The Tolerant Left

In this collaboration with Invent The Future, we're in full cultural theory mode to talk about all manner of spooky topics: the nature of where many fears come from, the gendered and racialized aspects of fear, portrayals of mental illness in horror films, and a long discussion of the history and portrayal of witches and witchcraft!

Big content warning for discussions of sexual assault and trauma.

Outro: Talking Heads, "Psycho Killer"

In the second of our two-part collaboration with @redbookclub on 'A Great Love' by Alexandra Kollontai, we talk about Natasha's struggle through abuse and neglect and how her courage and disillusionment helps her to eventually break free. The second half of the book deals with an intensification of Semyon's abuse, his neglect of her needs, the belittling of Natasha's intelligence, how Senya's actions provoke self doubt and anxiety in her, Natasha's frustration and eventual disillusionment with their relationship and how after becoming jaded with Semyon's incorrigibility she courageously asserts her autonomy and finally breaks free. We also chat about 'crazy ex-girlfriends', how women are kept as toys and why drunkenness isn't an excuse for misogyny.   In our first time discussing a work of fiction we found no lack of important subject matter to be gleaned from the text. Considered by many to be a representation of a relationship between Inessa Armand and Vladimir Lenin, this essential and heart-breaking text gives us a deep insight into the physical and emotional reality of women revolutionaries before the October revolution and the harmful and misogynistic behaviour of men which remains unchanged to the present day.  This book, set in the world of revolutionaries exiled following the 1905 revolution, tells us the story of Natasha, an intelligent and dedicated party organiser, and her relationship with Semyon Semyonovich, a highly respected but deeply abusive official within the same party. Drawing from biographical experiences and those of her fellow comrades Kollontai paints a vivid picture of the profound pain and frustration which women suffered and suffer through in left-wing organising circles. From emotional abuse, dismissiveness and the downplaying of achievements to the ideas of transactional relationships, control in the institution of marriage and more.

(Special shout out to Connor for editing and putting together this great description!)

“All she wanted was to stand between him and the world, relieve him of his worries, help him bear his cross.”  This week we're collaborating with our comrades from Red Book Club podcast to bring the first of two episodes covering 'A Great Love' by Alexandra Kollontai.   In our first time discussing a work of fiction we found no lack of important subject matter to be gleaned from the text. Considered by many to be a representation of a relationship between Inessa Armand and Vladimir Lenin, this essential and heart-breaking text gives us a deep insight into the physical and emotional reality of women revolutionaries before the October revolution and the harmful and misogynistic behaviour of men which remains unchanged to the present day.  This book, set in the world of revolutionaries exiled following the 1905 revolution, tells us the story of Natasha, an intelligent and dedicated party organiser, and her relationship with Semyon Semyonovich, a highly respected but deeply abusive official within the same party. Drawing from biographical experiences and those of her fellow comrades Kollontai paints a vivid picture of the profound pain and frustration which women suffered and suffer through in left-wing organising circles. From emotional abuse, dismissiveness and the downplaying of achievements to the ideas of transactional relationships, control in the institution of marriage and more.  Kollontai's moving text gives us space to investigate our own participants' experiences of abuse and left-wing misogyny as well offering a chance to create ways to overcome problems such as abuse on the left, how to deal with the work of historically problematic men and how we can acknowledge our faults in order to learn and grow.

We're back! After a long break, we are rebooted and have brought some comrades along for the ride. Alekx, Eilex, and Savanah join the group, and for this episode we each discuss what it is like to be a non-man in a leftist space. Strap in, it's a spicy one. Intro and outro music is "Dance (The Movement)" by Ruby Ibarra and Bambu