Varn Vlog

Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. Varn Vlog is the pod of C. Derick Varn. We combine the conversation on philosophy, political economy, art, history, culture, anthropology, and geopolitics from a left-wing and culturally informed perspective. We approach the world from a historical lens with an eye for hard truths and structural analysis.

Podcasting since 2021 • 415 episodes

Varn Vlog

Latest Episodes

Geopolitics of the Data Economy: Tech Monopoly, Neoliberalism, Resource Wars with ProleKult

Why are tech monopolies quietly building massive, "war-eating" data centers in global deserts? How does the infrastructure of artificial intelligence directly intersect with resource imperialism, greenwashing, and active combat zones? In this e...

August 17, 2026 • Season 2 • Episode 93 • 2:10:30

Brandon Lightly on the Mass LIne and New Democracy, Part 2

In part two of our deep dive into China (and part four of our socialist organization series), we break down how Mao attempted to dialectically sublate a national front and a united front. We explore the structural inclusion of the "patriotic na...

August 13, 2026 • Season 2 • Episode 92 • 1:27:42

Writing and Revolution: Cultural Production vs. Neoliberal Aesthetics with Sudip Bhattacharya

How does ruling-class hegemony quietly dictate the boundaries of our creative imagination? Can art still serve as a weapon for genuine political transformation, or has it been entirely neutralized by capitalist realism? In this episode of Varn ...

August 10, 2026 • Season 2 • Episode 91 • 2:25:18

The Cultural Marxism Myth with A.J.A. Woods

Where did the "Cultural Marxism" talking point actually originate? How did obscure 20th-century sectarian group battles evolve into the foundation of today's right-wing culture wars? In this episode of Varn Vlog, we sit down with Dr. A.J.A. Woo...

August 06, 2026 • Season 2 • Episode 90 • 3:39:40

A People’s History of the Mets: Urban Planning, Labor, and Radical Politics with A.M. Gittlitz

Why are the New York Mets the ultimate team of the working-class underworld? Author A.M. Gittlitz joins the channel to discuss his new book, Metropolitans, and pitch why leftists should actually care about sports.In this episode, we div...

August 03, 2026 • Season 2 • Episode 89 • 1:22:55