Red Menace

The hosts discuss Mao Zedong’s influential speech on handling contradictions in society, focusing on class struggle and revolutionary practice. They break down the critical distinction between antagonistic and non-antagonistic contradictions. The conversation includes reflections on historical campaigns, the superficiality of liberal democracy, and how a community-oriented approach can foster collective harmony. They also analyze the complexities of Tibetan history and the need for humility in political dialogue, advocating for unity through constructive criticism.

Recent riots in Los Angeles reveal fierce community resistance to mass deportations by ICE. The discussion emphasizes the scapegoating of marginalized groups as a tactic of the powerful. Historical context links current events to ongoing systemic violence and colonialism. The podcast explores the implications of artificial intelligence in exacerbating labor issues and wealth disparities. Ultimately, there’s a message of hope for solidarity and public support in the fight against state repression and injustice.

Dive into the intriguing world of dialectical materialism as Engels applies it to the natural sciences. Discover how historical and contemporary movements shape societal transformations, and the role of labor in evolving human consciousness. Delve into the connections between Darwinian evolution and dialectics, and explore the urgent call for eco-socialism in today’s climate crisis. The conversation reveals our responsibility as self-aware beings while grappling with the philosophical implications of existence and interconnectedness.

Explore how labor sparked human consciousness, transitioning us from clever apes to a complex civilization. Discover the intertwining of labor, language, and evolution, revealing how our anatomy shaped communication. Delve into the historical impact of labor on mental development and social cooperation. Uncover the aesthetic beauty in Marxist history through personal stories and children's art. Lastly, marvel at the ancient cave paintings of Lascaux, shedding light on Paleolithic life and the importance of preserving our cultural heritage.

In this episode, Breht welcomes on Seth from Omaha Tenants United for an in-studio discussion about OTU's slate of recent successes organizing several tenant unions, and a subsequent new legal assault on the organization by the local landlord lobby. The legal implications of this attack are truly monumental for virtually all forms of organizing. They also discuss how landlordism is a feudal hangover with modern capitalist dynamics, the differences between tenant organizing and labor organizing, tenant organizing as a particularly potent site of struggle, and the material underpinnings of recent superstructural shifts in many people's views of landlords. Local media interviews Seth on the issue HERE OTU's Drake Court Tenant Union (Local 252) covered in local media HERE Increasing number of renters turning to tenant unions in the Omaha metro HERE Fed up tenants: Renters form unions to hold leasing companies accountable HERE   Learn more, support, and contact OTU here: https://omahatenantsunited.wordpress.com/ ------------------------------------------- Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Red Menace AND Rev Left Radio HERE Outro Beat Prod. by flip da hood

Margaret Kimberley, a senior columnist at Black Agenda Report and leader in Black Alliance for Peace, dives deep into the complexities of America's decline. She critiques late-stage capitalism and its disconnect from the people. Discussion emphasizes the Democratic Party’s role in worsening conditions and U.S. military support for Ukraine and Israel. Kimberley shares insights from her Global South delegations, revealing resistance against U.S. domination. Ultimately, she offers hope and urges grassroots organization to combat rising authoritarianism.

Dive into Trotsky's sharp analysis of fascism and its echoes in today's political arena. The discussion reveals the role of the petty bourgeoisie and explores the complexities of the U.S. lumpen proletariat. Insights on neoliberal authoritarianism and the implications of the Trump era highlight systemic challenges. The conversation emphasizes the necessity for a united front among leftist factions to combat rising authoritarianism and advocates for practical strategies and solidarity in resistance against ever-evolving fascist threats.

Alyson - a lifelong and current resident of Los Angeles - and Breht discuss the wildfires ravaging L.A. Together they discuss the acute and structural causes of the fires, the role played by Climate Change, the reactionary propaganda surrounding the fires, the class dynamics at play, the self-serving careerist motivations of bourgeois politicans, the organized grassroots community response on the ground, and what it all means for the future of California, the US, and the world.  Outro Song: Forest Fire by Mount Eerie

It's time for our annual Revolutionary Guerrilla Menace episode, where we crossover with Rev Left and the Red Menace in order to review the past year in world events and look forward to what we think will be coming in the next year. Breht, Alyson, Adnan, and Henry discuss Palestine, BRICS, the Alliance of Sahel States, global capitalism, and much more, so be sure to tune in and share widely! This episode will also be on Guerrilla History and Rev Left. Follow RLR on IG HERE Support Red Menace on Patreon HERE

Alyson and Breht were invited to join Robbie on the Upstream podcast to talk about Lenin's "Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism".  Capitalism, imperialism, monopoly—far from being separate concepts that just happen to take shape parallel to one another or to overlap from time to time, these terms all really refer to the exact same overall process. We call it capitalism because it’s not always practical to call it “monopoly capitalism in its imperialist stage” or something like that, but really, capitalism is, as we’ll see, inevitably monopolistic and imperialist. The process of capitalism’s historical evolution from its so-called, and somewhat fabricated stage of free-enterprise to monopoly capitalism, and then further into what we refer to as imperialism, was outlined both theoretically and empirically by Vladamir Lenin well over a century ago in his classic text, Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism. The connection between monopoly and imperialism might not seem quite straightforward to you at first, and an understanding of imperialism itself as a process grounded in political economy may seem somewhat counterintuitive—especially if you’re used to thinking of imperialism and empire in the more popular sense of the words. But that’s why we’ve brought on two guests to walk us through this crucial text and help us make sense of it all.  Alyson Escalante and Breht O’Shea are the hosts of Red Menace, a podcast that explains and analyzes revolutionary theory and then applies its lessons to our contemporary conditions, and they’re both return guests of the show. In fact, they’ve been on a number of times to talk about other texts by Lenin but also to explore a wide variety of topics from trans liberation to revolutionary Buddhism. Breht is also the host of the terrific podcasts Revolutionary Left Radio and Shoeless in South Dakota.  In this episode, we unpack Lenin’s Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism. This episode is an excellent introduction to the text but it also takes deep dives and gets granular at times, picking apart the nuances and various interpretations of the text. We explore the historical context in which Lenin wrote this book and then trace capitalism’s history from its early stages into its monopoly form. We explore how finance capital emerged and became similarly concentrated, how this merging of concentrated finance and industrial capital began to spread out from capitalist countries into the periphery and began to carve up the world, and how this process led to what we now understand to be capitalism’s final and highest stage: imperialism. And, of course, we apply the text to a variety of current events and explore how we can apply Lenin’s ideas in ways that help us grow and strengthen our socialist movements globally.  Learn more about Upstream HERE