Podcast
Rev Left Radio
Hosted by Revolutionary Left Radio · EN
Discussing political philosophy, current events, activism, and the inevitable historical downfall of capitalism from a revolutionary leftist perspective.
67episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Western Marxism and The Imperial Theory Industry
Jan 1401:28:58Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Breht is joined by philosopher, author, and cultural critic Gabriel Rockhill to discuss his new book Who Paid the Pipers of Western Marxism? The Intellectual World War: Marxism vs. the Imperial Theory Industry. Rockhill argues that the Cold War was not only fought with bombs, coups, and sanctions -- but with ideas, institutions and intellectuals. Drawing on extensive archival research, Rockhill shows how U.S. imperial power built a vast apparatus of foundations, universities, media outlets and cultural organizations to shape what kinds of Marxism were allowed to exist in the West. Rather than simply repressing Marxism, empire promoted a "compatible left"; a version of critical theory and Western Marxism that rejected actually existing socialist struggles and experiments, detached theory from mass struggle, and helped neutralize anti-imperialist politics. Together, they explore the role of the Frankfurt School, Herbert Marcuse, Cold War cultural warfare, and the long shadow this history still casts over today's left. This episode was recorded in the immediate wake of the U.S.'s invasion of Venezuela and kidnapping of President Maduro and his wife, which they discuss at the beginning of the conversation. Check out Critical Theory Workshop HERE Follow Rockhill's work on his Substack HERE ---------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/revleftradio Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio https://revleftradio.com/
Transcribe →Solidarity With Children: Love, Autonomy, Parenting, and Innocence
Jan 1201:28:13Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Breht is joined by revolutionary feminist and author Madeline Lane-McKinley to discuss her recent book "Solidarity with Children: An Essay Against Adult Supremacy", in which she argues for a politics that centers young humans as essential comrades in the struggle for a better world! In the process they examine the concept of childhood as historically structured, which children are granted innocence and which are robbed of it, how to parent through a lens that respects children as unique and autonomous human beings instead of the property of their parents, and much more! You can follow Madeline @la_louve_rouge_ (on twitter and IG) ---------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/revleftradio Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio https://revleftradio.com/
Transcribe →[BEST OF] Islamic Mysticism: Rumi, Sufism, and Authentic Spirituality
May 25, 2025Tap to summarizeORIGINALLY RELEASED Feb 17, 2025 Dr. Rory Dickson is a professor of Islamic Religion and Culture and author of several publications on Sufism, the mystical path within Islam. He joins Breht to have an incredibly deep conversation about the Sufi poet Rumi, his life and work, Rumi's relationship to his teacher Shams of Tabriz, the concepts of fana (annihilation of the self) and baqa (subsistence in God), the spiritual practices of Sufism, non-duality and perennialism, "dying before you die", Buddhist enlightenment, the Quran, Serving the People in politics and religion, the role of Divine Love in spiritual transformation, transcending the ego, Bodhicitta and the Heart of the Bodhisattva, the counter-cultural aspects of the historical dervishes, The Masnavi (aka the "Persian Quran"), Christian Mysticism, the evolution of human consciousness, the linguistics of translation, and much, much more! Check out Rory's book "Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi Philosophy" Recommendations for Further Exploration: Rumi's World: The Life and Work of the Great Sufi Poet The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi Check out our related episodes with Dr. Adnan Husain: Sufism: Islamic Mysticism and the Annihilation of Self in God St. Francis of Assisi: Patron Saint of Ecology & Brother to All Creation ------------------------------------------------------------ Outro Music: Something's Out There by Neva Dinova Support Rev Left and get bonus episodes on Patreon Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio Learn more about Rev Left HERE
Transcribe →[BEST OF] Mao's "On Contradiction": The Dialectic of Revolution
Apr 20, 2025Tap to summarizeORIGINALLY RELEASED Jul 25, 2019 In this episode, Alyson and Breht dive into Mao Zedong's seminal text On Contradiction—a cornerstone of Marxist philosophy and revolutionary praxis. Written in the heat of anti-imperialist struggle, Mao develops a distinctly materialist theory of dialectics rooted in motion, contradiction, and transformation. We explore his concepts of principal and secondary contradictions, the universality of contradiction, and how this framework guided revolutionary strategy in China and beyond. Whether you're steeped in Marxist theory or new to dialectical thinking, this episode unpacks one of the most influential philosophical works of the 20th century with clarity, depth, and revolutionary urgency. ---------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/revleftradio Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio HERE
Transcribe →American Capitalism in Decay: An Analysis (Pokepreet X Rev Left)
Mar 18, 202502:18:46Tap to summarize(There was a small audio issue at the end of this episode, we fixed it and are re-releasing it) Breht goes on the Pokepreet Podcast as a guest to have a fun and fiery conversation about his ideological development, why the United States is so hostile to socialism even relative to other hyper-capitalist countries, the current grotesque state of global capitalism-imperialism, and much more! "In this thought-provoking conversation, we sit down with Breht O'Shea to dive deep into the current state of world imperialism, the decline of the American empire, and the evolving global power dynamics. Brett opens up about how his ideology has transformed over time, offering a candid and enlightening perspective on his journey. This is one of the best conversations we've had on the podcast and I hope you enjoy!" If you like the episode, go leave him a good review on Apple or Spotify and show him some Rev Left Love! Find Pokepreet: Podcast main webiste: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/pokepreetpod Twitter: https://x.com/Thepokepreetpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pokepreet_1/?locale=es&hl=en Substack:https://substack.com/@pokepreet ----------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/revleftradio Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left HERE
Transcribe →Pure Excess: Capitalism, Commodity Fetishism, and the Promise of More
Mar 10, 202501:28:46Tap to summarizeTodd McGowan joins the show once again, this time to discuss his newest book "Pure Excess: Capitalism and the Commodity". Together, he and Breht discuss commodity fetishism, the tensions between Marxism and psychoanalysis, what a critique of the subjective aspects of capitalism offers anti-capitalist politics, the "superstructural malaise" of late capitalism, Desire and Lack, capitalism's death drive, how to resist becoming a neoliberal subject, and much more. "Drawing on psychoanalytic theory, McGowan shows how the production of commodities explains the role of excess in the workings of capitalism. Capitalism and the commodity ensnare us with the image of the constant fulfillment of our desires―the seductive but unattainable promise of satisfying a longing that has no end. To challenge this system, McGowan turns to art, arguing that it can expose the psychological mechanisms that perpetuate capitalist society and reveal the need for limits. Featuring lively writing and engaging examples from film, literature, and popular culture, Pure Excess uncovers the hidden logic of capitalism―and helps us envision a noncapitalist life in a noncapitalist society." Check out all our other episodes with Todd HERE Check out Todd's podcast Why Theory? on your preferred podcast app! Outro Song: I Want to Work Less by Grand Commander ----------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/revleftradio Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio Follow RLR on IG HERE Learn more about Rev Left HERE
Transcribe →Philosophy Series: Stoicism for Revolutionaries
Feb 27, 202502:06:18Tap to summarizeBreht listens to, reflects on, and critically engages with a public lecture by the late philosopher Michael Sugrue titled Marcus Aurelius' Meditations: The Stoic Ideal. He discusses the philosophy of Stoicism, its insights as well as its limitations, its commodification and bastardization under late capitalism, the dialectical inversion of the philosophy of a Roman Emperor for proletarian revolutionaries, Virtue Ethics, Mahayana Buddhism and The Four Brahmaviharas, the importance of courage and discipline and responsibility, Momento Mori, the Cardinal Virtues, equipping ourselves mentally and emotionally for a lifetime of class struggle, seeking the balance of the Middle Path, Marxist Dialectics, and much more! Professor Sugrue passed away last year, and Breht has always found his free, public lectures on philosophy to be helpful and really well done. In the spirit of free and open access to education, Breht offers his knowledge of philosophy alongside this offering by Professor Sugrue. The use of this lecture series falls under the protections of the Fair Use doctrine. Outro Music: "Lilac Wine" by Nina Simone SUPPORT SOCIALIST NIGHT SCHOOL HERE Check out all our other Philosophy Series episodes HERE ----------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/revleftradio Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio Follow RLR on IG HERE Learn more about Rev Left HERE
Transcribe →Abolish the Death Penalty: Organizing toward Abolition
Feb 25, 202501:37:25Tap to summarizeDawson Hicks from Project Hope to Abolish the Death Penalty joins Breht to discuss the organization, its founding by prisoners, its strategies and vision, the Alabama carceral system, the use of nitrogen hypoxia as the newest method of murdering inmates, the benefits of rehabilitation over punishment and slaughter, the utter moral depravity and intellectual mediocrity of U.S. politicians deciding who lives and who dies, the racial and class inequalities of the American injustice system, the question of free will as it relates to the legal system, and much more. Learn more about, Follow, Donate, Join, or Support PHADP Get 15% off any book at Left Wing Books HERE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get bonus episodes on Patreon Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio Follow RLR on IG HERE Learn more about Rev Left HERE
Transcribe →A World Order without Conscience: Imperialism, Islamophobia, and the Geopolitical Order (Introducing The Adnan Husain Show)
Feb 24, 202501:19:45Tap to summarizeIn this episode of the brand new Adnan Husain Show, Professor Adnan Husain is joined by two outstanding scholars and thinkers, Drs. Peter Beattie and Karim Bettache of BettBeatMedia (@BettBeat_Media) .They discuss a number of interrelated topics including: the current geopolitical order, China’s role in it, BRICS and political economy, anti-imperialist politics in the Trump era, the media, as well as the politics of race and Islamophobia beyond “left and right" in “the West”. Please subscribe, share, and support this channel @adnanahusain786 Adnan's Substack: https://adnanahusain.substack.com/ Support Adnan: Patreon.com/adnanhusain Learn More: https://www.adnanhusain.org Check out BettBeat's Substack: https://substack.com/@bettbeat Subscribe to the channel here / @bettbeat_media
Transcribe →The Sufi Path of Rumi: Islamic Mysticism and The Journey to Divine Love
Feb 17, 202502:08:49Tap to summarizeDr. Rory Dickson is a professor of Islamic Religion and Culture and author of several publications on Sufism, the mystical path within Islam. He joins Breht to have an incredibly deep conversation about the Sufi poet Rumi, his life and work, Rumi's relationship to his teacher Shams of Tabriz, the concepts of fana (annihilation of the self) and baqa (subsistence in God), the spiritual practices of Sufism, non-duality and perennialism, "dying before you die", Buddhist enlightenment, the Quran, Serving the People in politics and religion, the role of Divine Love in spiritual transformation, transcending the ego, Bodhicitta and the Heart of the Bodhisattva, the counter-cultural aspects of the historical dervishes, The Masnavi (aka the "Persian Quran"), Christian Mysticism, the evolution of human consciousness, the linguistics of translation, and much, much more! Check out Rory's book "Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi Philosophy" Recommendations for Further Exploration: Rumi's World: The Life and Work of the Great Sufi Poet The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi Check out our related episodes with Dr. Adnan Husain: Sufism: Islamic Mysticism and the Annihilation of Self in God St. Francis of Assisi: Patron Saint of Ecology & Brother to All Creation ------------------------------------------------------------ Outro Music: Something's Out There by Neva Dinova Support Rev Left and get bonus episodes on Patreon Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio Follow RLR on IG HERE Learn more about Rev Left HERE
Transcribe →