Prefigurative politics, building the new within the old, exercising our muscles of collectivity and collaboration—muscles that have grown weak and atrophied under capitalist hegemony—these are all ideas and practices that play a crucial role in our revolutionary movements. And examples of prefiguration can and do take many interesting and inspiring forms—one of these forms is worker self-direction, or worker cooperatives.  In today’s episode we’re talking prefiguration and worker self-direction—and we’ve split the episode up into two parts so that we can dive deeply into both. Part one of our conversation takes a deep dive into the concept and practice of prefigurative politics, which is, simply put, the attempt to implement the world that you want to live in, now. And we’ve brought on the perfect guest to talk about it.  <a href="https://x.com/saiogradin">Saio Gradin</a> teaches Politics at Kings College, London and is a community organizer and educator who has spent twenty years running workshops, campaigns and organizations for global justice. They are the author of the book, <a href= "https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=prefigurative-politics-building-tomorrow-today--9781509535903"> Prefigurative Politics: Building Tomorrow Today</a>, published by Polity Books.  Part two of our conversation is going to take a deep dive into one form of prefiguration—worker self-direction—specifically, we’ll exploring the ins and outs of working at a self-directed not-for-profit, which is structurally similar to a worker cooperative, but we’ll get into more those details in the conversation. The point is, we’ll be talking about what it’s like to work in a democratically-run organization. And to have that conversation, we’ve brought on Nicole Wires. Nicole is an organizer and the Network Director for the <a href= "https://www.nonprofitdemocracynetwork.org/">Nonprofit Democracy Network</a> and a worker-member of the <a href= "https://www.theselc.org/">Sustainable Economies Law Center</a>. In this episode, we explore the concept of prefiguration and how it compares and contrasts to other revolutionary strategies. We explore examples of prefiguration in history and today and why prefigurative politics are an important component of our revolutionary movements. In part two we take a deep dive into the process and practice of prefiguration specifically in the context of worker self-direction, exploring the benefits and challenges of being part of a self-directed organization, the different types of decision-making processes utilized by certain worker-run firms, and how worker cooperatives—and the many forms they take—fit into a broader ecosystem of individuals and organizations striving to live their values in a world dominated by the logic of capital.  Further Resources <ul> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=prefigurative-politics-building-tomorrow-today--9781509535903"> Prefigurative Politics: Building Tomorrow Today</a>, published by Polity Books</li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/transformation/could-pre-figurative-politics-provide-way-forward-left/"> Could pre-figurative politics provide a way forward for the left?</a> by Siao Gradin in OpenDemocracy</li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Home_Rule_movement">Indian Home Rule Movement</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Negro_Improvement_Association_and_African_Communities_League"> Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League</a> (Marcus Garvey)</li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://www.jofreeman.com/joreen/tyranny.htm">The Tyranny of Structurelessness</a> by Jo Freeman</li> </ul> Related Episodes: <ul> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://www.upstreampodcast.org/workercoops1">Worker Cooperatives Pt. 1: Widening Spheres of Democracy</a> (Documentary)</li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://www.upstreampodcast.org/workercoops2">Worker Cooperatives Pt. 2: Islands within a Sea of Capitalism</a> (Documentary)</li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/be-more-pirate-w-sam-conniff">Be More Pirate w/ Sam Conniff</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/sarah-corbett-craftivism-in-conversation"> Craftivism with Sarah Corbett</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/website/rob-hopkins-transition-movement-in-conversation"> Transition Towns with Rob Hopkins</a></li> </ul> Intermission music: "Garbage Factory" by <a href= "https://www.bobbyfrith.com/">Bobby Frith</a> This episode was produced in collaboration with <a href= "https://www.ecogather.sterlingcollege.edu/">EcoGather</a>, a collapse-responsive co-learning network that hosts free online Weekly EcoGatherings that foster conversation and build community around heterodox economics, collective action, and belonging in an enlivened world. In this collaboration, EcoGather will be hosting gatherings to bring some Upstream episodes to life—this is one of those episodes. Find out more, including the date and time for this EcoGathering in the show notes or by going to <a href= "https://ecogather.ing/">www.ecogather.ing</a>. 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 <a href= "https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast">patreon.com/upstreampodcast</a> or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at <a href= "https://www.upstreampodcast.org/support">www.upstreampodcast.org/support</a> If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries, we have a number of sponsorship packages available. Find out more at  <a href= "https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fupstreampodcast.org%2Fsponsorship&token=fb395-1-1663029755269"> upstreampodcast.org/sponsorship</a> For more from Upstream, visit <a href= "https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.upstreampodcast.org&token=efc9f5-1-1663029755269"> www.upstreampodcast.org</a> and follow us on <a href= "https://twitter.com/upstreamPodcast">Twitter</a>, <a href= "https://www.instagram.com/upstreampodcast/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/UpstreamPodcast">Facebook</a>, and <a href= "https://bsky.app/profile/upstreampodcast.bsky.social">Bluesky</a>. You can also subscribe to us on <a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/upstream/id1082594532">Apple Podcasts,</a> <a href= "https://open.spotify.com/show/4KwWOMp24P9cVVR6d0i7Zq?si=ec90ca944bcb43cf&nd=1"> Spotify</a>, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Prefigurative politics, building the new within the old, exercising our muscles of collectivity and collaboration—muscles that have grown weak and atrophied under capitalist hegemony—these are all ideas and practices that play a crucial role in our revolutionary movements. And examples of prefiguration can and do take many interesting and inspiring forms—one of these forms is worker self-direction, or worker cooperatives. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;In today’s episode we’re talking prefiguration and worker self-direction—and we’ve split the episode up into two parts so that we can dive deeply into both. Part one of our conversation takes a deep dive into the concept and practice of prefigurative politics, which is, simply put, the attempt to implement the world that you want to live in, now. And we’ve brought on the perfect guest to talk about it. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://x.com/saiogradin"&gt;Saio Gradin&lt;/a&gt; teaches Politics at Kings College, London and is a community organizer and educator who has spent twenty years running workshops, campaigns and organizations for global justice. They are the author of the book, &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=prefigurative-politics-building-tomorrow-today--9781509535903"&gt; Prefigurative Politics: Building Tomorrow Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, published by Polity Books. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Part two of our conversation is going to take a deep dive into one form of prefiguration—worker self-direction—specifically, we’ll exploring the ins and outs of working at a self-directed not-for-profit, which is structurally similar to a worker cooperative, but we’ll get into more those details in the conversation. The point is, we’ll be talking about what it’s like to work in a democratically-run organization. And to have that conversation, we’ve brought on Nicole Wires. Nicole is an organizer and the Network Director for the &lt;a href= "https://www.nonprofitdemocracynetwork.org/"&gt;Nonprofit Democracy Network&lt;/a&gt; and a worker-member of the &lt;a href= "https://www.theselc.org/"&gt;Sustainable Economies Law Center&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;In this episode, we explore the concept of prefiguration and how it compares and contrasts to other revolutionary strategies. We explore examples of prefiguration in history and today and why prefigurative politics are an important component of our revolutionary movements. In part two we take a deep dive into the process and practice of prefiguration specifically in the context of worker self-direction, exploring the benefits and challenges of being part of a self-directed organization, the different types of decision-making processes utilized by certain worker-run firms, and how worker cooperatives—and the many forms they take—fit into a broader ecosystem of individuals and organizations striving to live their values in a world dominated by the logic of capital. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Further Resources&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=prefigurative-politics-building-tomorrow-today--9781509535903"&gt; Prefigurative Politics: Building Tomorrow Today&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;, published by Polity Books&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/transformation/could-pre-figurative-politics-provide-way-forward-left/"&gt; Could pre-figurative politics provide a way forward for the left?&lt;/a&gt; by Siao Gradin in OpenDemocracy&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Home_Rule_movement"&gt;Indian Home Rule Movement&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Negro_Improvement_Association_and_African_Communities_League"&gt; Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League&lt;/a&gt; (Marcus Garvey)&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.jofreeman.com/joreen/tyranny.htm"&gt;The Tyranny of Structurelessness&lt;/a&gt; by Jo Freeman&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Related Episodes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.upstreampodcast.org/workercoops1"&gt;Worker Cooperatives Pt. 1: Widening Spheres of Democracy&lt;/a&gt; (Documentary)&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.upstreampodcast.org/workercoops2"&gt;Worker Cooperatives Pt. 2: Islands within a Sea of Capitalism&lt;/a&gt; (Documentary)&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/be-more-pirate-w-sam-conniff"&gt;Be More Pirate w/ Sam Conniff&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/sarah-corbett-craftivism-in-conversation"&gt; Craftivism with Sarah Corbett&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/website/rob-hopkins-transition-movement-in-conversation"&gt; Transition Towns with Rob Hopkins&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;Intermission music: "Garbage Factory" by &lt;a href= "https://www.bobbyfrith.com/"&gt;Bobby Frith&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;This episode was produced in collaboration with &lt;a href= "https://www.ecogather.sterlingcollege.edu/"&gt;EcoGather&lt;/a&gt;, a collapse-responsive co-learning network that hosts free online Weekly EcoGatherings that foster conversation and build community around heterodox economics, collective action, and belonging in an enlivened world. In this collaboration, EcoGather will be hosting gatherings to bring some Upstream episodes to life—this is one of those episodes. Find out more, including the date and time for this EcoGathering in the show notes or by going to &lt;a href= "https://ecogather.ing/"&gt;www.ecogather.ing&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;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 &lt;a href= "https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast"&gt;patreon.com/upstreampodcast&lt;/a&gt; or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at &lt;a href= "https://www.upstreampodcast.org/support"&gt;www.upstreampodcast.org/support&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries, we have a number of sponsorship packages available. Find out more at  &lt;a href= "https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fupstreampodcast.org%2Fsponsorship&amp;token=fb395-1-1663029755269"&gt; upstreampodcast.org/sponsorship&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;For more from Upstream, visit &lt;a href= "https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.upstreampodcast.org&amp;token=efc9f5-1-1663029755269"&gt; www.upstreampodcast.org&lt;/a&gt; and follow us on &lt;a href= "https://twitter.com/upstreamPodcast"&gt;Twitter&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href= "https://www.instagram.com/upstreampodcast/"&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/UpstreamPodcast"&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href= "https://bsky.app/profile/upstreampodcast.bsky.social"&gt;Bluesky&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; You can also subscribe to us on &lt;a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/upstream/id1082594532"&gt;Apple Podcasts,&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href= "https://open.spotify.com/show/4KwWOMp24P9cVVR6d0i7Zq?si=ec90ca944bcb43cf&amp;nd=1"&gt; Spotify&lt;/a&gt;, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Prefigurative politics, building the new within the old, exercising our muscles of collectivity and collaboration—muscles that have grown weak and atrophied under capitalist hegemony—these are all ideas and practices that play a crucial role in...

Prefigurative Politics and Workplace Democracy w/ Saio Gradin and Nicole Wires

“This is the most important election of our lifetimes.” “Voting for a third-party candidate? Might as well throw away your vote!” “You may not like her, but you’ve just got to hold your nose and vote for her — otherwise, Trump might win.”  We're sure you’ve heard each of these lines many times — we know that we have. But, at some point you have to ask: how can every election be the most important one? Am I really throwing away my vote by voting for a candidate whose policies I agree with? Can we ever actually affect change if we’re always voting for the "lesser evil" candidate or party? Isn’t that just a race to the bottom — or, as we're seeing currently, a race towards genocide? Well, in this conversation, we’re going to tackle all of those questions — and much more — with our guest, August Nimtz, Professor of political science and African American and African studies in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota. Professor Nimtz is the author of The Ballot, The Streets, Or Both? published by Haymarket Books. In this conversation, Professor Nimtz explores the question of electoralism as it relates to revolutionary left politics through a deep dive into the history of the Russian Revolution — examining how Marx, Engels, and Lenin approached electoralism and then applying their analyses and viewpoints to today’s situation.  What is the role of elections for the revolutionary left? How can we engage with electoralism without falling into what Professor Nimtz refers to as “electoral fetishism”? What about the "lesser evil" or "spoiler" phenomenon? How can we build a party for the working and oppressed classes without falling prey to opportunism or bourgeois distraction? What can we learn from the European Revolutions of 1848, the Paris Commune, the Russian Revolution, and other historic attempts at revolution — both successful and unsuccessful? These are just some of the questions and themes we explore in this episode with Professor Nimtz. Thank you to <a href= "https://bmuredraws.com/">Bethan Mure</a> for this episode’s cover art and to Noname for the intermission music. Upstream theme music was composed by <a href= "https://lanternsss.bandcamp.com/track/hearth-harvest-w-a-million-creatures"> Robert Raymond</a>. Further resources: <ul> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/1385-the-ballot-the-streets-or-both"> The Ballot, The Streets, or Both?</a> by August Nimtz</li> </ul> Related episodes: <ul> <li><a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/voting-for-socialism-w-claudia-de-la-cruz-karina-garcia"> [UNLOCKED] Voting for Socialism w/ Claudia De La Cruz & Karina Garcia</a></li> <li><a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/battling-the-duopoly-w-jill-stein"> Battling the Duopoly w/ Jill Stein</a></li> <li><a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/righteous-indignation-love-and-running-for-president-w-dr-cornel-west"> Righteous Indignation, Love, and Running for President w/ Dr. Cornel West</a></li> <li><a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/bonus-what-is-to-be-done-with-breht-oshea-and-alyson-escalante-in-conversation"> Upstream: What Is To Be Done? with Breht O'Shea and Alyson Escalante</a></li> <li><a href= "https://www.patreon.com/posts/socialism-w-and-97518258">Socialism Betrayed w/ Roger Keeran and Joe Jamison</a></li> </ul> 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 <a href= "https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast">patreon.com/upstreampodcast</a> or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at <a href= "https://www.upstreampodcast.org/support">www.upstreampodcast.org/support</a> If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries, we have a number of sponsorship packages available. Find out more at  <a href= "https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fupstreampodcast.org%2Fsponsorship&token=fb395-1-1663029755269"> upstreampodcast.org/sponsorship</a> For more from Upstream, visit <a href= "https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.upstreampodcast.org&token=efc9f5-1-1663029755269"> www.upstreampodcast.org</a> and follow us on <a href= "https://twitter.com/upstreamPodcast">Twitter</a>, <a href= "https://www.instagram.com/upstreampodcast/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/UpstreamPodcast">Facebook</a>, and <a href= "https://bsky.app/profile/upstreampodcast.bsky.social">Bluesky</a>.

<description>&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;“This is the most important election of our lifetimes.” “Voting for a third-party candidate? Might as well throw away your vote!” “You may not like her, but you’ve just got to hold your nose and vote for her — otherwise, Trump might win.” &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;We're sure you’ve heard each of these lines many times — we know that we have. But, at some point you have to ask: how can &lt;em&gt;every&lt;/em&gt; election be the most important one? Am I &lt;em&gt;really&lt;/em&gt; throwing away my vote by voting for a candidate whose policies I agree with? Can we ever actually affect change if we’re always voting for the "lesser evil" candidate or party? Isn’t that just a race to the bottom — or, as we're seeing currently, a race towards genocide?&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Well, in this conversation, we’re going to tackle all of those questions — and much more — with our guest, August Nimtz, Professor of political science and African American and African studies in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota. Professor Nimtz is the author of &lt;em&gt;The Ballot, The Streets, Or Both?&lt;/em&gt; published by Haymarket Books.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;In this conversation, Professor Nimtz explores the question of electoralism as it relates to revolutionary left politics through a deep dive into the history of the Russian Revolution — examining how Marx, Engels, and Lenin approached electoralism and then applying their analyses and viewpoints to today’s situation. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;What is the role of elections for the revolutionary left? How can we engage with electoralism without falling into what Professor Nimtz refers to as “electoral fetishism”? What about the "lesser evil" or "spoiler" phenomenon? How can we build a party for the working and oppressed classes without falling prey to opportunism or bourgeois distraction? What can we learn from the European Revolutions of 1848, the Paris Commune, the Russian Revolution, and other historic attempts at revolution — both successful and unsuccessful? These are just some of the questions and themes we explore in this episode with Professor Nimtz.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Thank you to &lt;a href= "https://bmuredraws.com/"&gt;Bethan Mure&lt;/a&gt; for this episode’s cover art and to Noname for the intermission music. Upstream theme music was composed by &lt;a href= "https://lanternsss.bandcamp.com/track/hearth-harvest-w-a-million-creatures"&gt; Robert Raymond&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Further resources:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/1385-the-ballot-the-streets-or-both"&gt; The Ballot, The Streets, or Both?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt; by August Nimtz&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Related episodes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/voting-for-socialism-w-claudia-de-la-cruz-karina-garcia"&gt; [UNLOCKED] Voting for Socialism w/ Claudia De La Cruz &amp; Karina Garcia&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/battling-the-duopoly-w-jill-stein"&gt; Battling the Duopoly w/ Jill Stein&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/righteous-indignation-love-and-running-for-president-w-dr-cornel-west"&gt; Righteous Indignation, Love, and Running for President w/ Dr. Cornel West&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/bonus-what-is-to-be-done-with-breht-oshea-and-alyson-escalante-in-conversation"&gt; Upstream: What Is To Be Done? with Breht O'Shea and Alyson Escalante&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.patreon.com/posts/socialism-w-and-97518258"&gt;Socialism Betrayed w/ Roger Keeran and Joe Jamison&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;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 &lt;a href= "https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast"&gt;patreon.com/upstreampodcast&lt;/a&gt; or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at &lt;a href= "https://www.upstreampodcast.org/support"&gt;www.upstreampodcast.org/support&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries, we have a number of sponsorship packages available. Find out more at  &lt;a href= "https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fupstreampodcast.org%2Fsponsorship&amp;token=fb395-1-1663029755269"&gt; upstreampodcast.org/sponsorship&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;For more from Upstream, visit &lt;a href= "https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.upstreampodcast.org&amp;token=efc9f5-1-1663029755269"&gt; www.upstreampodcast.org&lt;/a&gt; and follow us on &lt;a href= "https://twitter.com/upstreamPodcast"&gt;Twitter&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href= "https://www.instagram.com/upstreampodcast/"&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/UpstreamPodcast"&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href= "https://bsky.app/profile/upstreampodcast.bsky.social"&gt;Bluesky&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;</description>

“This is the most important election of our lifetimes.” “Voting for a third-party candidate? Might as well throw away your vote!” “You may not like her, but you’ve just got to hold your nose and vote for her — otherwise, Trump might...

[RE-RELEASE] A Marxist Perspective on Elections w/ August Nimtz

This is a free preview of the episode "Disabled Ecologies w/ Sunaura Taylor." You can listen to the full episode by subscribing to our Patreon here: <a href= "https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast">https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast</a> As a Patreon subscriber you'll get access to at least one bonus episode a month (usually two or three), our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, early access to certain episodes, and other benefits like stickers and bumper stickers—depending on which tier you subscribe to. You’ll also be helping to keep Upstream sustainable and allowing us to keep this project going. Find out more at <a href= "https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast">Patreon.com/upstreampodcast</a> or at <a href= "https://www.upstreampodcast.org/support">upstreampodcast.org/support</a>. Thank you. Disability is a state, or an idea, or a process even that is often associated with human beings—somebody becomes “disabled” or is experiencing “disability.” We don’t typically attach this state of being or this process to things other than human beings, much less to, say, geological formations. When is the last time you heard somebody refer to a contaminated body of water as “being disabled?” But utilizing the language and framing of disability when thinking about the impacts of capitalism and imperialism on our bodies and our biosphere is not just a useful exercise—it’s a profound and crucial analysis.  The story that we tell in this episode is one of disabled ecologies and has its origins deep beneath the ground in Tucson, Arizona—but it stretches all across the globe, from Gaza to Yemen to Korea—from the cells in our bodies to the water that lives in aquifers many feet below the ground. And really, the story doesn’t actually originate in Arizona—it begins somewhere in Europe sometime between the 12th to 16th centuries, during the dawn of capitalism. But that’s a different story for a different time.  To tell the story and concept of disabled ecologies—a story of the web of interconnection between humans and the more-than-human world—we’ve brought on <a href= "https://x.com/sunaura_taylor">Sunaura Taylor</a>. Sunaura is an Assistant Professor at UC Berkeley in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, a critical disability scholar and activist, an artist, and the author of two books: <a href= "https://thenewpress.com/books/beasts-of-burden">Beasts of Burden: Animal and Disability Liberation</a>, published by The New Press, and, most recently, <a href= "https://www.ucpress.edu/books/disabled-ecologies/hardcover">Disabled Ecologies: Lessons from a Wounded Desert</a>, published by University of California Press.   In this episode we tell the story of Tucson, Arizona’s aquifer and how it came to be contaminated by the US military. We trace the contours of death and destruction from the water beneath Tucson’s Southside neighborhood to the bodies living above it, from the chemicals that disabled ecosystems in Arizona and to the bombs drenched in those chemicals that were dropped on people across the Global South. We explore disability politics, environmental racism, classism, and the importance of organizing. And we celebrate the wins and the successes—not yet complete—of those in Tucson, Arizona who are taking on the capitalist state machinery to fight for justice and personal, community, and ecological healing. Further resources: <ul> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://www.ucpress.edu/books/disabled-ecologies/hardcover">Disabled Ecologies: Lessons from a Wounded Desert</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://www.worldwildlife.org/press-releases/catastrophic-73-decline-in-the-average-size-of-global-wildlife-populations-in-just-50-years-reveals-a-system-in-peril"> Nature is Disappearing: The Average Size of Wildlife Populations has Fallen by a Staggering 73%</a></li> </ul> Related episodes: <ul> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/breaking-the-chains-of-empire-w-abby-martin-live-show"> Breaking the Chains of Empire w/ Abby Martin (Live Show)</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/health-communism-with-beatrice-adler-bolton-in-conversation"> Health Communism with Beatrice Adler-Bolton</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/terra-viva-with-vandana-shiva-in-conversation"> Terra Viva with Vandana Shiva</a></li> </ul> Cover art: Sunaura Taylor 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 <a href= "https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast">patreon.com/upstreampodcast</a> or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at <a href= "https://www.upstreampodcast.org/support">www.upstreampodcast.org/support</a> If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries, we have a number of sponsorship packages available. Find out more at <a href= "https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fupstreampodcast.org%2Fsponsorship&token=fb395-1-1663029755269">  upstreampodcast.org/sponsorship</a> For more from Upstream, visit <a href= "https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.upstreampodcast.org&token=efc9f5-1-1663029755269"> www.upstreampodcast.org</a> and follow us on <a href= "https://twitter.com/upstreamPodcast">Twitter</a>, <a href= "https://www.instagram.com/upstreampodcast/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/UpstreamPodcast">Facebook</a>, and <a href= "https://bsky.app/profile/upstreampodcast.bsky.social">Bluesky</a>. You can also subscribe to us on <a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/upstream/id1082594532">Apple Podcasts,</a> <a href= "https://open.spotify.com/show/4KwWOMp24P9cVVR6d0i7Zq?si=ec90ca944bcb43cf&nd=1"> Spotify</a>, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

<description>&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This is a free preview of the episode "Disabled Ecologies w/ Sunaura Taylor." You can listen to the full episode by subscribing to our Patreon here: &lt;a href= "https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast"&gt;https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;As a Patreon subscriber you'll get access to at least one bonus episode a month (usually two or three), our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, early access to certain episodes, and other benefits like stickers and bumper stickers—depending on which tier you subscribe to. You’ll also be helping to keep Upstream sustainable and allowing us to keep this project going. Find out more at &lt;a href= "https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast"&gt;Patreon.com/upstreampodcast&lt;/a&gt; or at &lt;a href= "https://www.upstreampodcast.org/support"&gt;upstreampodcast.org/support&lt;/a&gt;. Thank you.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Disability is a state, or an idea, or a process even that is often associated with human beings—somebody becomes “disabled” or is experiencing “disability.” We don’t typically attach this state of being or this process to things other than human beings, much less to, say, geological formations. When is the last time you heard somebody refer to a contaminated body of water as “being disabled?” But utilizing the language and framing of disability when thinking about the impacts of capitalism and imperialism on our bodies and our biosphere is not just a useful exercise—it’s a profound and crucial analysis. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;The story that we tell in this episode is one of disabled ecologies and has its origins deep beneath the ground in Tucson, Arizona—but it stretches all across the globe, from Gaza to Yemen to Korea—from the cells in our bodies to the water that lives in aquifers many feet below the ground. And really, the story doesn’t actually originate in Arizona—it begins somewhere in Europe sometime between the 12th to 16th centuries, during the dawn of capitalism. But that’s a different story for a different time. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;To tell the story and concept of disabled ecologies—a story of the web of interconnection between humans and the more-than-human world—we’ve brought on &lt;a href= "https://x.com/sunaura_taylor"&gt;Sunaura Taylor&lt;/a&gt;. Sunaura is an Assistant Professor at UC Berkeley in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, a critical disability scholar and activist, an artist, and the author of two books: &lt;a href= "https://thenewpress.com/books/beasts-of-burden"&gt;Beasts of Burden: Animal and Disability Liberation&lt;/a&gt;, published by The New Press, and, most recently, &lt;a href= "https://www.ucpress.edu/books/disabled-ecologies/hardcover"&gt;Disabled Ecologies: Lessons from a Wounded Desert&lt;/a&gt;, published by University of California Press.  &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;In this episode we tell the story of Tucson, Arizona’s aquifer and how it came to be contaminated by the US military. We trace the contours of death and destruction from the water beneath Tucson’s Southside neighborhood to the bodies living above it, from the chemicals that disabled ecosystems in Arizona and to the bombs drenched in those chemicals that were dropped on people across the Global South. We explore disability politics, environmental racism, classism, and the importance of organizing. And we celebrate the wins and the successes—not yet complete—of those in Tucson, Arizona who are taking on the capitalist state machinery to fight for justice and personal, community, and ecological healing.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Further resources:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.ucpress.edu/books/disabled-ecologies/hardcover"&gt;Disabled Ecologies: Lessons from a Wounded Desert&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.worldwildlife.org/press-releases/catastrophic-73-decline-in-the-average-size-of-global-wildlife-populations-in-just-50-years-reveals-a-system-in-peril"&gt; Nature is Disappearing: The Average Size of Wildlife Populations has Fallen by a Staggering 73%&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Related episodes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/breaking-the-chains-of-empire-w-abby-martin-live-show"&gt; Breaking the Chains of Empire w/ Abby Martin (Live Show)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/health-communism-with-beatrice-adler-bolton-in-conversation"&gt; Health Communism with Beatrice Adler-Bolton&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/terra-viva-with-vandana-shiva-in-conversation"&gt; Terra Viva with Vandana Shiva&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cover art:&lt;/strong&gt; Sunaura Taylor&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;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 &lt;a href= "https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast"&gt;patreon.com/upstreampodcast&lt;/a&gt; or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at &lt;a href= "https://www.upstreampodcast.org/support"&gt;www.upstreampodcast.org/support&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries, we have a number of sponsorship packages available. Find out more at &lt;a href= "https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fupstreampodcast.org%2Fsponsorship&amp;token=fb395-1-1663029755269"&gt;  upstreampodcast.org/sponsorship&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;For more from Upstream, visit &lt;a href= "https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.upstreampodcast.org&amp;token=efc9f5-1-1663029755269"&gt; www.upstreampodcast.org&lt;/a&gt; and follow us on &lt;a href= "https://twitter.com/upstreamPodcast"&gt;Twitter&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href= "https://www.instagram.com/upstreampodcast/"&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/UpstreamPodcast"&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href= "https://bsky.app/profile/upstreampodcast.bsky.social"&gt;Bluesky&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; You can also subscribe to us on &lt;a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/upstream/id1082594532"&gt;Apple Podcasts,&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href= "https://open.spotify.com/show/4KwWOMp24P9cVVR6d0i7Zq?si=ec90ca944bcb43cf&amp;nd=1"&gt; Spotify&lt;/a&gt;, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

This is a free preview of the episode "Disabled Ecologies w/ Sunaura Taylor." You can listen to the full episode by subscribing to our Patreon here:  As a Patreon subscriber you'll get access to at least one bonus episode a month (usually two or...

[TEASER] Disabled Ecologies w/ Sunaura Taylor

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, or The DRC, is—despite being in one of the most resource-rich regions on the planet—one of the poorest countries in the world. It sits atop a wealth of minerals that form the central components to much of our technology in the 21st century, and yet, none of this wealth remains in the country. Well, almost none of it—there is of course some that is skimmed off the top by local elites. But the vast majority of the wealth, along with the raw materials, are exported from the country and end up not just lining the pockets of multinational corporations and their shareholders, but, of course, the wealth ends up in the pockets of Western consumers in the form of iPhones, for example, that should be priced much more highly than they actually are.  In this episode, we’re going to take a deep dive into the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in doing so, explore why this resource-rich country is as impoverished and as immiserated as it is. And we’ve brought on the perfect guest to talk us through it all.  <a href="https://x.com/vijayprashad">Vijay Prashad</a> is a journalist, political commentator, and executive-director of <a href= "https://thetricontinental.org/">Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research</a>. He’s the author of <a href= "https://monthlyreview.org/product/washington-bullets/">Washington Bullets: The History of the CIA, Coups, and Assassinations</a>, and <a href= "https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745339665/red-star-over-the-third-world/"> Red Star Over the Third World</a>. In this episode, we explore the history of The Congo and situate it within a much broader framework of colonialism, neocolonialism, and imperialism which shaped—both literally and figuratively—the continent of Africa for hundreds of years. We explore the Congolese’s fight for independence and sovereignty as it manifested through their independence leader Patrice Lumumba, who was assassinated in 1961. We explore the current state of the country, what many refer to as the “silent genocide,” with millions of Congolese having been killed, displaced, and impoverished as a result of war, destabilization, super exploitation, and voracious extraction. And finally, we explore how the Congolese are fighting for their sovereignty and independence. This episode was produced in collaboration with EcoGather, a collapse-responsive co-learning network that hosts free online Weekly EcoGatherings that foster conversation and build community around heterodox economics, collective action, and belonging in an enlivened world. In this collaboration, EcoGather will be hosting gatherings to bring some Upstream episodes to life—this is one of those episodes. We hope you can join the gathering on Monday, November 11th at 8pm Eastern to discuss the topics covered in this episode. Find out more at <a href= "https://ecogather.ing/">www.ecogather.ing</a>. Further Resources <ul> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://thetricontinental.org/">Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://thetricontinental.org/dossier-77-the-congolese-fight-for-their-own-wealth/"> The Congolese Fight for Their Own Wealth, Tricontintental</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://www.marxists.org/subject/africa/lumumba/1961/xx/letter.htm"> Letter from Thysville Prison to Mrs. Lumumba</a> </li> </ul> Related Episodes: <ul> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/unlocked-how-the-north-plunders-the-south-w-jason-hickel"> [UNLOCKED] How the North Plunders the South w/ Jason Hickel</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/walter-rodney-marxism-and-underdevelopment-with-d-musa-springer-charisse-burden-stelly"> Walter Rodney, Marxism, and Underdevelopment with D. Musa Springer & Charisse Burden-Stelly</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/better-lives-for-all-w-jason-hickel"> Better Lives for All w/ Jason Hickel</a></li> </ul> Cover art: <a href= "https://www.instagram.com/okrasanyika/">Sanyika</a> Intermission music: “African Jazz” by Grand Kalle, part of album Joseph Kabasele and the Creation of Modern Congolese Music, Vol. 1 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 <a href= "https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast">patreon.com/upstreampodcast</a> or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at <a href= "https://www.upstreampodcast.org/support">www.upstreampodcast.org/support</a> If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries, we have a number of sponsorship packages available. Find out more at  <a href= "https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fupstreampodcast.org%2Fsponsorship&token=fb395-1-1663029755269"> upstreampodcast.org/sponsorship</a> For more from Upstream, visit <a href= "https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.upstreampodcast.org&token=efc9f5-1-1663029755269"> www.upstreampodcast.org</a> and follow us on <a href= "https://twitter.com/upstreamPodcast">Twitter</a>, <a href= "https://www.instagram.com/upstreampodcast/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/UpstreamPodcast">Facebook</a>, and <a href= "https://bsky.app/profile/upstreampodcast.bsky.social">Bluesky</a>. You can also subscribe to us on <a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/upstream/id1082594532">Apple Podcasts,</a> <a href= "https://open.spotify.com/show/4KwWOMp24P9cVVR6d0i7Zq?si=ec90ca944bcb43cf&nd=1"> Spotify</a>, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

<description>&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;The Democratic Republic of the Congo, or The DRC, is—despite being in one of the most resource-rich regions on the planet—one of the poorest countries in the world. It sits atop a wealth of minerals that form the central components to much of our technology in the 21st century, and yet, none of this wealth remains in the country. Well, almost none of it—there is of course some that is skimmed off the top by local elites. But the vast majority of the wealth, along with the raw materials, are exported from the country and end up not just lining the pockets of multinational corporations and their shareholders, but, of course, the wealth ends up in the pockets of Western consumers in the form of iPhones, for example, that should be priced much more highly than they actually are. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;In this episode, we’re going to take a deep dive into the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in doing so, explore why this resource-rich country is as impoverished and as immiserated as it is. And we’ve brought on the perfect guest to talk us through it all. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href="https://x.com/vijayprashad"&gt;Vijay Prashad&lt;/a&gt; is a journalist, political commentator, and executive-director of &lt;a href= "https://thetricontinental.org/"&gt;Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research&lt;/a&gt;. He’s the author of &lt;a href= "https://monthlyreview.org/product/washington-bullets/"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Washington Bullets: The History of the CIA, Coups, and Assassinations&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href= "https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745339665/red-star-over-the-third-world/"&gt; &lt;em&gt;Red Star Over the Third World&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;In this episode, we explore the history of The Congo and situate it within a much broader framework of colonialism, neocolonialism, and imperialism which shaped—both literally and figuratively—the continent of Africa for hundreds of years. We explore the Congolese’s fight for independence and sovereignty as it manifested through their independence leader Patrice Lumumba, who was assassinated in 1961. We explore the current state of the country, what many refer to as the “silent genocide,” with millions of Congolese having been killed, displaced, and impoverished as a result of war, destabilization, super exploitation, and voracious extraction. And finally, we explore how the Congolese are fighting for their sovereignty and independence.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;This episode was produced in collaboration with EcoGather, a collapse-responsive co-learning network that hosts free online Weekly EcoGatherings that foster conversation and build community around heterodox economics, collective action, and belonging in an enlivened world. In this collaboration, EcoGather will be hosting gatherings to bring some Upstream episodes to life—this is one of those episodes. We hope you can join the gathering on Monday, November 11th at 8pm Eastern to discuss the topics covered in this episode. Find out more at &lt;a href= "https://ecogather.ing/"&gt;www.ecogather.ing&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Further Resources&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://thetricontinental.org/"&gt;Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://thetricontinental.org/dossier-77-the-congolese-fight-for-their-own-wealth/"&gt; The Congolese Fight for Their Own Wealth, Tricontintental&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.marxists.org/subject/africa/lumumba/1961/xx/letter.htm"&gt; Letter from Thysville Prison to Mrs. Lumumba&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Related Episodes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/unlocked-how-the-north-plunders-the-south-w-jason-hickel"&gt; [UNLOCKED] How the North Plunders the South w/ Jason Hickel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/walter-rodney-marxism-and-underdevelopment-with-d-musa-springer-charisse-burden-stelly"&gt; Walter Rodney, Marxism, and Underdevelopment with D. Musa Springer &amp; Charisse Burden-Stelly&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/better-lives-for-all-w-jason-hickel"&gt; Better Lives for All w/ Jason Hickel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cover art:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href= "https://www.instagram.com/okrasanyika/"&gt;Sanyika&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Intermission music:&lt;/strong&gt; “African Jazz” by Grand Kalle, part of album Joseph Kabasele and the Creation of Modern Congolese Music, Vol. 1&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;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 &lt;a href= "https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast"&gt;patreon.com/upstreampodcast&lt;/a&gt; or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at &lt;a href= "https://www.upstreampodcast.org/support"&gt;www.upstreampodcast.org/support&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries, we have a number of sponsorship packages available. Find out more at  &lt;a href= "https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fupstreampodcast.org%2Fsponsorship&amp;token=fb395-1-1663029755269"&gt; upstreampodcast.org/sponsorship&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;For more from Upstream, visit &lt;a href= "https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.upstreampodcast.org&amp;token=efc9f5-1-1663029755269"&gt; www.upstreampodcast.org&lt;/a&gt; and follow us on &lt;a href= "https://twitter.com/upstreamPodcast"&gt;Twitter&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href= "https://www.instagram.com/upstreampodcast/"&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/UpstreamPodcast"&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href= "https://bsky.app/profile/upstreampodcast.bsky.social"&gt;Bluesky&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; You can also subscribe to us on &lt;a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/upstream/id1082594532"&gt;Apple Podcasts,&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href= "https://open.spotify.com/show/4KwWOMp24P9cVVR6d0i7Zq?si=ec90ca944bcb43cf&amp;nd=1"&gt; Spotify&lt;/a&gt;, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, or The DRC, is—despite being in one of the most resource-rich regions on the planet—one of the poorest countries in the world. It sits atop a wealth of minerals that form the central components to much of our...

The Fight for The Congo w/ Vijay Prashad

This is a free preview of the episode "Western Marxism w/ Gabriel Rockhill." You can listen to the full episode by subscribing to our Patreon here: <a href= "https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast">https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast</a> As a Patreon subscriber you will get access to at least one bonus episode a month (usually two or three), our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, early access to certain episodes, and other benefits like stickers and bumper stickers—depending on which tier you subscribe to. You’ll also be helping to keep Upstream sustainable and allowing us to keep this project going. Find out more at <a href= "https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast">Patreon.com/upstreampodcast</a> or at <a href= "https://www.upstreampodcast.org/support">upstreampodcast.org/support</a>. Thank you. Western Marxism. What is it? Where did it arise from? And what is it in opposition to? Not simply a geographic indicator, although much of what it depicts exists in what we understand to be the West more broadly, Western Marxism is a term deployed, in particular, by the great Italian Marxist Domenico Losurdo, to describe a form of Marxism that, in a nutshell, does not concern itself with anti-imperialism and anti-colonialism, but, instead, rejects much of the actually-existing socialism that exists in the very real, material world—a world which Western Marxism, over the years, has become more and more alienated and estranged from. Western Marxism stands in opposition to what Domenico Losurdo calls Eastern Marxism, which, again, is not necessarily delineated by a specific geography, but is a form of Marxism that has cut its teeth in real struggles for power, in real anti-colonial revolution. In his penultimate book—which shares the title of this episode—Domenico Losurdo presents a scathing but honest, passionate, and deeply sincere critique of Western Marxism. Far from just a diatribe, Losurdo’s text spells out exactly why the West abandoned so much of Marxism that was central to Marx, Engels, and Lenin’s understandings of Marxist theory and, most importantly, practice.  The vast majority of Losurdo’s fifty or so books have not been translated into English, and he died in 2018, but this book, Western Marxism, was just recently translated into English for the first time, and we’ve brought on the edition’s editor, the terrific Gabriel Rockhill, to discuss it.  <a href="https://x.com/GabrielRockhill">Gabriel Rockhill</a> is a philosopher, cultural critic, and activist teaching Philosophy and Global Interdisciplinary Studies at Villanova University. He runs an educational nonprofit called the Critical Theory Workshop and is the editor of <a href= "https://monthlyreview.org/product/western-marxism/">Western Marxism: How it was Born, How it Died, How it can be Reborn</a>, by the Italian Marxist Domenico Losurdo, published by Monthly Review Press.  In this Patreon episode, we discuss Western Marxism and Eastern Marxism—tracing their histories and outlining their differences. We explore how the CIA and other anti-communist forces infiltrated the left and spread the influence of Western Marxism through academia, media, and other avenues in order to purge the Western left of its communist tendencies and to poison our perception of actually-existing socialism in places like the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, and Vietnam—among others. We explore how the left in the West can unlearn this propaganda and reintroduce a robust anti-imperialist, pro-communist analysis into our movements, and why it is so crucial to understand that the left must start with anti-imperialism. Further resources: <ul> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://gabrielrockhill.com/">Gabriel Rockhill</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://monthlyreview.org/product/western-marxism/">Western Marxism: How it was Born, How it Died, How it can be Reborn, by Domenico Losurdo</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://www.marxists.org/archive/hall/1970/crisis-petty-bourgeois-radicalism.htm"> Crisis of Petty-Bourgeois Radicalism, Gus Hall</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal">Who Paid the Pipers of Western Marxism? Volume I of The Intellectual World War: Marxism versus the Imperial Theory Industry, by Gabriel Rockhill (forthcoming in 2025 by <a href="https://monthlyreview.org/press/">Monthly Review Press</a>)</li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://granta.com/products/who-paid-the-piper/">Who Paid the Piper?: The CIA and the Cultural Cold War</a>, by Frances Stonor Saunders</li> </ul> Related episodes: <ul> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://redmenace.libsyn.com/what-is-to-be-done-with-breht-oshea-and-alyson-escalante-upstream-interview"> What is To Be Done? w/ Breht O'Shea and Alyson Escalante</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://www.patreon.com/posts/liberal-virus-109216443">The Liberal Virus</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://www.patreon.com/posts/will-revolution-112633168">Will the Revolution Be Funded? w/ Nairuti Shastry and Zac Chapman</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/walter-rodney-marxism-and-underdevelopment-with-d-musa-springer-charisse-burden-stelly"> Walter Rodney, Marxism, and Underdevelopment with D. Musa Springer & Charisse Burden-Stelly</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/dialectical-materialism-w-josh-sykes"> Dialectical Materialism w/ Josh Sykes</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://www.patreon.com/posts/socialism-w-and-97518258">Socialism Betrayed w/ Roger Keeran and Joe Jamison</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/the-missing-revolution-w-vincent-bevins"> The Missing Revolution w/ Vincent Bevins</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/the-case-against-the-professional-managerial-class-with-catherine-liu-in-conversation"> The Case Against the Professional Managerial Class with Catherine Liu</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://www.patreon.com/posts/palestine-pt-11-106590046">Palestine Pt. 11: Israel and the U.S. Empire w/ Max Ajl</a></li> <li class="MsoNormal"><a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/palestine-pt-13-al-aqsa-flood-and-the-resistance-axis-w-matteo-capasso"> Palestine Pt. 13: Al-Aqsa Flood and the Resistance Axis w/ Matteo Capasso</a></li> </ul> 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 <a href= "https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast">patreon.com/upstreampodcast</a> or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at <a href= "https://www.upstreampodcast.org/support">www.upstreampodcast.org/support</a> If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries, we have a number of sponsorship packages available. Find out more at <a href= "https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fupstreampodcast.org%2Fsponsorship&token=fb395-1-1663029755269">  upstreampodcast.org/sponsorship</a> For more from Upstream, visit <a href= "https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.upstreampodcast.org&token=efc9f5-1-1663029755269"> www.upstreampodcast.org</a> and follow us on <a href= "https://twitter.com/upstreamPodcast">Twitter</a>, <a href= "https://www.instagram.com/upstreampodcast/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/UpstreamPodcast">Facebook</a>, and <a href= "https://bsky.app/profile/upstreampodcast.bsky.social">Bluesky</a>. You can also subscribe to us on <a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/upstream/id1082594532">Apple Podcasts,</a> <a href= "https://open.spotify.com/show/4KwWOMp24P9cVVR6d0i7Zq?si=ec90ca944bcb43cf&nd=1"> Spotify</a>, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

<description>&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;This is a free preview of the episode "Western Marxism w/ Gabriel Rockhill." You can listen to the full episode by subscribing to our Patreon here: &lt;a href= "https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast"&gt;https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;As a Patreon subscriber you will get access to at least one bonus episode a month (usually two or three), our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, early access to certain episodes, and other benefits like stickers and bumper stickers—depending on which tier you subscribe to. You’ll also be helping to keep Upstream sustainable and allowing us to keep this project going. Find out more at &lt;a href= "https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast"&gt;Patreon.com/upstreampodcast&lt;/a&gt; or at &lt;a href= "https://www.upstreampodcast.org/support"&gt;upstreampodcast.org/support&lt;/a&gt;. Thank you.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p id="docs-internal-guid-9b623583-7fff-c5a7-514e-77ca3e7856dc" dir="ltr" style= "line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"&gt; &lt;span style= "font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"&gt; Western Marxism. What is it? Where did it arise from? And what is it in opposition to? Not simply a geographic indicator, although much of what it depicts exists in what we understand to be the West more broadly, Western Marxism is a term deployed, in particular, by the great Italian Marxist Domenico Losurdo, to describe a form of Marxism that, in a nutshell, does&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span style= "font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"&gt; not&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span style= "font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"&gt; concern itself with anti-imperialism and anti-colonialism, but, instead, rejects much of the actually-existing socialism that exists in the very real, material world—a world which Western Marxism, over the years, has become more and more alienated and estranged from.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Western Marxism stands in opposition to what Domenico Losurdo calls Eastern Marxism, which, again, is not necessarily delineated by a specific geography, but is a form of Marxism that has cut its teeth in real struggles for power, in real anti-colonial revolution.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;In his penultimate book—which shares the title of this episode—Domenico Losurdo presents a scathing but honest, passionate, and deeply sincere critique of Western Marxism. Far from just a diatribe, Losurdo’s text spells out exactly why the West abandoned so much of Marxism that was central to Marx, Engels, and Lenin’s understandings of Marxist theory and, most importantly, practice. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The vast majority of Losurdo’s fifty or so books have not been translated into English, and he died in 2018, but this book, Western Marxism, was just recently translated into English for the first time, and we’ve brought on the edition’s editor, the terrific Gabriel Rockhill, to discuss it. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://x.com/GabrielRockhill"&gt;Gabriel Rockhill&lt;/a&gt; is a philosopher, cultural critic, and activist teaching Philosophy and Global Interdisciplinary Studies at Villanova University. He runs an educational nonprofit called the Critical Theory Workshop and is the editor of &lt;a href= "https://monthlyreview.org/product/western-marxism/"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Western Marxism: How it was Born, How it Died, How it can be Reborn&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, by the Italian Marxist Domenico Losurdo, published by Monthly Review Press. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;In this Patreon episode, we discuss Western Marxism and Eastern Marxism—tracing their histories and outlining their differences. We explore how the CIA and other anti-communist forces infiltrated the left and spread the influence of Western Marxism through academia, media, and other avenues in order to purge the Western left of its communist tendencies and to poison our perception of actually-existing socialism in places like the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, and Vietnam—among others. We explore how the left in the West can unlearn this propaganda and reintroduce a robust anti-imperialist, pro-communist analysis into our movements, and why it is so crucial to understand that the left must start with anti-imperialism.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Further resources:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://gabrielrockhill.com/"&gt;Gabriel Rockhill&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://monthlyreview.org/product/western-marxism/"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Western Marxism: How it was Born, How it Died, How it can be Reborn&lt;/em&gt;, by Domenico Losurdo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.marxists.org/archive/hall/1970/crisis-petty-bourgeois-radicalism.htm"&gt; Crisis of Petty-Bourgeois Radicalism, Gus Hall&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Who Paid the Pipers of Western Marxism? Volume I of The Intellectual World War: Marxism versus the Imperial Theory Industry&lt;/em&gt;, by Gabriel Rockhill (forthcoming in 2025 by &lt;a href="https://monthlyreview.org/press/"&gt;Monthly Review Press&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://granta.com/products/who-paid-the-piper/"&gt;Who Paid the Piper?: The CIA and the Cultural Cold War&lt;/a&gt;, by Frances Stonor Saunders&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Related episodes:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://redmenace.libsyn.com/what-is-to-be-done-with-breht-oshea-and-alyson-escalante-upstream-interview"&gt; What is To Be Done? w/ Breht O'Shea and Alyson Escalante&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.patreon.com/posts/liberal-virus-109216443"&gt;The Liberal Virus&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.patreon.com/posts/will-revolution-112633168"&gt;Will the Revolution Be Funded? w/ Nairuti Shastry and Zac Chapman&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/walter-rodney-marxism-and-underdevelopment-with-d-musa-springer-charisse-burden-stelly"&gt; Walter Rodney, Marxism, and Underdevelopment with D. Musa Springer &amp; Charisse Burden-Stelly&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/dialectical-materialism-w-josh-sykes"&gt; Dialectical Materialism w/ Josh Sykes&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.patreon.com/posts/socialism-w-and-97518258"&gt;Socialism Betrayed w/ Roger Keeran and Joe Jamison&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/the-missing-revolution-w-vincent-bevins"&gt; The Missing Revolution w/ Vincent Bevins&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/the-case-against-the-professional-managerial-class-with-catherine-liu-in-conversation"&gt; The Case Against the Professional Managerial Class with Catherine Liu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://www.patreon.com/posts/palestine-pt-11-106590046"&gt;Palestine Pt. 11: Israel and the U.S. Empire w/ Max Ajl&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;a href= "https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/palestine-pt-13-al-aqsa-flood-and-the-resistance-axis-w-matteo-capasso"&gt; Palestine Pt. 13: Al-Aqsa Flood and the Resistance Axis w/ Matteo Capasso&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;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 &lt;a href= "https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast"&gt;patreon.com/upstreampodcast&lt;/a&gt; or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at &lt;a href= "https://www.upstreampodcast.org/support"&gt;www.upstreampodcast.org/support&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;If your organization wants to sponsor one of our upcoming documentaries, we have a number of sponsorship packages available. Find out more at &lt;a href= "https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fupstreampodcast.org%2Fsponsorship&amp;token=fb395-1-1663029755269"&gt;  upstreampodcast.org/sponsorship&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;For more from Upstream, visit &lt;a href= "https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.upstreampodcast.org&amp;token=efc9f5-1-1663029755269"&gt; www.upstreampodcast.org&lt;/a&gt; and follow us on &lt;a href= "https://twitter.com/upstreamPodcast"&gt;Twitter&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href= "https://www.instagram.com/upstreampodcast/"&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/UpstreamPodcast"&gt;Facebook&lt;/a&gt;, and &lt;a href= "https://bsky.app/profile/upstreampodcast.bsky.social"&gt;Bluesky&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; You can also subscribe to us on &lt;a href= "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/upstream/id1082594532"&gt;Apple Podcasts,&lt;/a&gt; &lt;a href= "https://open.spotify.com/show/4KwWOMp24P9cVVR6d0i7Zq?si=ec90ca944bcb43cf&amp;nd=1"&gt; Spotify&lt;/a&gt;, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

This is a free preview of the episode "Western Marxism w/ Gabriel Rockhill." You can listen to the full episode by subscribing to our Patreon here:  As a Patreon subscriber you will get access to at least one bonus episode a month (usually two or...

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