Proles Pod

Rae and Tony sit down with Holly High—frequent guest on Tony's other podcast, Actually Existing Socialism—to discuss the present-day realities of Laos' socialist people's democracy. Holly is an anthropologist whose fieldwork in Laos uses ethnographic methods and anthropological analysis to explore everyday human experience. Check out Holly's Substack, Revolutions in Reproduction, and subscribe for a chance to win a free copy of one of her books. Support the show Join us on Patreon for early-release episodes, study guides, bonus content, TheoryBeats, and more! You can even sign up for free to access study guides, merch updates, and surprise drops. Stay connected: Subscribe on your favorite podcast app, and don't forget to rate and review it helps the show reach more comrades.Follow us on: Twitter/X: @prolespod Instagram & Facebook: @prolespod Upscrolled: @prolespod Have questions or comments? Email us at prolespod@outlook.com Have questions, comments, or ideas that are too spicy for the FBI? Email us at prolespod@protonmail.com

Where Are the Girls?! In honor of International Working Women's Day, Rae is joined by several girls (and girls adjacent) to ask and answer a question that weighs heavily on left spaces: Where are the girls?! Why are so many communist spaces male dominated, what are the impediments to getting women and people of other genders to join, and once they've joined, are there specific considerations that make it difficult for them to stay? Joining Rae are Pame Ledesma of Y Las Palabras and correspondent of Means Morning News, Lenore and Jen Big Nasty of Workers' Lit and How the Red Was Won, Revolutionary Th0t, and Princess Marx. And don't forget to head over to Patreon.com/ProlesPod for the bonus episode Slumber Party Edition.

We did it! Somehow. And somehow there are now more episodes post-comeback than in the original run. It doesn't really feel that way. These past two years have flown by. It feels like only yesterday that Justin was saying, "I think we should invite the guy who does the AES podcast to join Proles." We're grateful to Tony and Rae for putting up with the brothers J, and for adding insight we wouldn't have. But we also want to thank all of you, our listeners, without whom we would just be four people with ADHD screaming into the void. We love you, comrades. We love you so much we decided to forgo our typical format and answer your burning questions about soup and other serious matters. We hope you enjoy. And we hope we last to episode 200 without being taken out by the US State Department. Intro Music: "ProlesPod Theme" by Ransom Notes Outro Music: "Eastern Bloc Beats" by DJ DTA

Andre is back! This time they join Rae and Jeremy for a conversation on how to study and read theory. The discussion covers recommended readings, practical reading tips, and other useful guidance to help listeners better undersand and engage with Marxism-Leninism. Andre's Beginner Communist Resource Video Beginner Friendly Theory Primers: Georges Politzer, Elementary Principles of Philosophy (ProleWiki Link) (Foreign Language Press version) Maurice Cornforth, Dialectical Materialism: An Introduction (Volumes 1-3) PDF Hosted On Prolewiki, Buy a physical copy from Aakar Books Basic Curriculum of the Principles of Marxism Leninism (Translated by Luna Nyugun) Potential Reading Lists For Getting Into The Classics ML Reading Hub's List ProleWiki's Absolute Beginner's List Marxist Internet Archive's List Recommended Auxiliary Theory Texts: J.M Blaut, Marxism And Eurocentric Diffusionism Domenico Losurdo, Flight From History? The Communist Movement between Self-Criticism and Self-Contempt Two Members of the Bolshevik Tendency, Nationhood Or Genocide: The Struggle of the Native People Against Canadian and American Imperialism Leslie Feinberg, Lavender & Red Love Is Law: Cuba's Queer Rights Revolution Miscellaneous Mentioned Or Cited Texts for Part 2: Vladimir Lenin, The Three Sources and Three Component Parts of Marxism Kim Jong-Il, Giving Priority To Ideological Work Is Essential For Acomplishing Socialism Kim Jong-Il, On The Juche Idea George Jackson, Blood In My Eye Audiobook reading of the Losurdo essay

The gang's all here! On the first classic Proles episode in a while, the crew reads through texts written by Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il. We unpack what makes Juche and the DPRK unique inheritors of the tradition of Marxism-Leninism as well as dialectical and historical materialism. Jeremy covers the Juche Idea, Tony talks governance and reuinification, and Rae gives us a look at Korean theater, music, and art. We've started including a short preview of our bonus episodes at the end of the main feed, so stay around for those! You can sign up at Patreon where you get access to early release episodes, study guides, the aforementioned bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! YOU CAN DO SO FOR FREE, which will get you the study guides, merch, and other random drops. Please subscribe on your favorite podcast catcher and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @prolespod and Tiktok @proles.pod. If you have any questions or comments, email us at prolespod@outlook.com. May the spectre haunt your streets, and solidarity forever. Sources: Kim Il sung (1948-1994) Reminiscences: With the Century Let Us Create South-South Cooperation On Eliminating Dogmatism and Formalism and Establishing Juche in Ideological Work On Achieving the National Reunification by the Great Unity of the Nation Ours is the Socialism of Juche Kim Jong Il (1994-2011) On the Art of the Drama On the Art of Music Abuses of Socialism Are Intolerable On the Juche Philosophy Kim Jong Un (2011-present) Let Us Brilliantly Accomplish the Revolutionary Cause of Juche Dissecting Kim Jong Un's Plenum Speech on North Korea's 2024 Plans DPRK news http://www.rodong.rep.kp/en/index.php?MUBAMkAxQA== http://www.pyongyangtimes.com.kp/ https://www.nknews.org/ Intro Music: "ProlesPod Theme" by Ransom Notes Outro Music: "Eastern Bloc Beats" by DJ DTA

This is a bit of a departure from our usual format. Rather than having a specific topic, our guest Andre will give brief summaries and reviews of a number of texts which they recommend as a foundation for anyone who is interested in Marxism or Marxism-Leninism. I would say that this is a great episode for you to share with left-n00bs who you don't want to go down any dark paths of tendency, but it's also great for those who are looking for things to read on the specific subtopics addressed. We're talking overcoming anti-AES propaganda, decolonial theory and history, as well as what Andre calls "the endless Cold War." Reading and Viewing Recommendations: Andre's Beginner Communist Resource Video Quote Reading From The Russians Are Coming Quote Reading From Socialism Betrayed Main Books And Their Respective Follow-Ups: Anna Louise Strong, This Soviet World V.L Allen, The Russians Are Coming: The Politics of Anti-Sovietism Roger Keeran and Thomas Kenny, Socialism Betrayed: Behind the Collapse of the Soviet Union Aimé Césaire, Discourse On Colonialism Walter Rodney, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa Eduardo Galeano, Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent A.B Abrams, Atrocity Fabrication And Its Consequences: How Fake News Shapes World Order Samir Amin, The Liberal Virus: Permanent War And The Americanization Of The World A.B Abrams, Power And Primacy: A History of Western Intervention in the Asia-Pacific (2023 Updated Edition) Other Cited Texts: Stuart Hall, When We Are All Enemies of the State Karl Marx, Theses On Feuerbach Basic Curriculum of the Principles of Marxism Leninism (Translated by Luna Nyugun) Georges Politzer, Elementary Principles of Philosophy (ProleWiki Link) (Foreign Language Press version) Maurice Cornforth, Dialectical Materialism: An Introduction (Volumes 1-3) PDF Hosted On Prolewiki Vincent Bevins, If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade And The Missing Revolution Domenico Losurdo, Flight from History? The Communist Movement between Self-Criticism and Self-Contempt Agustín Lage Dávila, The Knowledge Economy And Socialism: Science And Society In Cuba Kyle Ferrana, Why The World Needs China: Development, Environmentalism, Conflict Resolution & Common Prosperity Douglas Valentine, The CIA As Organized Crime: How Illegal Operations Corrupt America And The World Albert Szymanski, Human Rights In The Soviet Union: Including Comparisons With The U.S.A Extra Recommended Readings: E.H Carr, The Soviet Impact On The Western World Anna Lousie Strong, In North Korea: First Eye-Witness Report Albert Szymanski, Is The Red Flag Flying? The Political Economy of the Soviet Union Today Support the show: Join us on Patreon for early-release episodes, study guides, bonus content, TheoryBeats, and more! You can even sign up for free to access study guides, merch updates, and surprise drops. Stay connected: Subscribe on your favorite podcast app, and don't forget to rate and review it helps the show reach more comrades.Follow us on: Twitter/X: @prolespod Instagram & Facebook: @prolespod TikTok: @proles.pod Have questions or comments? Email us at prolespod@outlook.com. May the spectre haunt your streets and solidarity forever. Find Weeb Revolution on YouTube.

Rae and Jeremy sit down with Nathan from Schizophrenic Reads to talk about anti-intellectualism, radical empathy, and the ways in which our consumer culture turns us into hedonistic assholes. You can sign up at Patreon where you get access to early release episodes, study guides, the aforementioned bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! YOU CAN DO SO FOR FREE, which will get you the study guides, merch, and other random drops. Please subscribe on your favorite podcast catcher and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @prolespod and Tiktok @proles.pod. If you have any questions or comments, email us at prolespod@outlook.com. May the spectre haunt your streets, and solidarity forever. You can find Nathan HERE! Intro Music: "ProlesPod Theme" by Ransom Notes Outro Music: "Eastern Bloc Beats" by DJ DTA

ATTENTION THEORY HEADS: this one's for you. Tony is subjected to misandry (JK, JK) as he, Rae, and Jen do a deep dive into Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 essay, "Winged Eros." They discuss misconceptions about Kollontai as a person, dating under capitalism vs socialism, the family unit, and much more. You can sign up at Patreon where you get access to early release episodes, study guides, the aforementioned bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! YOU CAN DO SO FOR FREE, which will get you the study guides, merch, and other random drops. Please subscribe on your favorite podcast catcher and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @prolespod and Tiktok @proles.pod. If you have any questions or comments, email us at prolespod@outlook.com. May the spectre haunt your streets, and solidarity forever. Text Version of Winged Eros Audio Version of Winged Eros Intro Music: "ProlesPod Theme" by Ransom Notes Outro Music: "Eastern Bloc Beats" by DJ DTA

Tony abandons the rest of the crew to their devices, and things predictably go off the rails. We talk about the weak chins of continuing series, whether or not there are encoded messages in Rian Johnson movies, and discuss the futility of anti-capitalist messaging without a political program to back it up. You can sign up at Patreon where you get access to early release episodes, study guides, the aforementioned bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! YOU CAN DO SO FOR FREE, which will get you the study guides, merch, and other random drops. Please subscribe on your favorite podcast catcher and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @prolespod and Tiktok @proles.pod. If you have any questions or comments, email us at prolespod@outlook.com. May the spectre haunt your streets, and solidarity forever. Intro Music: "ProlesPod Theme" by Ransom Notes Outro Music: "Eastern Bloc Beats" by DJ DTA

Tony and Jeremy sit down with Alex Z (Southern Catholic Worker) to talk about John Brown's early life, along with his trials and tribulations as a worker, father, and husband. This episode takes us all the way up to the period before he begins planning for the raid on Harper's Ferry (which means many skirmishes with and some broadsword swinging on pro-slavery dorks). You can sign up at Patreon where you get access to early release episodes, study guides, the aforementioned bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! YOU CAN DO SO FOR FREE, which will get you the study guides, merch, and other random drops. Please subscribe on your favorite podcast catcher and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @prolespod and Tiktok @proles.pod. If you have any questions or comments, email us at prolespod@outlook.com. May the spectre haunt your streets, and solidarity forever. Sources: John Brown, Abolitionist: The Man Who Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded CIvil Rights by David S. Reynolds Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War by Tony Horowitz The Old Man: John Brown at Harpers Ferry by Truman Nelson John Brown by W.E.B. Du Bois Anti-Racism in US History: The First Hundred Years by Herbert Aptheker Intro Quote: An excerpt from a speech given by Malcolm X in 1965. Intro Music: "ProlesPod Theme" by Ransom Notes Outro Music: "Eastern Bloc Beats" by DJ DTA

In this two-part Theory Episode, the ProlesPod Squad takes on one of the most influential texts in socialist history: "Reform or Revolution" (1898) by Polish-German Marxist Rosa Luxemburg. Whether you're new to political theory, find socialist texts hard to get through, or just want to hear our unique take—this deep-dive is for you. We break it down, debate its meaning, and explore why this revolutionary classic still matters today.

In this very special release, Justin talked with Iranian communist and comrade, Araaz, about life in Iran, the effects of the attacks by Israel, and the context of life under the Islamic Revolutionary Government. We weren't sure what we expected this episode to be, but it surpassed those expectations. You can sign up at Patreon where you get access to early release episodes, study guides, the aforementioned bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! YOU CAN DO SO FOR FREE, which will get you the study guides, merch, and other random drops. Please subscribe on your favorite podcast catcher and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @prolespod and Tiktok @proles.pod. If you have any questions or comments, email us at prolespod@outlook.com. May the spectre haunt your streets, and solidarity forever. Intro Music: "ProlesPod Theme" by Ransom Notes Outro Music: "Eastern Bloc Beats" by DJ DTA