Varn Vlog
Episodes
Communist Unity in Oceania: The Future of Socialist Organizing in Australia
18 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
You can learn a lot about the health of the left by asking one simple question: what happens when people disagree? We sit down with three organizers f...
The Quest for Narrative From World Travels to Technology with Miles Spencer
14 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is our digital legacy the final frontier of storytelling?In this episode, we sit down with Miles Spencer, a serial entrepreneur, world traveler, and t...
The Castaneda Con with Ru Marshall
11 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Is it anthropology or a high-stakes hoax?In this episode of the Varn Vlog, we dive deep into the enigmatic life of Carlos Castaneda with author and vi...
The Left-Wing Deadbeat with Nurse John
04 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of people can quote the right theory, wear the right shirt, and post the right meme. Then the moment arrives when you have to sit down with a co...
The K-Shaped Decade with Matt Borka
27 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
“Why does life feel poorer when the economy looks rich?” That question drives our talk with Hungarian-born creator and entrepreneur Matt Borka, wh...
From Dawn To Decadence, Part 6: Aufheben's Decay
20 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 6 of our series "From Dawn to Decadence," we examine the intellectual trajectory and eventual "decay" of the Aufheben coll...
German Romanticism and Idealism Beyond Nostalgia And Reaction
13 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Romanticism gets treated like a synonym for nostalgia, and German Idealism gets shrunk to a few brand-name thinkers. We push back on both habits by ta...
Diving Into the Wreckage: The French Left Remains Unbowed
10 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Join hosts as they dive deep into the complexities of modern French politics with guest Henry Wallace. This episode explores the concept of the "...
Mapping The United Front Debate with Brandon Lightly
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when “march separately, strike together” meets real history? We dive into the tangled story of the United Front—where it came from,...
Wall Street Went To Homeroom And Stole The Whiteboard with David I Backer
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What if the real story of American education isn’t test scores or culture wars, but air you can breathe, roofs that don’t leak, and the invisible ...
From Catechism To Class Consciousness: How Marxism Was Taught with Edward Barring
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What if the real engine of socialist history wasn’t just theory, but teaching? We sit down with historian Edward Baring to trace a vivid, often-misr...
How Philosophy Lost Its Nerve And How Marx Put It Back To Work with Christoph Schuringa
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A century ago, philosophy split its seams. Cambridge’s revolt against British Hegelianism promised “clarity,” Vienna’s scientific modernism tr...
Post-Liberalism’s Fade with Nicolas Villarreal
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Politics keeps offering us drama in place of design. We sat down with Nicholas D. Vairo to chart how the post-liberal moment slid from grand promises ...
Hellworld And The Broken Labor Map with Phil Neel
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What if “reindustrialization” delivers fabs, data centers, and subsidies—but not the jobs? We sit down with Marxist geographer Phil Neel to unpa...
From Mills To World-Systems: Tracing Wallerstein’s Path with Sam Chian
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What if the most consequential “Marxist” of a generation refused to call himself one—and was more consistent for it? We dive into Immanuel Walle...
Popular Or United Fronts Explained with Brandon Lightly
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Coalitions promise power, but what if they mostly deliver blame? We dig into the sharp difference between a United Front and a Popular Front, trace th...
Crisis As Decision In German Thought with Timothy Schatz
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Crisis didn’t always mean endless catastrophe. In German thought, it once meant a turning point—a judgment that forces choice. We dig into why tha...
From Dawn to Decadence, Part 5
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Start with the symptom: everything still moves, yet less gets done. We unpack decadence as a live condition—where empires posture with airstrikes in...
Punditry Without Memory with Sudip Bhattacharya
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Start with a word we all hear too much: fascism. Now ask why, with the term everywhere, our understanding keeps getting worse. That’s the puzzle we ...
Can Dignity And Science Share A Banner Without Becoming A New Elite with Daniel Tutt
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Daniel Tutt returns to continue our series on intellectuals. The hardest truths are the ones that feel personal. We take Robert Michels’ “iron law...
Renaissance Without the Myth with Ada Palmer
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What if the Renaissance wasn’t a rebirth at all, but a survival strategy dressed in marble and Latin? We sit down with historian and novelist Ada Pa...
Inside Iran’s Impasse And Syria’s Shadow Wars with Djene Bajalan
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Start with the headlines and everything looks simple: a “crown prince” trending on social feeds, viral clips of pre-revolution Tehran, and bold cl...
Socialism, Anti-Politics, And Power Today with Joseph Sciortino
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of people call it populism, but the engine driving today’s politics is anti-politics: the organized channeling of frustration without a stable...
Rewriting The Chumash War with Joe Payne
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A “small revolt” doesn’t topple an institution—people do. We dive into the 1824 Chumash uprising and show why it belongs with the era’s grea...
Pierre Bourdieu, Academic Power, And Class Reproduction with Daniel Tutt
01 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In Part 2 of our series on intellectualls, Daniel Tutt returns to talk Bourdieu. Start with the feeling that “merit” is natural and fair—and t...
Language, Brains, And The AI Mirage with Eli Sennesh
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if today’s most powerful AI systems are closer to a free-floating hippocampus than to a thinking mind? We dive into the messy borderlands betwe...
Jamie Merchant on the Many, Many Current Crises
25 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jamie Merchant, the author of Endgame, joins us to talk about the current chaos. Start with the spectacle and you miss the structure. We step past the...
Rent-Seeking, Platforms, And The Myth Of Techno-Feudalism with Alex Hochuli
22 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the “techno-feudalism” boom is a symptom of our confusion rather than a diagnosis of the age? We sit down with Alex Hochuli (Bungacast, Am...
Liberalism At The Brink with Dillion From Untrodden Podcast
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Politics feels louder than ever and somehow emptier too. We open the hood on liberalism—what it claims to be, how it actually behaves, and why Trump...
Why Capitalism’s “Mute Compulsion” Isn’t The Whole Story with Nicolas D. Villarreal
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Start with a simple question: if investment drives productivity and growth, what happens to a society that keeps choosing consumption over capacity? W...
America’s Battle Over The Intellectual with Daniel Tutt
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if America’s “anti-intellectualism” isn’t a decline in smarts but a culture built to distrust theory? We trace that paradox from Puritan ...
Why Easy Answers Fail: From Riots To Reproduction And What Comes Next with Heatwave Magazine
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The hardest problems don’t fit into a slogan. We invited the editors behind Heatwave Magazine to unpack why national fixes can’t solve planetary c...
Ross Wolfe Contra Domenico Losurdo
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the renewed fascination with Domenico Losurdo says more about our appetite for stability than about Marxism’s future? We sit down with Ross ...
Boundless and Bottomless (Special): Jay Rogers on Dugin's Fourth Political Theory
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when a Protestant Christian delves into the philosophy of Russia's most controversial thinker? Jay Rogers, a heart transplant surviv...
Iranian Diaspora and Political Identity with Keanu Heydari
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What defines Iranian identity, both within Iran and across its global diaspora? In this thought-provoking conversation with historian Keanu Heydari, w...
How Zoran Mamdani Surfed Anti-Politics To Beat A Party Machine with the Rapple Report
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A shock win feels like a movement—until the math starts. We dig into Zoran Mamdani’s ascent with a clear-eyed look at why voters broke for him, wh...
The Subject Unbound: Structuralism, Psychoanalysis, and Revolutionary Consciousness with Andrew Flores, Jr.
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when the revolutionary fervor of Marxism meets the probing depths of the psychoanalytic couch? In this intellectually stimulating convers...
The Marxist Unity Group: Navigating DSA's Political Landscape
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to build a socialist party in America today? The Marxist Unity Group, a left caucus within the Democratic Socialists of America, off...
The Spectacle Society: When Nothing Means Anything with Dave Stockdale
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this riveting conversation with Dave Stockdale of Nightmare Masterclass, we dive deep into the crumbling foundations of media trust and how dark mo...
The People's Era: How France Unbowed Reimagines Leftist Politics
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What makes a radical left movement actually succeed in the 21st century? In this deeply illuminating conversation, Henry Wallis of New International M...
(From the Patreon Archives) From Operaismo to Autonomy: Italian Radical Thought with P.H. Higgins
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode was released patreon's only in 2021. Mario Tronti and Antonio Negri stand as towering figures in the forgotten history of Italian ...
How Technology Could Transform Our Failed Economic Models with Victor Vernissage rom Humanode
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if blockchain technology could emancipate us rather than just enrich speculators? In this wide-ranging conversation with Victor Vernissage, resea...
Impossible Things: A Poet's Journey Through Loss and Translation with Miller Wolf Oberman
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when grief becomes inheritance? When poet Miller Oberman became a father himself, he suddenly understood something that had shaped his en...
Flowers for Marx Symposium, Part 2: Daniel Tutt and Matt McManus
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From theoretical battles to publishing controversies, this episode dives deep into the fault lines dividing today's left through the lens of &quo...
Flowers for Marx Symposium, Part 1: Ben Burgis, Conrad Hamilton, and Ernesto Vargas
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What makes a book of Marxist theory so controversial that publishers back out after initially accepting it? The answer takes us deep into the heart of...
Why Your Stories Matter More Than Technology Ever Will with William "Bill" Welser
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if our personal stories are more valuable than we realize? In this thought-provoking conversation, William Welser, founder of LOTIC and innovativ...
Gothic Capitalism and the Fate of Radical Art with Adam Turl
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when artistic rebellion becomes just another commodity? In this thought-provoking conversation, Adam Turl unpacks his book "Gothic C...
Financial Literacy: The Missing Piece in Social Justice with Courtney Teasley
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Money isn't just about personal comfort—it's the foundation of sustainable social change. In this compelling conversation, attorney and bu...
Buddha Didn't Want You to Quit Thinking with W. Tom Pepper
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Journey into the often-overlooked intersection of Buddhism and critical theory with Tom Pepper, author of "The Faithful Buddhist" and "...
Rereading Lenin: Context, Chronology, and Revolutionary Change with Alexander Herbert
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when you read Lenin completely, chronologically, and in context? You discover a thinker far more complex and pragmatic than most portraya...
Signs, Symbols, and Silicon: How AI Changes Our Understanding of Thought with Nicolas D. Villarreal
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What makes human thought distinctive, and can machines ever truly think like us? In this profound conversation with Nicholas Villarreal, author of &qu...
Evolution's Grip on American Politics with Dr. Melvyn Lurie
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if our bitter political divisions aren't just about policy differences but reflect ancient biological drives hardwired into our DNA? Dr. Mel...
The Rise of Caudillo Politics in America with Calixto Lopez
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We explore how American politics has increasingly embraced Bonapartist and Caudillo elements, transforming the executive branch from its original cons...
Dollar Dominance in a Fragile World with Emmanuel Daniel
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when the world's reserve currency faces a crisis of confidence, yet alternatives remain elusive? Emmanuel Daniel, author of "Th...
The Revolution in Democracy: Marxist Unity Group's Vision for DSA
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does a truly democratic American future require? The Marxist Unity Group believes nothing short of revolution will deliver it. In this compelling...
Taming the Wild: The Complex Story of Animal Domestication with Joy
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The domestication of plants and animals represents one of the most profound transformations in our species' history—yet few of us understand ho...
Liberal Socialism and the Challenge of Right-Wing Politics with Matt McManus
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Matthew McManus joins us to explore liberal socialism, the right's evolution, and the shifting global political landscape.• Carlo Ros...
From Dawn To Decadence, part 4: Aufheben's Decline of Theory
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Capitalism's crisis theories reveal more about leftist political failures than economic reality, as deterministic approaches miss the cultural di...
The Poetry of Diasporic Memory with Ben Meyerson
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Flamenco's haunting rhythms carry centuries of suppressed memories—the echoes of Spain's Jewish and Muslim communities, expelled and erase...
End of Liberal Dreams with Nicolas Villarreal
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The foundations of modern liberal democracy weren't forged in the ideals of freedom and equality alone, but in the disciplined halls of Prussian ...
Marx's American Journey with Andrew Hartman
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
America's hidden Marxist history reveals a country where radical ideas took root in ways we've deliberately forgotten. Dr. Andrew Hartman ta...
The Angels and the Poets: Rilke, Celan, and DA Levy with Alexander Benedict
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when we trace the unexpected influences between seemingly unrelated poetic traditions? In this exploration of German poetry's impact...
The Fascist Foundations of Heideggerian Thought: A Marxist Critique with Colin Bodayle
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if I told you one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century wasn't just a Nazi sympathizer, but that fascism was fundamental ...
The Echoes of General Boulanger: When Leftists Flirt With Right-Wing Populism with Donald Parkinson
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As normie conservatives casually throw around terms like "Bonapartist" to describe Trump's new administration, we've entered a pec...
Ethics Unbound: Marx's Revolutionary Framework with Vanessa Wills
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Vanessa Wills takes us on an intellectual journey through the heart of Marx's ethical vision – perhaps the most misunderstood aspect of his...
Breaking Constitutional Boundaries with Elijah Emery
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
America's constitutional foundation is buckling under the weight of executive fiat, with a president governing almost exclusively through executi...
The Dark Side of Jimmy Carter with Robert Buzzanco
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Behind the celebrated image of Jimmy Carter as a Nobel Peace Prize-winning humanitarian lies a presidential legacy that demands closer examination. Th...
The Journey of Freedom: Unpacking Hegel's Philosophy with Borna Radnik
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The episode explores Hegel's complex understanding of freedom as self-determination and its historical evolution through time, juxtaposed with Ka...
From Cold War Legacies to Modern Political Challenges with Daniel Bessner
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is U.S. foreign policy under President Biden really different from Trump's approach? Join us as we welcome Daniel Bessner from the American Prest...
Navigating Socialist Strategy and Tensions in the Post-Trump Era with Sudip Bhattacharya
08 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sudip Bhattacharya joins us to unravel the post-Trump landscape of socialist strategy, wading through the murky waters of political transitions and in...
From Dawn to Decadence, Part 3: Is Samir Amin's Challenge to Eurocentric Narratives About Decadence?
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the concept of decadence holds the key to understanding our societal and political structures today? This episode challenges traditional narra...
Doomscolling Through Fandom to Politics: Unraveling the Digital Influence on Ideologies with Joshua Citarella
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Exploring the intersection of fandom culture and political engagement reveals a new landscape of activism and ideology. Our discussion with Joshua Cit...
Cultural Shifts in the Age of Social Media from Art Bell to TikTok with Katherine Dee
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Katherine Dee, the writer behind the "Default Blog" on Substack, joins us to explore the unexpected legacy of Art Bell and how his non-polit...
Liberalism Meets Socialism: Unpacking Their Surprising Connections with Matt McManus
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We begin a NEW season here at Varn Vlog after 4 years of recording. The episode explores the complexities of liberal socialism, emphasizing its potent...
The Paradoxical Paths of Noam Chomsky with Dr. Chris Knight
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The episode dives into the complex duality of Noam Chomsky as a linguist and an activist, revealing the schism between his scientific work and politic...
Constitutional Crossroads: Examining Trump's Impact on American Democracy with Elijah Emery
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the very pillars of American democracy are being shaken right before our eyes? Join me and our insightful guest, Elijah Emery, a law student w...
(New Season) Navigating the Complexities of Poetry: Politics, Language, and Cultural Impact with Bianca Stone
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode navigates the intricate relationship between poetry and politics, featuring insights from poet Bianca Stone. We discuss the nuances of no...
(300th Episode) Hungry Ghosts in the Capitalist Machine: Unraveling Consumerism, Politics, and Activism with Mike Watson
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The episode dives deep into the connection between capitalism and our digital identities, exploring themes of addiction, anxiety, and the pursuit of v...
From Dawn To Decadence, part 2: Samir Amin's Decadence Theory
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if the revolutions that shaped our world were never meant to begin in the most advanced nations? Join VarnVlog and Regrettable Century as we unra...
Unraveling Legitimacy: Political Narratives and Ideological Shifts with Benjamin Studebaker
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Benjamin Studebaker unpacks the complexities of legitimacy and ideology in liberal democracies, revealing how these narratives shape our understanding...
Fragments of Unity: Navigating the Evolving Landscape of Leftist Politics with Alex Strekal
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The episode explores the fragmentation of the left in America following the Bernie Sanders phenomenon. It examines the dissatisfaction with the Democr...
The Death Left?: From Millennial Waves to Modern Challenges in Politics
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Join us for a thought-provoking conversation with Chris Catron as we dissect the evolving dynamics of leftist movements, from the millennial wave to t...
Unpacking Alternative Media, Middle Eastern Politics, and the Complexities of Anti-Imperial Discourse with Djene Bajalan
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Djene Bajalan joins us to unpack the intricate dynamics of alternative media and its influence on Middle Eastern politics. Ever wondered how alter...
Digital Lending and Copyright Controversies: Navigating the Future of Libraries with LibraryPunk
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Can copyright laws coexist with digital lending in libraries? Join us as librarians Jay and Justin offer their expert insights into the controversies ...
Prolekult Films on Capitalism or Extinction
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is capitalism the true culprit behind our environmental crises?" Join us for a thought-provoking episode featuring James from ProCult Films as we...
From Draper to Balibar: Daniel Tutt on the Dictatorship of the Proletariat
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Philosopher Daniel Tutt is with us, offering a unique lens through which to view the crossroads of psychoanalytic theory and Marxism. Ever wondered ho...
Exploring Kierkegaard: Individuality, Existentialism, and Political Ethics with Charles Dashings
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Charles Dashings joins us for a fascinating exploration of the enduring relevance of Søren Kierkegaard. A teenage discovery of Kierkegaard's exi...
Navigating the Crossroads: The Tensions Between Radical Liberalism and Marxism with Jonathan Korman
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join us for a thought-provoking journey as we welcome the insightful Jonathan Korman to explore the evolving landscape of political ideologies. As a n...
Unraveling French Philosophy: Influences and Challenges with Jon Repetti
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join us for a thought-provoking exploration into the intricate world of French philosophy and its significant impact on leftist thought, featuring ins...
The Paradox of American Politics: Navigating The Current Malaise with Benjamin Studebaker
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Benjamin Studebaker joins us to dissect the paradox of American politics, where the stakes are monumental, yet policy differences between parties have...
The Spectre of Alternative Politics: Libertarian Dreams to Modern Alliances with Alex Strekal
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Are modern political ideologies simply a remix of old ideas, or are we witnessing a seismic shift in belief systems? Join us as we, along with my long...
Eco-Leninism and Degrowth: Reimagining Sustainability with Nicolas D. Villareal
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Eco-Leninism, degrowth, and sustainability solutions all come under the spotlight as we welcome the insightful Nicolas D Villareal to Varn Vlog. Wha...
Exploring Meta-Ethics and Hope in Leftist Politics: A Deep Dive into Moral Intuitions and Philosophical Traditions
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Curious about the moral underpinnings of leftist politics? Join us as we sit down with Devin Gouré and Charles Dashings from the Moral Minority Podca...
Reimagining Economic Systems: The Role of Design in Democratic Planning with Eric Meier
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Can art and design reshape the future of our economic systems? Join us for a compelling conversation with Eric Meier, formerly Greta, co-founder of th...
Reimagining Democracy: A Critical Analysis of America's Constitutional Framework with Lucas de Hart and Luke Pickerel
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What if the very framework meant to safeguard democracy is actually undermining it? Lucas de Hart and Luke Pickerel join us from the Democratic Consti...
Navigating Progressive Politics in Nevada with Zee Cohen-Sanchez
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Note: This was recorded in September during the early parts of the Harris campaign, some characterizations now I don't agree with. Get ready ...
From Dawn To Decadence, part 1: Cultural Shifts and Economic Myths
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What if modern society is hurtling towards decadence just like the Roman Empire, yet we remain blissfully unaware of it? Join us as we embark on a jou...
Rethinking Sweatshops: Labor Exploitation from the Industrial Revolution to the Gig Economy
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ridhiman Balaji offers a profound examination of sweatshops and labor exploitation, challenging us to rethink everything we know about these complex g...
Unpacking the Failures of the Millennial Left: A Conversation with Alex Hochuli
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Could the millennial left's political failures be traced back to a misalignment with historical Marxist frameworks? Join us on VarmVlog as we unp...
Marx, De-Growth, and Climate Crisis: A Critical Analysis with Lee Phillips and Matt Huber
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Can Marx help us navigate the climate crisis, or is de-growth socialism the answer? Join us for an in-depth discussion with Lee Phillips and Matt Hube...