The Deprogram
JT, Hakim, and Yugopnik
What do an Iraqi, a Balkan Slav and a Texan have in common? A burning hatred for the system. Oh, and a podcast. Say no to eating out of the trash can of ideology. Join us on a journey exploring and critically assessing the perceived “normalcy” of late-stage capitalism. The only truly international, global, and anti-capitalist podcast you’ll find. SUPPORT US on PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/TheDeprogram FOLLOW US on Twitter @TheDeprogramPod
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 28, 2026 • 14min
Episode 227 - The Boys Have A Dream
Two friends riff on imagining life beyond capitalism and why utopias feel harder to picture than dystopias. They talk about how material conditions shape imagination and how incentives influence purpose. Personal stories explore balancing meaningful work, side projects, and the role of choice in labor.
Mar 24, 2026 • 1h 24min
Episode 226 - Cost of living crisis
A lively dive into how rising prices, stagnant wages, and disappearing pensions squeeze everyday life. They trace corporate rent-seeking, housing financialization, and Airbnb-driven displacement. Military spending, privatization, and friend-shoring get blamed for diverting resources. Racialized impacts, gig precarity, debt traps, and the political choice between organizing or private immiseration are highlighted.
19 snips
Mar 20, 2026 • 2h 11min
Episode 225 - The Iran Episode
Fast-moving analysis of Iran’s geopolitics, from historical oil politics and the 1953 coup to the 1979 revolution. Deep dives into sanctions, SWIFT exclusion, and legal tools that shape economic pressure. Detailed coverage of strikes, assassinations, and asymmetric drone warfare. Exploration of de-dollarization, regional security shifts, and how lobbying and ideology shape foreign policy.
Mar 16, 2026 • 26min
Teaser: Episode 225 - The Iran Episode
A wide-ranging tour of Iran’s modern history from oil nationalization and the 1953 coup to the Shah’s White Revolution and the 1979 political realignment. A deep dive into decades of pressure: sabotage, assassinations, and layered sanctions from asset freezes to SWIFT exclusion. Discussion of practical impacts on trade, banking, and everyday commerce.
Mar 13, 2026 • 1h 23min
Episode 224 - Listener Mailbag
Rapid-fire mailbag answers that jump between politics, party-building, and critiques of the Western left. They discuss socialist publishers, Soviet history debates, and communist activity in Iraq. Lively detours cover Balkan food, Metal Gear Solid viewing vs playing, live-stream memories, opsec for leftists, marriage perks, and reading recommendations to build revolutionary habits.
Mar 2, 2026 • 21min
Episode 223 - The 2nd China Episode
A deep dive into how Western sanctions can unintentionally accelerate Chinese infrastructure and influence. Discussion of Central Asian coordination pushing back against exclusionary Western policies. Analysis of a U.S. transit project framed as strategic rent-seeking rather than productive competition. A border skirmish in Southeast Asia is highlighted as a sign of wider maritime and choke point tensions.
27 snips
Feb 27, 2026 • 2h 25min
Episode 222 - The China Episode
A multi-part Marxist critique of China explores where political power truly sits and what socialist democracy should look like. They debate markets, planning, and whether private capital fits under state control. The conversation examines historical development, non-interference foreign policy, and whether China counts as imperialist. Tensions between bureaucracy, mass initiative, and worker power recur throughout.
Feb 20, 2026 • 1h 33min
Episode 221 - Israel at Home (Ft. Bad Hasbara)
Matt Lieb, an anti‑Zionist Jewish comedian and podcaster, offers sharp comedic takes and political commentary. He dives into how occupation tactics migrate home, the manufacture of threats and dehumanization, the interplay of comedy and political branding, and online platform power struggles. Conversation skips anecdotes and lands on propaganda, policing, and why people fail to connect the dots.
39 snips
Feb 13, 2026 • 1h 53min
Episode 220 - Epstein and Eugenics
They unpack new revelations about Epstein, online linkages to fringe platforms, and how elite networks protect power. The conversation moves into how capitalism and platforms erode education, attention, and collective reasoning. They debate definitions of intelligence, cultural decline, and socialist-style public investments as remedies. The show closes with listener-style pushback and who controls meaningful knowledge.
Feb 9, 2026 • 15min
Teaser: Episode 220 - Epstein and Eugenics
A spirited discussion on how policy confusion and institutional illiteracy breed fear and manipulation. They explore ideological capture, emotional reactions to complex proposals, and why broad civic education can be a tool for resistance. They compare mass education models, argue for universal lifelong learning, and critique profit-driven information culture.
