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
Class Struggle & Christian Love: Herbert McCabe & Marxist Christianity
Kicking off Year VII, Chris and Ben are joined by Daniel Saunders to discuss Herbert McCabe's Class Struggle and Christian Love. The intention was also to cover pieces by Dennis Turner and Terry Eagl…
Year VI In Review: More Geopolitics but Finally Also Podcast & Personal Stuff (II of II)
The long-awaited part two of our year six in review episode. We kick it off with a little geopolitical discussion but get around to discussing our personal lives and the podcast.
From Dawn to Decadence (Part II): With Varn Vlog *UNLOCKED*
We are back at it again talking decadence theory with Varn. This week, we dig into Samir Amin's piece from Monthly Review.
We discussed the following materials:
Morley, Neville. "Decadence as a Theory …
Year VI In Review: US Elections, Gaza, & Ukraine (Part I of II)
As we wrap up another year of podcasting, we offer our expert opinions on everything that sucks about the world. Stay tuned for part II.
Patreon Preview -- The Question of Nationalities & Social Democracy by Otto Bauer (Episode VI)
The long march through the text continues as the gang tackles chapter three.
Read along here:
https://libcom.org/article/question-nationalities-and-social-democracy-otto-bauer
The Socialism of Fools: Weimar National Bolshevism & Strasserism (Part II of II)
This is part two of a discussion based on a paper Chris wrote about the concept of "German Socialism" from which groups like the NSDAP, the National Bolsheviks, Conservative Revolutionaries, and Blac…
Patreon Preview -- Boundless & Bottomless Seas: Dugin's 4th Political Theory (Part VIII)
The boys dive in to Dugin's thoughts on civilization, colonialism, and imperialism.
Don't worry, there are literally no digressions and the guys stay on point the whole time.
Check out the full episode…
The Socialism of Fools: Weimar National Bolshevism & Strasserism (Part I of II)
First of all, if you are listening to a version with bad audio, don't worry, I reuploaded a version with good audio and you can probably just refresh your podcasting app to get the newer version.
Th…
Patreon Preview -- The Tragedy of the Hungarian Soviet Republic
In what turns out to be an offshoot of our Czechoslovak socialism series, we dive in to the ill fated and short lived Hungarian Soviet Republic. This also turns out to be incredibly relevant to anyon…
Real Grouchy Old Man Hours: What's Left of the Left?
This week it's just the Regrettable brothers and we are talking about "leftism" and whether the category of "left" still holds any meaning.
Patreon Preview -- The Question of Nationalities & Social Democracy by Otto Bauer (Episode V)
Wherein we cover the entirety of Chapter 2, dealing with the concept of the nation state.
A link to the PDF:
https://libcom.org/article/question-nationalities-and-social-democracy-otto-bauer
UNLOCKED -- Socialism With a Human Face: The Prague Spring & Its Defeat (Czechoslovak Socialism Part II)
Continuing what has become a series on Czechoslovak Socialism, we dive into the attempt to reform the Czechoslovak system. The official ML narrative and the liberal narrative about the Prague Spring …
Patreon Preview -- From Dawn to Decadence (Part II): With Varn Vlog
We are back at it again talking decadence theory with Varn. This week, we dig into Samir Amin's piece from Monthly Review.
We discussed the following materials:
Morley, Neville. "Decadence as a Theory …
The World Spirit on Podcast: Is Hegel Still Relevant After the End of History?
Come listen to the boys discuss Hegel's enduring importance to the contemporary world.
Hegel Is Still an Important Thinker for the Left
https://jacobin.com/2023/11/hegel-political-philosophy-world-rev…
Patreon Preview -- The Question of Nationalities & Social Democracy by Otto Bauer (Episode IV)
We soldier on through this excellent but little known work on the national question. This week we FINALLY finish Chapter 1.
To Front or Not to Front: The Question of "Popular Frontism"
The boys get together and talk about the triumphs and failures, the uses and misuses, and the love and hate for the concept of the Popular Front.
Haslam, Jonathan. “The Comintern and the Origins of t…
Patreon Preview -- Boundless & Bottomless Seas: Dugin's 4th Political Theory (Part VII)
The boys dive in to chapter 6 of Dugin's Fourth Political theory. Don't worry, there are literally no digressions and the guys stay on point the whole time.
Check out Varn Vlog here:
https://www.patreo…
Patreon Preview -- Slovak Socialism: A Czechoslovak Socialism Addendum
We just can't stop talking about Czechoslovak Socialism. We decided to deal with the Slovak portion of the Czechoslovak lands, which we feel has been a little neglected in our previous discussions. S…
From Dawn to Decadence (Part I): With Varn Vlog *UNLOCKED*
We accidentally released the wrong episode, this one should have come before the last!
This week we sat down with C. Derick Varn to talk about "decadence theory," "crisis theory" and "breakdown theory…
Patreon Preview -- The Question of Nationalities and Social Democracy by Otto Bauer (Episode III)
Back at it again with the national question and continuing the long march through chapter one.
A link to the PDF:
https://libcom.org/article/question-nationalities-and-social-democracy-otto-bauer