Rev Left Radio

Marcello Musto discusses Karl Marx's final years, addressing criticisms and highlighting his personal life, relationship with Engels, analysis of Russia, and contributions to socialist thought. Musto's expertise provides a deep dive into Marx's intellectual biography, countering myths and offering insights into his continued productivity despite health struggles.

Author Aaron J. Leonard discusses the crisis and transition in the late 1970s, including the Iranian revolution, rise of neoliberalism, de-industrialization, FBI shifts, music/culture changes, and geopolitical impacts. Reflects on the relevance of historical lessons for navigating current crises in 2024.

Ken Hammond, an expert on modern China, discusses the Deng Reform Period and its impact on modern China. The podcast explores Deng Xiaoping's political influence, phases of the Reform Period, utilizing market mechanisms for economic development within a socialist framework, Tiananmen Square protests, China's economic development, and reflections on China's future goals.

Breht bravely shares his lifelong struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, discussing how it developed after a traumatic event, the varying forms it has taken over the years, and offering encouragement and hope. The podcast delves into the speaker's experiences with contamination OCD, health anxiety, existential fears, and sensory motor OCD, highlighting the impact on daily life and effective coping mechanisms like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Student organizers Cheli and Phia discuss their experiences at Cal State LA and the University of Oregon, sharing reasons for protests, reactions from administrations, negotiation tactics, and the goal of a free Palestine. They highlight challenges, backlash faced, and the importance of recognizing sacrifices and amplifying marginalized voices in student activism.

Philosopher Scott Sehon, author of 'Socialism: A Logical Introduction', discusses arguments for/against capitalism, defends socialism, debates Soviet Union, wealth inequality, capitalism's contradictions, democracy vs. markets, and more in an engaging philosophical dialogue.

Ken Hammond, an expert in modern Chinese history, joins to discuss The Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution in modern China. The episode explores challenges faced during the Great Leap Forward, political conflicts, historiography on inflated grain yields, Mao's leadership nuances, critique of historical narratives, youth movements, factional conflicts, and the rise and fall of the Shanghai Commune.

Matthew Furlong, a Marxist philosophy expert, delves deep into dialectical materialism and Althusser's essay with Breht. They explore topics like base and superstructure differentiation, agency versus determinism, substance dualism, unintended consequences in history, and the interplay of base and superstructure in Marxist theory. The discussion also covers societal changes, unevenness in dialectical change, ideological manipulation, resistance, and the application of dialectical materialism in historical analysis.

Rasul Mowatt and Too Black discuss their book on how Black Rage is co-opted for capitalist gains, touching on George Floyd protests, Black Wall Street, cities as sites of laundering, and Black entrepreneurship myths. They challenge the narrative on Black wealth destruction, unmask historical manipulation, and explore empire's internal disputes.

Film enthusiast and critic Amanda Joy Moon joins the discussion on Tarkovsky's 'Stalker'. They explore themes of modernity, despair, and spiritual crisis, comparing communism and capitalism. Environmental themes, humility, sacrifice, and despair in the film are also analyzed in depth.