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Cybernetic Revolutionaries: A Discussion

For this installment of our series on Actually Existing Socialism we take a look at an attempt to solve the issues of central planning with a novel experiment unlike any other in history: Project Cybersyn in Salvador Allende’s Chile. In a discussion based on Eden Medina’s book Cybernetic Revolutionaries, Donald, Christian, and Rudy discuss the idea of Stafford Beer and their limitations, the difficulties of the democratic road to socialism, and if Cybersyn is totalitarian but in a good way. Outro music is “Litany for a computer and a child about to be born” by Angel Parra and Stafford Beer.

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Progress of the Storm: Collaboration with Revolutionary Left Radio

We are very happy to release this crossover episode with Breht O’Shea from Revolutionary Left Radio and Red Menace! Remi (@cosmoproletan), Parker (@centristmarxist), and Donald (@donaldp1917) have a wide-ranging discussion with Breht touching on current events, ecological Marxism, organizing, labor, electoral strategy, and more.

While this episode was immediately released for the public at large, for early access to other episodes as well as other gifts (books, t-shirts, pins) sign up for our Patreon to help us fund this operation.

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Christopher Caudwell and the Crisis in Physics: A Discussion

To continue our series on the relation of Marxism to science, we read and discussed Christopher Caudwell’s Crisis in Physics. Join Donald, Matthew, Rudy, and Remi for a conversation that covers the life of Caudwell, the relevance of his thought to topics such as ecology and the meaning of freedom, theoretical physics, and the possibility/impossibility of “proletarian science”.

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Super Tuesday Special

Donald, Parker, and Christian are joined by one of the greatest political commentators of our time, Jake from Swampside Chats, to discuss the struggle between Social-Democracy and Woke Liberalism in the Democratic Party. What lies ahead? How can the left benefit from the Bernie movement/campaign? Are Boomers holding us back? Join us for a discussion on a historic election.

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Political Undercurrents in Soviet Economic Debates: A Discussion

Christian and Donald sit down for a discussion on Moshe Lewin’s 1974 tome Political Undercurrents in Soviet Economic Debates. They discuss Bukharin, the Left Opposition, Stalin, Soviet reformers, cybernetic planning, and more. Our conclusion: this book has greatly humbled us, letting us know how hard actually creating a new society outside of capitalism is. Unfortunately, Lewin’s book is out of print but we recommend getting your hands on a used copy if possible. If you can’t, his book The Soviet Century is still in print from Verso Books. We hope to continue this as a reading series on the problems of building socialism. Edited by P.H. Higgins.

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Radio Free Cairo

In this, part one of our inaugural 2020 Egyptcast episode, we sit down for a marathon discussion on the recent history of the left-social-democratic project which began its slow burn in the 2013 Revolution. Ahmed, our resident Egypt pundit (and professional Egyptian), walks us through the maze of Western media distortions from his unique perspective as a militiaman in both halves of that social rupture, leading to the tangled political situation and its beneficial impacts on the lives of the Egyptian people. In part 2, we will discuss the future outlook for Egypt, the lessons to be drawn from this most recent left-led revolution, and the view ahead for communists in the 21st Century.

Part 1:

Part 2:

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Her Majesty’s Most Loyal Opposition

For this episode, Parker and Donald welcome Cosmonaut editor and writer Medway Baker on to Canadasplain the Westminster system. Join us as we put on our inner socdem wonk to discover what went wrong for the Labour Party in the recent UK election.

 

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From NPC to PMC

Parker & Donald welcome Jake from Swampside Chats on to discuss the professional-managerial class. What is the PMC, its relation to other classes, and its role in contemporary capitalist society? We discuss this and more, including topics like the Democratic primary, Marxology, Brexit, intersectionality, and Ben & Jerry’s.

For this episode we read:

The Professional-Managerial Class by Barbara and John Ehrenreich (part 1 and part 2)

Professional Managerial Chasm by Gabriel Winant

N+1 and the PMC: A Debate About Moving On

Intro music is The Internationale, arrangement, and recording by Christian Cail

Outro Music is Yuppie Rap by Mike Saad and Bill O’Neil

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Degrees of Kevin Bacon from the PKK

Remi and Guy, a multi-tour volunteer foreign fighter in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, sit down for an extended interview around the history, political and economic structure, military situation, and future outlook for the project in Rojava.

Addressed are the most pressing critiques of the political structure adopted by the peoples of the region, with an eye toward marginalized ethnic and political groups, the relationship of the multitude of factions to one another and the population at large, and where things go from here. With the abrupt withdrawal of US forces and the attendant shift in the uneasy balance of forces in Syria, Turkey has invaded, Russia has vacillated between intervention and aloofness, and the fate of NES may lie in the balance.

Since recording, events have developed quickly. We will release an update interview in the coming days.