Guerrilla History

In this episode of Guerrilla History, we have an informal discussion with our friend and comrade Alex Aviña about the dangers of dogmatism when reading history, and much more! We love these slightly more theoretical conversations, and we know many of you do too. This one fits very well with many of the Sources and Methods episodes we have released, so be sure to check those previous episodes out if you are new to the show! Alexander Aviña is associate professor of Latin American history at Arizona State University and author of Specters of Revolution: Peasant Guerrillas in the Cold War Mexican Countryside. Alex's website is available at alexanderavina.com, and he can be followed on twitter @Alexander_Avina Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory

In this episode of Guerrilla History, we bring on two wonderful comrades to take on a pretty big topic of traitors and sellouts, the processes that take place that cause ideological changing, and some case studies of this phenomenon, including the discussion of Zak Cope's recent heel turn from Thirdworldist to radical free market capitalist and Zionist, and how to try to prevent this from happening within our organizations and within ourselves. We could not ask for better guests to tackle this topic than returning friend Manny Ness, who had collaborated with Cope in the past, and J. Moufawad Paul, who in addition to being a friend of the show also wrote "Obituary": Zak Cope in the aftermath of this situation. You definitely will want to listen closely here! J. Moufawad Paul is a professor of philosophy at York University and the author of several books including Continuity and Rupture, Politics in Command: A Taxonomy of Economism, and Critique of Maoist Reason. He also is one of the editors at the fantastic Material journal, and has a blog M-L-M Mayhem that you should check out. Be sure to also follow him on twitter @MLM_Mayhem. Immanuel Ness is Professor of Political Science at Brooklyn College, City University of New York and Visiting Professor of Sociology at the University of Johannesburg. He is the author or editor of numerous works including Organizing Insurgency: Workers' Movements in the Global South, Southern Insurgency: The Coming of the Global Working Class, The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Imperialism and Anti-Imperialism, and the incredible Journal of Labor and Society. You can follow Manny on twitter @ImmanuelNess. Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory

In this episode of Guerrilla History, we bring on two members from the Good Shepherd Collective, Bana Abu Zuluf and Lara Kilani, for a wide ranging conversation on The West Bank, the nature of resistance, the one year mark from October 7, narratives, and more! This was a terrific and vital discussion with two wonderful comrades, and we will certainly be bringing them back on again soon. Be sure to follow the Good Shepherd Collective on twitter @Shepherds4Good, and check out their website. Additionally, read their article Anti-Zionism as Decolonization, and if you have the ability to do so, consider supporting them financially to allow them to continue their crucial work. Bana Abu Zuluf is a Palestinian PhD candidate in International Law at Maynooth University Ireland and a member of the Good Shepherd Collective. Lara Kilani is a Palestinian-American researcher and member of the Good Shepherd Collective. Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory

In this insightful discussion, Leo Zeilig, Editor of the Review of African Political Economy and seasoned researcher on African politics, shares his expertise on the intricate history of African revolutions and decolonization. He highlights the lasting effects of colonialism and neo-imperialism, raising questions about true independence. The conversation explores mass politics, the influence of key figures, and the psychological scars of colonization. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on these themes as they prepare for deeper explorations of African liberation movements.

In this episode of Guerrilla History, we first provide a small bit of information about the retribution that friend (and future guest) of the show Momodou Taal is facing from Cornel University for standing in solidarity with Palestine in the face of the ongoing Genocide, before releasing a fully remastered edition of one of our very first episodes, the nearly 4 year old survey on African revolutions and decolonization movements we did. We still have our ~35 part series on African Revolutions and Decolonization upcoming imminently, so this past episode can serve as a sort of a first precursor/prelude to those coming episodes, and we can call back to this episode for the broader regional/continental historical context. For this herculean task, we brought on Leo Zeilig, an editor of the Review of African Political Economy, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the School of Advanced Study University of London, and an Honorary Research Associate at the Society, Work and Development Institute (SWOP) at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. Leo's books include Thomas Sankara, Frantz Fanon: Philosopher of the Third World, African Struggles Today: Social Movements Since Independence, and Congo: Plunder and Resistance. You can find his website at https://leozeilig.com/ and follow him on twitter @LeoZeilig. Also, follow the Review of African Political Economy on twitter @ROAPEJournal and their website https://roape.net/ . Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory

In this wonderful crossover episode between Guerrilla History and The Majlis, we bring on Dr. Ali Al-Assam to discuss the legendary Iraqi Communist leader Ibrahim Allawi's work Al-Mushtarak (The Commons), which Ali has just translated an edited edition in English, available from Iskra Books! This conversation covers the life and work of Allawi, his book Al-Mushtarak, and the fascinating fusion of Islamic culture and socialist politics contained within. Really a great discussion, you're going to want to check this out (and pick up the book!). Ali Al-Assam is founder and Secretary of NewsSocial Cooperative and member of the Friends of Socialist China - Britain Committee. Be sure to check out the Mushtarek platform and the NewsSocial Cooperative. You can follow Ali on twitter @aliassam, and get the book Reading In Al-Mushtarak from Iskra Books. Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory

In this critically important episode, we bring back our friend Comrade Booker from the Communist Party of Kenya to discuss the breaking news of his arrest and charges against him by the Kenyan governing apparatus. In addition to discussing his personal case, he analyses and describes the wider repressive nature of the Kenyan government, and how the Communist Party of Kenya is operating in the environment of mass public discontent. A fascinating, timely, and important conversation! Also, be sure to listen to the other episodes we have with Booker - History and Class Analysis of Kenyan Elections Dispatch, and Building the Communist Party of Kenya. Booker Omole is the National Vice Chairperson and National Organizing Secretary of the Communist Party of Kenya. He can be found on Twitter @BookerBiro. Support the Communist Party of Kenya! You can follow them on Twitter @CommunistsKe, on Facebook, YouTube, or on Instagram. You can also check out their website at https://www.communistpartyofkenya.org/. Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory

In this discussion, Professor August Nimtz, a political science expert, unpacks the electoral theories of Marx and Lenin. He delves into how these revolutionary figures viewed electoral engagement as a strategic tool rather than a moral choice. The conversation highlights the evolution of Russia's state DUMAs, critiques the Democratic Party's handling of protests, and emphasizes the importance of mass mobilization to counter capitalism. Nimtz also explores the relevance of Lenin's insights to modern political struggles and the need for a vanguard in today's class battles.

In this episode of Guerrilla History, we bring back on our friend Vijay Prashad to talk about one of the latest newsletter articles from the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research, titled Ten Theses on the Far Right of a Special Type. Here, we have a bit of a theoretical discussion before diving in and discussing each of the theses in turn. Be sure to read the article, critically engage with it, and critically engage with our discussion here as well! Also, check out our previous episodes with Vijay, Washington Bullets, COP26 Dispatch (alongside Chris Saltmarsh), and The Fragility of US Power (alongside Noam Chomsky)! Vijay Prashad is director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, editor of LeftWord Books, and the chief correspondent for Globetrotter, author of numerous books, and is a multiple-time guest of Guerrilla History. Follow him on twitter @VijayPrashad. Help support the show by signing up to our patreon, where you also will get bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/guerrillahistory

Ju-Hyun Park, a writer and activist with Nodutdol for Korean Community Development, dives deep into American imperialism’s impact on Korea. The discussion covers Korea's historical struggle for liberation, emphasizing the independence movements and the brutal legacy of the Korean War. Ju-Hyun critiques South Korean leadership under Yoon Suk-yeol and highlights rising tensions with North Korea. They also stress the importance of activism in the anti-imperialist movement, urging support for the US Out of Korea campaign.