Rev Left Radio
Rev Left Radio explores politics, philosophy, history, and struggle through a Marxist lens. We play our humble role in advancing a systematic analysis of the ever-changing world rooted in dialectical and historical materialism and a principled vision for the human species rooted in egalitarianism, solidarity, compassion, enlightenment, and human flourishing.
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From Palestine: Suffering, Dignity, & Resistance
05/06/2026
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 of his grandmother Jamila, his missing uncle Ghazi, and his own journey from Palestine to the United States, Alsayed offers an intimate portrait of how dispossession enters not only history and politics, but childhood, identity, and the inner life. The conversation explores occupation as a lived and psychological reality, the tension between assimilation and memory, the many meanings of resistance, and the current situation across West Asia - including how Palestinians view Iran. At once personal and collective, Scars and Medals opens onto the wider Palestinian experience with honesty, dignity, and emotional force. Buy or get a FREE pdf of Scars and Medals here: ----------------------------------------- Check out a great new resource for revolutionary education, Unlearning Capitalism: https://unlearn.capital/ Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/revleftradio Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio https://revleftradio.com/
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Breaking the Spell: Patriarchy, Dismemberment, and Pure Awareness
05/03/2026
Breaking the Spell: Patriarchy, Dismemberment, and Pure Awareness
In this episode, Breht sits down with Suzin Green, author of , 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 shapes not only institutions, but consciousness itself -- fueling alienation, compulsive striving, inner fragmentation, and a profound loss of connection to self, others and the living world. Together, they unpack Green’s concepts of “dismemberment,” the “inner patriarch,” and the tension between “being” and “doing,” while probing the experiential realities beneath the book’s symbolic language. The conversation explores how ego, social conditioning, and modern systems of competition shape subjectivity; whether inner healing can meaningfully intersect with broader social transformation; and what it might mean to reclaim wholeness in an age defined by burnout, anxiety, and disconnection. Drawing connections between mysticism, psychology, and political life, this dialogue examines the possibility that genuine transformation may require not only structural change, but a radical reorientation of consciousness itself. For listeners interested in spirituality, liberation, psychology, and the crisis of modern life, this is a rich exploration of what it means to heal both self and society. Outro Song: ---------------------------------------------------- Check out a great new resource for revolutionary education, Unlearning Capitalism, Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio
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China's Green Development: Anti-Imperialist and Socialist
04/22/2026
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 “,” the conversation explores how China became the global leader in solar, wind, and electric vehicles through long-term planning, industrial policy, state capacity, and the disciplining of capital to broader social goals. Together, they examine the relationship between green development, national sovereignty, and anti-imperialism, asking why China has been able to carry out a large-scale green industrial transition while Western capitalist states have largely failed. The discussion also takes up the deeper theoretical question at the heart of the essay: whether China’s model is best understood not as “state capitalism,” but as a socialist market economy in which capital is subordinated to national development, ecological sustainability, and public need. Read more essays at Journal of International Solidarity Follow Ashwin's International Solidarity on IG Check out Breht's appearance on International Solidarity podcast ---------------------------------------------------- Check out our NEW REV LEFT MERCH with Goods For The People Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio
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A History of Iran-U.S. Relations
04/17/2026
A History of Iran-U.S. Relations
In this episode, Breht speaks with professor of history to discuss his book , 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 been structured by enduring “imperial priorities,” a framework that reframes familiar episodes such as the 1953 coup, the consolidation of the Shah (Pahlavi) client state, the revolutionary rupture of 1978–79, the hostage crisis, and the sanctions-and-war paradigm of the twenty-first century . Together, they discuss how state power, oil, militarization, the Israel lobby, imperialist aggression, American arrogance, and transnational political movements shaped this relationship. Finally, they analyze the current war in Iran through the lens of the history discussed. ---------------------------------------------------- Check out our NEW REV LEFT MERCH with Goods For The People Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio
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The Iran War: A Dialectical and Historical Materialist Analysis
04/09/2026
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, before bringing them back together into a coherent whole. Then they compare and contrast dialectical and historical materialism as a mode of analysis to other forms of analysis: from academic modes like liberal internationalism and Realism to common popular modes like conspiracy theories and moralism. Throughout the process, they aim to show the superior clarity and demystification offered by Marxism in understanding our world, as it unfolds in real time. ---------------------------------------------------- Check out our NEW REV LEFT MERCH with Goods For The People Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio
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The Bush Years: 9/11, War Crimes, and Economic Collapse
04/08/2026
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 administration and the early 2000s. Together, they explore the contested election of 2000 and the Supreme Court’s decisive intervention, the burial of that crisis in American political memory, the continuation and intensification of neoliberal economics through tax cuts, deregulation, and financialization, the role of No Child Left Behind in reshaping public education along market lines, the rise of neoconservatism and the ideological drive toward the Iraq War, the structural forces behind U.S. imperial policy across administrations, the relationship between U.S. foreign policy and Israeli strategic interests, the 2008 financial collapse and the total lack of accountability for elites, the devastation of working-class communities through war and economic crisis, the transition from Bush to Obama and the limits of liberal restoration, the conditions that gave rise to Trump, and more! Follow Gianni and The People's Classroom on Instagram Check out his full lectures on YouTube ---------------------------------------------------- Check out our NEW REV LEFT MERCH with Goods For The People Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio
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From Iran: Letter to the American People
04/03/2026
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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get bonus episodes on Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow RLR on IG Learn more about Rev Left
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Dialectics Without Destiny: Marx, Darwin, and the Natural History of the Climate Crisis
03/25/2026
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 ) to discuss his newest book, . Together, Breht and Joel explore the intellectual impact Charles Darwin had on Karl Marx, and why it matters for the ecological crisis of our time. Wainwright argues that Marx’s study of Darwin helped him develop a distinctly Marxian concept of natural history, reshaping how he understood history, nature, and capitalism itself. Reading Capital through this lens, they unpack how Marx’s critique becomes an ecological critique: capitalism as a social formation that reorganizes the human–Earth relation, producing crisis, “surplus” populations, and new forms of domination - and have some fun disagreements along the way. They close by asking what this natural-historical Marx can contribute to building an eco-socialist alternative beyond capitalist growth and climate catastrophe. Check out Breht and Alyson's previous episode on Climate Leviathan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get bonus episodes on Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow RLR on IG Learn more about Rev Left
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Bullock: Chronicles of Deprivation and Despair in an American Prison
03/20/2026
Bullock: Chronicles of Deprivation and Despair in an American Prison
Matthew Vernon Whalan joins the show to discuss , an interview-driven, investigative journalistic, and collectively narrated portrait of life inside Bullock Correctional Facility in Alabama. Through the words of incarcerated people themselves, we explore the everyday realities that rarely make it into public view: mental health crisis and predation, sewage and infrastructure collapse, cruel and unusual punishment, sleep deprivation, violence, drugs and overdose, and the informal social orders that take shape when official protection fails. This book is truly an act of witness -- and a demand that we look directly at what incarceration actually does to human beings. Once examined, we can see the U.S. prison system as a disturbing microcosm of the pathologies infecting and eating away at the broader American society. Support Matthew and his work directly on Venmo @Matthew-Whalan-1 Get 15% off any book at Left Wing Books Check out our previous episode with Project Hope t0 Abolish the Death Penalty ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get bonus episodes on Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow RLR on IG Learn more about Rev Left
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From Persia to Iran: Islam, Empire, and the Politics of West Asia
03/17/2026
From Persia to Iran: Islam, Empire, and the Politics of West Asia
In this episode, Breht interviews -- 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 became a center of Shi’a Islam, and examines the long rivalry between Persian and Ottoman power. Along the way, they unpack the Sunni-Shia split, the political role of Turkey in the region, the ways Western narratives about Islam were forged through the Crusades and carried forward into the modern world, Zionist Expansionism, and the ongoing illegal war of aggression waged by the U.S. and Israel against Iran, and indeed, the whole region. Check out Adnan's previous appearences on Rev Left Subscribe to Adnan's YouTube channel Watch Adnan's 2 Part episode on Yemen Listen to Guerrilla History podcast --------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get bonus episodes on Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow RLR on IG Learn more about Rev Left
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Unequal Exchange: The Engine of Modern Imperialism
03/10/2026
Unequal Exchange: The Engine of Modern Imperialism
Torkil Lauesen joins us to discuss his book 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 -- driving a structural transfer of value from low-wage production zones to high-wage consumer economies. We walk through Lauesen’s reconstruction of unequal exchange through Marx’s value theory, the leading approaches to measuring global value transfer, and what contemporary estimates imply about the scale of the drain. From there, we explore the political consequences inside the Global North: why reformism and social democracy have often been stabilized by imperial arrangements, what that means for internationalism, and why the “imperial mode of living” is increasingly unstable. Finally, we turn to the shifting world order -- especially Lauesen’s argument that a new mode of production may be emerging, best exemplified by China -- and what that implies for the future of capitalism, multipolarity, and socialist transition. We also discuss the ongoing war/conflict involving Iran and what it reveals about crisis, hegemony, and the changing methods of imperial power. Check out our other episodes with Torkil outro Music: --------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get bonus episodes on Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow RLR on IG Learn more about Rev Left
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War on the Iranian People and the American Mind (Workers' Lit & Rev Left Collab)
03/04/2026
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 another war: a psychological war against every one of us. They are building a world of declining literacy, misinformation, confusion, and fear. Combine those two wars and you get an apathetic American populace even as its own country murders untold innocents Breht O’Shea of RevLeft joins Aysha, Jen, and Jacob to discuss these dual wars and how we can fight back." Check out more from Workers' Lit here: Make a donation to Socialist Night School via Venmo @OmahaNightSchool
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Iran Under Attack by the Fourth Reich
03/02/2026
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 ---------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio
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Guillotines for the Epstein Class
02/17/2026
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 ---------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio
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Nonviolence is Violence, Too: Somebody’s Gotta Die
02/04/2026
Nonviolence is Violence, Too: Somebody’s Gotta Die
In this episode, we’re joined by author and poet to unpack his essay 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 bloodless, why he prefers the term “sacrificial violence,” and how nonviolent movements frequently gain leverage precisely because an opponent supplies the repression that shocks the public, shifts legitimacy, and forces concessions. Along the way, we talk through the research Too Black draws on including Erica Chenoweth’s work on lethal repression, and we explore his core metaphors and case examples, from confronting power like “poking a bear over honey” to the method-independent brutality of settler colonialism in Palestine. At the heart of our conversation is a deep dialectic between Martin Luther King Jr. and Frantz Fanon, and how both frameworks, in different ways, move through violence as an unavoidable terrain of liberation. For King, suffering becomes the redemptive path, a willingness to absorb brutality to expose evil and transform the political and spiritual situation. For Fanon, revolutionary violence itself is the redemptive force, the route through which the colonized reclaim dignity, agency, and self-respect. We close by asking what this reframing means for organizers today: if rights require enforcement and “dramatizing evil” often demands real sacrifice, how should movements talk about nonviolence honestly and strategically in the world as it actually is? Subscribe to ---------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio Outro Beat Prod. by
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Manufacturing Syria: HTS, Rojava, Iran, and the Consequences of Regime Change
01/30/2026
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 (, , , and ) 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 rapid collapse of the Assad-era order and the emergence of a new regime centered around HTS and Ahmad al-Sharaa (Jolani). Together, they break down the latest waves of mass violence and displacement across the coast, Suwayda, Aleppo, and Rojava, and ask what these events reveal about the new Syria. From there, they turn to the Kurdish question. They discuss the SDF, the long history of US imperial instrumentalization of Kurdish forces, the recurring pattern of abandonment, and the growing pressure now facing Rojava amid shifting regional and international priorities. They also examine ongoing kidnappings and sect-based killings, the breakdown of accountability, and what the allegations surrounding Syrian security institutions tell us about the direction of the new order. Finally, they zoom out to the information war. They map the propaganda narratives being pushed in Western and Zionist media, and offer practical “tells” for separating genuine reporting from information operations. Then, they close by asking what Syria teaches us about the current political moment: imperial strategy, proxy warfare, sectarian fragmentation, and what real solidarity demands. Access a full list of all the sources used for this episode Donate to Jalyssa on Cash App: Or donate at: Check out Joma's great podcast: Previous Episodes on Syria and Rojava: " ---------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio
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Minneapolis on Fire
01/25/2026
Minneapolis on Fire
Breht discusses recent events in Minneapolis... ------------------------------------ Outro Song: Song for Alicia by Haley Heynderickx and Max Garcia Conover
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The Political Economy of Love: Attention, Affection, & What Capitalism Can't Buy
01/19/2026
The Political Economy of Love: Attention, Affection, & What Capitalism Can't Buy
In this episode, Breht is joined by to dig into her Using Marx’s distinction between use value and exchange value, Ghodsee argues that love is not just a private feeling but a material necessity for human flourishing -- and that our economic system systematically depletes the time, energy, and security required to sustain it. Together, they explore how capitalism commodifies two core components of love, attention and affection, turning them into scarce resources bought and sold in everything from therapy and childcare to the attention economy and the market for professionalized intimacy. But the heart of the conversation is the one thing capitalism can’t truly monetize: reciprocal flow -- the non-transactional rhythm of giving and receiving that emerges in long relationships, cooperative play, music, community, and solidarity itself. Breht and Ghodsee discuss how inequality and insecurity train people into transactionalism, why loneliness is not an individual failure but a structural outcome, and what a genuine politics of love might look like beyond mere self-help or lifestyle fixes. Learn more about Dr. Ghodsee and her work Check out AK-47, Kristen's podcast dedicated to Alexandra Kollontai here: ---------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio
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Western Marxism and The Imperial Theory Industry
01/14/2026
Western Marxism and The Imperial Theory Industry
In this episode, Breht is joined by philosopher, author, and cultural critic to discuss his new book Rockhill argues that the Cold War was not only fought with bombs, coups, and sanctions -- but with ideas, institutions and intellectuals. Drawing on extensive archival research, Rockhill shows how U.S. imperial power built a vast apparatus of foundations, universities, media outlets and cultural organizations to shape what kinds of Marxism were allowed to exist in the West. Rather than simply repressing Marxism, empire promoted a “compatible left”; a version of critical theory and Western Marxism that rejected actually existing socialist struggles and experiments, detached theory from mass struggle, and helped neutralize anti-imperialist politics. Together, they explore the role of the Frankfurt School, Herbert Marcuse, Cold War cultural warfare, and the long shadow this history still casts over today’s left. This episode was recorded in the immediate wake of the U.S.'s invasion of Venezuela and kidnapping of President Maduro and his wife, which they discuss at the beginning of the conversation. Check out Critical Theory Workshop Follow Rockhill's work on his Substack ---------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio
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Solidarity With Children: Love, Autonomy, Parenting, and Innocence
01/12/2026
Solidarity With Children: Love, Autonomy, Parenting, and Innocence
In this episode, Breht is joined by revolutionary feminist and author Madeline Lane-McKinley to discuss her recent book "", in which she argues for a politics that centers young humans as essential comrades in the struggle for a better world! In the process they examine the concept of childhood as historically structured, which children are granted innocence and which are robbed of it, how to parent through a lens that respects children as unique and autonomous human beings instead of the property of their parents, and much more! You can follow Madeline @la_louve_rouge_ (on twitter and IG) ---------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio
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[BEST OF 2025] From Reagan to Trump: Neoliberalism, Class War, and American Decadence
01/07/2026
[BEST OF 2025] From Reagan to Trump: Neoliberalism, Class War, and American Decadence
Nov 5, 2025 In this episode, public school history teacher Gianni Paul joins Breht to trace the historical roots of our current crisis — stagnant wages, mass homelessness, collapsing infrastructure, rising fascism, Gilded Age inequality, and a beaten down working class — back to Reagan’s counter-revolution against the New Deal and the forty-year neoliberal project that followed. Together, they explore how neoliberalism emerged out of the crises of the 1970s, Carter’s role in laying the groundwork before Reagan, the destruction of unions and working-class power, the ideological weaponization of anti-communism, the bipartisan consolidation of neoliberalism under Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden, the ways Reagan and Trump represent two phases of the same class project, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the rise of capitalist triumphalism, the slow disintegration of America’s middle class into debt and precarity, the explosion of homelessness and hopelessness, the erosion of U.S. imperial dominance alongside the emergence of a multipolar world, and why the U.S. repeatedly chooses reaction over social transformation — raising the question of whether genuine change can still emerge from within the imperial core or whether new possibilities are taking shape elsewhere. Understanding this history is key to understanding why everyday life in America feels increasingly unstable, and what futures remain possible beyond neoliberal decay. Follow Gianni and The People's Classroom on Instagram Check out his full lectures on YouTube ---------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio
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[BEST OF 2025] Farce, Finance & Fascism: Margaret Kimberley on Empire in Decay
01/06/2026
[BEST OF 2025] Farce, Finance & Fascism: Margaret Kimberley on Empire in Decay
Jun 18, 2025 In this powerful and wide-ranging conversation, —senior columnist at Black Agenda Report and a leader in —joins Breht to dissect the spectacle of American decline and, as usual, Kimberley offers a razor-sharp analysis of late-stage capitalism’s collapse into cruelty, chaos, and confusion. Together, they explore the Democratic Party’s complicity in ushering in this moment, U.S. weapons transfers to Ukraine in support of their proxy war against Russia, and the genocidal assault on Gaza as a revealing - if disturbing - lens into the true nature of the American empire. Kimberley also shares firsthand insights from delegations to Nicaragua, Venezuela, and China, illuminating how the Global South is resisting U.S. domination and reshaping global power. For those feeling the weight of worsening economic conditions, rising fascism, and political demobilization, Kimberley offers hard-won wisdom about organizing in the belly of the beast. We close with discussion about where real hope can still be found. Check out -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio Outro Beat Prod. by
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On Venezuela... (with Guerrilla History and Red Menace)
01/06/2026
On Venezuela... (with Guerrilla History and Red Menace)
recorded January 3rd 2026 Revolutionary Guerrilla Menace’s 2025: A Year in History! A fantastic discussion with blistering analysis from the crew. We discussed US criminal assault on Venezuela and its consequences geopolitically and economically on US empire and its designs in Latin America and implications for West Asia and especially subversion or assault on Iran. We analyzed US/Western imperialism and how it is the primary contradiction in global capitalism. Other topics we touched on were far right politics and “divisions” obfuscating the central class politics, the demonization of refugees, climate/ecology, big tech and AI in the infrastructure of empire, and much more! Lots of great audience comments, provocations and interaction as well. Check out this annual year-end collaboration among Revolutionary Left Radio, Guerrilla History, and Red Menace podcasts with hosts Breht, Alyson, Henry, and Adnan. Check more of Adnan's work Check out Guerrilla History and Check out Red Menace
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[BEST OF 2025] On The Ground in Gaza: Serving the People in Palestine
01/05/2026
[BEST OF 2025] On The Ground in Gaza: Serving the People in Palestine
Feb 10, 2025 Willy Massay returns to the show to discuss his recent (second) trip to Gaza as a medical volunteer. He got back two weeks ago and stayed for over a month. He discusses his heart-wrenching experiences, the wintry conditions and terrible air quality in Gaza and how both are impacting the health of every single Palestinian on the ground. He also discusses the ceasefire, the spirit of the Palestinian people, the insane cruelty and horrific war crimes of Israel, and his personal relationships and experiences with Palestinians. Outro Song: "Kettering" by The Antlers Donate to 3 displaced families in Gaza Donate to Fidaa and her children in Gaza Learn more about Rahma Worldwide Learn more about Jewish Voices for Peace Learn more about Nebraskans for Palestine -------------------------------------------------- Support the show on Follow RLR on IG Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at
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[BEST OF 2025] The Sufi Path of Rumi: Islamic Mysticism and The Journey to Divine Love
01/04/2026
[BEST OF 2025] The Sufi Path of Rumi: Islamic Mysticism and The Journey to Divine Love
Feb 17, 2025 is a professor of Islamic Religion and Culture and author of several publications on Sufism, the mystical path within Islam. He joins Breht to have an incredibly deep conversation about the Sufi poet Rumi, his life and work, Rumi's relationship to his teacher Shams of Tabriz, the concepts of fana (annihilation of the self) and baqa(subsistence in God), the spiritual practices of Sufism, non-duality and perennialism, "dying before you die", Buddhist enlightenment, the Quran, Serving the People in politics and religion, the role of Divine Love in spiritual transformation, transcending the ego, Bodhicitta and the Heart of the Bodhisattva, the counter-cultural aspects of the historical dervishes, The Masnavi (aka the "Persian Quran"), Christian Mysticism, the evolution of human consciousness, the linguistics of translation, and much, much more! Check out Rory's book Recommendations for Further Exploration: The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi Check out our related episodes with Dr. Adnan Husain: ------------------------------------------------------------ Outro Music: Something's Out There by Neva Dinova Support Rev Left and get bonus episodes on Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow RLR on IG Learn more about Rev Left
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[BEST OF 2025] Anti-Capitalist Parenting: A Dialectical Perspective w/ Breht O'Shea (Upstream Podcast)
01/03/2026
[BEST OF 2025] Anti-Capitalist Parenting: A Dialectical Perspective w/ Breht O'Shea (Upstream Podcast)
Jun 25, 2025 One of the most radical things you can do is live your life in direct opposition to the forces that control our society. Not just fighting for policies or organizing your community, although those are certainly important parts of it, but also living with values that oppose the values of our dominant society. And even more importantly, raising the next generation to embody those values—not in a coercive way, but through organic parenting and role modeling that make radicalism irresistible. This is how we raise revolutionaries: instilling community, love, egalitarianism, and a need for justice into children. And this is just what our guest in today's episode has devoted himself to doing. Breht O’Shea is an activist, organizer, political educator, and host of the podcast and co-host of the podcasts and . He is a father of three based out of Omaha Nebraska. In this conversation, Part 3 of our Post Capitalist Parenting series, Breht shares with us insights about parenting that he's learned over the years as a father of three and what Marxism teaches us about parenting. We discuss the classic text by Engels, The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State, which is a dialectical materialist analysis of patriarchy and the family, tracing the emergence of the patriarchal family and it took through various iterations of class society but also exploring what families have looked like under actually-existing socialism and also what it might look like under communism. We also explore the anti-natalist position which attempts to argue that having children is immoral, why this perspective is deeply flawed, what Buddhism can teach us about parenting, and much, much more. Support Breht and Rev Left Radio, and join their community Further Resources , by Kristen Ghodsee Related Episodes: Post Capitalist Parenting Pt. 2: Reimagining the Family w/ Kristen Ghodsee Intermission music: Upstream is a labor of love—we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Subscribe to our Patreon at or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries, we have a number of sponsorship packages available. Find out more at For more from Upstream, visit and follow us on , , , and . You can also subscribe to us on , or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.
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[BEST OF 2025] On Technofeudalism: Rent Seeking in Late Stage Monopoly Capitalism
01/02/2026
[BEST OF 2025] On Technofeudalism: Rent Seeking in Late Stage Monopoly Capitalism
Sep 10, 2025 Alyson and Breht critically engage with the concept of "technofeudalism" from a Marxist (and thus historical materialist) perspective, analyzing its origin and recent popularity, critiquing its depoloyment and the implication that it represents a "new mode of production", explaining related concepts like rent-seeking, discussing the role of private equity in the modern American economy, the politics of Yanis Varoufakis, and much, much more. Private Equity Explainer Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio:
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[BEST OF 2025] Dialectics of Nature: Engels on Dialectical Materialism as a Worldview
01/01/2026
[BEST OF 2025] Dialectics of Nature: Engels on Dialectical Materialism as a Worldview
Jun 16, 2025 In this episode, Alyson and Breht explore Friedrich Engels’ Dialectics of Nature, a bold and underappreciated attempt to apply dialectical materialism to the natural sciences. Often dismissed or misunderstood, this unfinished work offers a sweeping view of reality - from physics and chemistry to evolution, human consciousness, and ecological breakdown - through the lens of Marxist philosophy. Together, they unpack Engels’ central claim that nature itself unfolds dialectically: through contradiction, motion, transformation, and interconnection. They cover the three laws of dialectics, Engels’ materialist account of human evolution, his critique of mechanistic science, vulgar materialism, and metaphysical thinking, as well as his early warnings about capitalism’s ecological consequences. Along the way, they connect these insights to Marx’s concept of species-being, and reflect on what this revolutionary worldview offers in the age of climate crisis, hyper-alienation, and late capitalist decay. Finally, Alyson and Breht have a fascinating open-ended discussion about the existential and spiritual implications of dialectical materialism as a worldview. Whether you're new to dialectical materialism or looking to deepen your understanding, this conversation reframes Engels’ work as a profound contribution not just to Marxism, but to the philosophy of science itself. Here are the episodes recommended for further listening in the episode: ---------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio:
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Jesus Christ: The Revolutionary Mystic
12/24/2025
Jesus Christ: The Revolutionary Mystic
In this Christmas special, Alyson and Breht reinterpret Jesus through Jewish mysticism, Christian contemplative traditions, and Buddhist conceptions of Enlightenment, offering an understanding of his teachings and words as attempts to articulate the ineffable and non-dual, rather than metaphysical propositions to be believed. Drawing heavily on the Gospels, the Gospel of Thomas, the Christian concept of Agape, and early Christian scholarship, they explore the possibility of a Christianity beyond fear, hell, and conceptual belief -- one rooted in a radical transformation of consciousness, a revolutionary confrontation with injustice everywhere, and an embodied love for all creation. Merry Christmas. ---------------------------------------------------- Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio
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Chinese Characteristics of Socialism: Civilizational Factors in CPC Governance
12/18/2025
Chinese Characteristics of Socialism: Civilizational Factors in CPC Governance
What does it really mean to speak of “socialism with Chinese characteristics”? Is it simply a matter of policy and political economy, or does it require grappling with thousands of years of civilizational history, philosophy, and culture? In this episode, Breht is joined by Zhao, the mind behind and author of to explore a bold and provocative argument: that while class struggle and material conditions must remain primary, China’s socialist path cannot be understood without its deep Confucian, Daoist, and Buddhist inheritance. From Yu the Great’s flood control and the origins of infrastructural legitimacy, to the Mandate of Heaven, Da Tong, and the tributary system, we examine how ancient ideas of harmony, moral legitimacy, and collective responsibility continue to shape contemporary Chinese governance and foreign policy. This is a wide-ranging conversation for Marxists, socialists, and anti-imperialists interested in China beyond caricature, reductionism, and Cold War myths -- one that asks how history, philosophy, and material struggle converge in the making of a socialist future, and what China’s trajectory might mean for the global path toward communism. Other episodes mentioned in this episode: Check out our 7 hour episode on the last 250 years of Chinese History Check out our episode on Italy's Years of Lead Check out our episode on the German Revolution Check out our episode on the Spanish Civil War ---------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio
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