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.
Episodes
364 episodes
Ross Wolfe Contra Domenico Losurdo
What if the renewed fascination with Domenico Losurdo says more about our appetite for stability than about Marxism’s future? We sit down with Ross Wolfe to unpack how a Verso‑to‑Monthly Review pipeline, a revived faith in China’s statecraft, a...
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Season 2
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Episode 43
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1:56:42
Boundless and Bottomless (Special): Jay Rogers on Dugin's Fourth Political Theory
What happens when a Protestant Christian delves into the philosophy of Russia's most controversial thinker? Jay Rogers, a heart transplant survivor and longtime student of Russian culture, takes us on a fascinating journey through his engagemen...
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Season 2
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Episode 42
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2:01:05
Iranian Diaspora and Political Identity with Keanu Heydari
What defines Iranian identity, both within Iran and across its global diaspora? In this thought-provoking conversation with historian Keanu Heydari, we peel back layers of complexity surrounding one of the world's most politically fragmented di...
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Season 2
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Episode 41
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1:09:58
How Zoran Mamdani Surfed Anti-Politics To Beat A Party Machine with the Rapple Report
A shock win feels like a movement—until the math starts. We dig into Zoran Mamdani’s ascent with a clear-eyed look at why voters broke for him, what “anti-politics” actually signals, and how a mayor’s bold promises get squeezed by bonds, taxes,...
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Season 2
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Episode 40
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2:17:25
The Subject Unbound: Structuralism, Psychoanalysis, and Revolutionary Consciousness with Andrew Flores, Jr.
What happens when the revolutionary fervor of Marxism meets the probing depths of the psychoanalytic couch? In this intellectually stimulating conversation, Andrew Flores (host of The Parallax Viewer) explores the fascinating and often contenti...
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Season 2
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Episode 39
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1:47:42
The Marxist Unity Group: Navigating DSA's Political Landscape
What does it mean to build a socialist party in America today? The Marxist Unity Group, a left caucus within the Democratic Socialists of America, offers their perspective on this critical question while unpacking the complexities of DSA's inte...
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Season 2
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Episode 38
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2:17:40
The Spectacle Society: When Nothing Means Anything with Dave Stockdale
In this riveting conversation with Dave Stockdale of Nightmare Masterclass, we dive deep into the crumbling foundations of media trust and how dark money shapes our information landscape. The discussion begins with a critical examination of the...
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Season 2
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Episode 37
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3:46:29
The People's Era: How France Unbowed Reimagines Leftist Politics
What makes a radical left movement actually succeed in the 21st century? In this deeply illuminating conversation, Henry Wallis of New International Magazine breaks down how France Unbowed has become one of Europe's most significant left format...
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Season 2
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Episode 36
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2:48:22
(From the Patreon Archives) From Operaismo to Autonomy: Italian Radical Thought with P.H. Higgins
This episode was released patreon's only in 2021. Mario Tronti and Antonio Negri stand as towering figures in the forgotten history of Italian radical Marxism. Their theoretical frameworks - operaismo and autonomia - emerged from the uniq...
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Season 2
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Episode 35
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1:44:28
How Technology Could Transform Our Failed Economic Models with Victor Vernissage rom Humanode
What if blockchain technology could emancipate us rather than just enrich speculators? In this wide-ranging conversation with Victor Vernissage, researcher, economist, and founder of Humanode.io, we explore how emerging technologies might trans...
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Season 2
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Episode 34
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1:28:21
Impossible Things: A Poet's Journey Through Loss and Translation with Miller Wolf Oberman
What happens when grief becomes inheritance? When poet Miller Oberman became a father himself, he suddenly understood something that had shaped his entire life: he had been parented by someone traumatized by the loss of a child. This revelation...
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Season 2
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Episode 33
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1:29:13
Flowers for Marx Symposium, Part 2: Daniel Tutt and Matt McManus
From theoretical battles to publishing controversies, this episode dives deep into the fault lines dividing today's left through the lens of "Flowers for Marx," a new collection exploring Marxist humanism and scientism. Contributors Daniel Tutt...
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Season 2
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Episode 32
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2:01:45
Flowers for Marx Symposium, Part 1: Ben Burgis, Conrad Hamilton, and Ernesto Vargas
What makes a book of Marxist theory so controversial that publishers back out after initially accepting it? The answer takes us deep into the heart of leftist intellectual debates that have shaped revolutionary movements for generations.
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Season 2
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Episode 31
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1:35:39
Why Your Stories Matter More Than Technology Ever Will with William "Bill" Welser
What if our personal stories are more valuable than we realize? In this thought-provoking conversation, William Welser, founder of LOTIC and innovative technologist, explores how our narratives shape not just our understanding of ourselves but ...
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Season 2
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Episode 30
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1:22:50
Gothic Capitalism and the Fate of Radical Art with Adam Turl
What happens when artistic rebellion becomes just another commodity? In this thought-provoking conversation, Adam Turl unpacks his book "Gothic Capitalism: Art Evicted from Heaven and Earth," taking us on a journey through the ruins of revoluti...
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Season 2
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Episode 28
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1:32:23
Financial Literacy: The Missing Piece in Social Justice with Courtney Teasley
Money isn't just about personal comfort—it's the foundation of sustainable social change. In this compelling conversation, attorney and business coach Courtney Teasley challenges conventional thinking about the relationship between financial po...
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Season 2
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Episode 29
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1:05:58
Buddha Didn't Want You to Quit Thinking with W. Tom Pepper
Journey into the often-overlooked intersection of Buddhism and critical theory with Tom Pepper, author of "The Faithful Buddhist" and "Indispensable Goods." Tom challenges conventional Western Buddhist practices by exposing how deeply they're e...
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Season 2
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Episode 27
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1:28:42
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Rereading Lenin: Context, Chronology, and Revolutionary Change with Alexander Herbert
What happens when you read Lenin completely, chronologically, and in context? You discover a thinker far more complex and pragmatic than most portrayals suggest.In this illuminating conversation, Professor Alex Herbert shares insights f...
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Season 2
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Episode 26
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1:14:25
Signs, Symbols, and Silicon: How AI Changes Our Understanding of Thought with Nicolas D. Villarreal
What makes human thought distinctive, and can machines ever truly think like us? In this profound conversation with Nicholas Villarreal, author of "A Soul of a New Type: Writings on Artificial Intelligence and Materialist Semiotics," we journey...
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Season 2
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Episode 25
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2:39:45
Evolution's Grip on American Politics with Dr. Melvyn Lurie
What if our bitter political divisions aren't just about policy differences but reflect ancient biological drives hardwired into our DNA? Dr. Melvyn Lurie, Harvard-trained psychiatrist with expertise in genetics, presents a groundbreaking frame...
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Season 2
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Episode 24
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59:50
The Rise of Caudillo Politics in America with Calixto Lopez
We explore how American politics has increasingly embraced Bonapartist and Caudillo elements, transforming the executive branch from its original constitutional role into an imperial presidency with vast unchecked powers.• Caesarism and...
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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2:14:49
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Dollar Dominance in a Fragile World with Emmanuel Daniel
What happens when the world's reserve currency faces a crisis of confidence, yet alternatives remain elusive? Emmanuel Daniel, author of "The Great Transition: The Personalization of Finance," offers a fascinating perspective on this paradox th...
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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1:28:54
The Revolution in Democracy: Marxist Unity Group's Vision for DSA
What does a truly democratic American future require? The Marxist Unity Group believes nothing short of revolution will deliver it. In this compelling conversation, MUG members Cliff Connolly, Amy Wilhelm, Jean Allen, and Aliyah Van Pelt outlin...
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Season 2
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Episode 21
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2:19:44
Taming the Wild: The Complex Story of Animal Domestication with Joy
The domestication of plants and animals represents one of the most profound transformations in our species' history—yet few of us understand how dramatically it has reshaped not just the organisms involved, but our entire planet's ecology. In t...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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1:48:42
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Liberal Socialism and the Challenge of Right-Wing Politics with Matt McManus
Professor Matthew McManus joins us to explore liberal socialism, the right's evolution, and the shifting global political landscape.• Carlo Rossellini's work articulates a socialism that confronts both Marxist determinism and fascism
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Season 2
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Episode 19
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1:20:51
