The Regrettable Century

This week it's just the Regrettable brothers and we are talking about "leftism" and whether the category of "left" still holds any meaning. Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show

Wherein we cover the entirety of Chapter 2, dealing with the concept of the nation state.A link to the PDF: https://libcom.org/article/question-nationalities-and-social-democracy-otto-bauerSend us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show

Continuing what has become a series on Czechoslovak Socialism, we dive into the attempt to reform the Czechoslovak system. The official ML narrative and the liberal narrative about the Prague Spring are the same, they say that it was an attempt to re-establish bourgeois democracy. However, it seems clear that the intentions of its participants were the opposite. They appear to have been a genuine attempt to revitalize and push forward the communist project. The Action Programme of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakiahttps://www.marxists.org/subject/czech/1968/action-programme.htmStoneman, Anna J. “Socialism With a Human Face: The Leadership and Legacy of the Prague Spring.” The History Teacher49, no. 1 (2015): 103–25. Prague Spring Archive at MIA (worth browsing for historical first impressions)https://www.marxists.org/subject/czech/index.htmThe Prague Spring of 1968: a glimpse of socialism?http://isj.org.uk/the-prague-spring/Liehm, A. J. (1978). The Prague Spring and Eurocommunism. International Journal, 33(4), 804. doi:10.2307/40201691Skilling, H. Gordon. "The Prague Spring Reassessed." Slavic Review 38, no. 4 (1979): 663-66. doi:10.2307/2496570.Reform and Counter-reform in Bureaucratic Powerhttps://www.cddc.vt.edu/sionline/si/reform.htmlMusic: Karel Kryl - Veličenstvo kat(English Translation)In a gloomy light of a gothic hallthe scared profiteers are gazing into their missalsand a horde of slayers is asking for blessingAfter all the first of the knights is his majesty executionerAaah look the first of the knights is his Majesty ExecutionerPriest – the devil who served the massis wearing a stole made from a hangmans slopeHaving a bottle of vitriol under the purple rochetThe smell of sulfur coming from the mortarsis crawling under the red hood of the first from all the knightshis Majesty ExecutionerAaah to the first of knights look it is his Majesty ExecutionerOn the national flag there isan emblem with guillotineAnd the barbed wiresmells by something decayedIn our region is a flock of raven nestingthe master hangman reigns these peopleThe king is kneeing infront of Sataneagers to have the sceptreAnd the rabble is hanging the wise councilat the plane treeAnd the heretic crowd is exhilarated and rejoicesAfter all the first of knights is his Majesty ExecutionerAaah the first of knights is his Majesty ExecutionerAt a streetcorner a murderer is holding a lecture about moralInfront of the prison's door the guardians are walkingFrom the military armour plate the black sign proclaimsthat the first of the knights is his Majesty ExecutionerAaah that the first of the knights is his Majesty ExecutionerOver the government palacerises the flag with guillotineThe children love the ice cream cornetsThe judges were upset about themso they killed their ice cream manA horrible state it was,as you had to watchthe writing beeing forbiddenand the singing beeing forbiddenAnd they didn't have enoughSend us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show

We are back at it again talking decadence theory with Varn. This week, we dig into Samir Amin's piece from Monthly Review.We discussed the following materials:Morley, Neville. "Decadence as a Theory of History." New Literary History, Vol. 35, No. 4, Forms and/of Decadence (Autumn, 2004), pp.573-585Decadence: The Theory of Decline or the Decline of Theoryhttps://libcom.org/library/decadence-aufheben-2Revolution or Decadence?https://monthlyreview.org/2018/05/01/revolution-or-decadence/ Check out Varn Vlog Herehttps://www.patreon.com/varnvlogSend us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show

Come listen to the boys discuss Hegel's enduring importance to the contemporary world.Hegel Is Still an Important Thinker for the Left https://jacobin.com/2023/11/hegel-political-philosophy-world-revolutions-book-reviewHegel in the Era of “Wokeness”https://jacobin.com/2023/12/hegel-wokeness-world-spirit-political-theory-history-philosophy-richard-bourke Reading Hegel on Bastille Dayhttps://jacobin.com/2016/07/hegel-bastille-day-burke-french-revolution The dialectic in the service of revolution (up to/until the Marx section…)https://links.org.au/dialectic-service-revolution Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show

We soldier on through this excellent but little known work on the national question. This week we FINALLY finish Chapter 1.Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show

Jonathan Haslam, an author renowned for his insights on the Comintern and Popular Front origins, dives deep into the triumphs and failures of Popular Frontism. He discusses its historical context in leftist politics, exploring alliances from the New Deal to contemporary movements. Haslam critiques compromises made during WWII and emphasizes the need for cohesive leftist strategies today. He also highlights the challenges of coalition-building and the importance of prefigurative politics in shaping effective political structures for genuine change.

The boys dive in to chapter 6 of Dugin's Fourth Political theory. Don't worry, there are literally no digressions and the guys stay on point the whole time.Check out Varn Vlog here:https://www.patreon.com/varnvlog/postsCheck out Antifada here:https://www.patreon.com/theantifadaSend us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show

We just can't stop talking about Czechoslovak Socialism. We decided to deal with the Slovak portion of the Czechoslovak lands, which we feel has been a little neglected in our previous discussions. Slovakia is important as an integral part of the movement of Czechoslovak socialism and as a case study of the problem of the national question. If you have been following along with our discussions of Otto Bauer's work on the national question, you might appreciate the context.Hear the full episode:https://www.patreon.com/theregrettablecentury Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show

C. Derick Varn, an expert in theories of decadence, crisis, and breakdown, joins the conversation to dissect societal decline and cultural evolution. They draw parallels between historical events like the fall of the Roman Empire and modern capitalist issues. The discussion delves into decadence theory's cyclical patterns, critiques of Marxist interpretation, and socioeconomic complexities. Historical events, such as the Protestant Reformation, are linked to current dynamics, highlighting the transformation of identities and socio-economic structures in contemporary society.