Aesthetic Resistance Podcast

Participants: John Steppling, Roger Johnson, Hiroyuki Hamada, and Dennis Riches. Topics covered: The history of Israel’s nuclear weapons program, Seymour Hersh’s “The Samson Option” (1991), death of the Pope and the conclave, Italy marks the annual date of the end of fascism—April 25th, Schwab dethroned at the WEF, Ibrahim Traoré, Jon Hamm: from “Mad Men” to “Your Friends and Neighbors”—same show, different decades? Music track: “How Long Blues” by Leroy Carr (public domain).

Participants: John Steppling, Roger Johnson, Hiroyuki Hamada, Cory Morningstar and Dennis Riches. Topics covered: A.I. promoters want an expansion of nuclear energy, the use and abuse of youth “to save the world”, dealing with despair during a genocide that seems unstoppable, tariff wars and the end of brand value on luxury goods made in China, lost culture: journeys to family reunions, Kafka’s aphorisms. Music track “Jim Jackson’s Kansas City Blues, Part 1” by Jim Jackson (public domain).

Participants: John Steppling, Roger Johnson, Hiroyuki Hamada, and Dennis Riches. Topics covered: The “hands off NATO” protests against Trump, anti-NATO protests in Belgrade, tariff shocks, Japan’s US T-bill selloff, the power of blackmail, or lack thereof, the decline of movie theaters/going out to the movies, editing movies for television (films of the 40s vs. films of the 80s) the films of Val Lewton, Jacques Tourneur, Ed Wood, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Jean Genet for Palestine. Music track “Motherless Children Have a Hard Time” by Blind Willie Johnson (public domain, see also modern covers of the song by Eric Clapton and friends on YouTube).

Participants: John Steppling, Roger Johnson, Cory Morningstar, Hiroyuki Hamada, and Dennis Riches. Topics covered: Palestine, war fever in Europe while the US turns away, Norway’s surrender of neutrality, tariffs, the Inquisition (13th to 19th century) and anti-communism (19th-21st century), feudal Japan’s anti-Christian inquisition (15th-19th century), Ernst Bloch on Marx and surplus value. Music track “Blue in Green” by Miles Davis (public domain).

Participants: John Steppling, Kajsa Ekis Ekman, Hiroyuki Hamada, and Dennis Riches. Topics covered: Palestine, war fever in Europe while the US turns away (dog wags the tail, tail wags the dog, now the tail wags itself), Sweden’s surrender of neutrality, reification, commodification, the normalization of prostitution and surrogate pregnancy. BONUS FEATURE at the end of the podcast: John Steppling’s interview on Press TV about the ongoing genocide in Gaza, recorded on March 26, 2025 (7.5 minutes).

Participants: John Steppling, Hiroyuki Hamada, and Dennis Riches. Topics covered: Newly released information in the JFK assassination files, the normalization of scriptwriting by A.I., writers who describe E.U. governance as “communism”, Elon Musk’s grandfather’s connection to Technocracy and its resemblance to the Trump plan to establish a North American sphere of control, Errol Morris’ new documentary about Tom O’Neil’s book CHAOS (on the Manson murders and their connection to MK-ULTRA.) BONUS FEATURE at the end of the podcast: John Steppling’s interview on Press TV about the ongoing genocide in Gaza, recorded on March 19, 2025 (6 minutes).

Participants: John Steppling, Hiroyuki Hamada, and Dennis Riches. Topics covered: the ceasefire arrangement made by the US and Ukraine, driving cab in New York and Vancouver, youthful naivete, the lasting impact of toxic people, art influenced by the censorious grant application process. Music track “Match Box Blues” by Blind Lemon Jefferson (public domain).

This track consists of excerpts from a previous podcast episode. Edited together, these excerpts form the second lecture that attempts to sort out the confusion in contemporary discourse about fascism, communism, capitalism and liberalism. Participants: John Steppling, Max Parry, Shaenah Batterson, Hiroyuki Hamada and Dennis Riches.

Participants: John Steppling, Hiroyuki Hamada, Shaenah Batterson and Dennis Riches. Topics covered: The Trump-Zelenski feud, Freud and the working class, Russell Jacoby and psychoanalysis, Brecht, Film: A Complete Unknown—are biopics performed by actors or re-enactors? Who will save Europe from itself this time? RFK Jr.’s chances of success, in reforming Health and Human Services, Music track “The St. Louis Blues” by Bessie Smith (public domain).

Participants: John Steppling, Max Parry, Hiroyuki Hamada, Shaenah Batterson and Dennis Riches. Topics covered: the death of sports under capitalism with American characteristics, every athlete is a mercenary, cultural franchises vanish in corporate transactions, American citizens flee to greener pastures, pushing the message that there is no alternative, the philistinism that leads to political and moral decay. Music track “Crazy Blues” by Mamie Smith and Her Jazz Hounds (public domain).