Author and Executive Director of the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research, Vijay Prashad, returns to the show to discuss the United States' kidnapping of Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores, Trump's claim that the United States now owns Venezuela's oil industry, and American foreign policy in the age he calls "hyperimperialism." We also get into Venezuela's unique and tumultuous history as it struggles to build socialism despite US aggression.

Is all the discussion of Venezuela, Maduro, sanctions, international law, and all that jazz a little confusing? Vijay breaks it down perfectly.

Also, stick around to hear Vijay's thoughts on the American education system in one of our best tangents ever.

Check out the Tricontinental Institute here!

The episode art is Vijay with Nicolas Maduro himself.

It's crime time.

We're ringing in 2026 with James Ellroy's 1990 work of nasty neo noir, "LA Confidential." And we're mad about it! Why are there so many bizarre little policemen running around in this book???

Joining us is Brian Wishart of "Moviepod: A Reclaimed Cinema Podcast" to unpack the weird freak that is James Ellroy, get exasperated over this absurd book, and occasionally acknowledge parts that are good.

Check out Brian's podcat here!

Learn about LA Police Gangs (in real life) here.

Episode art is from the novel's second edition cover.

We took a weeklong break from talking about the news, but it's time to get back into the doings of the United States government...namely, starting new wars.

Today we discuss Trump's Christmas strikes on Nigeria, the bombing of a Venezuelan port, and preparations being made inside Venezuela itself for siege and war. Also, we mention our favorite holiday movies.

Articles referenced in this episode:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/nigerian-residents-of-jabo-are-rattled-after-close-u-s-airstrikes-made-their-homes-shake-and-the-sky-glow-red

https://www.democracynow.org/2025/12/29/nigeria_strikes

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/12/30/trump-bombs-venezuelan-land-for-first-time-is-war-imminent

https://substack.com/home/post/p-182894927?source=queue

IT'S TIME FOR SOME THEATER!!!

We're delighted to have Andy Boyd back on the show to discuss her play, "Three Scenes in the Life of a Trotskyist." Are you looking for a show about the betrayal of the young radicals of the early 20th century in the face of their own success and a conservative culture? No? Well, you should be, and it's this play!

Go buy the written version of "Three Scenes in the Life of a Trotskyist" here!

Go check out Andy Boyd and her other work here!

The image in the episode art comes from the play's staging at The Tank in NYC. The actors shown are Jeff Gonzalez and Charlie Hurtt.

Classic alert!

It's Christmas...so it's time to talk about Dr. Seuss' 1957 children's classic, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

What is a Grinch? Are the residents of Whoville bourgeois? Was the Grink there? All these questions and more, answered!

We hope y'all like the new theme music from the talented SoloMonk!

Feeling generous? Feel free to send some of that generosity our way: https://buymeacoffee.com/workerslit

Credit to the classic, "Was the Grink there?" tweet from @murrman5 for the joke we make like thirty times.

There’s a war on LGBTQ+ Rights in the US. The sooner we treat it as such the better.

The Workers are joined today by Pigeon of “2 Whits, 1 Cup,” an exvangelical, queer podcast about the evangelical radio drama, “Adventures in Odyssey” to discuss the Trump Administration—and every other powerful institution’s—increased aggression towards the queer community.

Topics include the Department of Justice’s new prison rules, S 1071, the betrayal of the Democratic Party, TPUSA and other anti-trans vigilante orgs, digital mass surveillance, the Arlington retreat, and how when we fight, we win!

Check out Jacob’s episode with 2 Whits, 1 Cup here!

Articles cited in this episode:

https://www.npr.org/2025/12/04/nx-s1-5630490/prison-doj-safety-memo-changes-trans-lgbtq-inmates

https://fdt.beehiiv.com/p/a-bill-to-disinter-a-serial-killer-from-a-military-cemetery-psyche-it-s-now-an-omnibus-appropriation

https://zeteo.com/p/social-media-children-ban-australia-us

https://www.techpolicy.press/age-verification-is-locking-trans-people-out-of-the-internet/

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/dec/11/meta-shuts-down-global-accounts-linked-to-abortion-advice-and-queer-content

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/12/trans-inmates-win-right-to-gender-affirming-care-as-judge-calls-it-a-serious-medical-need/

Them doors are about to get real bright.

It's time to hop into Vajra Chandrasekera's crazy 2023 fantasy novel, "The Saint of Bright Doors."

We've got revolution, we've got being bisexual, we've got family trauma, we've got cults, we've got it ALL with this book!!

So…bad news. Pretty much all American institutions are imploding into their most idiotic possible forms. However, since that includes journalism, you’ll probably hear elsewhere that this is good news. Go figure.

This week, the workers are joined by Nelson from the “What’s Left of The South” podcast to talk about the attempts of different mega-corporations to take over Warner Bros, the ascendence of the Unitary Executive Theory of Government, the Texas senate race, and Indigenous people fighting back against colonialism and climate change.

What’s Left of the South is a great podcast about southern working class history. Check it out here!

Articles quoted in today’s episode:

https://zeteo.com/p/the-maga-moguls-media-takeover

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/08/supreme-court-slaughter-trump-firings-00681078

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/900-acres-bordering-yosemite-returned-to-tribe-that-was-expelled-175-years-ago/

And of course, check out the Costco Guys’ new hit Christmas song

Nuclear war kinda sucks.

We are joined by returning guest and apocalypse-understander Brian Alford of The Worst of All Possible Worlds podcast to discuss Nevil Shute's 1957 end-of-the-world novel, "On The Beach."

What if the world was ending, but we were in Australia and being real polite about it? Have you been wondering what that'd be like? We know you have, so listen on!

Listen to Brian's fantastic podcast, ⁠The Worst of All Possible Worlds⁠

It's a bonus author interview!

We're joined by author, public theologian, and all-around cool guy Brian Recker to talk about his new book, "Hell Bent: How the Fear of Hell Holds Christians Back from a Spirituality of Love"

If you were raised evangelical, this one will hit hard, but even if you weren't, this is a great discussion (and book!) about the politics of hell, liberatory (and anti-liberatory) forms of Christianity, and the way a fear of divine punishment hangs over our society...and how we all deserve to escape that fear.

Buy a copy of Hell Bent here!