In this episode of Red Menace , Alyson and Breht summarize and discuss the first three chapters of Friedrich Engel's important work of historical materialism, "The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State". Together they discuss the core arguments of the text, the anthropological science behind it, why this text is considered a foundational text of Marxist Feminism, and much more! 00:15 Intro 4:28 Summary 51:58 Discussion
Mar 23, 2023•1 hr 43 min
Join the Rev Left Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio Join the Red Menace Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace Changes Starting Mid-Feb: - Tripling our monthly patreon output - Covering the headlines more consistently - Being more selective about the topics we cover on the public feed - The integration of Red Menace and Rev Left...
Feb 01, 2023•20 min
Alyson and Breht summarize, discuss, and critique "Desert", an anarchist text by an anonymous author. Summary: start 7:20 Discussion & Critique: start 45:06
Dec 15, 2022•1 hr 58 min
Alyson and Breht summarize and reflect on the famous "Bread Book" by Peter Kropotkin: The Conquest of Bread . After summarizing the text and its main arguments, Alyson and Breht discuss the similarities and differences between Marxism and Anarchism, and both applaud and criticize elements of the text in the process. Support Red Menace on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace...
Nov 07, 2022•2 hr 16 min
Donald Parkinson from Cosmonaut Magazine joins Breht to talk about the life, political theory, and legacy of Lyndon LaRouche. In our own time we see LaRouche-type deviations manifesting on the so-called socialist left, and by studying LaRouche and his movement, we can better comprehend - and thus combat - its modern day iterations, while avoiding similar errors. Check out Donald's article in Cosmonaut on LaRouche here: https://cosmonautmag.com/2019/03/larouche-a-warning-for-us-all/...
Oct 03, 2022•1 hr 42 min
Alyson and Breht reflect on the recent online stir caused by "MAGA Communism" and analyze the ideas of some of its main represenatives and proponents. Together they discuss and clarify core marxist concepts, criticize and explain the specific errors being made, shine light on its intellectual influences, explore its connection to previous iterations in american history (like the movement that formed around Lyndon LaRouche), laugh at the extremely predictable response they recieved from Trump sup...
Sep 30, 2022•1 hr 18 min
In this episode, Alyson and Breht use Devin Zane Shaw's work (specifically his Philosophy of Antifascism ) as a jumping off point for exploring the concept of the three way fight, and how principled Marxists and revolutionaries can avoid falling into reaction or tipping into liberalism by understanding and adhereing to it. Check out the Rev Left interview with Devin about his book here: https://revolutionaryleftradio.libsyn.com/antifascism Support Red Menace on Patreon here: https://www.patreon....
Aug 31, 2022•59 min
Alyson and Breht respond to questions from our patrons. Topics discussed include: how to properly evaluate uprisings abroad, important virtues for communists to try and cultivate, and finding hope and solidarity in the face of tragedy and despair... Mao on Dialectics as mentioned by Alyson: https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/volume-8/mswv8_48.htm Support Red Menace and get access to bonus monthly content on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace...
Aug 01, 2022•1 hr 36 min
Alyson and Breht summarize, discuss, and criticize Carl Schmitt's famous work of political philosophy, The Concept of the Political. Schmitt was a German jurist, political theorist, and prominent member of the Nazi Party. Support Red Menace and get access to bonus monthly content on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace...
Jun 24, 2022•2 hr 8 min
Breht and Alyson discuss the recent barrage of mass shootings, how Marxists should think about these issues, what the root causes of american mass shootings are, policies/reforms that the socialist left might be able to support, and much more. Outro music: ' Pray for Newtown' by Sun Kil Moon Support Red Menace and get access to bonus monthly content on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace...
Jun 02, 2022•1 hr 10 min
On this episode of Red Menace, Alyson and Breht discuss the recent Supreme Court leak and the implications of Roe's dismantling, then they turn to George Friedman's thesis in his book "The Storm Before the Calm: America's Discord, the Coming Crisis of the 2020s, and the Triumph Beyond" - responding to it, criticizing it, and reflecting on what its predictions might mean for the revolutionary left. Support Red Menace and get access to bonus monthly content on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com...
May 12, 2022•1 hr 11 min
Alyson and Breht summarize, respond to, and discuss "Ride the Tiger", a major work of the Italian fascist/traditionalist/reactionary intellectual Julius Evola. In part 1, they introduce and summarize the text. In part 2, they respond to Evola's critiques of Marxism directly. In part 3, they discuss the text, its relationship to Hinduism and Buddhism, Evola's legacy, and much, much more! Support Red Menace and get access to bonus monthly content on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMena...
Apr 25, 2022•2 hr 17 min
Alyson and Breht discuss the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and wrestle with the following questions: Is Russia imperialist, and is this an inter-imperialist conflict? What is the nature of the Ukrainian State? Is Ukraine really fighting for democracy? Are we entering a multipolar world order? What do these events tell us about NATO and US hegemony? How should we understand revolutionary defeatism in this conflict? What role do nazis play in all of this? What is Putin's endgame? Support Red Menace and...
Mar 12, 2022•1 hr 32 min
On this episode of Red Menace Alyson is joined by Rey and Esperanza to address the transgender question. Support Red Menace and get access to bonus monthly content on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace
Feb 19, 2022•58 min
In this episode, Alyson and Breht introduce, teach, and discuss the philosphy of two giants in western philosophy: Arthur Schopenhaur and Friedrich Nietzsche. They discuss their respective philosophies, how they relate, how they differ, the subsequent thinkers and movements they inspired or influened, their relation to politics right, left and center, their connection to eastern philosophies and religions, and much more! Support Red Menace: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace...
Feb 03, 2022•2 hr 9 min
In this episode of Red Menace, Alyson and Breht discuss and analyze "Climate Leviathan" by authors Geoff Mann and Joel Wainwright. Book description: "Despite the science and the summits, leading capitalist states have not achieved anything close to an adequate level of carbon mitigation. There is now simply no way to prevent the planet breaching the threshold of two degrees Celsius set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. What are the likely political and economic outcomes of this? ...
Jan 08, 2022•1 hr 57 min
On this episode of Red Menace Alyson revisits 'On Practice' by Mao. Text can be found for free here: https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/volume-1/mswv1_16.htm Additional material suggested by Alyson https://www.google.com/amp/s/kites-journal.org/2021/04/18/a-call-for-communist-social-investigation-a-year-after-the-summer-of-rebellion/amp/ Support Red Menace and get access to bonus monthly content on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace...
Nov 30, 2021•48 min
Alyson Escalante joins Breht to respond to arguments that the US left should embrace American patriotism. Together they discuss revolutionary v. reactionary nationalism, US history, settler colonialism, proletarian internationalism, Browderism, anti-imperialism, the CPUSA, tailism, accusations of ultra-leftism, and much more. Outro Music: "U.S.A. " by The Exploited Support Red Menace and get bonus episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace...
Sep 11, 2021•1 hr 18 min
In this unlocked Red Menace patreon episode, Alyson and Breht discuss the latest IPCC report on climate change and discuss its implications. Support Red Menace and get bonus episodes here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace
Sep 08, 2021•50 min
On this episode of Red Menace Alyson and Breht teach, discuss, and apply the lessons of 'Pedagogy of the Oppressed' by the Brazilian educator and Marxist humanist Paulo Freire. This is essential reading for all teachers, organizers, and political educators! Support Red Menace and get access to bonus monthly content on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace...
Aug 30, 2021•2 hr 13 min
Alyson and Breht answer questions from listeners! Topics discussed: Maoism and AES, contradictions present and future, the climate crisis, cryptocurrency, Marxist pedagogy and the role of teachers, reasons to maintain revolutionary optimism, how to build relevant skillsets and engage with theory, Support Red Menace and get access to bonus monthly content on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace...
Jul 25, 2021•1 hr 26 min
In this special crossover episode between Guerrilla History and Red Menace, Alyson and Henry come together to interview Dr. Françoise Vergès about her new book A Decolonial Feminism . Françoise Vergès is an activist, public educator, and is the author of many books including Resolutely Black: Conversations with Aime Cesaire (Polity, 2019), The Wombs of Women: Race, Capital, Feminism & Monsters and Revolutionaries: Colonial Family Romance and Metissage. A Decolonial Feminism , is available fr...
Jul 09, 2021•1 hr 15 min
In this episode, Alyson and Breht teach and discuss two works by Alexandra Kollontai: her 1909 essay "The Social Basis of the Woman Question" and her 1923 essay "Make Way for Winged Eros". They contextualize each essay, walk the listener through them both, and then discuss their meanings and implications. Rev Left episode on Kollontai with Kristen Ghodsee here: https://revolutionaryleftradio.libsyn.com/the-life-and-legacy-of-alexandra-kollontai Support Red Menace and get access to bonus monthly ...
Jun 29, 2021•2 hr 4 min
For this month's bonus episode, Alyson gives a basic historical overview of the history of Jewish Anti-Zionism. Support Red Menace here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace
Jun 03, 2021•30 min
In this episode, Alyson and Breht use texts from Fanon, Cesaire, Mao, and Lenin to help make sense of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, the history of zionism, the role of the United States in the conflict, and more. They define settler colonialism and imperialism, show how they are operative in the conflict, and then have a wide ranging conversation on the recent attack on Gaza, ongoing Isreali settlements, the principle contradiction of the conflict, why we should advocate for a one state s...
May 30, 2021•2 hr 6 min
On this episode of Red Menace Alyson and Breht teach, discuss, and apply the lessons of 'Discourse on Colonialism' by Aimé Césaire. Support Red Menace and get access to bonus monthly content on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace
Apr 30, 2021•1 hr 36 min
*recorded on April 28th* In this unlocked patreon-only episode, Alyson and Breht discuss the Biden administrations ostensible withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Chauvin Trial and what it represents, and the ongoing Covid crisis ravaging India and how its connected to vaccine imperialism and capitalism's prioritizing of profits over the health and life of human beings. Support Red Menace: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace
Apr 30, 2021•40 min
In this episode, Alyson and Breht analyze current events, including the recent stimulus bill, the ongoing pandemic, the rolling out of vaccines, and the horrific recent mass shooting in Atlanta. Support Red Menace here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace
Mar 25, 2021•54 min
On this episode of Red Menace Alyson and Breht discuss 'Philosophical Trends in the Feminist Movement' by Anuradha Ghandy Free text here: http://massalijn.nl/theory/philosophical-trends-in-the-feminist-movement/ Support Red Menace and get access to bonus monthly content on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace Learn more about the show here: www.RevolutionaryLeftRadio.com An enormous thank you goes to our Patrons, especially: Seth Walker @Ceseth on Twitter Dillon Bussard https://www...
Feb 27, 2021•1 hr 26 min
In this episode, Alyson and Breht introduce the core concepts of Marxist political economy by an analysis of the history of political economy, core economic concepts in Marxism, and much more! Outline for this episode with timestamps Political Economy: [5:00] Definition: Political economy as the study of economics as played out in reality. Economics in relation to society, production, culture, politics, etc. [12:28] History: Adam Smith’s development of economics in the wealth of nations, alongsi...
Jan 31, 2021•1 hr 27 min
