The Regrettable Century
The old forms of the Left are moribund and the new forms are stupid. We're making a podcast that discusses the need to organize a Dialectical Pessimism and develop a salvage project capable of sparking a new workers' movement for socialism. A clean, honest, and unsentimental melancholy is required; we are cultivating one and would like to share it with you.
“The challenge of modernity is to live without illusions and without becoming disillusioned. I’m a pessimist because of intelligence, but an optimist because of will.”
-- Antonio Gramsci
- Update frequency
- every 5 days
- Average duration
- 53 minutes
- Episodes
- 315
- Years Active
- 2018 - 2025
PATREON PREVIEW: Regrettable Geopolitics 06/09/2025
Poland No Confidence in Tusk, Saudis Support For Syria, Israel Attacks Syria, More Genocide in Gaza, Russia vs Ukraine/Al Qaeda in Africa, Walkin' in the Spiderwebs, Terrorism?, Ukraine Body Swap Deb…
The Velvet Counterrevolution/Divorce (Czechoslovak Socialism Part III) *UNLOCKED*
In the final episode of our Czechoslovak Socialism series, we dive into the final attempt to reform the Czechoslovak system. As with the Prague Spring, the official ML/liberal narrative about are the…
Patreon Preview -- Boundless and Bottomless Bonus: Updates On Pessimism
The dudes are back, although Sean couldn't join for this episode. Jason and Varn talk about some of the logic here, the limits of trying to pin down conservatism right now, and why politics is so fru…
Patreon Preview -- The Question of Nationalities and Social Democracy by Otto Bauer: Regrettable Book Club (Episode X)
The gang takes on the first half of Chapter 7 of Bauer's analysis of the concept of the nation...
Follow Along Here:
https://libcom.org/article/question-nationalities-and-social-democracy-otto-bauer
From Dawn to Decadence (Part IV) With Varn Vlog
The boys and Varn Vlog are back again, for the long-awaited return to our series talking about "Decadence Theory." This week, the boys respond to a response to the ICC's pamphlet on decadence theory.…
Trump's America and the Working Class Fightback (Crossposted From the For a New Republic podcast)
We recently went on the For a New Republic podcast to talk about Trump, fascism, and rebuilding the workers' movement in the United States. For a New Republic is the official podcast of Éirígí For A …
PATREON PREVIEW: Regrettable Geopolitics 05/17/2025
Hungary vs Ukraine, Iran Nuke Proposal, Why Trump Declared Victory Over the Houthis, Chinese Jets Better than Euro's?, Istanbul Clown Show, Ukraine's Lost War of Attrition Continues...
The Ever Present Present: The Long Now and the Cancellation of the Future
This week we return to an always prescient question: What happened to the future?
What Lies Ahead?
https://jacobin.com/2023/01/slavoj-zizek-time-future-history-catastrophe-emancipation
Mark Fisher’s…
PATREON PREVIEW: Regrettable Geopolitics 05/09/2025
Habemus Papam, Al Qaeda 🤝France, Trump Owned by Xi, Trump Owned by Houthis, Trump Owned by Bibi, Pakistan vs India, China 🤝 Russia, Ukraine's Very Bleak Strategic Assessment...
PATREON PREVIEW: Regrettable Geopolitics 05/02/2025
Trump/Zelensky Meeting, Minerals Deal, US Arms Sales to Ukraine, Superhornet Down!, North Korean Troops in Kursk, Russian Gains in April
The Stumbling God Emperor (or the 100 Days of Gomorrah)
The boys got together to take a look at the first 100 days of Trump's presidency. We talk about inept bumbling, cruelty, misery, war, and how it's still not fascism.
PATREON PREVIEW: Regrettable Geopolitics 04/24/2025
Trump Talks Truce, Iran Nuclear Deal, What's the Point of the EU?, Don't Bluff China, Sumy Missile Strike, Russia Rolls On
Patreon Preview -- For What We Will: A Brief History of American Socialism (For the New Zealand Federation of Socialist Societies)
A couple of weeks ago, Jason gave a talk to the New Zealand Federation of Socialist Societies about the history of American Socialism. Here is the audio of that talk...
Freedom Stumbles On: Hegel and the Slaughter-Bench of History (PART II)
The boys (featuring the return of Mir) return to the slaughter-bench to finish discussing Terry Pinkard's article "The Spirit of History."
The Spirit of History by Terry Pinkard
PATREON PREVIEW: Regrettable Geopolitics 04/12/2025
Kursk Losses Breakdown, China China China, Israel Executes UN Worker and Paramedics, Ansar Allah Reaps Reaper Drones, Renewed Russian Offensive?
And so on...
Patreon Preview -- The Question of Nationalities and Social Democracy by Otto Bauer: Regrettable Book Club (Episode X)
The gang tackles Chapter 06 of Bauer's analysis of the concept of the nation.
The Transformation of the Principle of Nationality (pg. 355)
National Autonomy and the Principle of Nationality
The Roots o…
Unbreakable Union: Introductions (With an introduction to the introduction by Jason and Chris)
Here's a bonus episode for you on what is normally an off week.
Listen now to hear Jason and Chris give an introduction to the introduction of the Unbreakable Union podcast, then listen to the introd…
PATREON PREVIEW: Regrettable Geopolitics 04/02/2025
Rare Earths Deal, War Footing in the Pacific, Coalition of the... Willing?, Ceasefire Breaches, Le Pen Convicted, Trump is Pissed off at Putin, NYT Says Ukrainians are Stupid Losers, Russian Offensiv…
Introducing The Unbreakable Union Podcast: The Contemporary Importance of Soviet History
This week Chris talks to Jason and Matthew about their new podcast: Unbreakable Union. This ambitious project will span six seasons with roughly one decade being covered per season.
Check out our epi…
*re-uploaded* PATREON PREVIEW: Regrettable Geopolitics 03/29/2025
Signalgate, Yemen, Ceasefire Failures, Russian Advances, and Ukrainian Flailing.