Podcast Episode Summary

The Charlie Kirk Show

Episode: American Marxism with Mark Levin
Date: July 22, 2021
Host: Charlie Kirk
Guest: Mark Levin

Episode Overview

This episode features a wide-ranging conversation between Charlie Kirk and Mark Levin about Levin's new book, American Marxism. The discussion delves into the origin, spread, and implications of Marxist-inspired movements in the United States. Both speakers emphasize the urgency for conservatives and concerned citizens to recognize, understand, and organize against what they see as the rising influence of "Americanized" Marxist ideology across institutions, culture, and government.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Motivation Behind American Marxism

• Levin’s Approach: Mark Levin explains he was compelled to write American Marxism after noticing interconnected far-left activisms (e.g., BLM, critical race theory, Green New Deal) gaining traction across society.
• Research Process: He studied the creators of critical theory, critical race theory, and historical left-wing movements to "convey that to the American people in a rational and understandable way."

  "If we don’t understand the enemy...we can’t defeat them." — Mark Levin (06:04)

2. Import and Evolution of Critical Theory & Critical Race Theory

• Intellectual Lineage: Kirk and Levin trace the origins back to European thinkers like Herbert Marcuse, Michel Foucault, and Jacques Derrida, emphasizing that these ideas were intentionally imported and repackaged for America.
• Marxism Recast: Instead of classic class struggle, Levin argues these theorists reframed the conflict as oppressor vs. oppressed, especially through race and gender.

  "We don’t have classes, we don’t have a caste system...so this has to be constructed and it has to be projected onto society." — Mark Levin (09:50)

3. Critical Race Theory in American Institutions

• Spread through Academia: Levin recounts how critical theory infiltrated law schools, and then critical race theory ("CRT") made race the principal axis of struggle, arguing that all aspects of American society are irredeemably racist.
• Contemporary Examples: He criticizes figures such as Ibram X. Kendi and legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, asserting that their ideas dehumanize people and deny academic freedom.
• Teachers’ Unions: Levin connects the proliferation of CRT to the teachers' unions, characterizing them as "Marxist organizations" aligned with the Democratic Party.

  "Now, the problem is they don’t believe in free speech, they don’t believe in academic freedom. These are Marxists. That’s the bottom line." — Mark Levin (17:28)

4. Strategy: How Should Conservatives Respond?

• Practical Activism: Levin calls for conservatives to use legal and bureaucratic tools (e.g., FOIA, litigation, challenges to union tax status) to combat these movements at the local level.
• Organize Like the Opposition: He advocates for creating "patriotic community committees" and networking across regions, borrowing tactics — not violence — from the left.
• Self-reliance: Both agree that citizens cannot wait for the GOP or national leaders to solve these issues; organization must come from the grassroots.

  "If we’re not going to defend our children, we’re not going to defend anything." — Mark Levin (20:28)

5. Recognizing Two Competing Visions for America

• No Shared Purpose: Kirk emphasizes Americans are not all working toward the same goals; there are fundamentally incompatible visions for the country's future. Levin agrees, dismissing the idea that progressive actors "mean well."

  "Do they mean well? No, they don’t mean well about any damn thing." — Mark Levin (23:21)

6. Critique of Republican Leadership & the Conservative Movement

• Establishment Failure: Levin expresses frustration with Republican leaders, particularly in the Senate, for not grasping the urgency of the moment or being willing to truly fight.
• Bypassing Party Structures: He stresses direct action by individuals rather than attempts to reform political parties.

  "If we’re strong enough and...influence enough, they will be interested in listening to what we have to say. But nobody’s coming to save us but ourselves." — Mark Levin (28:10)

7. Republic vs. Democracy: Why Language Matters

• Founders’ Intent: Kirk and Levin stress that the U.S. is a constitutional republic, not a democracy, and that the misuse of these terms has enabled left-wing overreach.

  "The framers of the Constitution rejected democracy...In a democracy, people will get to vote over your rights, your property rights." — Mark Levin (32:11)

• Historical Context: Difference between American and French Revolutions is highlighted; the latter is likened to modern Marxist upheavals.

8. Grounds for Hope & Final Call to Action

• American Resilience: Levin remains optimistic, pointing to America's history of rising to meet existential challenges.
• Moral Imperative: He invokes Churchill and Thomas Paine, exhorting listeners to take personal responsibility for fighting the current ideological struggle.

  "I cannot believe that we are going to surrender the greatest nation on the face of the earth to reprobates and malcontents who have contributed not one damn thing to this society." — Mark Levin (36:25)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On understanding the threat:

  "These aren't disparate entities doing disparate things. They are having enormous impact on our society, particularly education. So I just decided to unravel these various movements, explain fundamentally what they are, where they come from." — Mark Levin (05:43)

• On activism:

  "We have to become litigious. We have to overwhelm their system... Overwhelm the system. Make them pay legal fees. Back them against the wall. Let them know you exist." — Mark Levin (16:10)

• On Republican leadership:

  "Do you think the old bulls who run the Republican Party in the Senate, you think they have any idea what's swirling around? They have no idea what's going on. They have no idea how to address this." — Mark Levin (27:10)

• On democracy vs. republic:

  "Voting and democracy have their place. But that's not what we want. That's not what we live in. The framers of the Constitution rejected democracy." — Mark Levin (32:05)

• Closing optimism:

  "Oh, they'll fight. And I have to believe that we Americans are going to fight. And I won't look over my shoulder and think otherwise. We have got to be on the move right now." — Mark Levin (37:05)

Important Timestamps

• 03:30 – Levin explains why he wrote American Marxism
• 09:30–17:30 – History and impact of critical theory and CRT in America
• 20:28 – The importance of defending children and direct activism
• 22:25–24:19 – Debate over whether left-wing radicals "mean well"
• 26:22–28:20 – Discussion on Republican Party shortcomings and acting outside party lines
• 31:55–35:57 – Debate over "republic" vs. "democracy" terminology and its consequences
• 36:15–38:11 – What gives Mark Levin hope; call to action for American citizens

Conclusion

Throughout the conversation, Charlie Kirk and Mark Levin outline their deep concerns about the spread and institutionalization of Marxist ideas in American life. They call for urgent, local, and creative civic engagement—bypassing the party apparatus and mobilizing directly at the grassroots—to preserve the constitutional republic they believe is at risk. Levin urges listeners to read his book as a toolkit for action, not just analysis, framing the struggle as one of existential importance for American civilization.