This Wreckage

In this belated celebration of gay liberation Andy talks to writer and cartoonist for the New Yorker, Baffler, The Toast, the Nib, etc, and a real life gay communist, John Leavitt about the Lavender Scare--a moral panic and homophobic purge of the State Department after World War II that paralleled and informed the Red Scare. We also discuss purges of homosexuals from Leninist organizations, and w...

Jamie (@jamie_elizabeth) and Leslie (@leslieleeiii) discuss two scary, sexy — and above all, seventies — lesbian vampire movies with the help of Tanya Turner (@auntiebernice) of the Trillbilly Workers Party: Vampyres (1974) and The Vampire Lovers (1970). Subscribe to The Antifada's (or Struggle Session's) premium feed to access the rest of this frighteningly fun series! Patreon.com/TheAntifada Out...

Jamie and Aaron (@punishedtrapgod) finish out their discussion of Marx and Engels' "The Communist Manifesto." Become a patron today at patreon.com/theantifada to unlock parts 2 and 3 of this episode, plus tons of other bonus content and our Discord community!

In the first ever episode of their new project "Everybody Loves Communism" — which just happens to be a crossover episode with The Antifada — Jamie Peck and Aaron Thorpe (Trillbilly Workers Party, A Time Of Monsters) delve into Marx and Engels' classic broadside "The Communist Manifesto" with the help of Sean KB. Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3, as well as for info on how to follo...

Sean and Andy are joined by writer and cohost of the Low Culture Boil podcast, Rax King, (@raxkingisdead) for a dive into the world of food and food service. Our intrepid crew reports back about a local weird, nerd, comic book restaurant called Action Burger, then uses the opportunity to talk about the miserable conditions of workers in the industry. To round it out they discuss the amazing pamphl...

Now unlocked for non-patrons, Jamie and Sean with Aaron discuss the political implications of his research on automation and the future of work. If UBI and Keynesian stimulus is insufficient, what sort of movements and measures might be adequate to the present moment? Outro: Rolling Stones - Luxury You can get Aaron's excellent book at, where else, verso: https://www.versobooks.com/books/3717-auto...

Music reviewer Anthony Fantano ( @The Needle Drop ) comes on our Wednesday Twitch stream to talk about Grimes' AI communist future, Lana Del Rey's BLM track, Morrissey headlining Cruel World festival, vegan musicians ranked, Madball and Section H8 reopening shows, Connecticut hardcore, Fiona Apple Stans, 100 Gecs, ska-punk, new music recommendations, and much more! Watch Anthony on Twitch and Yout...

A discussion with journalist Alex Kane , who covers Israel/Palestine for Jewish Currents, the Intercept, Ha'aretz and others, about the recent conflict and cease-fire, the origins of the unrest in Jerusalem, the political shifts in Israeli society, and the effectiveness of pro-Palestinian activism in the United States, anti-war ska, and if we should change our podcast's name. Please support the sh...

Virgil and the Antifada crew continue their discussion of this dark and lascivious tale, placing it in historical context vis-a-vis the rise of right-wing populism, the Hard Hat Riot of 1970 and a disturbingly similar murder committed after the film was shot but before it was released. Plus: racial dynamics, modern day analogs and a bonus-to-the-bonus review of the New York City Press Corp's abort...

Our buddy Virgil Texas ( @VirgilTexas ) calls in to discuss the 1970 exploitation film "Joe," starring Peter Boyle, Dennis Patrick, and — in her first ever movie role!— Susan Sarandon. In a spiritual sequel to Episode 17 , the crew examines the rise of neoliberalism and concurrent dissolution of the American working class through the lens of this low-budget sleeper hit, in which the titu...

On this episode of Vampire Castle, Jamie and Leslie are joined by special guest Dan Boeckner ( @DanBoeckner ), of the bands Wolf Parade and Operators, to discuss "Salem's Lot," the 1979 TV miniseries based on the horror novel by Stephen King. Note: contains spoilers for "The Outsider," so don't listen to 6:00-7:00 if you don't want em! (I'm the fucking worst, my exes were right...

Sean and Andy are honored to sit down with Marxist historian of the Transatlantic World and Anglo-Irish labor history, Peter Linebaugh, to discuss his 2019 book, "Red Round Globe Hot Burning: A Tale at the Crossroads of Commons and Closure, of Love and Terror, of Race and Class, and of Kate and Ned Despard". What is revolutionary love? How were the commons enclosed? What's the connection...

Jamie and Sean are joined by C. Derick Varn, host of Varnblog, Pop the Left, and Mortal Science, in a wide-ranging discussion: the role of the Democratic Socialists of America and its orientation towards the Democratic Party, the ongoing slaughter in Palestine, communization theory and more. Part 2 of 2! For access to this premium content and more, become a patron at www.patreon.com/theantifada Ch...

Jamie and Sean are joined by C. Derick Varn, host of Varnblog, Pop the Left, and Mortal Science, in a wide-ranging discussion: the role of the Democratic Socialists of America and its orientation towards the Democratic Party, the ongoing slaughter in Palestine, communization theory and more. Part 2 for patreons out later this week! Become a patron at patreon.com/theantifada for bonus content, acce...

For this episode of our side project on Latin American history and politics, we talk to a Human Rights lawyer from the Colombian movement Congreso del Pueblos about the recent uprising against far-right President Ivan Duque's pandemic austerity measures, and the brutal repression that followed. Earlier this year Duque proposed a new tax on consumer goods, a regressive tax disproportionately effect...

Sean and Jamie are joined by Gabe Winant ( @gabrielwinant ), historian and author of " The Next Shift: The Fall of Industry and the Rise of Health Care in Rust Belt America ," to discuss the composition of the US working class yesterday and today. Gabe's excellent historical work has given us a picture of the remarkable changes seen in Pittsburgh, once an emblematic blue collar town and...

Jamie and Sean are joined by Edward Ongweso Jr. ( @bigblackjacobin ), staff writer at Motherboard and co-host of This Machine Kills ( @machinekillspod ), for a discussion of all things tech. Rather than freeing us from drudgery, technology has been used by capitalists to make things worse for the vast majority of humanity. How did we get here? How can workers fight back? What does it mean to be a...

A free-form discussion on the history of hardcore, from its origins in the '77 punk explosion in LA, NY, DC, Boston, and Canada. We talk about our experiences in the scene and the various class backgrounds and political sentiments at play. Discussions include: anti-racism, youth crew, straightedge, veganism, political hardcore, if anarchopunk really exists, the concept of "unity", and wh...

Ah, a good old fashion news ep with Sean and Jamie! First, we've reached pretty pass when the Wall Street Journal is penning diatribes about woke capitalism. Is it true, as they contend, that big business is.. anti-capitalist? What does this even fucking mean? Next, President Biden has passed $2 trillion in stimulus and proposed another $2 trillion in infrastructure spending. Did it work? Did 'we'...

Andy and Anders have an intimate discussion about the history autism, starting in the coffeehouses of Red Vienna and ending in the imageboards of collapsing modernity. With a history rooted in eugenics, fascism, and neoliberalism, Anders questions the origins and continued necessity of the category while advocating for increased understanding and compassion for neurodivergency. Follow Anders Lee a...

Jamie, Sean and special guest Jake Flores ( @feraljokes ) of Pod Damn America ( @PodDamnAmerica ) get together to discuss Harmony Korine's seminal 2012 film Spring Breakers . We trust you've already seen this masterpiece, but in case you haven't, major spoilers ahead! Outro: Skrillex - Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites Become a patron at Patreon.com/TheAntifada to unlock tons of bonus content and ou...

HIAW is back with our tenth episode! In this one we wonder: what are the roots of the poverty of rural life in America? The American Dream always included self-sufficiency and independence and nothing represented this more than the family farm. This form of petty commodity production used to be a backbone of 'middle class' life in America, but now less than 2% of the population engages in it. Alon...

HIAW is back with our tenth episode! In this one we wonder: what are the roots of the poverty of rural life in America? The American Dream always included self-sufficiency and independence and nothing represented this more than the family farm. This form of petty commodity production used to be a backbone of 'middle class' life in America, but now less than 2% of the population engages in it. Alon...

Author and journalist Sarah Jaffe ( @sarahljaffe ) joins Sean and Jamie to discuss her new book, " Work Won't Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone ." Antifada listeners know "do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life" is a dirty lie told by capitalists. But where did this idea come from? In this book, Jaffe traces the...

In this episode Andy and Sean sit down with Phil A. Neel, author of 'Hinterland: America's New Landscape of Class and Conflict' to talk about his work and travels and how they helped him reconceptualize working class life in the United States and abroad. We discuss the particular geography of accumulation and exploitation that has created glittering global cities of commerce and finance, alongside...