

The Regrettable Century
Chris, Kevin, Jason, & Ben
The old forms of the Left are moribund and the new forms are stupid. We're making a podcast that discusses the need to organize a Dialectical Pessimism and develop a salvage project capable of sparking a new workers' movement for socialism. A clean, honest, and unsentimental melancholy is required; we are cultivating one and would like to share it with you. “The challenge of modernity is to live without illusions and without becoming disillusioned. I’m a pessimist because of intelligence, but an optimist because of will.” -- Antonio Gramsci-------Visit the Regrettable Century's merch shop:https://theregrettablecentury.threadless.com/
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 7, 2026 • 16min
PATREON PREVIEW: Regrettable Geopolitics 01/06/2026
The Venezuelan Regime Change that Wasn't, Oil Companies don't Want Venezuelan Oil, Machado Sidelined by Trump, Israeli False Flags, Israel Persecutes Christians, AIPAC Goes Underground, The CIA's Role in the Ukraine War, Ukraine War Summary 2025...Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the showVisit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Dec 30, 2025 • 1h 43min
On Care For Our Common Home: Laudato Si and Christian Anti-Capitalism (Part IV)
This week, the Regrettable Christian Caucus finishes Chapter II of Laudato Si' by the late Pope Francis. You can follow along by grabbing the PDF from Verso or from the Vatican website. This Papal Encyclical calls for urgent action to address the global environmental crisis, critiques consumerism, blind developmentalism, inequality, and profit seeking. The document calls for global political solidarity to transition to a sustainable economy and for the protection of the world's most vulnerable populations. Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the showVisit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Dec 22, 2025 • 16min
PATREON PREVIEW: Regrettable Geopolitics 12/20/2025
Well, here is a release that is back on our old schedule, but we won't be on this schedule for long. In fact, this is our last geopolitics episode of the year. We will resume in the New Year on a bi-weekly schedule. Trump's Acts of Piracy, Genocide in Darfur, Officer Exodus from the IDF, Europe Hopes to Prolong Ukraine War, More Russian Gains and Ukrainian Losses...Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the showVisit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Dec 19, 2025 • 15min
Patreon Preview -- Boundless & Bottomless Returns: Dugin's 4th Political Theory (Part IX)
The boys are back, well... some of the boys. Picking up after a year long hiatus, Jason and Varn are ready to get down to finishing off Dugin.Dugin, Alexander (2012). The Fourth Political Theory. Translated by Sleboda, Mark; Millerman, Michael. Arktos Media. --------------------------------------Varn Vlog https://varnvlog.buzzsprout.com/ -------------------------------------Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the showVisit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

9 snips
Dec 17, 2025 • 1h 9min
The Gang Resolves the Contradictions (Unlocked)
In a candid conversation, Jason and Ben dive into the contradictions surrounding their views on the left. They explore the discomfort of self-critique and past mistakes, while advocating for genuine communities over ideological labels. The duo discusses the challenges of participating in activism and how liberalism limits real political expression. They emphasize the importance of local organizing and engaging with everyday grievances, all while embracing ambiguity and the complexities of community ties.

Dec 10, 2025 • 21min
Patreon Preview: La démocratie dans l'Amérique de Trump (Matthew from Unbreakable Union) *re-upload*
*re-uploaded* This week we sat down with Matthew from the Unbreakable Union podcast and talked about the changing state of the world, what it's been like to be on the left throughout the years, the situation in France, and why maybe our pessimism makes a little bit more sense than it might first seem.https://unbreakableunion.buzzsprout.com/Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the showVisit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Dec 3, 2025 • 54min
Toward a Materialist Conception of Music History: With Stephan Hammel (Part II of II)
This week, Jason and Ben continued their conversation with Stephan Hammel of The Measures Taken Podcast about his new book Toward a Materialist Conception of Music History.From the publisher:"This book argues for the relevance, appropriateness, and usefulness of historical materialism to the musicological project. It interrogates the history of encounters between Marxism and music studies — both within and without the Soviet sphere — before staging the missed encounter between classical musicology and Second International Marxism. It concludes with a framework for understanding style history in terms of changes in the forces and relations of musical production."https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/2684-toward-a-materialist-conception-of-music-historyhttps://www.themeasurestaken.org/Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here).Support the showSend us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the showVisit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Nov 28, 2025 • 22min
PATREON PREVIEW -- Regrettable Geopolitics 11/27/2025
Trump Wants to Talk to Maduro, Israel is Still Murdering Children, Zelensky Has Lost Touch With Reality, Ukraine Is Losing and Being Forced Into an Unfavorable Peace Deal...Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the showVisit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

6 snips
Nov 26, 2025 • 1h 7min
Toward a Materialist Conception of Music History: With Stephan Hammel (Part I of II)
This week, Stephan Hammel, a musicology professor at UC Irvine and host of The Measures Taken podcast, dives into his book advocating for a Marxist view of music history. He explores historical materialism's relevance to music studies, critiquing traditional aesthetics and advocating for a socialist approach to music production. Hammel discusses the impact of musical efficiency, the transition from polyphony to harmonic structures, and how music literacy can democratize arts policy. His insights connect music traditions to socialist practices, urging a re-evaluation of cultural production.

Nov 19, 2025 • 15min
Patreon Preview: Regrettable Book Club -- Disaster Nationalism by Richard Seymour (Part II)
It's once again time for 'Disaster Nationalism' by Richard Seymour. The gang dives into chapters one and two, which means there is still time to become part of the group. If you would like to join in, go to the Discord!Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the showVisit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop


