America's hidden Marxist history reveals a country where radical ideas took root in ways we've deliberately forgotten. Dr. Andrew Hartman takes us on a journey through this erased past, uncovering how deeply Marx's ideas penetrated American society from the Civil War through today.

Marx himself was surprisingly connected to America, writing hundreds of articles for the New York Tribune—the world's most-read newspaper in the 1850s—and developing key theories about labor and freedom through his analysis of American slavery. These writings would profoundly shape his masterwork, Capital, yet few Americans know this historical connection exists.

The real revelation comes when we discover how widely Marx's ideas spread across America's heartland. Oklahoma socialists outnumbered Republicans for a decade. Mining towns in Montana and Colorado witnessed class warfare that rivals any European struggle. Jack London wasn't just writing adventure tales but promoting Marxism through passionate speeches and novels like The Iron Heel. These weren't fringe movements but significant political forces shaping American life.

What makes American Marxism distinct is its remarkable hybridization—merging with evangelical Christianity in the South, populism in the Midwest, and civil rights activism in Black communities. Far from a rigid foreign ideology, Marxist thought provided analytical tools that diverse Americans adapted to understand their specific struggles against exploitation.

Through economic crashes, war, and cultural upheaval, Marxist ideas have resurged repeatedly in American life—most recently since the 2008 financial crisis. By recovering this deliberately obscured history, we gain insight not just into our past but into the persistent appeal of radical critiques when capitalism fails to deliver on its promises of freedom and prosperity for all.

Send us a text

Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to Bitterlake

Support the show

Crew:
Host: C. Derick Varn
Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.
Intro Video Design: Jason Myles
Art Design: Corn and C. Derick Varn

Links and Social Media:
twitter: @varnvlog
blue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.social
You can find the additional streams on Youtube

Current Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon

What happens when we trace the unexpected influences between seemingly unrelated poetic traditions? In this exploration of German poetry's impact on American counterculture, we discover the fascinating connections between renowned German-language poets Rainer Maria Rilke and Paul Salon with Cleveland's underground literary icon DA Levy.

Levy, a Cleveland poet and publisher active in the 1960s who faced obscenity trials and ultimately committed suicide, created work that resonates with Rilke's mystical poetics in surprising ways. Both poets use angels not as mere symbols but as modes of address to readers – inviting us into a space where beauty and terror coexist, where mortality is acknowledged as the very thing that gives life its meaning.

As we examine Rilke's "Requiem for a Friend" alongside his more famous Duino Elegies, we see how his approach to mythology established patterns that would later emerge in Levy's work, despite their vastly different cultural contexts. The conversation expands to include translation theory, with insights from contemporary translators Pierre Joris and Johannes Göransson who understand translation not as equivalence but as transformation – every act of writing being itself a translation of experience into language.

We also examine how Levy's Buddhist influences connect him more meaningfully to Gary Snyder than to the Beat poets with whom he's often categorized, revealing the complexity of his literary lineage. From Federico García Lorca's concept of duende to the rich ethnic diversity of Cleveland's literary scene, this discussion illuminates how poetry transcends borders while remaining deeply rooted in specific geographies and experiences.

Have you discovered DA Levy yet? His work, much of it being republished through Between the Highway Press, offers a portal into a uniquely American poetic vision that draws from international traditions while speaking directly to readers with urgent, transformative power.

Links mentioned in the video: 
https://periodicityjournal.blogspot.com/2025/01/alexander-hammond-benedict-from.html?m=1
https://rilkepoetry.com/duino-elegies/first-duino-elegy/
http://homestar.org/bryannan/duino.html
https://herhalfofhistory.com/2023/07/13/requiem-for-paula-modersohn-becker-by-rainer-maria-rilke/
https://abovegroundpress.blogspot.com/2024/10/new-from-aboveground-press-fragments-of.html
https://betweenthehighway.org/

Send us a text

Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to Bitterlake

Support the show

Crew:
Host: C. Derick Varn
Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.
Intro Video Design: Jason Myles
Art Design: Corn and C. Derick Varn

Links and Social Media:
twitter: @varnvlog
blue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.social
You can find the additional streams on Youtube

Current Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon

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 to his entire philosophical project? In this profound conversation with Colin Bodayle, doctoral student in philosophy at Villanova University, we peel back the sanitized layers of Martin Heidegger's legacy to reveal the uncomfortable truth behind his continued influence.

The mystification around Heidegger's Nazism represents one of academia's most persistent blind spots. While other Nazi intellectuals like Carl Schmitt are acknowledged for what they were, Heidegger enjoys special treatment. Colin reveals how Heidegger's manuscripts were likely edited to remove explicitly fascist content, creating a historical deception that continues to this day.

Most importantly, we explore how Heidegger's core philosophical concepts—authenticity, Dasein, and his critique of technology—directly support his fascist worldview. His concept of authenticity isn't about individual self-creation but about embracing one's heritage and historical destiny as part of a "folk." His subjective idealism dissolves the possibility of objective truth in favor of interpretation, creating a philosophical framework perfectly aligned with fascist thought.

The conversation takes fascinating detours through German idealism, Nietzsche's reactionary politics, and the strange appropriation of Heideggerian concepts by both the contemporary left and far-right figures like Alexander Dugin. We also discuss how continental philosophy's language games often obscure the political implications embedded in philosophical concepts.

Rather than suggesting we abandon these thinkers entirely, this conversation invites critical engagement. As Colin notes, "Heidegger can teach you things about being human—he wasn't wrong about everything." But we must approach his work with our eyes wide open to its political foundations.

If you've ever grappled with continental philosophy, critical theory, or the political dimensions of abstract thought, this episode offers a masterclass in intellectual clarity and honest critique.

Send us a text

Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to Bitterlake

Support the show

Crew:
Host: C. Derick Varn
Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.
Intro Video Design: Jason Myles
Art Design: Corn and C. Derick Varn

Links and Social Media:
twitter: @varnvlog
blue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.social
You can find the additional streams on Youtube

Current Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon

As normie conservatives casually throw around terms like "Bonapartist" to describe Trump's new administration, we've entered a peculiar moment where Marxist terminology has infiltrated mainstream political discourse—often without its theoretical underpinnings. This wide-ranging conversation explores the historical parallels between today's political landscape and 19th century France, when General Boulanger's right-wing populist movement tempted certain leftists into dangerous alliances. Donald Parkinson of Marxist Unity Group and Cosmonaut Magazine helps us clarify. 

We dissect the contradictory coalition behind Trump's second administration: an unlikely alliance between traditional middle American constituencies and Silicon Valley tech oligarchs that has fundamentally altered the movement's character. This creates a uniquely modern version of Bonapartism, where executive power operates independently from other ruling class factions, but with enthusiastic backing from tech billionaires rather than reluctant acceptance from established elites.

The historical debate between Engels and Paul Lafargue proves remarkably relevant today. Engels vehemently opposed leftist alliances with Boulanger, insisting socialists must maintain political independence while defending democratic institutions against right-wing authoritarianism. Today's versions of this debate—from "MAGA communism" to various post-left tendencies—echo Lafargue's failed argument that riding right-wing populism would ultimately benefit socialism.

As liberal institutions prove remarkably fragile against authoritarianism and traditional left strategies seem inadequate, we face fundamental questions about political strategy. How can socialists build independent politics without becoming either appendages to liberalism or useful idiots for the right? What does defending democratic rights look like when the constitutional order itself is crumbling? And how do we understand class politics when traditional definitions no longer map neatly onto social reality?

This conversation offers essential historical context and strategic clarity for navigating our deteriorating political landscape—a moment when understanding the mistakes of the past might help us avoid repeating them.

Send us a text

Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to Bitterlake

Support the show

Crew:
Host: C. Derick Varn
Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.
Intro Video Design: Jason Myles
Art Design: Corn and C. Derick Varn

Links and Social Media:
twitter: @varnvlog
blue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.social
You can find the additional streams on Youtube

Current Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon

Dr. Vanessa Wills takes us on an intellectual journey through the heart of Marx's ethical vision – perhaps the most misunderstood aspect of his revolutionary philosophy. As we trace her path from anti-war activism to Marxist scholarship, Dr. Wills demolishes the persistent myth that Marx had no ethics or moral framework. Instead, she reveals how his entire project was fundamentally concerned with human flourishing, dignity, and liberation.

The conversation cuts through decades of academic confusion to show how Marx's dialectical method allows us to understand apparent contradictions in his thought. Yes, he rejected abstract moralizing, but simultaneously offered a profound critique of capitalism rooted in human needs and capacities. This isn't inconsistency – it's the recognition that ethics emerge from material conditions while simultaneously guiding our transformation of those conditions.

We explore how Marx's understanding of human nature as dynamic and social challenges both liberal individualism and crude collectivism. The false opposition between individual and society dissolves when we recognize that genuine individuality can only flourish through rich social relations. Capitalism's claim to champion the individual rings hollow when we see how it systematically destroys actual human beings while claiming to celebrate abstract individualism.

Perhaps most urgently, Dr. Wills explains how Marx's ethical vision speaks to our current crises of ecological destruction, social alienation, and political fragmentation. From the commodification of identity in social media to the resurgence of rigid gender roles, modern phenomena reflect the contradictions Marx identified. His materialist approach doesn't abandon ethics but grounds them in the real conditions and potentials of human existence.

This conversation invites us to rediscover Marx not as a cold determinist, but as a thinker whose commitment to human flourishing offers a framework for addressing our most pressing ethical questions. By understanding exploitation, alienation, and commodification as barriers to our collective survival and development, we gain new tools for imagining and creating a world where human dignity isn't just proclaimed but materially possible.

Send us a text

Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to Bitterlake

Support the show

Crew:
Host: C. Derick Varn
Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.
Intro Video Design: Jason Myles
Art Design: Corn and C. Derick Varn

Links and Social Media:
twitter: @varnvlog
blue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.social
You can find the additional streams on Youtube

Current Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon

America's constitutional foundation is buckling under the weight of executive fiat, with a president governing almost exclusively through executive orders while Congress passes fewer bills than at any point in history. Elijah Emery comes back to discuss the following: 

• Executive power has been expanding since WWII, but the current administration represents an acceleration of this trend with open defiance of court orders
• Legal analysis shows virtually everything the administration has implemented falls outside statutory authority, representing unprecedented lawlessness
• The administration's tariff policies violate tax and spending powers constitutionally reserved for Congress, using emergency declarations without actual emergencies
• Courts have been ruling against the administration, but many orders are being ignored or circumvented through administrative workarounds
• The Alien Enemies Act is being misused to justify deportations without due process, with Supreme Court rulings being openly defied
• Civil society, including universities, law firms, and business leaders, is beginning to organize legal resistance as economic impacts spread to Republican states
• Traditional institutional checks are failing, but declining approval ratings and business community opposition suggest limits to how far this can go

If you're concerned about these issues, follow reputable legal analysis sources and support organizations defending constitutional governance. Register to vote and stay engaged with your local representatives.

Send us a text

Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to Bitterlake

Support the show

Crew:
Host: C. Derick Varn
Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.
Intro Video Design: Jason Myles
Art Design: Corn and C. Derick Varn

Links and Social Media:
twitter: @varnvlog
blue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.social
You can find the additional streams on Youtube

Current Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon

Behind the celebrated image of Jimmy Carter as a Nobel Peace Prize-winning humanitarian lies a presidential legacy that demands closer examination. This revealing conversation with historian Robert Buzzanco challenges the sanitized narrative of Carter's presidency, exposing how he functioned as a crucial transitional figure between postwar liberalism and the full flowering of neoliberalism under Reagan.

Buzzanco methodically dismantles popular misconceptions, documenting how Carter accelerated Cold War tensions rather than reducing them. While Nixon had pursued détente with both China and the Soviet Union, Carter reversed course, supporting the genocidal Khmer Rouge, working with apartheid South Africa against liberation movements in Angola, and initiating support for the Mujahideen fighters who would later evolve into Al-Qaeda. These military interventions reveal a hawkish president whose actions directly contradict his later humanitarian image.

On the domestic front, Carter's presidency marks the beginning of neoliberal economic policies that would reshape American society. His administration aggressively pursued deregulation across multiple industries, appointed inflation hawk Paul Volcker to the Federal Reserve, sidelined labor unions, and rejected government intervention when factories closed in the Rust Belt. These policies accelerated the decline of working-class living standards and laid the groundwork for Reagan's more explicit dismantling of the New Deal consensus.

Perhaps most strikingly, Carter's political transformation after leaving office represents one of the most remarkable second acts in American political history. The same man who collaborated with China to punish Vietnam later won the Nobel Peace Prize and wrote "Palestine Peace, Not Apartheid." Understanding this contradiction helps illuminate broader patterns in American politics, where Democratic administrations have repeatedly embraced corporate-friendly policies while facing pressure to move rightward after electoral defeats.

Have we been too quick to sanitize Carter's legacy because of his admirable humanitarian work? What does this selective memory tell us about our political culture? Listen now to this thought-provoking deconstruction of a presidential legacy that continues to shape our world today.

You can find Robert Buzzanco's work:
https://www.counterpunch.org/2023/03/02/jimmy-carter-is-a-liberal-saint-now-was-a-war-criminal-then/
https://afflictthecomfortable.org/
https://creators.spotify.com/pod/dashboard/episodes

Send us a text

Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to Bitterlake

Support the show

Crew:
Host: C. Derick Varn
Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.
Intro Video Design: Jason Myles
Art Design: Corn and C. Derick Varn

Links and Social Media:
twitter: @varnvlog
blue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.social
You can find the additional streams on Youtube

Current Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon

The episode explores Hegel's complex understanding of freedom as self-determination and its historical evolution through time, juxtaposed with Kant and Rousseau's perspectives. It emphasizes that freedom is a relational and collective struggle that necessitates recognition and social action, questioning the practical implications of Hegel's thought in contemporary movements for change. 
- Examining Hegel's definition of freedom as self-determination
- Historical context: freedom's evolution through societies
- The importance of temporality in understanding freedom
- Comparing Hegel with Kant and Rousseau on freedom
- Duns Scotus' radical contingency vs. Hegel's causal necessity
- Practical implications: social struggles for freedom today 
- Connecting Hegelian philosophy to contemporary movements

Send us a text

Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to Bitterlake

Support the show

Crew:
Host: C. Derick Varn
Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.
Intro Video Design: Jason Myles
Art Design: Corn and C. Derick Varn

Links and Social Media:
twitter: @varnvlog
blue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.social
You can find the additional streams on Youtube

Current Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon

Is U.S. foreign policy under President Biden really different from Trump's approach? Join us as we welcome Daniel Bessner from the American Prestige podcast to unravel this and other pressing questions, with a bold examination of leftist perspectives on international relations. We scrutinize the position of Palestine within American leftist discourse and consider whether shifts in younger generations' opinions might eventually sway U.S. foreign policy. Student protests and divestment movements are powerful in their own right but how much can they truly influence the political machinery? 

Our exploration doesn't stop at foreign policy. We delve deep into the political climate of today, dissecting the peculiarities of the right-wing dynamics and the enduring shadow of Cold War liberalism. What do political promises from the late 2000s tell us about the current state of political engagement and identity? We discuss how social media has crafted new narratives and ask if the retreat from active political involvement signifies a broader societal disillusionment. Join us as we question whether the decline in religiosity and the popularity of socialism among youth signal a major ideological shift or just fleeting trends.

Finally, we tackle the pressing issue of AI's impact on labor, considering how white-collar jobs could face the same fate as blue-collar roles did with automation. The role of AI in reshaping the future of work is undeniable, but what are the implications for both labor and capital? We close our discussion by reflecting on the decline of humanities in universities and the shifting global power dynamics, contemplating the end of the 20th-century academic ideal and the rising influence of regional powers. Don't miss our comprehensive analysis as we navigate these complex topics with insights from our esteemed guest, Danny Bessner.

Send us a text

Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to Bitterlake

Support the show

Crew:
Host: C. Derick Varn
Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.
Intro Video Design: Jason Myles
Art Design: Corn and C. Derick Varn

Links and Social Media:
twitter: @varnvlog
blue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.social
You can find the additional streams on Youtube

Current Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon

Sudip Bhattacharya joins us to unravel the post-Trump landscape of socialist strategy, wading through the murky waters of political transitions and internal leftist tensions. How can we nurture class consciousness and fight against anti-DEI rhetoric that threatens to strip away essential rights? Together, Sudip and I confront these urgent questions, examining the evolution of the Republican Party towards Western chauvinism and the unsettling alliance between tech oligarchs and Trump's agenda. As we navigate this complex terrain, we provide insights into the dissatisfaction among socialists with elite discourses on identity politics and misleading media narratives about the working class.

Our conversation also dives into the challenges of maintaining unity within diverse organizations such as the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Drawing on personal experiences in union organizing, we emphasize the importance of staying focused on core objectives like job protection and workplace diversity, even when faced with ideological divides. Sudip shares anecdotes from a DSA town hall event, offering a firsthand look at the debates surrounding strategy and the need for both domestic and international perspectives within the movement. This dialogue highlights the importance of thoughtful public discourse and effective collaboration to strengthen class unity.

Finally, we explore the broader implications of American foreign policy and the potential for global solidarity in challenging U.S. hegemony. By engaging with international perspectives, we uncover the impact of American political actions on global relations and the potential shifts in alliances. From understanding the complexities of radicalization to critiquing rhetoric-driven strategies, we underscore the necessity of addressing tangible issues that people care about. Join us for a compelling episode that navigates the intricate dynamics of socialist strategy and outreach in today's volatile political climate.

Sudip Bhattacharya is a former journalist and will be focused on exploring race in the United States at Rutgers University. He has written articles for CNN, the Washington City Paper, Lancaster Newspapers, The Daily Gazette, and The Jersey Journal. He also graduated from Rutgers as an undergrad and earned a Master's in Journalism from Georgetown University.  He is a member of the Red Star caucus in the DSA, and has recently written an article for From the Academy to the Streets: Notes from a Working Class Think Tank edited by Colin Jenkins (Iskra Books 2025). 

Send us a text

Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to Bitterlake

Support the show

Crew:
Host: C. Derick Varn
Intro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.
Intro Video Design: Jason Myles
Art Design: Corn and C. Derick Varn

Links and Social Media:
twitter: @varnvlog
blue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.social
You can find the additional streams on Youtube

Current Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon