Libsyn Directory

Ep 70 - The Stalin Eras, Part 3.5: War Is Already Here (1936-1939)

Release Date: 12/01/2024

Ep 110 - Western Media Concedes North Korean Success

Proles Pod

Tony, Jeremy, and Justin break down The Wall Street Journal's recent coverage of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, centering on the headline-grabbing article, "The World's Most Surprising Economic Success Story Is... North Korea." Has Western capitalist media finally acknowledged that communism works? Or is there more to the story than the headline suggests? Join the hosts as they unpack the article's claims, examine the broader narrative around North Korea's socialist construction, and explore what this surprising piece reveals about capitalist media and it's limits. Additional...

Ep 109 - Half the Sky: Think of the Children

Proles Pod

Half the Sky is a brand new podcast from ProlesPod host, Rae! It is an attempt to provide a perspective often lacking from the podcast space: that of women (and women-adjacent folks). If and when those voices are present, they are quite often offset by their dude counterparts. And so (at least on the mic) HTS is a bro-free zone. Rae's cohosts on this very special audio journey are Jen (Big Nasty) of , Lenore from , , and . Episode one of Half The Sky is partly a discussion of why none of our hosts has children, but additionally, would anything change their minds? There...

Ep 108 - The Unique Character of South American Revolutions

Proles Pod

Rae and Justin (and Martín!) are joined by Camarada Michi and Danny El Comunista to have a deep discussion of the ways in which South American socialist revolutions have formed and changed. Why have there been almost no successful armed revolutions? Why did Allende fail? What is happening in the region today? Support the show Join us on for early-release episodes, study guides, bonus content, TheoryBeats, and more! You can even sign up for free to access study guides, merch updates, and surprise drops. Stay connected: Subscribe on your favorite podcast app, and...

Ep 107 - Prison, Innocence, and Love In Revolution (w/ Jean Paul Fartre)

Proles Pod

Justin and Rae sit down with Jean Paul Fartre (JPF) for a wide-ranging conversation on justice work, prison abolition, wrongful convictions, and the role of love in revolutionary politics. Along the way, they discuss JPF's experiences as a male escort, the limits of liberal approaches to prison abolition, and what meaningful solidarity can look like in practice. Read JPF's writing at Follow him on social media: @jeanpaulfartre Support the show Join us on for early-release episodes, study guides, bonus content, TheoryBeats, and more! You can even sign up for free to access...

Ep 106 - Green China: Sovereignty through Green Tech

Proles Pod

Rae and Jeremy are joined by Ashwin Shantha of the to discuss the ways in which (and the reasons why) China has developed an indigenous approach to green technology. We talk NEVs and solar panels through the lens of sovereignty, socialism, and anti-imperialism. We get into the relationship among the Imperialist West, China, and the rest of the Global South. Resources Support the show Join us on for early-release episodes, study guides, bonus content, TheoryBeats, and more! You can even sign up for free to access study guides, merch updates, and surprise drops....

Ep 105 - East German Democracy & Anti-Imperialism (Ft. IF DDR)

Proles Pod

Max and Matthew from join Jeremy and Justin for a wide-ranging discussion on the realities of socialist democracy in East Germany. The conversation explores the lived experiences of German peasants during a period of major social transformation, alongside a closer look at the GDR’s often-overlooked anti-imperialist legacy. Studies Produced by IF DDR Support the show Join us on for early-release episodes, study guides, bonus content, TheoryBeats, and more! You can even sign up for free to access study guides, merch updates, and surprise drops. Stay connected: Subscribe on...

Ep 104 - Fraud, Fatherhood, and Fascism

Proles Pod

On this very special episode of ProlesPod, Rae gets to meet their hero, Matthew Remski, host of the podcasts Conspirituality and Anti-Fascist Dad. He is also the author of the new book Anti-Fascist Dad. Today, we discuss grifters and grifts in the wellness community, cults, the intersection of these things with fascism, as well as fatherhood itself. You can find all of Matthew's various links to his socials and projects . Support the show Join us on for early-release episodes, study guides, bonus content, TheoryBeats, and more! You can even sign up for free to access...

Ep 103 - Laos and People's Democracy (Ft. Holly High)

Proles Pod

Rae and Tony sit down with Holly High—frequent guest on Tony’s other podcast, Actually Existing Socialism—to discuss the present-day realities of Laos’ socialist people’s democracy. Holly is an anthropologist whose fieldwork in Laos uses ethnographic methods and anthropological analysis to explore everyday human experience. Check out Holly’s Substack, , and subscribe for a chance to win a free copy of one of her books. Support the show Join us on for early-release episodes, study guides, bonus content, TheoryBeats, and more! You can even sign up for free to access...

Ep 102 - Vietnam Today (Ft. Luna Oi & EJ)

Proles Pod

Luna Oi and EJ join the show for a grounded, hilarious, and wide-ranging conversation on what socialist construction actually looks like in Vietnam today—the wins, the contradictions, the setbacks, and yes, a bit of extra beef along the way. They also dive into their ambitious translation project, bringing Vietnamese Marxism-Leninism textbooks to a broader audience and unpacking why that work matters right now. Support the show Join us on for early-release episodes, study guides, bonus content, TheoryBeats, and more! You can even sign up for free to access...

Ep 101 - Where Are the Girls?

Proles Pod

Where Are the Girls?! In honor of International Working Women’s Day, Rae is joined by several girls (and girls adjacent) to ask and answer a question that weighs heavily on left spaces: Where are the girls?! Why are so many communist spaces male dominated, what are the impediments to getting women and people of other genders to join, and once they’ve joined, are there specific considerations that make it difficult for them to stay? Joining Rae are Pame Ledesma of Y Las Palabras and correspondent of Means Morning News, Lenore and Jen Big Nasty of Workers’ Lit and How the...

More Episodes

Our longest and most controversial episode. This narrative, titled “War Is Already Here” (using the latest archival scholarship) details the legitimacy of the controversial Moscow Trials, the origins of the “Great Terror”, the climax of the Spanish Civil War, war with Japan and apocalyptically - the beginning of a second globe spanning conflict!

The Stalin Eras, inspired by the classic RevLeft Radio episode “Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective", mixes both narrative history (ala Blowback) and discussion (like classic Prolespod) to provide the most comprehensive English overview of the life and impact of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in podcast format.

Whether you’re a socialist history enthusiast, someone who’s just curious to learn more than what you got in school about the Soviet Union, or even a total hater who just wants to rage, this series has something for everyone.

Support the show at www.patreon.com/prolespod

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