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Red Menace

73 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1K ratings

Red Menace is a podcast that explains and analyzes revolutionary theory and then applies its lessons to our contemporary conditions.

Hosted by Alyson Escalante and Breht O'Shea.

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Episodes

"The 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte" by Karl Marx

March 19, 2024 15:30 - 1 hour - 44.8 MB

Alyson and Breht explain and explore this famous text from Karl Marx, in the process they discuss French history, class conflict, the peasantry and lumpenproletariat, Bonapartism and Fascism, history, the role of the State under capitalism, and how all of this helps us to make sense of our contemporary moment of crisis in the US and around the world.  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get immediate access to over 300 bo...

Man on Fire: Aaron Bushnell's Sacrifice for Palestine

February 29, 2024 17:01 - 1 hour - 28.1 MB

Rest in Peace, Aaron. Free Palestine! "To burn oneself by fire is to prove that what one is saying is of the utmost importance. There is nothing more painful than burning oneself. To say something while experiencing this kind of pain is to say it with utmost courage, frankness, determination, and sincerity." - Thich Nhat Hanh in a letter to MLK Jr. regarding the self-immolation of Vietnamese Buddhist monks

On Mysticism: Ego, Suffering, & Love

February 20, 2024 18:00 - 2 hours - 55.8 MB

On this episode of Red Menace, Alyson and Breht had some things come up such that they couldn't record their planned episode on Marx's 18th Brumaire (coming soon!), so instead they have a deep, organic and wide-ranging conversation on mysticism; together they explore humanities religious and spiritual traditions and the mystical strain within them, discuss atheism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Sufism, mystical experiences, the role of suffering, holy union and oneness, the dissolution of...

Apartheid in South Africa: An Investigation

December 14, 2023 13:00 - 2 hours - 90.7 MB

In this Rev Left Family Annual Collab (Rev Left+Red Menace+Guerrilla History), Alyson, Henry, Adnan, and Breht sit down for a deep dive on South African Apartheid. Together they discuss its euro-colonialist origins, explain the significance of the Boer Wars, define and explicate the origins of apartheid, explore the political economy of apartheid and how brutal racism shaped it, examine the multi-faceted indigenous resistance to apartheid, analyze the end of formal apartheid as well as its o...

Decolonizing Palestine: Toward National Liberation in the Levant

November 01, 2023 23:24 - 1 hour - 55.9 MB

Alyson and Breht discuss the ongoing national liberation struggle in Palestine (recorded Oct. 30th 2023). Together, they discuss the incredible shift in public opinion on Israel and Palestine, the internal and external contradictions culminating in unison for Israel, the discussion about whether or not what Israel is doing is technically a genocide (it absolutely is), international law, Frantz Fanon on the psychology of national liberation, the prospects of a broader regional war, the possib...

What Is To Be Done? with Breht O'Shea and Alyson Escalante (Upstream Interview)

October 23, 2023 11:00 - 1 hour - 131 MB

What Is To Be Done? This is the question so profoundly posed by the Russian Revolutionary and Bolshevik leader, Vladimir Lenin, in his landmark text of the same name. Although it was written well over a century ago, this text, the questions it asked, and the paths forward that it provided, are just as relevant today as they were a hundred years ago. And just as urgent. What roles do spontaneity and disciplined organization have in leftist movements? Can we focus simply on economic reform, ...

Toward Liberation: Palestine on Fire

October 11, 2023 18:12 - 51 minutes - 23.4 MB

Breht discusses the current situation in Palestine, helps listeners navigate and dismantle common Zionist talking points, and (hopefully) brings some much needed moral clarity and intellectual honesty to a topic that, especially in the West, often lacks both...

[RE-UPLOAD] Decolonization is Not a Metaphor - Tuck & Yang

October 09, 2023 17:58 - 1 hour - 41 MB

Originally Aired on Oct 31, 2021 On this episode of Red Menace Alyson and Breht teach, discuss, and apply the lessons of 'Decolonization is Not a Metaphor' by Tuck and Yang Support Red Menace and get access to bonus monthly content on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace  

"The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and The State" by Friedrich Engels (Pt. 3)

August 08, 2023 10:30 - 1 hour - 31.9 MB

Alyson and Breht finish their 3-part series on Friedrich Engels' text "The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and The State", and reflect on the text as a whole. Together, they wrestle with questions, like: What is family abolition? How do rich people buy extended, communal family? What happens to the family and romantic relationships under communism? Should people ever be treated like commodities? How does the title of the text reflect historical and dialectical materialism? and much m...

American Rot: SCOTUS' War on the American People

July 02, 2023 20:56 - 1 hour - 32.6 MB

Alyson and Breht discuss the recent rulings by the Supreme Court, a wildly anti-democratic, thoroughly corrupt, and staunchly reactionary institution that the American right has spent years and billions of dollars capturing in order to impose its minoritarian rule on an American majority that firmly rejects what they stand for. And they do it all without having to worry for even a second about pesky things getting in their way: like democracy, human rights, or basic accountability to the Ame...

"The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and The State" by Friedrich Engels (Pt. 2)

May 25, 2023 18:33 - 57 minutes - 26.3 MB

In this second installment of our three-part series on Friedrich Engels' famous work "The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State", Alyson and Breht discuss chapters 4, 5, and 6 titled "The Greek Gens", "The Rise of the Athenian State", and "the Gens and the State in Rome" respectively. Together they summarize the chapters, and then launch into a discussion on the main themes and lessons from this section of the text! 00:15 Intro 1:08 Summary 33:50 Discussion   Check...

"The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and The State" by Friedrich Engels (Pt. 1)

March 23, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 59.1 MB

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

Big Announcement: Tripling Our Patreon Output + More

February 01, 2023 00:43 - 19 minutes - 8.93 MB

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 

"Desert" by Anonymous (Anarchism)

December 15, 2022 13:48 - 1 hour - 53.9 MB

Alyson and Breht summarize, discuss, and critique "Desert", an anarchist text by an anonymous author. Summary:  start 7:20 Discussion & Critique: start 45:06  

"The Conquest of Bread" by Peter Kropotkin

November 07, 2022 11:00 - 2 hours - 62.4 MB

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

Lyndon LaRouche: A Warning & Lesson for the Communist Left

October 03, 2022 09:00 - 1 hour - 48.3 MB

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/  ...

MAGA Communism: Opportunism, Social Chauvinism, and Terminally Online Tailism

September 30, 2022 09:00 - 1 hour - 35.6 MB

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 ...

Neither Liberalism nor Reaction: Centering the 3-Way Fight

August 31, 2022 16:09 - 58 minutes - 27 MB

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...

AMA July '22: Freedom & Responsibility (...and Dialectical Materialism)

August 01, 2022 01:26 - 1 hour - 43.8 MB

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

The Concept of the Political - Carl Schmitt

June 24, 2022 01:04 - 2 hours - 58.4 MB

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

[UNLOCKED] American Carnage: Mass Shootings, Gun Policy, & Root Causes

June 02, 2022 22:49 - 1 hour - 34.1 MB

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

Anti-Choice Onslaught, American Institutional Decay, & Geopolitical Forecasting

May 12, 2022 22:28 - 1 hour - 32.7 MB

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.p...

Ride the Tiger - Julius Evola

April 25, 2022 04:04 - 2 hours - 62.7 MB

 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.patr...

War in Europe: Understanding the Russia-Ukraine Conflict

March 12, 2022 14:20 - 1 hour - 41.9 MB

 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...

On The Transgender Question

February 19, 2022 22:07 - 58 minutes - 26.7 MB

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

German Philosophy: Schopenhauer and Nietzsche

February 03, 2022 21:40 - 2 hours - 61 MB

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

Climate Leviathan: A Political Theory of Our Planetary Future

January 08, 2022 23:35 - 1 hour - 53.7 MB

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 ...

Revisiting On Practice

November 30, 2021 02:40 - 47 minutes - 21.7 MB

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 ...

Decolonization is Not a Metaphor - Tuck & Yang

October 31, 2021 17:42 - 1 hour - 41 MB

On this episode of Red Menace Alyson and Breht teach, discuss, and apply the lessons of 'Decolonization is Not a Metaphor' by Tuck and Yang Support Red Menace and get access to bonus monthly content on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace  

On Patriotism...

September 11, 2021 23:37 - 1 hour - 37.3 MB

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

UNLOCKED - Code Red for Humanity: the IPCC Report 2021

September 08, 2021 16:03 - 50 minutes - 22.9 MB

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

Pedagogy of the Oppressed - Paulo Freire

August 30, 2021 18:43 - 2 hours - 60.7 MB

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  

AMA: Socialism, Climate Chaos, Pedagogy, & Contradictions

July 25, 2021 23:03 - 1 hour - 39.3 MB

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

A Decolonial Feminism w/ Françoise Vergès

July 09, 2021 05:10 - 1 hour - 34.1 MB

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...

Alexandra Kollontai: Marxist Feminism and Love After Capitalism

June 29, 2021 17:53 - 2 hours - 56.6 MB

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 bonu...

[UNLOCKED] A Brief History of Jewish Anti-Zionism

June 03, 2021 23:33 - 29 minutes - 13.5 MB

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

Understanding Settler Colonialism in Israel and the United States

May 30, 2021 19:19 - 2 hours - 57.6 MB

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 sta...

Discourse on Colonialism - Aimé Césaire

April 30, 2021 03:13 - 1 hour - 66 MB

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

UNLOCKED: Afghanistan, The Chauvin Trial, and the Indian Covid Crisis

April 30, 2021 02:58 - 39 minutes - 18.3 MB

*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

A Profoundly Sick Society and its Machinations

March 25, 2021 18:45 - 54 minutes - 24.8 MB

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

Philosophical Trends in the Feminist Movement - Anuradha Ghandy

February 27, 2021 01:17 - 1 hour - 39.3 MB

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 ...

The Fundamentals of Marxism: Intro to Political Economy

January 31, 2021 20:43 - 1 hour - 59.7 MB

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 wealt...

American Decay: The Fascist Riot on Capitol Hill

January 08, 2021 04:03 - 1 hour - 46.2 MB

Alyson and Breht discuss recent events and what they mean.  Outro Music: 'Sound of Violence' Other Lives Support Red Menace here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace

Climate Change, Human Civilization, and Questions Answered

December 29, 2020 01:21 - 1 hour - 78.4 MB

Our beloved co-host Alyson is out sick for this month, so Breht takes over at the last minute to read some passages from the new Cli-Fi (Climate Science Fiction) Novel "The Ministry for the Future" and the non-fiction book "The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming" as jumping off points to discuss how Climate Change will play out over the rest of our lives, the geopolitical conflicts and ruptures it will cause, and the place humans have in the evolution of the cosmos.  After that, we u...

The Blue Shift... Into Yet More Neoliberal Misery

November 29, 2020 22:58 - 1 hour - 32.6 MB

In this episode, Alyson and Breht discuss the election results, Trump and the GOP, the coming Biden administration, Covid-19 and the Vaccine(s), the causes of conspiracy thinking, and much more. Outro music: 'Wildflowers' by No Thanks Check out their music here: https://no-thanks.bandcamp.com/album/submerger Support Red Menace here: https://www.patreon.com/TheRedMenace

...On the State of Things

October 28, 2020 17:35 - 1 hour - 34 MB

In this episode, Alyson and Breht discuss the mental health fallout from the Covid Crisis, the possible futures of the American Right, the political economy of the pandemic, what comes next, and much more. Outro music: 'Chum' by Earl Sweatshirt Support Red Menace 

The Fundamentals of Marxism: Historical Materialism, Dialectics, & Political Economy

September 29, 2020 23:54 - 1 hour - 47.9 MB

In this episode, Alyson and Breht summarize and discuss the fundamental ideas, concepts, and arguments within Marxism. We want this episode to stand as a resource for *everyone* interested in Marxism - from those who are brand new to the Marxist left all the way to veterans of the Left who simply want a concise refresher. If you know someone who is moving leftward but still struggling with understanding Marxism, please point them toward this episode!  Outro music: 'Song 33' by Noname ...

The Fundamentals of Marxism: Dialectics, Historical Materialism, and Class Struggle

September 29, 2020 23:54 - 1 hour - 47.9 MB

In this episode, Alyson and Breht summarize and discuss the fundamental ideas, concepts, and arguments within Marxism. We want this episode to stand as a resource for *everyone* interested in Marxism - from those who are brand new to the Marxist left all the way to veterans of the Left who simply want a concise refresher. If you know someone who is moving leftward but still struggling with understanding Marxism, please point them toward this episode!  Outro music: 'Song 33' by Noname ...

The Empire in Decay: Blood in the Streets and Storms on the Horizon

August 27, 2020 20:41 - 1 hour - 32.5 MB

Alyson and Breht discuss current events, the 2020 elections, climate change, and the future of this broken society.  (This was recorded before the events in Kenosha developed) Outro music: 'Werewolf' by CocoRosie ------- 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

The Communist Manifesto - Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels

July 27, 2020 22:43 - 1 hour - 32.1 MB

On this episode of Red Menace Alyson and Breht discuss 'The Communist Manifesto' by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Free text here: https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/   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 Outro music: ’Cloak’ by Blvck Svm  An enormous thank you goes to our Patrons, especially: Seth Walk...

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