Episodes
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The Ethics of Ambiguity: Simone de Beauvoir, Existentialism, and Revolutionary Politics
Breht and Alyson explore Simone de Beauvoir's The Ethics of Ambiguity, a foundational work of existentialist ethics that asks a deceptively difficult question: if there is no God, no predetermined human purpose, and no absolute moral order written into the universe, why shouldn't anything be...
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Coming to America: From Mao's China to American Suburbia
Through one family's journey from socialist China to the United States, we explore the gulf between the mythology of the American Dream and the realities of American capitalism. From the Cultural Revolution and Voice of America to racial and class hierarchies, liberal academia, and suburban...
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Requiem for French Theory: Transatlantic Funeral Dirge in a Marxist Key
Gabriel Rockhill joins Breht to discuss his book Requiem for French Theory, coauthored with Aymeric Monville, and to challenge the radical reputation of thinkers such as Foucault, Derrida, and Deleuze. Situating their rise within the Cold War, Rockhill examines how intelligence agencies…
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O22: Organizing Against Police Brutality w/ Families Demanding Justice
October 22 is the National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality (O22), a day of coordinated action across the country demanding justice for those killed and brutalized by police and an end to the epidemic of police violence in the United States. In this episode, Breht is joined by Mia and...
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An Inhuman Future: Nick Land, Techno-Accelerationism, and the Dark Enlightenment
In this episode Alyson and Breht enter the strange and unsettling world of Nick Land: Marx, Nietzsche, Delueze, cybernetics, accelerationism, and the possibility that capitalism is becoming something more than a human social system. For Land, techno-capital may be an inhuman process using…
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Che's "New Socialist Man" and the Bodhisattva Revolutionary
Breht reads the speech he recently gave in-person at the 2026 Socialism Conference in Chicago. In the Speech, he analyzes the role of human subjectivity in revolutionary politics, explicates Che's argument in his famous essay "Socialism and Man in Cuba", articulates his notion of the Bodhisattva...
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Existentialism, Socialism, Buddhism and The Modern Revolutionary Spirit (Ft. The Deprogram)
Breht went on The Deprogram to discuss the philosophical strains and core arguments of his upcoming book from Iskra Books titled "A Letter to Young Revolutionaries" as well as his recent speech at the Socialism Conference (and the subsequent controversy around it). This is the first show Breht…
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UNLOCKED: In Praise of Prose, Poetry, and the Present Moment
Breht discusses the importance of reading, writing, meditating and spending time alone in nature as essential to a well lived life; as well as mental-emotional protection from the techno-oligarchic assault on our minds, attention spans, and ability to think critically. Learn more about the show…
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Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit: Dialectics, Consciousness, and Freedom
Breht sits down with philosopher Colin Bodayle for a wide-ranging exploration of Hegel's Phenomenology of Spirit, one of the most influential and notoriously difficult works in modern philosophy. Together they unpack Hegel's account of consciousness, contradiction, freedom, recognition, history,...
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Socialism and Man in Cuba: Che Guevara and the Revolution of Consciousness
Breht reads, reflects upon, and elaborates on Che Guevara's famous essay "Socialism and Man in Cuba" wherein Che argues that socialism cannot be reduced to changing property relations or economic structures; it must also produce a new kind of human being, less alienated, less governed by private...
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The Twin Cities Fight Back: ICE, the New Red Scare, and Socialist Organizing
Aminah Sheikh joins Breht to discuss the mass resistance that erupted in Minneapolis against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, the subsequent repression of organizers, and the contours of an emerging new Red Scare. They discuss the current political moment, DSA's growing electoral...
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Socialism Conference '26: Labor Day Weekend in Chicago!
Breht gives details on his upcoming speech and Q and A at the Socialism Conference in Chicago this September, the listener meet-up afterwards, and the patreon raffle for TWO FREE TICKETS! ENTER THE RAFFLE HERE Check out the Socialism Conference HERE Join the Patreon for a chance to win free…
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The New Red Scare: Trump's War on the American Left
In this episode, Alyson and Breht examine the Trump administration's emerging campaign against what it calls "far-left terrorism." We begin with NSPM-7, the presidential directive encouraging federal agencies to investigate not only alleged political violence, but the organizations, funders…
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Toward Indigenous Self-Determination: Fourth World Theory and Indigenous Marxism
In this episode, Breht speaks with his guests Pavin and Jennifer Marley from Total Sovereignty Working Group about George Manuel's Fourth World theory and the Indigenous Marxist traditions of Howard Adams and Lee Maracle. Together, they examine the conflict between land as capitalist property and...
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Substance, Spirit, Struggle: From Spinoza through Hegel to Marx (and Beyond)
In this unlocked patreon episode Breht traces and explains a subterranean philosophical lineage running from Spinoza through Hegel to Marx and Louis Althusser. Beginning with Spinoza's conception of God or Nature as a single, immanent Substance, he explores how Hegel transforms Substance into a...
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From Theory to Praxis: Lenin's Revolutionary Formula w/ Breht O'Shea
"From each according to their ability, to each according to their need." Steve's guest, Breht O'Shea of Rev Left Radio and Red Menace podcast, believes that dedicating one's life to fighting for this vision, even without knowing the outcome, is more meaningful than pursuing capital's vision of...
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Practical Dialectics: The Dialectics of Everyday Life
Chris Alfonso joins Breht to have a wide ranging discussion on the dialectics of our personal and political lives. In the process, they discuss Marxist philosophy, Dialectial materialism, the mass line and its development, Chris's oragnizing and education work in prisons, the profound radicalism…
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Democratic Socialist Electoral Victories and the Implications for American Politics
Alyson and Breht reflect on recent Democratic Socialist electoral victories, the ongoing contradiction between the progressive left and the corporate center within the Democratic Party, the principled and strategic approach to this development that Marxists should take, the implications for the...
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Expropriate the Rich: Billionaire Rule, Class War, and the Socialist Solution
Economist Rob Larson joins Breht to discuss his book Mastering the Universe: The Obscene Wealth of the Ruling Class, What They Do With Their Money, and Why You Should Hate Them Even More. Together they explore the billionaire class not merely as a collection of rich individuals, but as a ruling...
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Empire in the Stars: Science Fiction, Ideology, and Colonialist-Imperialist Realism (Feat. The Left Page)
In this episode, Breht goes on The Left Page podcast as a guest to explore the role that science fiction plays as part of the cultural superstructure of empire: a genre born in the shadow of British and American imperial power, shaped by colonial assumptions, and increasingly haunted by attempts…
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Announcement: Rev Left Summer Design & the Socialism Conference
Get some Rev Left merch while supporting the show here: https://rev-left-merch.myshopify.com Learn more about the Socialism Conference here: https://socialismconference.org/
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Philosophy of Mind: Marxism, Materialism, and Dialectical Monism
In this episode, Breht O'Shea and Alyson Escalante join forces for a deep philosophical conversation on Marxism, consciousness, and the mind-body problem. Using China Miéville's essay on consciousness and materialism as a starting point, they explore why the nature of subjective experience…
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Understanding Sudan: Revolution, Civil War, and the Fight for the Future
In this episode, Breht sits down with Mohamed Khougali, author of Politically Unconscious: The Psychic Aftermath of the Sudanese Revolution (Iskra Books) for a sweeping and deeply illuminating conversation on Sudanese history, revolution, counterrevolution, and the current catastrophe unfolding…
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Marxist Feminism and the Socialist Left
In this episode, Breht is joined by organizer, educator, and Marxist feminist scholar Comrade Gabi for a discussion on patriarchy, misogyny, and power within contemporary socialist and organizing spaces. Together they explore the relationship between capitalism and patriarchy, the contributions…
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[UNLOCKED] Alyson and Breht Answer Your Questions
Breht and Alyson spend over three hours answering your questions on a wide range of topics! Subscribe to Rev Left Radio on YouTube to be notified about future livestreams like this one HERE ---------------------------------------------------- Check out our NEW REV LEFT MERCH with Goods For The...
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All Too Human: Dr. John Ukadike on his Experiences in Emergency Medicine
In this installment of our All Too Human interview series, Breht and Dave welcome Dr. John Ukadike, a physician and emergency medicine specialist, into the Shoeless Shed to have a fascinating conversation about his experiences as an ER doctor, his treatment of many patients who struggle with...
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The Cultural Marxism Conspiracy: Why the Right Blames the Frankfurt School for the Decline of the West
Breht is joined by A.J.A. Woods, author of The Cultural Marxism Conspiracy: Why the Right Blames the Frankfurt School for the Decline of the West. In this conversation, they explore the genealogy of the "Cultural Marxism" myth, the reactionary forces that shaped it, and the way it continues to...
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UNLOCKED: Meister Eckhart, Christian Mysticism, and Buddhist Meditation
Breht listens, reacts, and elaborates on a lecture by the late professor Michael Sugrue on the religious philosophy of the famous German Christian Mystic and Theologian, Meister Eckhart. In the process Breht touches on a dizzying array of spiritual, existential and religious themes. This is a...
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On Lebanon: Hezbollah, Faith, and the Struggle Against Zionism and Imperialism
Myriam Charabaty, a Lebanese political analyst and journalist, joins Breht for a wide-ranging discussion on Lebanon, the struggle against imperialism and Zionism, the nature of solidarity and resistance, and the rapidly shifting political landscape of West Asia. Drawing from both personal...
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Nonviolence is Violence Too (Pt. 2): We're All In the Gunk
In this episode, Breht is joined by writer, intellectual, and poet Too Black to discuss his essay "Nonviolence is Violence, Too (Part 2)—We're All in the Gunk." Together, they critically examine the liberal mythology of "nonviolence" as a pure moral alternative to violence, arguing instead that…
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Iran Will Not Bend The Knee: National Cohesion, The Axis of Resistance, and Decolonizing West Asia
Historian David Yaghoubian joins Rev Left Radio to discuss the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, the genocide in Gaza, the assault on Lebanon, and the broader imperial-Zionist project to dominate West Asia. Drawing from his 2014 monograph Ethnicity, Identity, and the Development of Nationalism in Iran,...
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Cuba After Castro
In this episode, Breht sits down with filmmakers and journalists Abby Martin and Matthew Belen from BreakThrough News to discuss their new documentary Cuba After Castro — an unprecedented and historic film featuring the first major interview Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has ever given to...
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The Shadow and the Specter: Carl Jung, Psychoanalysis, and Modern Politics
In this episode, Breht speaks with scholar Angie Bittar about the life, thought, and enduring relevance of Carl Jung. Together they explore Jung's understanding of the unconscious, archetypes, the shadow, individuation, dreams, symbols, myth, and the modern search for meaning. After introducing...
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The Worldwide Family of Militant Women
In this episode, Breht and Alyson sit down with Arlene Eisen to discuss her new memoir, In the Worldwide Family of Militant Women. Eisen reflects on her political formation across the upheavals of the 1960s through the early 1980s, her encounters with Black liberation and anti-imperialist…
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From Palestine: Suffering, Dignity, & Resistance
In this episode, Breht speaks with Mohanad Alsayed about his memoir Scars and Medals (Iskra Books), a powerful and deeply human account of growing up Palestinian under occupation, carrying exile across continents, and trying to make sense of memory, loss, family, and resistance. Through the story...
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Breaking the Spell: Patriarchy, Dismemberment, and Pure Awareness
In this episode, Breht sits down with Suzin Green, author of The Goddess Remedy, to explore the psychological, spiritual, and civilizational roots of modern disconnection. Moving beyond conventional political understandings of patriarchy, Green presents it as a deeper structure of domination that...
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China's Green Development: Anti-Imperialist and Socialist
In this episode, Breht sits down with Ashwin Shantha to discuss the argument that China's green development is not only an environmental achievement, but also a profoundly political one. Drawing on Ashwin's essay "China's Green Development is Both Anti-Imperialist and Socialist," the conversation...
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A History of Iran-U.S. Relations
In this episode, Breht speaks with professor of history Dr. Afshin Matin-Asgari to discuss his book Axis of Empire: A History of Iran–US Relations, about the long arc of Iranian–American relations from the nineteenth century to the present. Matin-Asgari argues that U.S. policy toward Iran has…
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The Iran War: A Dialectical and Historical Materialist Analysis
Alyson and Breht apply dialectical and historical materialist analysis to the current war of aggression in Iran. Together they break down the Marxist methodology into its three main parts - dialectics, materialism, and history - and showcase how they apply to the US and Israeli war on Iran…
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The Bush Years: 9/11, War Crimes, and Economic Collapse
In this episode, public school history teacher Gianni joins Breht to trace the historical roots of our current political and economic crisis -- democratic breakdown, endless war, institutional distrust, rising authoritarianism, and deepening inequality -- back through the George W. Bush...
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From Iran: Letter to the American People
Breht reads and reacts to "A Letter To The American People" written by Masoud Pezeschkian, the Iranian president, as a ground invasion of some sort seems imminent. Check out our new design in collaboration with Goods for the People HERE...
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Dialectics Without Destiny: Marx, Darwin, and the Natural History of the Climate Crisis
In this episode, we're joined by professor Joel Wainwright (co-author of Climate Leviathan) to discuss his newest book, The End: Marx, Darwin, and the Natural History of the Climate Crisis. Together, Breht and Joel explore the intellectual impact Charles Darwin had on Karl Marx, and why it…
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Bullock: Chronicles of Deprivation and Despair in an American Prison
Matthew Vernon Whalan joins the show to discuss Bullock: Chronicles of Deprivation and Despair in an American Prison, an interview-driven, investigative journalistic, and collectively narrated portrait of life inside Bullock Correctional Facility in Alabama. Through the words of incarcerated…
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From Persia to Iran: Islam, Empire, and the Politics of West Asia
In this episode, Breht interviews Adnan Husain -- Professor of Medieval history and Chair of the Religious Studies department at Queens college -- about the deep historical roots of today's Middle East. The conversation traces the arc from ancient Persia to the Islamic era, explores how Iran…
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Unequal Exchange: The Engine of Modern Imperialism
Torkil Lauesen joins us to discuss his book Unequal Exchange: Past, Present, and Future and the hidden mechanics of modern imperialism. Lauesen returns to the tradition of Arghiri Emmanuel to argue that while the world market tends to equalize prices, wages remain radically unequal across borders...
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War on the Iranian People and the American Mind (Workers' Lit & Rev Left Collab)
(recorded on 3/1/26) - Breht went on Workers' Lit as a guest! "The American ruling class is at war. Physically, they are at war with Iran, pummeling the country with unrelenting airstrikes, slaughtering civilians, and doing their best to make yet another nation unlivable. But they are fighting...
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Iran Under Attack by the Fourth Reich
On this YT livestream (3/1/26) Alyson and Breht discuss the illegal war of aggression launched by the US and Israel against Iran. Throughout the discussion they take live questions from the chat. Subscribe to your YouTube Channel HERE ---------------------------------------------------- Support…
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Guillotines for the Epstein Class
Alyson and Breht discuss a range of current events, including Cuba, the Epstein Files, Iran and much more. Make a donation to Socialist Night School via Venmo @OmahaNightSchool Outro Song: "to each their dot" by Haley Heynderickx & Max Garcia Conover...
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Nonviolence is Violence, Too: Somebody's Gotta Die
In this episode, we're joined by author and poet Too Black to unpack his essay "Nonviolence is violence, too: Somebody's gotta die," and to challenge the comforting myths that often surround "nonviolent" struggle. We dig into what he means by the claim that nonviolence is never actually…
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Manufacturing Syria: HTS, Rojava, Iran, and the Consequences of Regime Change
Syria is entering a new and terrifying phase. In this episode Breht is joined by a panel of scholars and activists (Angie Bittar, Adam, Joma, Nur and Jalyssa) to take a clear-eyed look at what's unfolded over the last year and how it fits into the longer arc of the Syrian civil war, including the...
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Discussing political philosophy, current events, activism, and the inevitable historical downfall of capitalism from a revolutionary leftist perspective.
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