Skip to content
PodParley
Swampside Chats podcast artwork

PODCAST · news

Swampside Chats

by Ezri xB & Jake Verso

"The best goddamn communist podcast, period."—Tom O'Brien, From Alpha to OmegaThis is Swampside Chats. The podcast where communists shoot the shit about current events, history, political economy, and theory."You are free not only to invite us, but to go yourselves wherever you will, even into the Swamp. In fact, we think that the Swamp is your proper place, and we are prepared to render you every assistance to get there. Only let go of our hands, don’t clutch at us and don’t besmirch the grand word freedom, for we too are 'free' to go where we please, free to fight not only against the Swamp, but also against those who are turning towards the Swamp!"

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Apr 4, 2026 · Source feed

Subscribe · 0 Bookmark

Episodes

  1. #161 - Critique of the Gotha Program (Part 6)

    We wrap up our read through and discussion of Critique of the Gotha Program with Constance.

  2. The Martinaise Excursion 3: What Is Book?

    We get nauseous talking to a bookshop owner during our playthrough of Disco Elysium.

  3. #160 - Critique of the Gotha Program (Part 5)

    We continue our reading and analysis of the new translation of Critique of the Gotha Program with special guest Constance.

  4. The Martinaise Excursion 2: Felix Chanting “Right to Work”

    We continue our playthrough of Disco Elysium and existentially grapple with the game’s (now deprecated) dirtbag left voiceover era. http://patreon.com/swampsidechats http://swampside.chat

  5. #159 - Critique of the Gotha Program (Part 4)

    We continue our reading and analysis of the new translation of Critique of the Gotha Program with special guest Constance.

  6. The Martinaise Excursion 1: Egoist Necktie

    Swampside Chats rings in the new year with a visit to the fantastic land of Martinaise where we wake up disoriented in a hotel room and completely forget who we are. http://patreon.com/swampsidechats

  7. #158 - Close Reading: Critique of the Gotha Program (Part 3)

    We continue our reading and analysis of the new translation of Critique of the Gotha Program with special guest Constance.

  8. #157 - Close Reading: Critique of the Gotha Program (Part 2)

    We continue our reading and analysis of the new translation of Critique of the Gotha Program with special guest Constance.

  9. #156 - Close Reading: Critique of the Gotha Program (Part 1)

    We begin our close examination of the Critique of the Gotha Program with Constance.

  10. #155 - Close Reading: Critique of the Gotha Program (Prologue)

    We are bringing back the Close Reading series. This time we are joined by Constance to tackle a much larger text: Critique of the Gotha Program. We are working off of the new edition published by Spectre. This episode we review the Gotha Program itself and the 1875 letter from Marx to Bracke...

  11. #154 - The Logic of Political Survival (Part 2)

    We conclude our discussion of "The Logic of Political Survival" and touch a little bit on current events along the way.

  12. #153 - "The Logic of Political Survival" (Part 1)

    Ezri and Jake revisit the selectorate theory of politics and discuss the first half of "The Logic of Political Survival" by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, Alastair Smith, Randolph M. Siverson, and James D. Morrow.

  13. #152 - The Gulf War Did Not Take Place

    This episode we are joined again by C Derick Varn for another holiday episode on Jean Baudrillard. With the post-modern fog of war surrounding conflicts like the Ukraine and Syria in mind, we decided to revisit his collection of essays first published in 1991 "The Gulf War Did Not Take Place."…

    more

  14. #151 - The Joy of Sects VI: The IMT

    We are joined by Jamie, a former member of the Canadian section of the IMT (International Marxist Tendency), to discuss the organization and a recent scandal within it, Trotskyism in general, and a few articles by Alan Woods. "Alan Woods’ new year’s message 2022: I saw it in the movies "...

  15. #150 - "Error" and "Feeding the Infant" w/ Rob Lucas

    We're joined by Rob Lucas to discuss two of his essays: "Error" and "Feeding the Infant" https://endnotes.org.uk/articles/error.pdf Also please consider supporting: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/DNAISNTDESTINY

  16. #149 - In the Enemy Camp: Uncle Ted’s Bogus Journey w/ Arnold

    Accompanied by Arnold from Fight Like an Animal, we head once more Into the Enemy Camp, returning to the work of one Theodore John Kaczynski. This time we examine his guide for revolutionary action: Anti-Tech Revolution: Why and How.

  17. #148 - Class Consciousness

    We sit down with special guest Viv, to tackle selections from History and Class Consciousness. In the episode, we struggle to get a handle on Lukacs and do justice to the complex (and problematic) theory and legacy of this figure.

  18. #147 - The Shadow

    We return to the Enemy Camp with Tyler from New Zealand to discuss "The Shadow" by Lionel Terry.

  19. #146 - "The Housing Question" (Part 2)

    We talk a little bit about Ukraine and then move on to finish our look at Fredrich Engels 1872 pamphlet "The Housing Question." https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1872/housing-question/

  20. #145 - Antiwork

    This episode we sit down to discuss the recent antiwork internet phenomenon, its detachment from its more pointed ideological origins, and the growth of online spaces where people vent their frustrations with the nature of contemporary work. This discussion was spurred by a recent appearance by…

    more

  21. #144 - "The Housing Question" Part 1

    In light of recent developments in the housing market, we are starting another Close Reading series. This time, we are looking at "The Housing Question" by Frederick Engels. https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1872/housing-question/

  22. #143 - Farewell to the Working Class

    We are joined by C Derick Varn for another listener request. This time we're tackling "Farewell to the Working Class" by André Gorz.

  23. #142 - The Dictator's Handbook

    We go on yet another forced march, this time we learn the rules of the game from "The Dictator's Handbook," by Bruce Bueno De Mesquita and Alastair Smith.

  24. #141 - News Roundup

    We are joined by guests Victoria and Gravesend for a News Roundup. Recorded in September, we reflected on the anniversary on 9/11, the Afghanistan pull out, and their implications for American Imperialism.

  25. #140 - In the Enemy Camp - Gender Acceleration

    On a forced march, this time through the enemy camp, we are joined by Ro to look at Gender Acceleration: A Blackpaper by Nyx Land.

  26. #139 - "The DisCO Manifesto and Elements"

    We sit down with guest Xur to learn about blockchain and discuss our latest patron request: two pamphlets by the Distributed Cooperative Organization "If I Only Had a Heart: a DisCO Manifesto" and "Groove is in the Heart: The DisCO Elements."

  27. #138 - "The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe"

    We discuss another patron request, this time it's a two part essay by Robert Brenner, written as the Soviet Union was beginning to unravel: "The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe - The Roots of The Crisis."...

  28. #137 - "Reinventing Organizations"

    On another forced march from a patron, we attempt to ascend up the mountain of history to tier teal, and review "Reinventing Organizations" by Frederic Laloux.

  29. #136 - "Right to the City"

    We are joined by Tiberius to discuss "Right to the City" from "Writings on Cities" by Henri Lefebvre.

  30. #135 - Fundamental Principles of Communist Production and Distribution (Part 3)

    We conclude our discussion with Tom O'Brien about "Fundamental Principles of Communist Production and Distribution" by the Group of International Communists. https://www.marxists.org/subject/left-wing/gik/1930/index.htm

  31. #134 - Fundamental Principles of Communist Production and Distribution (Part 2)

    We continue our discussion with Tom O'Brien about "Fundamental Principles of Communist Production and Distribution" by the Group of International Communists. https://www.marxists.org/subject/left-wing/gik/1930/index.htm

  32. #133 - Fundamental Principles of Communist Production and Distribution (Part 1)

    We're joined by Tom O'Brien from 'From Alpha to Omega' to break down another Not One Step Back listener request: "Fundamental Principles of Communist Production and Distribution" by the Group of International Communists. https://www.marxists.org/subject/left-wing/gik/1930/index.htm

  33. #132 - "Really Existing Nationalisms" (Part 2)

    We conclude our conversation with listener Nick about Erica Benner's "Really Existing Nationalisms." https://www.versobooks.com/books/2672-really-existing-nationalisms

  34. #131 - “Really Existing Nationalisms” (Part 1) w/ Nick

    Listener Nick joins us to tackle Erica Benner’s 1995 Marxian treatise on nationality and nationalist politics, “Really Existing Nationalisms: A Post-Communist View from Marx and Engels”. http://patreon.com/swampsidechats http://swampside.chat http://emancipation.network

  35. #130 - Century of the Self: The Meaning of Tony Blair

    We conclude our discussion on the Adam Curtis essay film series and review part 4: "Eight People Sipping Wine in Kettering."

  36. #129 - In the Enemy Camp: “Leviathan and Its Enemies”

    We’re back In the Enemy Camp w/ C Derick Varn, and we would like to speak to the (((managers))). On the forced march from a generous patron, we read a mid-90s reactionary pseudo-class analysis from Pat Buchanan’s main man Sam Francis entitled “Leviathan and Its Enemies”, published in 2016.…

    more

  37. #128 - The Communist Party of New Zealand

    We bring on Tyler from New Zealand to discuss the history of the party and class struggle in the 20th century there, with an eye towards examining the party's relationship to the native Māori people.

  38. #127 - Century of the Self: Kill the Cop in Your Head

    We talk about part 3 of the Adam Curtis video essay series.

  39. ≋2≋0≋2≋1≋ ≋P≋a≋t≋r≋e≋o≋n≋ ≋U≋p≋d≋a≋t≋e≋

    new Patron tiers announced, starting 12 AM EST 1/1/2021 $1/mo: Discord access $5/mo: live-streamed recordings & early episodes $10/mo: monthly reading group $25/mo: custom episodes (we will read 10 pages per month subscribed) you have just under 2 months to take advantage of the old custom…

    more

  40. #126 - “The Divine Left”

    On A Very Special Episode of Swampside Chats, Jake, Ezri & Grant jack back into The Simulation with Jean Baudrillard for one last trio adventure in "The Divine Left", and come back one member short. Remember: if you die in The Simulation, you die in real life. http://patreon.com/swampsidechats...

  41. #125 - Century of the Self: The Freuds Meet Capital

    Jake and Ezri recap and discuss the first two episodes of Adam Curtis 2002 documentary essay series The Century of the Self: "Happiness Machines" and "The Engineering of Consent."

  42. #124 - "The Human Use of Human Beings" (Part 3) w/ General Intellect Unit

    We conclude our discussion with Shane & Kyle of G̸e̴n̶e̴r̷a̷l̸ ̸I̴n̴t̷e̶l̴l̷e̵c̵t̷ ̸U̷n̶i̶t̴ ̸r̷e̸t̴u̵r̴n̴ ̷t̸o̶ ̶c̵͈̅o̵̪̽ñ̶̠t̶̬̋i̸͍͛n̴̘͑u̶̺̚e̷̦̎ ̵̹̇ó̷̬u̵͖͑r̶̎͜ ̸͈̃N̷͍͋o̸̫̽r̸̻̈́b̶̫͝e̶̗͑ṙ̶̗t̷́͜ ̶̛͚Ẇ̷̦í̴͚e̴̬̊n̸̛͎ḙ̶͗r̷̗͑ ̸̦͂(̷̨̉1̴̛̫9̴̹̅5̴͓͑0̶̢̋)̸͉͠.̶̤̀…

    more

  43. #123 - "The Human Use of Human Beings" (Part 2) w/ General Intellect Unit

    Kyle & Shane return to continue our discussion of the spicy First Edition of "The Human Use of Human Beings" by Norbert Wiener (1950). http://patreon.com/generalintellectunit http://patreon.com/swampsidechats PDF of the rare First Edition:...

  44. #122 - “The Human Use of Human Beings” (Part 1) w/ General Intellect Unit

    Emancipation Network comrades Shane & Kyle come chat with us about the second-ever book on cybernetics: "The Human Use of Human Beings" by Norbert Wiener. The subversive First Edition had the FBI *knock knock* at the author’s door to revise the socialism out of it, so naturally, that's the…

    more

  45. #121 - "Toward a New Beginning…” & "The Myth of Lenin's Concept of the Party"

    In another installment of our "Not One Step Back" reading series, we discuss two pieces by Hal Draper, "Toward a New Beginning, on Another Road," and "The Myth of Lenin's Concept of the Party."

  46. #120 - CHOP Autopsy w/ C

    Show Notes by C: Charleena Lyles, a pregnant black woman murdered in front of her children by Seattle Police in 2017; here's a recent article about her family's demands as they seek justice for Charleena:...

  47. #119 - Swampside CHAZ w/ Ben Lain

    Jake and Ezri sit down with Ben Lain, who recently visited Seattle's Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, to get his impressions and talk about the phenomenon of occupational protests.

  48. #118 - The George Floyd Rebellion w/ Cole

    Ezri and Jake sit down with listener Cole from Minneapolis to talk about the recent wave of riots, rebellions, and mutual aid efforts following the police murder of George Floyd.

  49. #117 - Joy of Sects V: Red Guards

    In the latest installment of our Joy of Sects series, we sit down with Luke to talk about the Kansas City Red Guards.

  50. #116 - “Ecology and Historical Materialism”

    We sit down to discuss "Ecology and Historical Materialism" by Jonathan Hughes.

View all 184 episodes →

Type above to search every episode's transcript for a word or phrase. Matches are scoped to this podcast.

Searching…

We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.

No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.

Showing of matches

No topics indexed yet for this podcast.

Loading reviews...

ABOUT THIS SHOW

"The best goddamn communist podcast, period."—Tom O'Brien, From Alpha to OmegaThis is Swampside Chats. The podcast where communists shoot the shit about current events, history, political economy, and theory."You are free not only to invite us, but to go yourselves wherever you will, even into the Swamp. In fact, we think that the Swamp is your proper place, and we are prepared to render you every assistance to get there. Only let go of our hands, don’t clutch at us and don’t besmirch the grand word freedom, for we too are 'free' to go where we please, free to fight not only against the Swamp, but also against those who are turning towards the Swamp!"

HOSTED BY

Ezri xB & Jake Verso

Produced by Swampside Chats

CATEGORIES

news

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Swampside Chats have?

Swampside Chats currently has 184 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Swampside Chats about?

"The best goddamn communist podcast, period."—Tom O'Brien, From Alpha to OmegaThis is Swampside Chats. The podcast where communists shoot the shit about current events, history, political economy, and theory."You are free not only to invite us, but to go yourselves wherever you will, even into the...

How often does Swampside Chats release new episodes?

Swampside Chats publishes regularly with 184 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.

Where can I listen to Swampside Chats?

You can listen to Swampside Chats on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Swampside Chats?

Swampside Chats is created and hosted by Ezri xB & Jake Verso.
URL copied to clipboard!