Rev Left Radio

Joel Wainwright, professor of geography and author of The End, explores Marx’s debt to Darwin and how that reshapes a natural-historical reading of capitalism. They probe capitalism as a human–Earth formation, debates over ecological socialism and degrowth, and the political strategies—from local organizing to global climate mobilization—needed to confront the climate crisis.

Matthew Vernon Whalen, a writer and oral historian who investigates Alabama prisons, presents a vivid, interview-driven portrait of life inside Bullock Correctional Facility. He probes mental health collapse, sewage and infrastructure failure, violence and drug corruption. The conversation also explores racial dynamics, informal prisoner protections, and how daily survival shapes inner life.

Adnan Hussain, a medieval Islamicate historian and podcaster, blends deep knowledge of Persian, Islamic, and Ottoman history. He traces ancient Persian empires into the Islamic era. He explores how Shiʿism took root in Iran, the Ottoman-Safavid rivalry, colonial border-making, and shifting Turkey-Iran-Israel alignments. He also critiques Western Orientalism and modern geopolitical interventions.

Torkel Lauesen, economist and author who updates Arghiri Emmanuel’s theory of unequal exchange. He explains how global wage gaps channel value from low‑wage producers to high‑wage consumers. Conversations trace Marxist value theory applied globally, measuring massive transfers, political consequences in the North, ecological drains, and how shifting geopolitics and China’s model could reshape imperial arrangements.

Breht O'Shea, host and producer who analyzes imperialism and media, joins a wide-ranging conversation. They examine US/Israel strikes on Iran, the information war of misinformation and declining literacy. Short takes on diaspora divisions, protest dynamics, algorithmic silos, and strategies for building unions and movements.

A live breakdown of recent US and Israeli strikes on Iran and their regional stakes. Discussion of motives driving policy, possible escalation paths, and the strategic role of the Strait of Hormuz. Talk about domestic political incentives, surveillance and repression risks, and the prospects for labor and mass responses. A historical primer on Iran’s modern politics and how activists might organize.

Conversations range from the Epstein files and elite secrecy to parapolitics and billionaire influence. They examine renewed U.S. pressure on Cuba, strategic aims toward Iran, and Arctic climate geopolitics. Topics include managing news overload, practical self-care, tenant organizing, and building resilient local movements for long-term struggle.

Too Black, poet, organizer, and essayist who hosts Black Myths Podcast, offers a sharp rethink of nonviolence. He argues nonviolence often depends on repression to succeed. Conversations trace sacrificial violence, the “poking the bear” metaphor, contrasts between MLK and Fanon, and how colonial power makes bloodshed method-independent.

Joma Hanesuddin, PhD candidate studying Rojava and Kurdish politics; Jalyssa Dugro, independent Middle East journalist tracking U.S. intervention; Angie Bittar, international relations scholar focused on Syrian conflict. They map Syria's collapsed order and HTS emergence. They examine mass violence, displacement, Kurdish politics and US-SDF relations. They unpack information warfare, propaganda tactics, and regional power plays.

A raw take on ICE activity and violent state actions in Minneapolis. Stories of killings captured on video and the political systems that protect perpetrators. Discussion of organizing tactics like a citywide general strike and the limits of protest. A call to consider who wields power and what people are willing to sacrifice for collective struggle.