of 'How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community', discusses the importance of building healthy communities and reevaluating societal values. They explore the impact of capitalism on our ability to connect and support one another, the meaning of showing up for someone, setting boundaries without bosses or policing, and cultivating a collective vitality for a liberated future.

Sumaya Awad, a knowledgeable guest on the history of Palestine, discusses the origins of Zionism, Israel's suppression of Palestinian history and culture, and the importance of advocating for a ceasefire and ending funding for the apartheid state. She also talks about her work in advocating for Palestine in the US and her contribution to a book exploring a socialist perspective on Palestine.

Learn about the importance of organizing and forming a Vanguard Party. Explore revolutionary theory and practice, critiquing economism and the Leninist perspective. Dive into the debate between Marx and anarchists on revolutionary strategies. Discover the limited reach of reforms and the questioning of the welfare state. Explore the importance of political independence and conscious action. Understand the role of a vanguard party and the need for political organization. Explore the challenges of building a vanguard party and the significance of political education.

In this episode, Sikowis Nobiss, a Plains Cree/Saulteaux activist, discusses the connections between capitalism, colonialism, consumerism, and Christianity. Topics explored include the impact of wealth inequality, Christianity's role in oppression, the importance of decolonization, and indigenizing land acknowledgments and repatriation efforts.

Brace Belden, freedom fighter in a Kurdish militia in Syria, discusses class conflict in the workplace using the case of Anchor Brewery. They talk about the unionization campaign, acquisition by Sapporo, closure, and the workers' plan to turn it into a worker-owned cooperative. They also explore the challenges of keeping secrets, exploitation in the brewery industry, benefits of working under a union contract, unsafe workplaces, and the impact of closure on employees.

A discussion on microfinance and its impact on poverty in the Global South, with a focus on India. Dr. Sohini Kar explores the empowerment and exploitation aspects of microfinance, highlighting concerns about the financialization of poverty. The conversation also delves into the story of Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank, and practical ways to support women in India and the global south through microfinance institutions. The podcast concludes with a call to question investment financing and leverage financialization for social change.

Explore capitalist realism and its pervasive impact on our lives. Discuss the commodification of everything, including healthcare and cultural experiences. Examine the co-option of rebellion and anti-establishment movements by capitalism. Delve into the concept of inter-passivity and its influence on our desires and decision-making. Reflect on the portrayal of the real versus reality in various mediums. Explore the relationship between capitalism and mental illness, advocating for a collective understanding. Analyze distorted time perception and the hyper-mediated existence of the youth generation. Discern the centralistness of capitalism and its failure in the neoliberal world. Examine the impersonal and individualizing nature of capitalism and the importance of collective responses.

Do you ever feel like time is marching in a particular direction? Towards, say, rising global temperatures, mass extinctions, ever-increasing divisions — and ultimately, towards inevitable collapse? What if this particular perception of time contributes to our feelings of despair and hopelessness about our futures? What if it limits our ability to imagine and fight for a more just, equitable, and regenerative system? In this conversation, we've brought on Bay Area artist and author Jenny Odell to help us unpack and reimagine our experience of time and to foster hope and inspire action for a better future. We focus on insights and stories from Jenny's two books, her 2019 New York Times Bestseller How to do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy and most recently, Saving Time: Discovering Life Beyond the Clock. In this conversation, we learn about the commodification and colonization of time under capitalism, how it happened, when it happened, and how the fungibility of time contributes to human and planetary suffering. We explore her unique reframe of classes to include those who time, those who are timed, and those who self-time. We also talk about a more ecological and place-based sense of time, a life beyond the clock, unbound from capitalism, that shows that neither our lives nor the life of our planet is a foregone conclusion, that we are not alone in our efforts to dismantle capitalism, and that the more-than-human world is actually an active participant in the endeavor — and here to help. Thank you to Carolyn Raider for this episode's cover art and to Bowerbirds for the intermission music. Upstream theme music was composed by Robert Raymond/Lanterns. Further Resources: Saving Time: Discovering Life Beyond the Clock, by Jenny Odell How to do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy, by Jenny Odell The Bureau of Suspended Objects Where Almost Everything I Used, Wore, Ate or Bought on Monday, April 1, 2013 (That Had a Label) Was Manufactured, to the Best of My Knowledge This episode of Upstream was made possible with support from listeners like you. Upstream is a labor of love — we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries, we have a number of sponsorship packages available. Find out more at upstreampodcast.org/sponsorship For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Breht O'Shea, a Buddhist practitioner and Marxist political educator known for his work on Revolutionary Left Radio, delves deep into the fascinating overlaps between Buddhism and Marxism. He explores how both traditions seek liberation from suffering and the shared dialectical frameworks that challenge capitalism's individualism. Breht emphasizes the importance of integrating inner and outer liberation, the role of compassion in revolutionary struggle, and the concept of the 'Bodhisattva Revolutionary' as a guide for achieving social justice in a post-capitalist world.