SPS

In this episode of Shit Platypus Says, members Laurie R, Cam H, and Ethan L dig into the archives for a wide-ranging conversation on Cuba. Together, they trace Cuba’s historical role in the socialist imagination and ask what the latest crisis means in the shadow of the twentieth century. Their discussion is interspersed with highlights from an interview members Ben K. and Mohammad H. conducted with Steve Eckardt of the Chicago Cuba Coalition. Listen for a reflective conversation on whether, and how, Cuba still matters for anyone trying to think seriously about the past, present, and future of the Left. ----- Links: Ethan Linehan, “The revolution marooned: Cuba and the Left,” in Platypus Review 114 (March 2019) https://platypus1917.org/2019/03/02/the-revolution-marooned-cuba-and-the-left/ C.D. Hardy, “Cuba and Trotskyism’s breakdown,” in Platypus Review 116 (May 2019) https://platypus1917.org/2019/05/01/cuba-and-trotskyisms-breakdown/ Fidel Castro, “The Universal Conscience,” speech to the Cultural Congress of Havana, January 1968, in The New Left Reader, ed. Carl Oglesby (New York: Grove Press, 1969), 186–206. Frantz Fanon, “Algeria Unveiled,” in The New Left Reader, ed. Carl Oglesby (New York: Grove Press, 1969), 161–185. Carl Oglesby, “The Idea of the New Left,” in The New Left Reader, ed. Carl Oglesby (New York: Grove Press, 1969), 1–20. New Left Reader: https://archive.org/details/newleftreader0000ogle Port Huron Statement by the SDS in 1962. https://www.crmvet.org/info/620615_sds_huron-stmt.pdf Joseph Hansen, "Cuba- The Acid Test: A Reply to the Ultra-Left Sectarians" https://www.marxists.org/archive/hansen/1962/11/acidtest.htm Tom Kerry, "Anatomy of Stalinism" (1972) Kerry's remarks about Cuba are in the Q&A, which is not included in the published Education for Socialists pamphlet (pdf below), but audio is available online, link below in three parts. https://www.marxists.org/history/etol/document/swp-us/education/anatomy-of-stalinism.pdf Audio, part 1:https://marxists.architexturez.net/history/etol/audio/kerry/The%20Anatomy%20of%20Stalinism%20Part%201.mp3 Audio, part 2: https://marxists.architexturez.net/history/etol/audio/kerry/The%20Anatomy%20of%20Stalinism%20Part%202.mp3 Audio, part 3: https://marxists.architexturez.net/history/etol/audio/kerry/The%20Anatomy%20of%20Stalinism%20Part%203.mp3 C. Wright Mills, Listen, Yankee! (1960) https://archive.org/details/listenyankeerevo0000mill Additional readings: https://www.marxists.org/history/etol/document/icl-spartacists/cuba/index.htm

This episode was recorded in the summer of 2025, before the current protests in Iran. Itsi sat down with Platypus members Stanley Sharpey and Ian Morrison to talk about the history of the Left in Iran and the significance of the Iranian Revolution for the Left. We touch on Ervand Abrahamian’s book "Iran Between Two Revolutions," which was read in the early days of Platypus, along with other works on Iran by writers such as Fred Halliday, Janet Afari, and Kevin Anderson on Foucault and Iran. We also talk about Platypus panels and articles that address the Iranian Revolution and the Left’s historical response to it, and the millennial Left’s response to the Iranian Green Movement, specifically the panel “The Green Movement and the Left: Prospects for Democracy in Iran.” Ian also reflects on his involvement during this moment, as well as his interview with Homayoun Pourzad, a trade unionist. Finally, we talk about the changing landscape of the Left from the Obama presidency to our current moment. -------- "The Green Movement and the Left: Prospects for Democracy in Iran" (3/20/10 panel) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzK9cPxPdVA&t=60s Against the status quo: An Interview with Iranian trade unionist Homayoun Pourzad - Ian Morrison: https://platypus1917.org/2010/01/08/against-the-status-quo-an-interview-with-iranian-trade-unionist-homayoun-pourzad/ The Iranian Revolution and Its Implications - Interview with Fred Halliday: https://platypus1917.org/wp-content/uploads/readings/hallidayfred_iranrev1987_NLR16202.pdf Revisiting Foucault and the Iranian Revolution- Janet Afary & Kevin B. Anderson: https://newpol.org/issue_post/revisiting-foucault-and-iranian-revolution/ Foucault and the Iranian Revolution: Gender and the Seductions of Islamism - Janet Afary & Kevin B. Anderson: https://caringlabor.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/foucault-and-the-iranian-revolution-janet-afary.pdf ----- www.platypus1917.org

On this episode of SPS, we talk about all things Mamdani -- the new DSA mayor of New York City. Your host Pamela N. sits down with former co-host Laurie R., Platypus president Erin H., and our New York member Benjamin K. -- one of the organizers of the recent Platypus Mamdani panel in NYC. We give our impressions of the Oval Office press conference, after the first Trump and Mamdani meeting, and we digest the discussion by the Left on Mamdani captured in our NYC Mamdani panel. We discuss the history of Sewer Socialism, the Second International, and the Millennial Left's journey towards a "new New Deal." The episode features clips from the panel recording to anchor the conversation for our listeners. The edited transcript of that panel has been published on the Platypus Review's most recent issue, linked below. We encourage our listeners to take a read! Links - Platypus Panel (NYU): "Whither socialism? Mamdani and the Left," with Mitchel Cohen, Melvyn Dubofsky, Daniel Lazare, and Sebastian LM (September 26, 2025, published Nov. 2025) Edited Transcript: https://platypus1917.org/2025/11/01/whither-socialism-mamdani-and-the-left/ Video recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRmIkNQB4ME - Mamdani Victory Speech (Nov. 2025) https://youtu.be/_650kn3RpmI?si=IfgevMLTzgJEpDSh - Michael Kinnucan, "How Zohran Mamdani Triumphed Over a Decrepit Establishment" (Nov. 2025) https://jacobin.com/2025/11/mamdani-dsa-democrats-cuomo-socialists - Derek Thompson, "'What Speaks to Me About Abundance': My Full Interview With Zohran Mamdani" (Jun. 2025) https://www.derekthompson.org/p/what-speaks-to-me-about-abundance - "Socialism in one City?" Independent Labor Club of New York event (Sept. 2025) https://x.com/ILCofNYC/status/1964339829446946907?s=20 - "Socialism in Our Time: A Jacobin Conference" (Sept. 2025) https://www.eventbrite.com/e/socialism-in-our-time-a-jacobin-conference-tickets-1485130077039 - Jacobin obituary for David Dinkins, “What David Dinkins Taught Us" (Nov. 2020) https://jacobin.com/2020/11/david-dinkins-mayor-new-york-city-obituary - Daniel Lazare, "Cheering on Trump" (Jan. 2025) http://forum.permanent-revolution.org/2025/01/cheering-on-trump.html - Mamdani Meet the Press Interview (Nov. 23, 2025) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YNwdXW64WA

Pam, Andreas, Bekah, and Itsï from our editorial team discuss the state of the Left, how Platypus proceeds in such an atmosphere, and the opportunities for education in the present. This is a prelude to Lisa's conversation about a Reading Group on Chris Cutrone's book, The Death of the Millennial Left, organized by members Elli (Leipzig) and Nezam (Munich). They are joined by our contact Anna, as well as our Philly member Ethan K, who reflects on his teach-in on the Millennial Left back from 2022. They discuss their personal experiences and the relation of the Zoomers to the Millennial generation. --- Links: Ethan‘s teach-in (2022): https://youtu.be/giFPwmi49Tk?si=ZC9OZDEgNu0KMM3u Chris Cutrone, The Death of the Millennial Left: US: https://www.amazon.com/Death-Millennial-Left-Interventions-2006-2022/dp/B0C7SH5XTY EU/DE: https://amzn.eu/d/e4Ssu8s Ethan‘s article (for the assiduous): https://platypus1917.org/2025/09/01/the-ends-of-abstinence/

Lisa sits down with Erin, Danny, and Tim to discuss recent iterations of our Immigration & the Left Panel, as well as the trajectory of immigration politics from the Millennial Left to the present. --- IMMIGRATION & THE LEFT PANEL SERIES UC San Diego (5/22/25) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_KvcJddPp4 Columbia University (4/28/25) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG4vBqNDQ4w University of Illinois in Chicago (11/07/16) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw9UbFW37U4 University of Houston (10/23/16) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyblZjZjBfs Immigration and the Left: An Interview with David Wilson (Sep 2011) - https://platypus1917.org/2011/08/31/immigration-and-the-left-david-wilson/ --- Summer Reading Group on pre-Marxian socialism: https://platypus1917.org/2025/05/22/summer-2025-readings-pre-marxian-socialism/ --- News Coverage Source: CBS Evening News 9/7/25

Rebekah, Ismail, and Michael introduce the upcoming Platypus International Convention, featuring Bill Ayers, Chris Cutrone, Alex Higgins, Michael Kazin, Branko Marcetic, Dave McKerracher, and Pamela Nogales among many more speakers, teach-ins, and social events. Is There a Left in the 21st Century? April 3rd-5th Chicago, IL Full line-up available at https://www.platypus.events --- Check out our past events at https://platypus1917.org

Itsï and Johannes sit down with Chris Cutrone to reflect on last year's summer reading group, The Right for the Left. They discuss the historical difference between the Right and the Left, the prevalence of right-wing ideas on the Left, and how the Left conceded the contestation of ideas to the Right. The full syllabus can be found here: https://platypus1917.org/2024/05/08/summer-2024-readings-the-right-for-the-left/ Visit our website at www.platypus1917.org

In this episode, Pam sits down with Platypus members, Ethan and Gabe, to discuss Trump's reelection and the Republicans' victory in Congress, the Left's nostalgia for Bernie along with its efforts to "critique" the Democrats, and the new multiracial coalition behind the GOP. In the second part, Daniel and Itsï sit down with Carlos Garrido, Director of the Midwestern Marx Institute and Secretary of Education for the American Communist Party, founded this year. They discuss American Marxism, W.E.B. DuBois, the launch of the ACP, and why now might be the moment for a communist party. Our volume "Marxism in the Age of Trump" is now on sale and available to purchase here: https://platypus-publishing.square.site/product/marxism-in-age-of-trump/5?cs=true&cst=custom ---- "The Left and the 2024 Election" (10/30/24 panel) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IbzY1kaG2c --- Eugene V. Debs - The Negro In the Class Struggle (1903) https://www.marxists.org/archive/debs/works/1903/negro.htm Constitution of the American Communist Party (2024) https://acp.us/2024-constitution.pdf

On this episode of SPS, Pamela N. and Platypus member Adrienne F. interview Nadine Strossen, an American legal scholar and civil liberties activist. Strossen served as the president of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) from 1991 to 2008; she is currently a senior fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Education Expression (FIRE); and is the author of Free Speech: What Everyone Needs to Know (2023). We discuss her history on the Left, her relationship to the antiwar movement, the Students for a Democratic Society, and radical & progressive positions today. We also take up the recent illiberal turn in society, and what if any effect it has had on the ACLU, as well as her proposed solutions. Finally, we take a critical look at demands by the Left to reform the Supreme Court. If you live in the East Coast, Platypus is hosting its annual East Coast Conference in Boston on Oct 11-13. There will be a variety of panels, teach-ins and social gatherings. Panels include, "The American Revolution and Communism" held at Boston College on 10.12 and "The Role of Theory in Defeat," at Harvard University on 10.13. More information will be available at: https://www.facebook.com/platypusbc | https://x.com/BcPlatypus | https://www.instagram.com/platypusbc/ The French chapter of Platypus is holding a virtual panel, on "Popular Front Politics Today," held in French on Sat Sept 28 via Zoom. The panel will feature, Gilles Candar, Aymeric Monville, and a member of the Spartacist League. More information will be available at: https://www.instagram.com/platypusfrance LINKS - Strossen, Free Speech: What Everyone Needs to Know (2023) https://global.oup.com/academic/product/free-speech-9780197699652 - Strossen, Hate: Why We Should Resist It With Free Speech, Not Censorship (2018) https://www.amazon.com/-/en/Nadine-Strossen/dp/0190859121 - Strossen, Defending Pornography: Free Speech, Sex, and the Fight for Women's Rights (1995, new ed. 2024) https://nyupress.org/9781479830763/defending-pornography/ - Nogales, “The Cancel Wars: The Legacy of the Cultural Turn in the Age of Trump” in Platypus Review 131 (November 2020) https://platypus1917.org/2020/11/01/the-cancel-wars-the-legacy-of-the-cultural-turn-in-the-age-of-trump/ - ACLU Case Selection Guidelines (2017) https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_document/aclu_case_selection_guidelines.pdf - Strossen, “The First Amendment Doesn’t Protect White Supremacists Behind Violent Charlottesville Rallies,” LA Progressive Newsletter, Dec. 7, 2021 - Strossen, “Charlottesville Three Years Later: The First Amendment Confronts Hate and Violence,” Los Angeles Review of Books, Aug. 10, 2020 - Strossen, “The Interdependence of Racial Justice and Free Speech for Racists,” 1 Journal of Free Speech Law 51-70 (2021) - Moyn, “Socialists Have Long Fought to Disempower the Supreme Court. That’s More Urgent Than Ever Now,” Jacobin (2020) https://jacobin.com/2020/09/supreme-court-socialists-ruth-bader-ginsburg-death - Cotlin, “Mayor Eric Adams, DSA agree: expand the court” City & State New York (2023) https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2023/02/mayor-eric-adams-dsa-agree-expand-court/383006/ - Lazare, “A central driver” in the Weekly Worker (2021) https://weeklyworker.co.uk/worker/1337/a-central-driver/ - Strossen on SCOTUS term limits, in “Forum: What’s the Matter With the Supreme Court? And what can be done to fix it?” in The Nation (2018) https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/forum-whats-the-matter-with-the-supreme-court/ - Sublation Media with Doug Lain, “Nadine Strossen Talks to Marxists” (2023) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gd5-KoOosA - “The Politics of Free Speech,” (04/06/24) Platypus International Convention 2024 panel, Chicago, IL. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anorBcUZ-uE - "Free Speech and the Left," Platypus virtual panel (05/02/24), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9xc0IIKUz8

Episode 66 comes in two parts. In our first segment, Lisa sits down with German members Jan and Henry to discuss post-neoliberal transformations in German politics, understood through the AfD and Sahra Wagenknecht's split from Die Linke. In the second segment, Andony talks with fellow West Coast members Octavio, Colin, Ishmael, and Hoang about anarchism on the West Coast, reflecting on the Heart of the Valley Anti-Capitalist Bookfair held in Corvallis, Oregon, and the inaugural Platypus West Coast Conference held in San Diego this February. They discuss the resurgence of anarchism under the Biden presidency in the context of long-standing anarchist traditions on the West Coast. --- Further discussions of German politics (in German): - Was ist DIE LINKE? (13.6.21 Frankfurt) transcript: https://platypus1917.org/2022/08/31/podium_2021_linkspartei/ video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZZb7BZp_bY - Redefreiheit und die Linke (4.11.23 Leipzig) audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rf7K5h3h64 Further materials on anarchism: - Heart of the Valley Anti-Capitalist Bookfair (19-21 January 2024): https://hotvbookfair.noblogs.org - Dual Power: A Strategy To Build Socialism In Our Time (DSA Libertarian Socialist Caucus, 2018): https://dsa-lsc.org/2018/12/31/dual-power-a-strategy-to-build-socialism-in-our-time/ - Reimagining Revolutionary Organizing: A Vision for Dual Power (Institute for Anarchist Studies, 2019): https://anarchiststudies.org/reimagining-revolutionary-organizing-a-vision-for-dual-power/ - Against dogmatic abstraction: A critique of Cindy Milstein on anarchism and Marxism (Platypus Review, 2010): https://platypus1917.org/2010/07/01/against-dogmatic-abstraction/ - Social anarchism or lifestyle anarchism: an unbridgeable chasm (Murray Bookchin, 1995): https://libcom.org/article/social-anarchism-or-lifestyle-anarchism-unbridgeable-chasm-murray-bookchin - Whither anarchism? An interview with Kristian Williams (Platypus Review, 2021): https://platypus1917.org/2021/03/01/whither-anarchism-an-interview-with-kristian-williams/ - Reform, Revolution, and “Resistance:” The problematic forms of “anticapitalism” today (2/18/24 San Diego) audio: https://archive.org/details/reform-resistance-revolution-san-diego

In this episode of Shit Platypus Says, we introduce the first segment of Reds, a series examining the growth of new communist organizations around the world. Hosts Tamas, Lisa, and Rebekah discuss the impetus for such a series: the sudden growth of self-styled communist organizations after a decade of social democratic activity on the Left and a dissatisfaction with liberal politics; a related revision occurring within Trotskyist organizations; and the historical echoes and discontinuities raised by the transition from the Millennial to the Zoomer generation. For the bulk of the segment, our inaugural segment of Reds, Melbourne Platypus members Ryan and Tom sit down with Jamie and Anthony of the Revolutionary Communist Organisation and its Collective of Leninist Youth, based in Australia, for a discussion about its current outlook, challenges, and tasks. The RCO appeared on a panel discussion held by Platypus Melbourne: “Imperialism: What is it, and why should we be against it?” (Dec 2 2023 panel): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLSj2IZOgpg More info about the Revolutionary Communist Organisation (RCO): Program: https://www.revcomorg.info/general-clean Publication “Direct Action”: https://directactionnewcastle.wordpress.com/direct-action-rco/ Queer liberation paper: https://www.revcomorg.info/projecto-1 Collective of Leninist Youth (CLY): Publication “Red Youth Spectre”: www.tinyurl.com/redyouthspectre

This special holiday episode of SPS comes in three parts: (1) In order to make sense of the present, Platypus is hosting an international series of panels "Left Perspectives on the Israel-Palestine Conflict". In the first segment, member Gabe G. and Pamela N. reflect on the first panel of the series, which took place at the University of Chicago. They take up disagreements as well as the assumed agreement and the response from the audience. (2) In the second segment you'll hear soundbites and brief interviews from pro-Palestine rallies recorded by our members in Philadelphia and Auckland, New Zealand. (3) The third part is a deep dive into the Platypus archives. The current conflict has prompted Rebekkah and Lisa to speak with our member Ian M. about past engagements from our archives. They talked about the founding moment of Platypus as well as past panel initiatives on the politics of solidarity and decolonization. References from the Segment Reflecting on the Israel-Palestine Panel - Teach-in Pamela N.: History and Helplessness (UChicago, 09 November 2023) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9BX4HGK1m8&t=148s&ab_channel=PlatypusAffiliatedSociety - Left Perspectives On The Israel Palestine Conflict (Platypus UChicago, 29 November 29 2023) https://youtu.be/Nw0Rc_3Hn88?si=OX1c-WYyfWvSIb7S - Left Perspectives On The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Platypus Oregon State University, November 29, 2023) https://youtu.be/lDnRfYh5tLs?si=qtf2XnPfjLs5jsG - Imperialism! What is it, and why should we be against it? (Platypus Melbourne, 02 December 2023) https://www.youtube.com/live/rLSj2IZOgpg?si=S4QMnYg_NpH5mgeF - Linke Perspektiven auf den Nahostkonflikt (Platypus Germany, 03 December 2023) https://youtu.be/OGkf83h52MY?si=BHi0Dz_WKWl2_lGX - Left Perspectives On The Israel Palestine Conflict (Platypus London, 14 December 2023) https://archive.org/details/left-perspectives-on-the-israel-palestine-conflict-platypus-london - The Politics of War and Peace (Platypus Northwestern University, 17 November 2023) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACIzgf-mEi8&ab_channel=PlatypusAffiliatedSociety References from the Archive Segment: - 2006: Moishe Postone, “History and helplessness: Mass mobilization and contemporary forms of anticapitalism” https://platypus1917.org/wp-content/uploads/readings/postonemoishe_historyhelplessness.pdf - 2008: Ian Morrison, “Ba’athism and the history of the Left in Iraq: Violence and politics” https://platypus1917.org/2008/03/01/baathism-and-the-history-of-the-left-in-iraq-violence-and-politics/ - 2010: Against the status quo: An Interview with Iranian trade unionist Homayoun Pourzad https://platypus1917.org/2010/01/08/against-the-status-quo-an-interview-with-iranian-trade-unionist-homayoun-pourzad/ - 2021: Panel "The Politics of Solidarity: Israel, Palestine, and the Left" w/ Yoav Gal Tamir (Da'am Workers' Party), Arash Azizi (Left Party of Iran {People's Fedaian), Marco (Angry Workers of the World), Moshé Machover (founder - Israeli Socialist Organisation and its publication Matzpen) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORoCuGAPheQ&t=12s - 2010: Which Way Forward for Palestinian Liberation? (w/ Richard Rubin, Joel Kovel, Hussein Ibish) https://platypus1917.org/2010/04/08/which-way-forward-for-palestinian-liberation-platypus-review/ - 2023: Panel "Decolonisation and the Left" w/ Ralph Leonard, James Heartfield, Andrew Sanchez https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfScpu06K_o - ​​2010: Initiative Sozialistisches Forum, “Communism and Israel” https://platypus1917.org/2010/10/08/communism-and-israel/ - 2023: Teach-in Pamela N.: History and Helplessness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9BX4HGK1m8&t=148s&ab_channel=PlatypusAffiliatedSociety - 2023: Teach-in Lucy P.: The Anti War Movement, Platypus And The Death Of The Millennial Left https://archive.org/details/antiwarmovementteach-in Platypus European Conference, 25 - 27 Jan. 2024 in Berlin https://100yearsafterlenin.com/

On this special back-to-school episode of SPS, Pamela & Laurie discuss the recent Russell Brand controversy. Brand has been in the news lately, under some heat, as a result of public allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. We take this up in the context of the ongoing sex panic and the ongoing transformation of feminism after #metoo, which leads us to discuss the Barbie movie. On the second part of the episode, our members Evan and the current president of Platypus, Erin, sit down with Benjamin Studebaker, the author of the recently published book, The Chronic Crisis of American Democracy: The Way is Shut (2023). Studebaker explains that the crisis of American democracy is deeply embedded in the America economic system, and develops a theory of “legitimacy crisis”. They take this up in their interview and ask some questions about the current state of American politics as well as his formulations of the ends of a Left political movement. We hope you enjoy this expanded edition of SPS, if you like it, leave us a comment and maybe you’ll find more of these longer episodes in the future. If you like the podcast share it and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, it helps us get the word out about the pod. Links: - System Update w/ Glenn Greenwald: “New Russell Brand Accusations Deserve Scrutiny & Due Process; Yoel Roth Wails Over Censorship-Regime Backlash; & 4 Republicans Demand Insane Ukraine Escalation” https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-russell-brand-accusations-deserve-scrutiny-due/id1669610956?i=1000628426173 -Benjamin Studebaker, The Chronic Crisis of American Democracy: The Way is Shut (2023) https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-28210-2 - “What is Marxism for?” A Panel with Benjamin Studebaker, Donald Parkinson, James Heartfield, and Chris Cutrone, PR# 153 (February 2023) https://platypus1917.org/2023/02/01/what-is-marxism-for/ - “Marxism and liberalism” A Panel with James Heartfield, Spencer Leonard, Anthony Monteiro, and Benjamin Studebaker, PR #150 (October 2022) https://platypus1917.org/2022/10/01/marxism-and-liberalism-2/ Original soundtracks by Tamas Vilaghy Editing work by Michael Woodson