Cosmopod

Your Party Founding Conference: Fiasco or Triumph? [Stream audio]

12 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is the audio of the Cosmostream of December 7th 2025 on Your Party with guests Bryce Bailey and Charlie Porter from the Democratic Socialists of ...

Modern Industry and Prospects for Socialism

20 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Dónal Ó Coisdealbha analyzes the history and results of the management and production system (TPS) developed by the Toyota Motor Corporation, arguin...

The Border is a Mirror: Europe and the politics of migration with Iker Suarez

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Rudy joins Iker Suárez, author of The Migrant Genocide: Toward a Third World Analysis of European Class Struggle, to delve int...

What Is Missing From Your Understanding of Revolutionary Democratic Centralism

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Steve Bloom ruminates on the meaning and practice of democratic centralism, arguing that respect for minority positions is key to building a truly di...

Protest, Pop Culture and the Alt-Right: Jarrod Shanahan on a Decade of Upheaval

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode of Cosmopod, Isaac and Jack talk with Jarrod Shanahan about his new book, Every Fire Needs a Little Bit of Help: A Decade of Reb...

Towards 2026: The Fight for Recognition

26 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Carlos Campos Jr. analyzes the disunity of electoral campaigns pursued by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), argues for the strategic infras...

D. R. Congo after Mobutu to the present with Jeremy Rich

03 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy joins Jeremy Rich for a discussion on the Democratic Republic of the Congo from the late 80s to the present. We cover the decay of Mobu...

Superman Through the Ages: Hero of the Zeitgeist

13 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy sits down with Hank Kennedy, author of From Champion of the Oppressed to Truth, Justice, and the American Way: Who Took the Socialism ...

An Introduction To Kojin Karatani with Gabriel Tupinambá

14 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We join Gabriel Tupinambá from the Subset of Theoretical Practice for a discussion on the Japanese Marxist Kojin Karatani. We discuss what Ka...

How the US made Global Capitalism with Sam Gindin

23 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ira and Rudy sit down with Sam Gindin to discuss the evolving nature of global capitalism through the lens of U.S. hegemony, neoliberalism, an...

City Time: Life as Political Prisoners on Rikers with Jarrod Shanahan and David Campbell

13 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Isaac and Jack are joined by David Campbell and Jarrod Shanahan to discuss their new book City Time: On Being Sentenced to Rikers Island, an et...

The Contemporary Irish Left with Oisín Gilmore & David Landy

23 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy joins Oisín Gilmore and David Landy, authors of Fragments of Victory Fragments of Victory: The Contemporary Irish Left for a discussion o...

The German Left w/ Carlos from Licht & Luft

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy joins Carlos of Licht & Luft for a discussion on the Licht & Luft project and the broader German left, with a focus on Die Linke. We discuss the ...

Tricontinentalism: North Korea in Havana & Georgetown with Moe Taylor

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy talks with Moe Taylor, author of North Korea, Tricontinentalism, and the Latin American Revolution, 1959–1970 to explore the overlooked...

White Hoods and Pinkertons with Chad Pearson

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Isaac, Cliff, and Jay interview Chad Pearson, author of the book Capital's Terrorists: Klansmen, Lawmen, and Employers in the Long Nineteenth Century....

Spanish Anarchism and the New Economy

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy joins Miguel Gómez, author of La CNT y la Nueva Economía: Del colectivismo empresarial a la planificación de la economía confederal (1...

Mexico 1920-40: Building the Revolutionary State

10 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Amelia, Carlos and Rudy sit down for the follow-up episode on the Mexican revolution to discuss the consolidation of the revolutionary state wi...

The Untold Story of Gerry Healy and British Trotskyism by Aidan Beatty

22 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

James and Rudy join Aidan Beatty, author of The Party is Always Right: The Untold Story of Gerry Healy and British Trotskyism for a discussio...

Somalia: Colonialism, Socialism and War

10 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Eric and Rob join Abdi for a discussion on Somalia from the colonial period to the present. They discuss the formation of the Somali people, th...

Where is the working class' power? An interview with Peter Olney and John Womack

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Peter Olney is a labor organizer of over half a century, long-time organizing director at the ILWU, and researcher on labor strategy. John Woma...

Ba'ath and Ba'ath: Arab Socialism in Syria and Iraq

13 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Eric, Andrew and Rudy join for a discussion on the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party in the two regions where it held power: Syria and Iraq, covering the hi...

Marxism, Labourism, and the Roots of British Communism, 1884-1921 with Tony Collins

29 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy and Andreas join Tony Collins, author of Raising the Red Flag. Marxism, Labourism, and the Roots of British Communism, 1884–1921 for a disc...

Ending the One Party State: Reflections on Rhode Island Democratic Socialists of America

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tony Unger sets the record straight on Rhode Island DSA's political experiences with the Democratic Party and need for class independence.  Read By: ...

Pacific Gibraltar: A soft introduction to Hawai'i

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy joins Miguel, amateur historian of Hawai'i for a discussion on the history and present of the islands. We cover the first contact, the unif...

The Italian Communist Party: From Resistance to Dissolution

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

James, Steven and Rudy sit down to talk about the Italian Communist Party (PCI) from its foundation to its dissolution, with a focus on its peri...

The New Thing: Jazz Music in the Cold War, 1950-1970 with Christian Noakes

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jackson and Donald are joined by Christian Noakes author of Do It Yourself, Brother: Cultural Autonomy and the New Thing to discuss jazz music and mu...

Sports and Straight Edge in Red Vienna with Gabriel Kuhn

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We join Gabriel Kuhn, author of books like Soccer vs. the State and Antifascism, Sports, Sobriety: Forging a militant working-class culture for ...

Nasserism and the Egyptian Revolution of 1952

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy, Andrew and Eric sit down to discuss Egypt from its origins as an independent polity under Mehmed Ali up to the Sadat years, with a focus on the ...

Escaping the Constitutional Bind with Aziz Rana

13 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Donald and Luke talk with Aziz Rana about his latest book, The Constitutional Bind: How Americans Came to Idolize a Document That Fails Them. Rana dis...

The Making of a Working Class Revolutionary: an Interview with Jerome Scott

06 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We sit down with Jerome Scott, former Detroit Auto worker and founding member of the League of Revolutionary Black Workers to learn about Black ...

Artificial Intelligence

21 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ian, Nico, Matt, Chas and Rudy join for a general discussion on artificial intelligence. They cover the early origins of AI as a field, with the...

The Frankfurt School in Context (1923-69)

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Exir, Toby and Jackson join for a discussion on the (in)famous Frankfurt School. They discuss the history of the Institute for Social Research f...

Mining and the Environment with Martin Lallana

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy joins Martín Lallana for an introductory discussion on mining. We talk about the importance of mining to capitalism, the ecological impact...

Jihadism and Military Juntas in the Sahel with Alexander Thurston

24 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rob joins Alexander Thurston for a discussion on his work on the Sahel region, focusing on the interplay between radical Islamic groups, the civili...

[REMASTER] Communism in the Colours of France: The French Communist Party (1920-2024)

11 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Steven, James and Rudy sit down for a long discussion on the French Communist Party from its inception all the way to its present state. We cover all ...

The Value of Dune: a Communistic Perspective

07 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rejecting recent interpretations in the U.S. socialist press as truistic, Jackson Albert Mann makes a case for a particular communistic reading of the...

Towards the Abyss: Ukraine from Maidan to War with Volodymyr Ishchenko

04 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy joins Volodymyr Ishchenko, author of Towards the Abyss: Ukraine from Maidan to War, for a discussion on Ukraine and the broader post-Soviet...

Letter: Llorente v. Schaeffer

23 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Written By: Abner Dalrymple Read By: Will Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Forever performed...

Gene Bruskin: A Life in the Labor Movement

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Aliyah VanPelt and Cliff Connolly sit down with longtime organizer Gene Bruskin to get his advice and hear stories from his time in the movement...

The Korean Miracle's Rural Legacy

15 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Alex Witherspoon, Yu Zhou, and Alle Fang give an account of socialist agriculture in rural North Korea, arguing that the difficulties faced by the cou...

The Mexican Revolution

12 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Amelia, Carlos and Rudy sit down to discuss the revolutionary period of Mexico in the decade of 1910. We talk about the Porfiriato period which ...

Seeds of Power: The Global Food System and The Green Revolution with Raj Patel

05 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy joins Raj Patel for a discussion on the global food system. We discuss how food serves as a powerful educational tool, the paradox of glo...

Just Another Kautsky Fan

01 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Interpreting Stalin's fledgling revolutionary career through his later status as a brutal labor dictator obscures an early whole-hearted admiration fo...

Captives: the History of Rikers Island and New York City with Jarrod Shanahan

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Isaac and Jack join Jarrod Shanahan, an activist, educator, and the author of Captives: How Rikers Island Took New York City Hostage, for a wide-rangi...

Citizen Marx: Republicanism and the Formation of Karl Marx's Social and Political Thought with Bruno Leipold

15 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Donald and Luke talk with Bruno Leipold about his forthcoming book, Citizen Marx: Republicanism and the Formation of Karl Marx's Social and Political ...

Solidarność and the Polish People's Republic

04 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Chas, James, and Rudy delve into the history of the Polish People's Republic in this episode, focusing on the influential Solidarity movement. They...

The Algerian Revolution II (1965-99): Developmentalism, Marketization and War

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rob, Eric and Rudy continue their discussion of the Algerian revolution from the fall of Ben Bella to the end of the Black Decade (known in the West a...

Endless Muddle

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Renzo Llorente critically responds to Gil Schaeffer's views on democratic rights and socialism.  Read By: Will Intro Music: ворожное озер...

Inside the CR-CPUSA/Red Guards: Cults, Violence and the Left

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Gus, Donald and Isaac join Esra, author of the webside CR-CPUSA Exposed: Hub for Information and Recovery for a discussion on their experience inside ...

Commune or Nothing!: Venezuela's Communal Movement with Chris Gilbert

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy and Christian join Chris Gilbert for a discussion on his new book Commune or Nothing! Venezuela's Communal Movement and its Socialist Project. W...

A Participant's History of the Students for a Democratic Society with Gil Schaeffer

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Luke joins Gil Shaeffer, a former member of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and author of "You Can't Use Weatherman to Show Which Way th...

Race, Class and the Zionist State

19 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Gus Breslauer responds to Angry Workers of the World on the issue of Palestine and Zionism. There is no path "around" Intifada, the working class must...

Between Market and Plan: the Soviet Union in the Era of the NEP

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Donald, Christian, and Connor sit down to discuss the political economic conditions of the Soviet Union during the period of the New Economic Policy. ...

The Wars of Reconstruction with Douglas Egerton

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Luke joins Douglas Egerton, author of The Wars of Reconstruction: The Brief, Violent History of America's Most Progressive Era, for a conversati...

The Libyan Arab Jamahiriya with Matteo Capasso

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy joins Matteo Capasso, author of Everyday Politics in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya for a discussion on Libya with a focus on the period from 1969...

The Algerian Revolution I (1954-65): Decolonization, Self-Management and Internationalism

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rob, Eric and Rudy delve into the Algerian revolution, tracing its roots back to French colonization, through the liberation war, and the Ben Bel...

Democratic Rights and Socialism

07 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Gil Schaeffer responds to Renzo Llorente's "The Contradictions and Confusions of 'Democratic Socialism" and argues that socialists need to base their ...

Migration as Economic Imperialism with Immanuel Ness

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy joins Immanuel Ness to discuss his recent work Migration as Economic Imperialism: How International Labour Mobility Undermines Economic Dev...

From Champion of the Oppressed to Truth, Justice, and the American Way: Who Took the Socialism Out of Superman?

31 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hank Kennedy traces the ideological history of Superman, arguing that the populism of the character's early iterations would eventually be shed as a r...

A History of the Home and the Fight for Free Time with Helen Hester and Nick Srnicek

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy joins authors Helen Hester and Nick Srnicek to explore their latest book, After Work: A History of the Home and the Fight for Free Time. The...

Marxism and the Democratic Republic

22 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Luke Pickrell of Marxist Unity Group emphasizes the centrality of radical democracy to the communist project and reintroduces the construction of the ...

Marxist Unity Group & the Democratic Socialists of America's National Convention

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Amelia joins Amy, Steven, and Greg for a discussion centered around the Marxist Unity Group (MUG) in the aftermath of the recent Democratic Sociali...

Czechoslovakia's Quest for Reform: Unraveling the Prague Spring

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Chas, Christian, Rudy, and James come together to delve into a comprehensive conversation about the Prague Spring, a significant Czechoslovak reform m...

Labor Republicanism and the Freedom Question in 19th Century North America

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Luke and Donald join Alexander Gourevitch, author of From Slavery to Cooperative Commonwealth: Labor and Republican Liberty in the 19th Century, ...

Nurturing Minds, Uniting Movements: Exploring Political Education in the Communist Movement

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jackson, Rudy and Steve sit down to talk about political education in the communist movement. They explore their personal experiences with education i...

There Is Never One Lamb Alone: On Finding Unity in Diversity

27 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Splits and purges are no solution to the problem of disagreement in the socialist movement. Marisa Miale calls for unity in diversity in the context o...

The Mexican Dirty War: From Cárdenas to Zapatismo with Adela Cedillo

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy joins Adela Cedillo, co-editor of Challenging Authoritarianism in Mexico Revolutionary Struggles and the Dirty War, 1964-1982, and author of ...

The Contradictions and Confusions of "Democratic Socialism"

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Renzo Llorente engages with contemporary advocates of Democratic Socialism and argues that they ultimately fail to demarcate between liberal and socia...

The World System and The Beautiful Game ⚽ with Sam Parry

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy and Djamil join Sam Parry, author of The Ugly Economics of the Beautiful Game for a discussion on how capitalism interacts with the sport mos...

The Question of Worldview and Class Struggle in Philosophy

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Daniel Tutt looks to the philosophy of Georg Lukács and his critique of bourgeois irrationalism to explicate the role of intellectuals and worldviews...

The African Blood Brotherhood, its Relations and Legacy

06 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Combining the insights of previous scholarship with information gathered from Bureau of Investigation (BOI, predecessor of the FBI) surveillance docum...

The U.S. Constitution and the Struggle for Democracy with Robert Ovetz

04 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Luke and Donald join Robert Ovetz, author of We the Elites: Why the Constitution Serves the Few, for a discussion on the Constitution as a potent obs...

ACT UP, Fight Back

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Charlie Frank gives an overview of the forms of social mobilization that developed as a response to the AIDS pandemic as well as what lessons the left...

The People's Republic of Mozambique with Colin Darch

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy joins Colin Darch, author of several books on Mozambique and curator of Mozambique History Net for a discussion on Mozambique from the coloni...

Socializing Care: Against Domestic Realism

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Cibcom Collective take aim at domestic realism, arguing that feminist planning of the domestic economy is necessary to the communist project. This...

Karl Marx and Radical Indigenous Critiques of Capitalism

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nodrada explores the tensions and resonances between Marxism and Indigenous thought, putting the writings of Native theorists such as Vine Deloria Jr....

The People's Republic of Bulgaria: From the Fields to the Cyberstars with Victor Petrov

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy joins Victor Petrov, author of Balkan Cyberia: Cold War Computing, Bulgarian Modernization, and the Information Age behind the Iron Curtain f...

Cop City will never be built with Kei and Leila

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Isaac joins Kei and Leila from Stop Cop City/Defend Atlanta Forest for a discussion on the movement, its strategy and its ultimate goals. They dis...

Letter: "Lines of flight" for undeniable problems

01 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Cibcom Collective's Response to Luke P Read by: Will Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends...

Entropy and the Capitalist System with Robert Biel

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy joins Robert Biel, author of The Entropy of Capitalism, The New Imperialism and Sustainable Food Systems for a discussion on systems approach...

Letter: On Sortition and Democratic Decision-making

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This letter is in response to Conquering Democracy, Abolishing Political Representation by the Cibcom Collective. I appreciated the comrades' though...

Neither Vertical nor Horizontal: A Theory of Political Organization with Rodrigo Nunes

21 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy and Harry join Rodrigo Nunes, author of Neither Vertical nor Horizontal: A Theory of Political Organization for a discussion on Rodrigo's app...

The Beijing Revolutionary Women's Conference of '49 with Elisabeth Armstrong

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Annie joins Elisabeth Armstrong, author of Bury the Corpse of Colonialism: The Revolutionary Feminist Conference of 1949 for a discussion of the B...

Is This the Left that Jacobin Wants?: Chris Maisano's Perilous Drift Towards Post-Marxism

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A recent Jacobin piece by Chris Maisano argues that building "a Left that matters" requires focusing on Democratic Party electoral work, but we must ...

Conquering Democracy, Abolishing Political Representation

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Cibcom Collective argues that Communist society will require an overcoming of political representation in favor of forms of direct democracy lik...

Cultivating the City with George Martin and Salvatore Engel

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy joins Salvatore Engel-Di Mauro and George Martin, authors of Urban Food Production for Ecosocialism: Cultivating the City for a discussion on...

American Socialism from 1892 to 1908

20 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Transcription and commentary by SA Reed. Read by Cliff Intro Music: ворожное озеро Гроза vwqp remix Outro Music: We are Friends Fore...

H. T. Odum's Environment, Power and Society

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Amelia, RK, Harry and Rudy sit down for a discussion on systems approaches to ecology using as a basis H. T. Odum's Environment, Power, and Society fo...

Letter: MUG and R&R's Joint Resolutions for the 2023 DSA National Convention

09 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

links to read and sign resolutions here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXgSds8qpoyqfwY-wXfs00htSRExsofCdvgLDRN-_Zn82IsQ/viewform ht...

Democracy and Socialism, the Two Edges of Marxism's Knife

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Gil Schaeffer responds to Ben Grove's "Twelve-Step Program for Democrat Addiction" and its arguments about the need for a mass party, critiquing Mike...

Unite the Pro-Party Wing to Revolutionize the DSA!!

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Shuvu Bhattarai of the Marxist Unity Group outlines an overview of the recent history of DSA and finds a demarcation between pro-party and anti-party...

Marxist approaches to International Law with Robert Knox

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Anton joins Robert Knox for a discussion of Marxist approaches to law, with a focus on international law. We discuss critical legal studies, internat...

Why Socialists Must Reject the Yimby-Nimby Binary

17 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Harry Zehner analyzes the discourse and politics of the YIMBY-NIMBY divide and argues that socialists should reject this binary entirely. Read By: Ali...

The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen

09 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rudy, Carson, Eric and Rob sit down to talk about the only socialist state in the Arab peninsula, and arguably in the Arab world: The People's Democra...

The Problem of Unity

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In a comparative study of Austro-Marxism, the French Socialist movement, and Bolshevism, Medway Baker argues for the left to seek unity around a prog...

Montreal is an Island: 1968 and the Black International Left with David Austin

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Isaac and Jackson join David Austin, author of Fear of a Black Nation and Dread Poetry and Freedom: Linton Kwesi Johnson and the Unfinished Revolutio...

The Rise of Revolutionary Abolitionism with Jesse Olsavsky

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Cliff and Isaac join Jesse Olsavsky, author of The Most Absolute Abolition: Runaways, Vigilance Committees, and the Rise of Revolutionary Abolitionism...

Naming The System

17 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Isaac KD and Jack L defend their critique of DSA's dominant strategic orientation towards reform campaigns in a response to Sam Lewis' "In Defense of ...

The Hungarian Tragedy of '56: Origins, Events and Consequences

09 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

James, Cliff, Chas and Rudy join for a discussion on the events that take place in Hungary in 1956. We discuss the origins of the revolt, talking abou...

To Talk of Organization - On Nunes' Neither Vertical nor Horizontal

06 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Alex James reviews Rodrigo Nunes' latest book Neither Vertical nor Horizontal, finding a refreshing new vocabulary for talking about organization tha...