podcasts

SHOW NOTES

Having been introduced to Lysenko and why he still matters, having given a rudimentary picture of agricultural research in the Tsarist days, we will today suit up in the armour of proletarian science, as to be able to fight the beasts that lay ahead. This episode is a bit theory heavy but I've sprinkled it with some comedy, some parallax events and a biological cliffhanger of the centuries!

We are standing at the gate of the law but unlike Kafka's protagonist we will not be discouraged by the guard or his warning of other guards, more mightier door after door, come dream or nightmare we must step through for the sake of an environmental future that is not a virtual hologram.

Brace yourself dear listener, for it's getting heavier.

cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/2380760

Will and Hesse review Footlight Parade (1933) and One, Two, Three (1961)

I have been listening to Mike Duncan's Revolutions podcast for awhile and have been loving it. So far, the Haitian season might be my favorite but the Mexican one has been pretty good, too. I'd highly recommend it to everyone interested in history so far. Although hearing about all the failed leftist revolutions from 1848 has been very depressing lol.

Anyway, I'm about to finish the Mexican Revolution season and am wondering, for people who have listened to this podcast who are communists, socialists, and/or anarchists, what do you think of the rest of the podcast - which looks to be all the Russian Revolution?

So far, the podcast has been surprisingly radicalizing, but I heard that Mike himself is more of a centrist and is personally critical of communism and Lenin.

He's earned enough goodwill from me up to now for me to listen to it anyway, it's not like I need all my media to be communist propaganda (or I could never watch anything). Plus, I'm sure they did make a ton of mistakes back then. But, I'm mostly just wondering what I'm about to get into here exactly.

Even handed critiques of the revolutionaries but also with appropriate context, like the Haiti or French Revolution season? A bit of emotional bias but with mostly accurate facts? Missing context and reframing of Cold War red scare propaganda? Or he's been radicalized more than I thought and he turns into a communist this season? How good is it, and how does it rank with other seasons?

Should I ask the same thing in Lemmygrad, too? Looking for leftist history nerd opinions, because I haven't seen them on the other site on this season specifically. Also, any supplemental reading or stuff to watch to better understand this final, giant section of the podcast, especially if it explores facts or perspectives he isn't already going to get into? Let me know!

Tl;dr: bolded parts

Worth listening to.

The boys try to make sense of Katherine Maher, the new president of NPR, ex-CEO of Wikimedia, ex-Atlantic Council, ex-State Department, and current member of the Council of Foreign Relations. But as usual their liberal ideology doesn’t quite get them there. They see that Maher has a relationship with the ruling class, the state, and imperialism, but they’re unable to see that, because this is a monopoly capitalist state, the capitalist class, the state, and imperialism are really one system (How they fail to note that NPR is state-affiliated media is beyond me).

They talk about the new FISA expansion bill (which was signed into law today) as well, which to their credit they see as related.

America This Week, April 19, 2024: "To Build a Surveillance State." (transcript)
A paid subscription is ostensibly required, so: https://files.catbox.moe/e7xim5.mp3

ETA: The Grayzone on Maher previously:

• 2020: Meet Wikipedia’s Ayn Rand-loving founder and Wikimedia Foundation’s regime-change operative CEO
• 2023: US regime change activist named Web Summit CEO after founder forced out for condemning Israeli ‘war crimes’

SHOW NOTES

I'm joined again by @irc_nic as the Belgian Autumn begins.

Prince Albert and the Belgian business class over-promise and under-deliver in a trade deal with the Saudis. The resulting financial scandal exposes a vice network, blackmail operations and massive embezzlement. The Belgian establishment scrambles to cover it all up, but things take a dramatically darker turn when a psychiatrist files for divorce and his wife decides to share explosive secrets about extremely powerful people.

Never really got into them, but I want some Matt content. Any recs are appreciated.

You've probably heard of the Wankel rotary engine found in the Mazda RX-7, but it was also tested in all kinds of experimental vehicles, including torpedoes, Soviet cop cars, helicopters, and diesel tanks. But first: our project car updates, and some history about the inventor Felix Wankel.

Main topic at 28:08

Email us with tips, stories, and unhinged rants: carsandcomrades@gmail.com //

Our social media links etc: www.linktr.ee/CarsAndComrades //

Music by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard: www.kinggizzardandthelizardwizard.com/polygondwanaland //

Links/Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Wankel //

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wankel_engine //

How Rotary Engines Work https://youtu.be/sd6pJtR4PaY //

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wankel_Diesel_engine //

Rolls Royce Made A Diesel Rotary Engine With Four Rotors! https://youtu.be/1pDjwaqU0dU //

https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/man-builds-3000hp-34-7l-2100cu-turbocharged-big-block-rotary-engine-its-insane //

https://tractorzoom.com/equipment/tractors/john-deere/the-angry-dorito-john-deere-rotary-power //

https://driventowrite.com/2022/09/06/join-the-wankel-party-lada/ //

https://jalopnik.com/the-soviets-made-fast-ish-rotary-powered-ladas-for-the-1850125728 //

How USSR Stole Wankel For KGB https://youtu.be/Bo8oalHcW3g //

https://www.thedrive.com/news/soviet-five-pointed-rotary-is-the-final-boss-of-wankel-engines //

SHOW NOTES

We conclude our time in Congo by discussing how they killed Lumumba, colonial ghosts returning to the imperial core, and the politics of forgetting.

Hair-raising conclusion on this one

Rathbone discusses the complexities of capitalist systems, using the examples of New Orleans' corrupt politics and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He shares his perspective on the struggling city of New Orleans, attributing its corruption to capitalist systems and admitting his deep connection to the city despite its challenges. However, he also emphasizes its unique history and cultural contributions. Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Rathbone and Chris Jeffries discuss the historical context, including the displacement of Palestinians and the use of violence. They argue that Palestinians, like the Houthis in Yemen, resist by disrupting trade and challenging power imbalances. Rathbone is critical of international involvement, particularly the role of the United States, and expresses sympathy for resistance groups. The conversation also delves into the complexities of morality and violence in the context of the conflict. Rathbone argues against the condemnation of Palestinians for using violent resistance, noting historical examples of justified violence against oppressors. They also critique undercover Israeli operatives' use of deception, emphasizing its harmful impact on the Palestinian community. Furthermore, Rathbone explores the control of resources and exertion of power through the examples of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and U.S.-Israeli relationship. He calls for recognition of historical decisions and their consequences and warns of the potential global consequences if such actions continue.

Alan Macleod and Chris Jeffries discuss the biased coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by Western media and the role of propaganda in shaping public perception. They critique the use of the term "war" to describe the conflict, arguing that it's not between two equal sides but rather decades of occupation leading to the displacement of nearly two million Palestinians. They also criticize the media's acceptance of Israeli claims without reporting on the other side and the blame placed on Palestinian groups. They provide examples of false information spread through social media accounts and discuss the economic power of China and its impact on Southeast Asian countries. They argue that the United States may try to maintain control through military means as it economically declines. They also discuss the similarities in foreign policy decisions between Republican and Democratic presidents and the focus on Russian interference in the 2016 election. They express concern over the weaponization of social media and the potential for dangerous wars, such as the one being pushed by the influential group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), which aims for regime change in Iran.

The crew of Soviet space station Salyut 7 investigate an unexpected visitor.

The powered by the apocalypse ttrpg takes us into space. Dope. Haven't listened yet super looking forward to it

An all time great episode for them in terms of anger. Aaron was cooking

A "mercenary Army of the poor"? Right-wing think tanks, as well as some on the left, have sought to disprove that framework. Professor Jodi Dean joins the show to critique the most recent study which portrays the rank-and-file military as a Warrior Aristocracy.

SHOW NOTES

The rise of ancient empires in the Eurasian continent ushered in the Axial Age, with its ideologies of absolute good and evil and the promise of revolutionary recompense for unheard-of oppression by the Occupiers of the Earth (שכני הארץ). The books of 1 Enoch and Jubilees, quoted by name in the New Testament, still contained in the Bible of the Ethiopic churches, and exerting a massive influence over the entire Christian view of human history, have recently been re-edited and re-translated with reference to the Aramaic and Hebrew originals partially recovered from the Dead Sea scrolls. Their text shows a greater class consciousness than ever, declaring, “it was not ordained for a man to be a slave, nor was a decree given for a woman to be a handmaid: but it happened because of oppression. This lawlessness was not sent upon the earth: but men created it by themselves, and those who do it will come to a great curse,” (98:4) proclaiming, “woe to those who build their houses not with their own labors, and make the whole house of the stones and bricks of sin,” (99:13) while we workers “toiled and labored and were not masters of our labor; we became the food of the sinners.” (103:11) In response to this situation—ambiguously connected with the idea of God’s angelic police (עירין “watchers”) and prosecutors (שׂטנין “accusers”) betraying Him and engaging in a kind of mafia side hustle which corrupted some humans so that they began to consume and exploit others—the patriarchs Enoch and Moses are given secret knowledge of the cosmic surveillance apparatus that will bring reward to the just, punishment to the rich, and justice to the victims of oppression. We engage in an extended meditation on the impact of these ideas as a weapon of class struggle, both from above and below, in late antique, medieval, capitalist, and our own techno-feudal times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

They seem to have unlisted most of their Chapo clips. Really liked their reading series playlist.