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The Regrettable Century

The old forms of the Left are moribund and the new forms are stupid. We’re making a podcast that discusses the need to organize a Dialectical Pessimism and develop a salvage project capable of sparking a new workers’ movement for socialism. A clean, honest, and unsentimental melancholy is required; we are cultivating one and would like to share it with you.

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Jun 13, 2026 · Source feed

  1. 368

    The Boys Determine the Correct Path and the Authentic Socialist Tradition

    In this episode the boys continue their ongoing discussion of the influences of popular-socialism, folk-socialism, left-populism, and left-nationalism on the western workers' movement and how to navigate the impossible task of resurrecting the "Real Marxist" tradition.    The Problem With Left Nationalism https://jacobin.com/2026/01/left-nationalism-universalism-populism-melenchon    The Left and Its Meaning https://sublationmedia.com/the-left-and-its-meaning/   Folk Socialism — A Left-Populist Disorder  https://www.historicalmaterialism.org/article/folk-socialism-a-left-populist-disorder/    A Socialism for the 21st Century https://truthout.org/articles/a-socialism-for-the-21st-century/    Neoliberalism and the Socialist Movement in Britain: From the Third Road to Jeremy Corbyn and Brexit https://mronline.org/2024/09/11/neoliberalism-and-the-socialist-movement-in-britain-from-the-third-road-to-jeremy-corbyn-and-brexit/   Marxist Internationalism or National Interest? https://www.theleftchapter.com/post/marxist-internationalism-or-national-interest    People, class, democracy: re-mapping left populism from populist social democracy to popular socialism  https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13569317.2024.2371506#d1e175 

  2. 367

    PATREON PREVIEW: Where is the Anti-War Movement?

      This week, two old veterans of about two and a half decades in the fight against half a dozen imperialist wars read and discussed an article about why there is not anti-war movement.   Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the NEW IMPROVED Regrettable Century merch store

  3. 366

    Patreon Preview: Regrettable Geopolitics 08/07/2026

    Iran War Strategic Summary, Iran and Oman Hormuz Agreement, The US is Out of Missiles, China Missile Practice on US Ship Models, Ukraine Bombs Restaurant, Ukraine 40 Day Drone War Failure, Ukraine Counteroffensive Failure, Ukraine Out of Air Defense Missiles... Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the NEW IMPROVED Regrettable Century merch store

  4. 365

    Again, Let America be America Again... For Once (AGAIN)

    This week we continue our series on republicanism by returning to an episode we did on the complicated legacy of the American Revolution. This older episode now has a 40 minute preface where we discuss the episode and how much things have changed since the original, enjoy!  Like the bourgeois project as a whole, the historical consequences of the American Revolution have had mixed results. Simultaneously spurring on the cause of human freedom and stifling it, the American Revolution was pregnant with a creative and destructive spirit. As the American Empire appears to be in decline, we ask whether or not things could have gone, or could still go, in another direction. Check out Matthew and Jason's Podcast About the History of the Soviet Union: https://regrettablecentury.podbean.com/e/introducing-the-unbreakable-union-podcast-the-contemporary-importance-of-soviet-history/  War and Revolution: Rethinking the 20th Century https://thecharnelhouse.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/domenico-losurdo-war-and-revolution-rethinking-the-twentieth-century.pdf  Historical Revisionism and Delegitimation of the Revolutionary and Anticolonial Tradition—A Review of War and Revolution https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21598282.2016.1172752  Liberals and Reactionaries http://www.leninology.co.uk/2011/10/liberals-and-reactionaries.html  From Karl Marx to the Fourth of July https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2010/07/inde-j03.html THE MYTH OF THE “CONSERVATIVE REVOLUTION” https://socialistworker.org/2011/12/14/myth-of-the-conservative-revolution  Communist and Neo-Babouvist readings of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution https://www.academia.edu/38110441/_Communist_and_Neo_Babouvist_readings_of_the_Enlightenment_and_the_French_Revolution_in_E_Vallance_ed_Remembering_Early_Modern_Revolutions_London_Routledge_2018 

  5. 364

    Patreon Preview: Regrettable Geopolitics 07/24/2026

    JD Vance Admits Epstein Was Mossad and Israel Derailed Negotiations, Pentagon Budget Crisis, US Weapons Shortage, Failure and Firings in Ukraine... Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the NEW IMPROVED Regrettable Century merch store

  6. 363

    PATREON PREVIEW -- "If you can keep it": The Death of the Republic?

    This week the boys all got together to do a bonus episode about the current state of the republic. We are clearly ailing as a society and we are clearly in trouble as a country. Will the decline of the empire lead to the fall of the republic? Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the NEW IMPROVED Regrettable Century merch store

  7. 362

    Abolition Democracy or Reconstruction Democracy? A Discussion With Comrade Brad

    This week we sat down with our comrade Brad, a union organizer and CPUSA member, to discuss an article he wrote about two conflicting visions of radical change at the heart of the unfinished American Revolution and its implications for the contemporary workers' movement.    Abolition Democracy or Reconstruction Democracy? Working-Class Leadership and the Unfinished Democratic Revolution https://newjubileenotes.substack.com/p/abolition-democracy-or-reconstruction 

  8. 361

    Patreon Preview: Regrettable Geopolitics 07/10/2026

    Israel Tried to Assassinate Iran's Negotiators, The Abysmal State of US Oil Reserves, The War is Back the Strait is Closed, Ukraine on the Brink, Russian Advance Slowed but Ukrainian Losses Surge...   Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the NEW IMPROVED Regrettable Century merch store

  9. 360

    PATREON PREVIEW -- American and Communist: The Heroic Period of the CPUSA

    We continue our month long series on American Communism by doing a close read and discussion of two articles about the Communist Party of the United States of America's role as the cutting edge of liberatory politics in the mid 20th century. Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the NEW IMPROVED Regrettable Century's merch store

  10. 359

    Life, Liberty, and... Slavery? The Mixed Legacy of 1776

    *The first version of this episode was only an hour long for some reason. We've re-uploaded the full episode which is a half hour longer.* For America's 250th birthday, the boys got together to discuss the legacy of the American Revolution. There are two major poles of thought on the American left, with wildly differing interpretations of the American Revolution. They both make some good points, we discuss those here.    The Social and Intellectual Legacy of the American Revolution https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/essays/social-and-intellectual-legacy-american-revolution    Ken Burns Makes the Case for the Greatness of 1776 https://jacobin.com/2026/05/ken-burns-american-revolution-history    Class Struggle Was a Crucial Part of the American Revolution https://jacobin.com/2026/05/american-revolution-britain-class-struggle    Radical historian challenges traditional Marxist view of ‘so-called’ American Revolution https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/radical-historian-challenges-traditional-marxist-view-of-so-called-american-revolution/   The Conquest of Power, Chapter 2: The American Revolution https://www.marxists.org/archive/weisbord/conquest2.htm

  11. 358

    PATREON PREVIEW -- The Azov International: Ukraine's Premier Neo-Nazi Movement and the Worldwide Web of White Supremacist Terror Groups

    Last week's British race riots were largely organized by a rising movement of affiliated neo-Nazi organizations called Active Clubs. It should surprise no one that they have direct links to Ukraine. This week we do a close read of an article from the Azov Lobby Blog and discuss the outsized impact of Ukraine's Azov movement on global neo-Nazism. Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the NEW IMPROVED Regrettable Century's merch store

  12. 357

    The People are Not One: Socialist Strategy After Left Populism (With Daniel Tutt & C. Derick Varn)

    This week we invited Daniel Tutt and C. Derick Varn to talk about their new book, The People are Not One: Socialist Strategy After Left Populism.  From the publisher: In The People Are Not One, Daniel Tutt and C. Derick Varn dismantle the central illusion of contemporary left politics: that “the people” can serve as a coherent subject of emancipation. Against both right and left populisms, they argue that this fantasy of unity obscures real class antagonisms and traps socialism in a dead-end politics of moral appeal and electoral maneuver. Through a sustained critique of left-populism, post-Marxist theory, and Democratic Party–oriented socialism, Tutt and Varn show how the collapse of mass politics, alongside debates over the professional-managerial class and the atomization of working-class life, has produced a strategic impasse on the left. What follows is not a lament but a provocation: a call to abandon populist shortcuts and rebuild socialist strategy on the terrain of class struggle as it actually exists—uneven, divided, and politically unformed. The People Are Not One is a manifesto for a post-populist left willing to confront fragmentation head-on and begin the long work of reconstructing class power. https://www.revolpress.com/people-not-one https://danieltutt.com/ https://www.patreon.com/cw/varnvlog 

  13. 356

    Patreon Preview: Regrettable Geopolitics 06/12/2026

    Trump Threatens Iran and Backs Down Again, US Intel Upgrades Israel's Espionage Threat Level, Israel's Plans For Radical Militarization and Autarky, Sy Hersh Says Trump Wanted to Use Nukes on Iran, Ukraine's Long Range Strikes Aren't Going to Win the War...   Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  14. 355

    Patreon Peview -- Bottomless Seas: Dugin's 4th Political Theory (FINAL)

    Welcome back to Boundless and Bottomless Seas. In this episode, we finally cross the finish line of Alexander Dugin’s infamous text, The Fourth Political Theory. While Dugin frames himself as the ultimate adversary to Western postmodernism, a close, line-by-line reading reveals a wild, contradictory smoothie of ideas. We put it all in the blender: Soviet Marxism, radical traditionalism, Carl Schmitt's friend-enemy distinction, a heavy dose of Martin Heidegger, and a few tablespoons of pure Infowars-level internet mysticism. We dive deep into the messy world of his conflicting translations and the obscure concepts found in his appendices: Political Post-Anthropology: How the shift from a "political subject" to mere "political identification" has reduced modern politics to passive fandom and LARPing. The Metaphysics of Chaos vs. Logos: Dugin's bizarre, quasi-Gnostic argument that "Logos" has expired and that humanity's only savior is an embrace of "pre-ontological chaos." The Cult Bullshit Filter: We analyze why his philosophy reads less like a coherent geopolitical strategy and more like an intellectual trap designed to turn 1990s English majors into reactionaries. We wrap up our thoughts on Dugin and preview what’s next on our summer reading list as we shift gears toward American conservative fusionism, movement conservatism, and eating our vegetables with Russell Kirk and Leo Strauss.   Dugin, Alexander (2012). The Fourth Political Theory. Translated by Sleboda, Mark; Millerman, Michael. Arktos Media.   Check out Varn Vlog Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  15. 354

    Revolutionary Biology In Defense of Life: With Arnold Schroder of Fight Like an Animal

    This week Arnold from Fight Like an Animal joins us to talk about his new book Fight Like an Animal: Revolutionary Biology in Defense of Life. From the Publisher's Site: The stories we tell matter, especially when we aren't aware we're telling them, or how they shape our behavior. In Fight Like an Animal, Arnold Schroder argues that all modern conceptions of politics, from anarchism to fascism, exhibit a shared confusion. All are based on some form of the nature-nurture binary: the idea that human behavior is either biologically or socially-determined, and that the more it is biological, the less it is social. This idea is not simply wrong, but logically incoherent. We can only adapt to so many different kinds of society through a highly-structured biology, which we should seek to understand if we wish to find new ways of living. Based on decades of immersion in the environmental movement, Fight Like an Animal describes how largely-forgotten debates about human nature still have concrete impacts on political projects today. When we escape the confusion they cause, we can direct our attention to something that should be obvious: individual differences in political personality. Political personality is the core orientation to the world from which specific political behaviors and perceptions emerge. We must ask how different kinds of people shape societies in different ways, and how people are shaped, in turn, by the societies they create. Neither of these questions make sense in isolation: they are endlessly entangled. Using this integrative framework, Schroder offers simple, readily-accessible tools for conceiving of social change processes and crafting strategic initiatives, whether for a book club or a global revolution. Applying insights gained everywhere from oil refinery blockades to baboon stress hormone profiles, Fight Like an Animal is an earnest argument that, no matter how mired in darkness and confusion, the world can make sense.   https://www.againsttheinternet.com/ https://severedbranchespress.com/

  16. 353

    Patreon Preview -- Regrettable Geopolitics 05/26/2026

    Trump Backs Down From Renewed War With Iran, NATO Rejects Mandatory Ukraine Tax, Israel Wants Holocaust Denier to Rule Iran, Latvian Government Collapses, US Does Israel's Fighting, Ukraine's Losses Higher Than Russia In 2026 So Far, Territorial Gain Discrepancies... Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  17. 352

    PATREON PREVIEW -- Disaster Nationalism by Richard Seymour (conclusion)

    Finally, the long-awaited end of 'Disaster Nationalism' by Richard Seymour. The gang dives into the final chapters of this amazing book. https://www.versobooks.com/products/3147-disaster-nationalism?srsltid=AfmBOopteajdHFhvPPMqXAdXY-mHaQbhDVu5iClxBvNpDm57Jdetk0kH   Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  18. 351

    Conspiracy or Just Capitalism? Paranoia and Parapolitics in the Post-Epstein World

    As socialists, what should we think about conspiracy theories? Should the myriad secret diabolical acts perpetrated by the elites lead us to be more open minded toward the ravings of the open-minded so-called "lunatic fringe," Or does it even matter whether the theories are true?   Comments on the Society of the Spectacle https://files.libcom.org/files/Comments%20on%20the%20Society%20of%20the%20Spectacle.pdf   Conspiracy Theory Is Dead https://jacobin.com/2023/05/conspiracy-theory-is-dead   Conspiracies: Left vs Right https://theramparts.substack.com/p/conspiracies-the-left-vs-right    Understanding and Addressing the Rise of Conspiracy Theories in the 21st Century https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ssqu.70050?af=R    What do socialists say about conspiracy theories? https://socialistalternative.info/2024/08/16/what-do-socialists-say-about-conspiracy-theories/    Conspiracy-Theory Socialism https://fee.org/articles/conspiracy-theory-socialism/    How the Left Lost Its Mind https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/07/liberal-fever-swamps/530736/   Why Is Conspiratorial Thinking More Popular on the Right? https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/social-justice-pacifists/202110/why-is-conspiratorial-thinking-more-popular-the-right    What Conspiracy Theories on the Left and Right Have in Common https://www.vice.com/en/article/what-conspiracy-theories-on-the-left-and-right-have-in-common/    How the Left Fools Themselves Into Thinking the Right Are Conspiracy Theorists https://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2020/07/23/how_the_left_fools_themselves_into_thinking_the_right_are_conspiracy_theorists.html 

  19. 350

    Patreon Preview: Regrettable Geopolitics 05/16/2026

    F-35s With no Radar, US Pulling Troops From Europe, Chinese Solar Exports Soar, Iran Is a Massive Strategic Defeat For the US, Israel's Government Is Crumbling, Vehicle and Territory Losses In Ukraine...   Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  20. 349

    PATREON PREVIEW -- Fascism: Does the Definition Matter? (Part II of II)

    This week's bonus episode is the second and last part of our close read close read of a 2021 article from Current Affairs titled What Is Fascism—And Why the Definition Matters by Abel Sterling. We found some merit in this article and decided it would form the basis of a good discussion.   Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  21. 348

    Weeks When Decades Happen: The Death of the World Order (II of II)

    This week, the boys got together to finish the discussion about what appears to be a massive shift in the way the global system is ordered. Will it be better? Likely not.  Will it present opportunities for rupture? Hopefully.    Why Is There No Antiwar Movement in the US? https://jacobin.com/2026/03/iran-us-antiwar-movement-trump    Welcome to a Multidimensional Economic Disaster  https://archive.ph/gEEBj     The decline of the West and the rise of ‘the Rest’ will lead to a new world order https://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/the-world-today/2025-09/decline-west-and-rise-rest-will-lead-new-world-order    Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop    

  22. 347

    Patreon Preview -- Boundless and Bottomless Seas: Dugin's 4th Political Theory (Part XII)

    Jason and Varn are back and discussing Dugin again. As the discussion of the book inches closer to conclusion, this discussion moves into Dugin's ideas about Fascism, Liberalism, and Communism and the need to transcend these ideologies in the 21st century before moving into the Heideggerian foundations of Dugin's thought.   Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop Check Out Varn Vlog

  23. 346

    Weeks When Decades Happen: The Death of the World Order

    This week, the boys got together to talk about what appears to be a massive shift in the way the global system is ordered. Will it be better? Likely not.  Will it present opportunities for rupture? Hopefully.    Why Is There No Antiwar Movement in the US? https://jacobin.com/2026/03/iran-us-antiwar-movement-trump    Welcome to a Multidimensional Economic Disaster  https://archive.ph/gEEBj     The decline of the West and the rise of ‘the Rest’ will lead to a new world order https://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/the-world-today/2025-09/decline-west-and-rise-rest-will-lead-new-world-order    This Is the Way a World Order Ends  https://archive.ph/9bEI6 Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  24. 345

    PATREON PREVIEW -- Fascism: Does the Definition Matter? (Part I of II)

    This week's bonus episode is a close read of an article from Current Affairs titled What Is Fascism—And Why the Definition Matters by Abel Sterling. We found some merit in this article and decided it would form the basis of a good discussion. Stay tuned for part two.   Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  25. 344

    From Dawn to Decadence (Part VI) With Varn Vlog

    In part VI the boys discuss theories of "decadence" as viewed by the Aufheben collective. We focus on their early contributions to Marxist theory, critique of the state, and their eventual decline.   Note: Within days of recording this, the Iran war broke out, but this was recorded a few days before that started.  Key Topics Discussed: The Roots of Aufheben: How the collective emerged within the landscape of radical Marxist theory. Critique of Luxemburgism: Why Aufheben rejected theories of automatic economic collapse in favor of a more nuanced understanding of class struggle. The Decay of Theory: Analyzing the shifts in the collective’s perspective that signaled a move away from their original radical foundations. Theoretical Implications: How these debates on the "highest stage" of capitalism and the "rentier state" remain relevant in today's shifting global landscape. https://www.patreon.com/c/varnvlog/posts

  26. 343

    Patreon Preview: Regrettable Geopolitics 04/02/2026

    Trump's Big Nothingburger Speech, US Testing Weapons on Iranian Children, Gulf Arabs Want US Bases Out, India Importing Iranian Oil, US Casualty Coverup, Iranian Missiles are 80% Successful, Hezbollah is Taking a Huge Toll on Israel, Ukraine Desertion and Manpower Crisis...   Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  27. 342

    PATREON PREVIEW: No, It's Not Fascism

    This week, we read an article by inveterate shitlib, defender of liberal imperialism, and misunderstander of history, Jonathan Rauch. Rauch has changed his mind about Trump being a fascist, and we are here to tell him he shouldn't have... https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/america-fascism-trump-maga-ice/685751/   Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  28. 341

    On Care For Our Common Home: Laudato Si and Christian Anti-Capitalism (Part V)

    This week, the Regrettable Christian Caucus tackles Chapter III of Laudato Si' by the late Pope Francis. You can follow along by grabbing the PDF from Verso or from the Vatican website.  This Papal Encyclical calls for urgent action to address the global environmental crisis, critiques consumerism, blind developmentalism, inequality, and profit seeking. The document calls for global political solidarity to transition to a sustainable economy and for the protection of the world's most vulnerable populations.  Read Along Here: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html  Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  29. 340

    Patreon Preview: Regrettable Geopolitics 03/22/2026

    The Stumbling Bumbling War Crimes Clown Show, US to Lift Sanctions on Iranian and Russian Oil, Global Energy Output Severely Reduced For Years, Plans For Forever War, Earthquake Faction, Ukraine Joins the Axis of Genocide, and Yes, They are Still Losing...   Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  30. 339

    PATREON PREVIEW: A Post Order World, or a Post World Order?

      This week Chris and Jason read and discuss two articles about the rearrangement of the global order. Multipolarity is here; will it be better or worse for peace, stability, profits, or the project for human liberation?     Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  31. 338

    Regime Change by Another Name: Color Revolutions and Hijacked Dreams

    Colored Revolutions: A New Form of Regime Change, Made in the USA https://www.globalresearch.ca/colored-revolutions-a-new-form-of-regime-change-made-in-the-usa/27061    Can the West Still Engineer a ‘Color Revolution’? We’re About to Find Out https://eng.globalaffairs.ru/articles/color-revolution-lukyanov/     Why a Decade of Protests Didn’t Lead to Revolution https://jacobin.com/2024/01/vincent-bevins-interview-mass-protests-2010s-arab-spring-euromaidan    New report unveils how CIA schemes color revolutions around the world https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202305/1290090.shtml    Nepal's color revolution: US funding under scrutiny amid country's political upheaval https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2025/09/17/755176/nepal-color-revolution-us-funding-under-scrutiny-amid-political-upheaval    How Color Revolution Was Born—and Died—in Serbia https://www.compactmag.com/article/how-color-revolution-was-born-and-died-in-serbia/   Protests in Kazakhstan: A Color Revolution or a Working-Class Uprising? https://internationalviewpoint.org/Protests-in-Kazakhstan-A-Color-Revolution-or-a-Working-Class-Uprising  Inside the Syrian Revolution and what the Left must do https://internationalviewpoint.org/Inside-the-Syrian-Revolution-and-what-the-Left-must-do

  32. 337

    Patreon Preview -- Regrettable Geopolitics 03/05/2026

    The Epstein Alliance is at War With Iran... and its Not Going Well, Zelensky Threatens to Invade Hungary, Russian Casualty Figures are Inflated, Ukraine is Losing the War... Still   Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  33. 336

    The Gang Goes Full Tankie: The Results and Prospects of Digital Stalinism

    This week, the boys got together and discussed the perpetual battle between the digital Stalinists and the digital Third Campists. To what extent have those demonized as tankies been right or wrong? To what extent do any of these archaic political designations matter?   New Tankies and Digital Neo-Stalinism: How the Conservative Left is Incubated https://europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article73701   Don’t Be a Tankie: How the Left Should Respond to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine https://theintercept.com/2022/03/01/ukraine-russia-leftists-tankie/    What Is a Tankie-and Why You Don’t Want to Be One https://medium.com/@ksutherland2727.ks/what-is-a-tankie-and-why-you-dont-want-to-be-one-0fb84611233a    Everything you ever wanted to know about tankies, but were afraid to ask https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/various-authors-always-against-the-tanks#toc2    Why are ‘anti-imperialists’ defending dictators?  https://www.972mag.com/tankies-left-authoritarians-imperialism/    The ‘Anti-Imperialism’ of Idiots https://itsgoingdown.org/the-anti-imperialism-of-idiots/    JFK Files Reveal CIA Role in the 1956 Hungarian Uprising https://www.joewrote.com/p/jfk-files-reveal-the-cia-role-in   Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  34. 335

    Patreon Preview: Regrettable Geopolitics 02/21/2026

    Keep up with Burkina Faso, Trump is Killing Cuba, Iran is a Formidable Opponent, Iranian Dead Protester Psyop, Pedophile Country Provides Security for Epstein, Spook Dictators on the Rise in Ukraine, The Ukrainian Counteroffensive that Wasn't...   Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  35. 334

    Patreon Preview: Disaster Nationalism by Richard Seymour (Part III)

    Finally, the long awaited return of 'Disaster Nationalism' by Richard Seymour. The gang dives into chapters three and four. Catch up with us by joining the Discord.   From the publisher:  Liberal civilization is in crisis - now is a time of monsters. While the spotlight often shines on the actions of charismatic right-wing leaders such as Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro, defeating these people will not stem the tide behind them. They are the embodiment of profound forces that are rarely understood. With meticulous analysis and compelling storytelling, Richard Seymour delves into the ideologies fueling the contemporary right and distorting modern politics into something abhorrent and nihilistic. The battle against disaster nationalism is not just political; it is a struggle for our collective soul and the future of civilization.    Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  36. 333

    The Red Jacobins and the Thermidor of 1921: Revisited (UNLOCKED)

    This week, we returned to a discussion about a not very well-known article from an obscure Trotskyist journal written over a decade ago...  It generated a little bit of a buzz, but was mostly ignored. We think that was a mistake, and we are going to tell you all about why you should care about the decisions of the 10th Party Congress of the Russian Communist Party. You won't want to miss this episode.  The Article in Question:  The Red Jacobins: Thermidor and the Russian Revolution in 1921    Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  37. 332

    Patreon Preview: Regrettable Geopolitics 02/07/2026

    The Greenland Nothingburger, Regime Change in Iran Wouldn't be Quick or Easy, Epstein Was Mossad, Epstein in Ukraine, Ukraine's Internal and Military Collapse... Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  38. 331

    Patreon Preview -- Boundless and Bottomless Seas: Dugin's 4th Political Theory (Part XI)

    The boys are back and are nearing the end of the book. Chapters 11 and 12 are where Dugin's animating principle of "Dasein" comes into conflict with his understanding of global geopolitics and the project of "Fourth Political Praxis." Work Cited: Dugin, Alexander (2012). The Fourth Political Theory. Translated by Sleboda, Mark; Millerman, Michael. Arktos Media.   Join the Regrettable Century Patreon

  39. 330

    Pessimism is an Optimism: A Return to Dialectical Pessimism (REDUX)

    This is a repost of an episode from 2003, but with an added leadoff that we recorded recently.   This episode discusses a topic that bears constant revisiting: our pessimism (because of intellect) and our optimism (because of will). No, it's not just a doomer affectation that we can use to sound as cool as we look; it's a critical method of engaging with the bleak reality that faces us. The only way out is through, but getting through is possible. Revolutionary Pessimism: The Worst is Yet to Come https://www.christiansocialism.com/2020/05/12/covid-peter-fleming-revolutionary-pessimism-capitalism/ Pessimism of the Will https://viewpointmag.com/2020/05/28/pessimism-of-the-will/ CRITICAL PESSIMISM AND THE LIMITS OF TRADITIONAL MARXISM  https://www.jstor.org/stable/657342  For A Refresher: The Proper Amount of Bumming People Out: Pessimisms and Optimisms of Intellect and Will https://regrettablecentury.podbean.com/e/the-proper-amount-of-bumming-people-out-pessimisms-and-optimisms-of-intellect-and-will/  Scattered Thoughts on Melancholia and the Organization of Pessimism https://regrettablecentury.podbean.com/e/scattered-thoughts-on-melancholia-and-the-organization-of-pessimism/  Pessimism of the Intellect, Pessimism of the Will https://regrettablecentury.podbean.com/e/pessimism-of-the-intellect-pessimism-of-the-will/https://regrettablecentury.buzzsprout.com/220523/889740-pessimism-of-the-intellect-pessimism-of-the-will Music- Англия - Сказочный мир

  40. 329

    Half a Revolution: The Pink Tide and 21st Century Socialism

    This week, we get together to talk through a sort of brief overview of the era of the Pink Tide in Latin America and try to draw out some of the lessons and implications for the future of Socialism for the 21st Century... What Happened to the Pink Tide? https://jacobin.com/2016/07/pink-tide-latin-america-chavez-morales-capitalism-socialism/    The Rise and Fall of the Latin American Left https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/the-ebb-and-flow-of-latin-americas-pink-tide/    What Is Socialism for the Twenty-First Century? https://monthlyreview.org/2016/10/01/what-is-socialism-for-the-twenty-first-century/    21st Century Socialism: What It Will Become and Why? https://ibw21.org/commentary/21st-century-socialism-what-it-will-become-and-why/  Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  41. 328

    Patron Preview: Patron Q&A IV

    Here it is comrades, the long-awaited fourth patron Q&A. We answer questions about America's humiliation, Chinese communism, AI in schools, and our favorite revolutionary books and/or pamphlets. This is only half the questions we received this time, the second half will be posted in Patron Q&A V next week... Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  42. 327

    PATREON PREVIEW -- Regrettable Geopolitics 01/20/2026

    The Iran Regime Change that Wasn't, Canada and China are Pals Now, Greenland Idiocy, Ukraine's Mass Desertion Crisis, Ukraine's Corruption Crisis, Ukraine's Fiscal Crisis, Ukraine's Fortification Crisis, Ukraine's Losing the War Crisis... Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  43. 326

    From Dawn to Decadence, REDUX: The Boys are Back in Town (Part V) With Varn Vlog

    Once again, the boys are back... again. We return to our long-neglected "Decadence Theory" project with Varn Vlog. This week, the boys try to get back in the swing of things with a reorientation episode.  Varn Vlog https://www.patreon.com/c/varnvlog/posts Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  44. 325

    The Left Needs a Utopian Vision (Part II of II)

    This week, we finally finish off the a close reading of The Concept of Left by Leszek Kolakowski.  Kolakowski was a dissident Polish Marxist who later turned against the project altogether. However, before he did, he wrote much that is worth reading.    The Concept of the Left- Leszek Kolakowski  https://danieltutt.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/concept_of-_the_left_kolakowskileszek.pdf    Join the Regrettable Century Patreon Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  45. 324

    PATREON PREVIEW: Regrettable Geopolitics 01/06/2026

    The Venezuelan Regime Change that Wasn't, Oil Companies don't Want Venezuelan Oil, Machado Sidelined by Trump, Israeli False Flags, Israel Persecutes Christians, AIPAC Goes Underground, The CIA's Role in the Ukraine War, Ukraine War Summary 2025... Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  46. 323

    On Care For Our Common Home: Laudato Si and Christian Anti-Capitalism (Part IV)

    This week, the Regrettable Christian Caucus finishes Chapter II of Laudato Si' by the late Pope Francis. You can follow along by grabbing the PDF from Verso or from the Vatican website.  This Papal Encyclical calls for urgent action to address the global environmental crisis, critiques consumerism, blind developmentalism, inequality, and profit seeking. The document calls for global political solidarity to transition to a sustainable economy and for the protection of the world's most vulnerable populations.  Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  47. 322

    PATREON PREVIEW: Regrettable Geopolitics 12/20/2025

    Well, here is a release that is back on our old schedule, but we won't be on this schedule for long. In fact, this is our last geopolitics episode of the year. We will resume in the New Year on a bi-weekly schedule. Trump's Acts of Piracy, Genocide in Darfur, Officer Exodus from the IDF, Europe Hopes to Prolong Ukraine War, More Russian Gains and Ukrainian Losses... Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  48. 321

    Patreon Preview -- Boundless & Bottomless Returns: Dugin’s 4th Political Theory (Part IX)

    The boys are back, well... some of the boys. Picking up after a year long hiatus, Jason and Varn are ready to get down to finishing off Dugin. Dugin, Alexander (2012). The Fourth Political Theory. Translated by Sleboda, Mark; Millerman, Michael. Arktos Media.  -------------------------------------- Varn Vlog  https://varnvlog.buzzsprout.com/  ------------------------------------- Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  49. 320

    The Gang Resolves the Contradictions (Unlocked)

    This is a Patreon episode we liked so much that we unlocked it for everyone to hear. We hope you enjoy it.  This week, Jason and Ben sat down to acknowledge and resolve all the contradictions that have manifested in our discussions on this podcast. Actually, we don't resolve anything, but we do acknowledge some things. Our listeners will know that we often disagree with the broader left, each other, and our earlier selves. While we don't manage to piece together a solid line for the podcast, we do manage to talk a lot about those contradictions. Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

  50. 319

    Patreon Preview: La démocratie dans l’Amérique de Trump (Matthew from Unbreakable Union) *re-upload*

    *re-uploaded*  This week we sat down with Matthew from the Unbreakable Union podcast and talked about the changing state of the world, what it's been like to be on the left throughout the years, the situation in France, and why maybe our pessimism makes a little bit more sense than it might first seem. https://unbreakableunion.buzzsprout.com/ Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

The old forms of the Left are moribund and the new forms are stupid. We’re making a podcast that discusses the need to organize a Dialectical Pessimism and develop a salvage project capable of sparking a new workers’ movement for socialism. A clean, honest, and unsentimental melancholy is required; we are cultivating one and would like to share it with you.

HOSTED BY

Chris, Jason, Kevin, Ben

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does The Regrettable Century have?

The Regrettable Century currently has 50 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is The Regrettable Century about?

The old forms of the Left are moribund and the new forms are stupid. We’re making a podcast that discusses the need to organize a Dialectical Pessimism and develop a salvage project capable of sparking a new workers’ movement for socialism. A clean, honest, and unsentimental melancholy is required;...

How often does The Regrettable Century release new episodes?

The Regrettable Century has 50 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to The Regrettable Century?

You can listen to The Regrettable Century 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 The Regrettable Century?

The Regrettable Century is created and hosted by Chris, Jason, Kevin, Ben.
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