Get access to The Backroom (80+ exclusive episodes) on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/OneDime

In this week's episode, I sit down with philosopher Isabel Millar, author of The Psychoanalysis of Artificial Intelligence, to analyze ChatGPT and large language models (LLMs) through the lens of Psychoanalytic theory (Lacan, Zizek, etc). As we will see, much of the AI/AGI hype regarding AI "thinking" and "becoming conscious" is a byproduct of a limited understanding of the human psyche itself, which psychoanalysis is key for unpacking.

In The Backroom on Patreon, Isabel and I talk about love in the age of Artificial Intelligence, AI girlfriends, sexbots, and how OnlyFans, online porn, and prostitution relate to the psychoanalytic understanding of sex. Why psychoanalysis treats sex less as “biology” and more as a knot of desire, lack, and fantasy.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Sexbotification, AI Girlfriends, & more (The Backroom Preview)

00:03:55 The Importance of Psychoanalysis, Lacan & Freud

00:14:45 The Stupidity of Intelligence, The Unconscious, Drive vs Desire

00:20:43 Can AI "think"? Can AI "enjoy"? Desire, Lack & Enjoyment

00:45:43 Can AI become "Conscious" according to Psychoanalysis?  

00:54:56 Are ChatGPT and large language models becoming a 'Big Other' or an oracle of authority?

01:04:52 Can AI be creative or "original" in the psychoanalytic sense?

01:13:43 Love in The Age of Artificial Intelligence

GUEST:

Isabelle Millar, philosopher, author of The Psychoanalysis of Artificial Intelligence

• Website: https://www.isabelmillar.com/

FOLLOW 1Dime:

• Substack (Articles and Essays): https://substack.com/@tonyof1dime

• X/Twitter: https://x.com/1DimeOfficial

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonyof1dime

• Check out my main channel videos: https://www.youtube.com/@1Dimee

Outro Music by Karl Casey.

Leave a like, drop a comment, and give the show a 5-star rating on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen to this.

Get access to The Backroom (80+ exclusive episodes) on Patreon): https://www.patreon.com/OneDime

In this episode of the 1Dime Radio podcast, I interview Yves Engler, “Canada’s Noam Chomsky” - an activist, academic who ran for the leadership of the New Democratic Party of Canada (The NDP). We discuss the problems with the NDP today (and when it was under the leadership of Jagmeet, Layton, and Mulcair), and Yves’s vision of radical democratic socialism. 

In The Backroom, Yves and I  debate his controversial takes on NATO, the Russia–Ukraine war, and Canadian foreign policy. Become a Patron at Patreon.com/OneDime

Timestamps:

0:01   The Backroom Preview (debate on NATO/Ukraine/Russia)

5:15  Why Yves Engler is Running for the NDP

8:16  Jagmeet Singh/leadership discussion

12:22  Problems with the NDP and alternative proposals

32:58  Solution to Housing Crisis & Affordability

41:06  NDP–Liberal agreement

1:15:33  Healthcare, Pharmacare, Dental

1:44:14  NATO/Ukraine/Russia Debate (The Backroom)

GUEST:

Yves Engler — Canadian author & activist; critic of Canadian foreign policy; NDP leadership hopeful.  

• Website: https://yvesengler.com  

• X/Twitter: https://x.com/EnglerYves  

• NDP leadership: https://yvesforndpleader.ca  

FOLLOW 1Dime:

• Substack (Articles and Essays): https://substack.com/@tonyof1dime

• X/Twitter: https://x.com/1DimeOfficial

• Instagram: instagram.com/tonyof1dime

• Check out my main channel videos: https://www.youtube.com/@1Dimee

Outro Music by Karl Casey

Leave a like, drop a comment, and give the show a 5-star rating on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen to this.

Tags: #NDP #CanadaPolitics #DemocraticSocialism #YvesEngler #1DimeRadio #NATO #Ukraine #Housing #Pharmacare #Labour

Get access to The Backroom (80+ exclusive episodes) and support 1Dime Radio: https://www.patreon.com/OneDime

In this episode of 1Dime Radio, I’m joined by Conrad Hamilton for a debate on the big questions: Is Marxism still relevant? Is Marxism-Leninism a failed ideology—or are critics misreading its history and aims? Most of all, we DEBATE the history of Communism (Marxist-Leninist governments like USSR, China, Cuba, and Vietnam), and whether the paths communists took were "inevitable." 

In The Backroom (on Patreon), Conrad and I continue the debate on the history of Marxism-Leninism, where things get... a bit heated (in a comradely way). Become a Patron at Patreon.com/OneDime

Timestamps:

00:00 Actually Existing Socialism Debate

01:50 Is Marxism Still Relevant? 

15:56 China, Vietnam, vs the Eastern Bloc

37:40 Leninism & Vanguardism

47:22 The Family & Gender 

48:24 Collectivization vs China's Development Model

53:34 Markets Under Socialism?

01:02:37 The Socialist Transition Debates

01:13:59 The Role of Religion in Marxist Movements

01:21:05 Identity Politics vs. Class-Based Organizing

01:25:17 Social Democracy vs Marxism-Leninism vs Democratic Socialism

01:36:40 Historical Lessons from Socialist Movements

01:52:42 Reflections on Socialist Governance

02:03:03 Conclusion & The Backroom Transition

GUEST:

Conrad Hamilton — postdoctoral research fellow (East China Normal University); co-author of Myth & Mayhem: A Leftist Critique of Jordan Peterson; contributor to Flowers for Marx.

• X/Twitter: https://x.com/bongardconrad 

• Flowers for Marx book (Revol Press): https://www.revolpress.com/flowers 

on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Flowers-Marx-Ben-Burgis/dp/952654594X

FOLLOW 1Dime:

• My Substack (Articles and Essays): https://substack.com/@tonyof1dime

• X/Twitter: https://x.com/1DimeOfficial

• Instagram: instagram.com/1dimeman

• Check out my main channel videos: https://www.youtube.com/@1Dimee

Outro Music by Karl Casey

Leave a like, drop a comment, and give the show a 5-star rating on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen to this.

Get access to The Backroom (75+ exclusive episodes of 1Dime Radio) on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/OneDime

In this episode of 1Dime Radio, I’m joined again by regular guest Benjamin Studebaker—we now have a monthly show together. We break down Trump’s Gaza plan: what it is, which countries are involved and what incentives they have (Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United States), and whether Israel will actually abide by it. We then weigh the pros and cons and tackle the long-term question re: What would be a better resolution to the Israel-Palestine Conflict—a two-state solution or a one-state solution? How would either work? Is it realistic over the long run, and what would it take to get there?

In The Backroom (on Patreon), Benjamin and I have a nuanced discussion on immigration—what the left gets wrong, and what leftists & liberals don't understand about the rise of the far-right in Europe.

Timestamps

00:00 The Backroom Sneak Peek

04:07 Trump’s Gaza Plan Breakdown

08:12 Tony Blair's Role, The New Plan Vs the Mara Gaza Proposal 

14:24 Hamas, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, & Saudi Arabia

20:48 The Role of Other States in the Region

27:22 Motives of European Union Countries and Refugee Management

36:24 The Future of Israel-Palestine: Two-State vs One-State Solution

55:15 Why Countries (Aside from the US) Still Support Israel 

01:29:27 Third Worldism and Global Capitalism

01:37:05  Conclusion & Backroom preview (immigration)

GUEST:

Benjamin Studebaker — political theorist, PHD at Cambridge University, author of Legitimacy in Liberal Democracies and The Chronic Crisis of Liberal Democracy.

• Website: https://benjaminstudebaker.com/about/

• Follow Benjamin Studebaker on X: https://x.com/BMStudebaker

FOLLOW 1Dime:

• Substack (Articles and Essays): https://substack.com/@tonyof1dime

• X/Twitter: https://x.com/1DimeOfficial

• Instagram: instagram.com/1dimeman

• Check out my main channel videos: https://www.youtube.com/@1Dimee

Outro Music by Karl Casey

Leave a like, drop a comment, and give the show a 5-star rating on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen to this

Get access to The Backroom (75+ exclusive episodes) and support 1Dime Radio: https://www.patreon.com/OneDime

Chris Cutrone— “the last Marxist”—returns to 1Dime Radio to discuss his “Campaign for a Socialist Party” and lays out, in plain terms, what it would actually take to build a socialist party today.    

In The Backroom on Patreon, Chris and I discuss the distinction between Socialism vs Communism and why we both have always rejected the “Communist” label. We also discuss how Chris’s views on Trump changed in the past year, Geopolitics and where modern “anti-imperialism” goes wrong.

Timestamps

00:00 The Backroom Preview

01:16  Democratic Socialism vs. Social Democracy

03:21  Campaign for a Socialist Party

12:24  The Bernie Sanders & Trump Phenomenon

19:58  Fascism and Capitalism

36:42  Politics Outside of the State

53:21  Debating Capitalism and Socialism

56:59  Contradictions of Capitalism & The Role of the Socialist Party

01:00:59  The Role of Intellectuals

01:25:14  Timeline and Structure of the Party

01:34:50  Base Building & Civil Social Organizing

01:38:02  Challenges and Realities of Organizing

01:41:34  Party Structure and Organizing Tactics  

01:48:01  Practical Steps for Building a Socialist Party

02:18:40  Call to Action & The Backroom Transition

GUEST

Chris Cutrone — founder of the Platypus Affiliated Society; Marxist theorist, teacher, & lecturer.  

• “Socialist unity!” (essay + the 11 Theses) — https://chriscutrone.platypus1917.org/?p=4269
• Campaign coverage hub (reports/interviews) — https://sublationthejournal.substack.com/s/campaign-for-a-socialist-party
• Video explainer — A Call for Socialist Unity — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kmvfUH24DE
• The Last Marxist (Cutrone’s site) — https://chriscutrone.platypus1917.org/

Get involved/contact The Campaign for a Socialist Party: 

Onboarding email: [email protected]

Platypus Affiliated Society (reading groups / chapters): [email protected]
• Platypus Chapters page: https://platypus1917.org/chapters/
• Research/Reports (Sublation): [email protected]

FOLLOW 1Dime:

• Substack (Articles and Essays): https://substack.com/@tonyof1dime

• X/Twitter: https://x.com/1DimeOfficial

• Instagram: instagram.com/1dimeman

• Check out my main channel videos: https://www.youtube.com/@1Dime

Outro Music by Karl Casey

If this episode made you think, drop a like, leave a comment, and give 1Dime Radio a 5-star rating on Spotify or Apple. 

Get access to The Backroom (75+ exclusive episodes) and support 1Dime Radio: https://www.patreon.com/OneDime

In this episode of 1Dime Radio, I am joined by Dr. Jane Hayward, a lecturer in Chinese Studies at the Lao China Institute at King's College. Dr. Hayward specializes in explaining China's political economy and misconceptions surrounding it.

We discuss the specifics of how China's political system works, its mix of meritocracy, democracy, technocracy, & dictatorship, and the very different systems of competing provinces, like Guangdong and Chongqing.

She also explains the inner workings of the Chinese Communist Party-state and its political economy. In The Backroom on Patreon, the Trump Tariffs, Jane's experience living in China, the prospects for China's future, and much more. Become a Patron at Patreon.com/OneDime if you haven’t already.

In The Backroom on Patreon, we discuss Trump’s new tariffs, Jane’s firsthand experience living in China, where the model is headed, and more.

Timestamps
00:00 The Backroom Preview
02:38 1Dime Radio Introduction
03:52 China’s Decentralized Political System
08:12 Local vs Provincial Governments
16:43 Democracy in China?
20:00 Party Membership, Hierarchy, and Controlled Opposition
34:20 Barriers to Entry and Party Membership
39:30 Technocracy and Meritocracy
49:44 Chongqing vs. Guangdong: Experiments in Socialist vs Capitalist Governance
01:06:39 The Labor Movement in China
01:17:34 The Gender Divide in China
01:30:15 Conclusion and The Backroom Transition

GUEST: Dr. Jane Hayward's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@janehaywardchina/videos

FOLLOW Me:

1Dime:• Substack (Articles and Essays): https://substack.com/@tonyof1dime•

X/Twitter: https://x.com/1DimeOfficial• Instagram: instagram.com/1dimeman•

Check out my main channel videos: https://www.youtube.com/@1Dimee.

Outro Music by Karl Casey

If you learned something, leave a like, comment, 5-Star Rating, and share it with a friend.

Get access to The Backroom (75+ exclusive episodes) and support 1Dime Radio: https://www.patreon.com/OneDime

In this episode of 1Dime Radio, I am joined by friend of the show C. Derick Varn to unpack the Charlie Kirk assassination (which happened in Utah, Varn's state) and MAGA’s reaction, Trump vs Jimmy Kimmel, implications for Free speech, the question of political violence, nihilism, and the reality of a Civil War Scenario in America. 

In The Backroom on Patreon, Varn and I discuss what “communism” means today, whether Varn still considers himself a Marxist, socialism vs communism, and the truth about “actually existing socialism”—especially China—plus updates on Tony’s upcoming video projects. Become a Patron at Patreon.com/OneDime if you haven't already

Timestamps:

00:00:00  Introduction: Is China Socialist? (The Backroom Preview)

00:06:04 Charlie Kirk, Jimmy Kimmel, & MAGA’s Reaction

00:15:28  The Shooter’s Background and Radicalization

00:38:13  Political Violence and Historical Context

00:45:39  Liberal Responses and Gun Control Debates

00:51:34  Shifts in Political Ideologies Among Young Men

01:08:09  The Prospect of Civil War

01:27:08  The US Military and Political Dynamics

01:32:57  The Danger of Nihilism

01:58:52  Nationalism as an Anti-Racist Force?

02:02:36  The Backroom Transition

GUEST:

C. Derick Varn — writer & host of Varn Vlog

• YouTube (Varn Vlog): https://www.youtube.com/@VarnVlog/videos

FOLLOW 1Dime:

• Substack (Articles and Essays): https://substack.com/@tonyof1dime

• X/Twitter: https://x.com/1DimeOfficial

• Instagram: instagram.com/1dimeman

• Check out my main channel videos: https://www.youtube.com/@1Dimee

Outro Music by Karl Casey

Leave a like, drop a comment, and share the episode if you found it helpful.

Get access to The Backroom (75+ exclusive episodes) on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/OneDime

In this episode, we ask a blunt question: Is it still worth joining a union? The answer is yes, but the reasons why most people don’t are valid, and rooted in material realities of the globalized economy, not just lack of “class consciousness.” We then pivot to political strategy: what counts as politics?  How can countries solve problems that are beyond the scope of the nation-state? What are some key issues that can be realistic organizing footholds (like healthcare and housing)? 

In The Backroom on Patreon, we discuss the viral assassination of Charlie Kirk, the state of political violence in America, the Trump administration’s response, and how panic often gets used to justify the centralization of state power & the curtailment of civil liberties.

Timestamps:

00:00 The Charlie Kirk Event (The Backroom Preview)

05:46 Guest Introduction: Benjamin Studebaker

07:41 Discussion on Labor Unions and Worker Organization

58:52 Politics as Intervention and the Role of Zeitgeist

01:01:39 The Nature of Political Decisions and Cooperation

01:04:53 Challenges in International Political Systems

01:13:37 The Role of Healthcare in Political Movements

01:17:26 Building Effective Coalitions for Change

01:31:56 Nationalism vs. Internationalism in Political Movements

01:50:49 What can be done now: (healthcare & Housing)

02:00:36 The Left's Power Block

02:04:29 Late Stage vs Middle Capitalism 

02:08:54 The Role of The Military

02:12:06  Anti-Civilizational Politics

02:32:15 Transition to The Backroom

GUEST:
Benjamin Studebaker — political theorist; author of Legitimacy in Liberal Democracies and The Chronic Crisis of Liberal Democracy.
• Website: https://benjaminstudebaker.com/about/
• Follow Benjamin Studebaker on X: https://x.com/BMStudebaker

FOLLOW 1Dime:
• Substack (Articles and Essays): https://substack.com/@tonyof1dime
• X/Twitter: https://x.com/1DimeOfficial
• Instagram: instagram.com/1dimeman
• Check out my main channel videos: https://www.youtube.com/@1Dimee.

Outro Music by Karl Casey

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Get access to The Backroom (70+ exclusive episodes) and support 1Dime Radio: https://www.patreon.com/OneDimeIn this episode of 1Dime Radio, I’m joined by Ben Tomas of  Sisyphus55  - a major philosophy YouTube channel that has been around for quite a long time. Ben and I discuss the online Left, audience capture, and creator burnout. We dive into how the platform economy shapes political discourse, why “LeftTube” often functions like a brand, and what it takes to create thoughtfully without becoming a hot-take machine. We explore burnout vs. purpose, streaming as pseudo-activity, theory vs. practice, and get a little bit into psychoanalysis & political philosophy. In The Backroom on Patreon, Ben and I discuss our political maturations, psychoanalysis as a toolkit for left politics, and how postmodern theory became an entry point for many while class analysis got sidelined. We also chat about the Canadian political landscape (Quebec and Alberta Separatism), on what a constructive, civic-minded nationalism could look like. Last but not least, we talk about the so-called “masculinity crisis.” Timestamps:00:00:00 The Backroom Preview: Fascist Phisyogamy00:02:32 Backroom teaser & what we dig into behind the paywall00:03:41 Who is Sisyphus 55?00:04:57 Content craft & workflow — scripts, editing, and avoiding the hot-take grind00:06:52 Grad school & clinical psych insights for creators00:10:52 Audience capture and algorithm pressure00:13:11 The online Left as “brand” — incentives, identity, and discourse00:18:22 Creator burnout on YouTube00:33:41 The Revolution Will Not Be Uploaded 00:40:23 Desire & repression 01:23:05 where to go from here & The Backroom transitionGUEST:Ben Tomas (Sisyphus 55) — philosophy/psychology YouTuber; clinical psychology PhD student; creator of The Revolution Won’t Be Livestreamed series• YouTube: @Sisyphus55• Patreon / socials: search “Sisyphus 55”• Recommended starting point: The Revolution Won’t Be Livestreamed (series)FOLLOW 1Dime:• X/Twitter: https://x.com/1DimeOfficial• Instagram: instagram.com/1dimeman• Main channel: https://www.youtube.com/@1Dimee• Substack: https://substack.com/@tonyof1dimeOutro Music by Karl CaseyGIve 1Dime a 5-Star Rating if you enjoy the show!

Get access to THE BACKROOM (70+ exclusive episodes) and support 1Dime Radio: https://www.patreon.com/OneDime

In this week’s episode of 1Dime Radio, I am joined by the one and only Yugopnik - Marxist YouTuber, Streamer, and co-host of The Deprogram Podcast  with JT Chapman from Second Thought and Hakim. In this episode we discuss the state of so-called “LeftTube” and “The Left YouTube Pipeline.”  We discuss Yugopniik’s funnel theory, whether he still believes in it, drama within The Online Left, Leftist infighting, and balancing theory with real-life organizing.

In the two-hour Backroom episode on Patreon, Yugopnik and I dive deep into the Contrapoints drama with regard to Israel-Palestine and the left. We discuss how progressives are not always necessarily socialists, and how, in many cases, progressivism can sometimes be a barrier to socialism.  We also discuss the technicalities of the socialist strategy and how the Separation of Powers and multi-party democracy could function under socialism in order to avoid the pitfalls of past Marxist-Leninist Regimes, and what MLs today in general miss. Oh, and we also dispel some dumb rumors circulating on Reddit with regard to me and the Deprogram boys.

Timestamps: 

00:00 Envisioning a Socialist Society

01:35 Division of Power in Socialism

06:37 Stereotypes, Incels, and Feminism Under Capitalism

21:51 The Left YouTube Pipeline

36:08 Fascism and the Military

37:33 Leftist “Radicalization” and Organizing

43:16 Ideology and Self-Criticism

51:04 Religion, Socialism, and Conservatism

01:01:24 The Contrapoints Israel Drama  (The Backroom Transition)

GUEST:

Yugopnik — YouTube creator, political commentator & co‑host of The Deprogram

• YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/@YUGOPNIK 

• The Deprogram Podcast — https://www.youtube.com/@thedeprogram9999 

• X/Twitter — @yugopnik 

FOLLOW 1Dime:

• X/Twitter: https://x.com/1DimeOfficial

• Instagram: instagram.com/1dimeman

• Main channel videos: https://www.youtube.com/@1Dimee

Outro music by Karl Casey.

Give 1Dime Radio a 5-star rating if you enjoy the show!