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The Regrettable Century

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The old forms of the Left are moribund and the new forms are stupid. We're making a podcast that discusses the need to organize a Dialectical Pessimism and develop a salvage project capable of sparking a new workers' movement for socialism. A clean, honest, and unsentimental melancholy is required; we are cultivating one and would like to share it with you. Check us out on Patreon for regular Patron Book Clubs, Regrettable Geopolitics updates, Real Nerd Hours, and more... Visit The Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Location:

United States

Description:

The old forms of the Left are moribund and the new forms are stupid. We're making a podcast that discusses the need to organize a Dialectical Pessimism and develop a salvage project capable of sparking a new workers' movement for socialism. A clean, honest, and unsentimental melancholy is required; we are cultivating one and would like to share it with you. Check us out on Patreon for regular Patron Book Clubs, Regrettable Geopolitics updates, Real Nerd Hours, and more... Visit The Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Language:

English

Contact:

3619049777


Episodes
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The Gang Goes Full Tankie: The Results and Prospects of Digital Stalinism

2/25/2026
This week, the boys got together and discussed the perpetual battle between the digital Stalinists and the digital Third Campists. To what extent have those demonized as tankies been right or wrong? To what extent do any of these archaic political designations matter? New Tankies and Digital Neo-Stalinism: How the Conservative Left is Incubated https://europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article73701 Don’t Be a Tankie: How the Left Should Respond to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine https://theintercept.com/2022/03/01/ukraine-russia-leftists-tankie/ What Is a Tankie-and Why You Don’t Want to Be One https://medium.com/@ksutherland2727.ks/what-is-a-tankie-and-why-you-dont-want-to-be-one-0fb84611233a Everything you ever wanted to know about tankies, but were afraid to ask https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/various-authors-always-against-the-tanks#toc2 Why are ‘anti-imperialists’ defending dictators? https://www.972mag.com/tankies-left-authoritarians-imperialism/ The ‘Anti-Imperialism’ of Idiots https://itsgoingdown.org/the-anti-imperialism-of-idiots/ JFK Files Reveal CIA Role in the 1956 Hungarian Uprising https://www.joewrote.com/p/jfk-files-reveal-the-cia-role-in

Duration:01:36:34

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Patreon Preview: Regrettable Geopolitics 02/21/2026

2/22/2026
Keep up with Burkina Faso, Trump is Killing Cuba, Iran is a Formidable Opponent, Iranian Dead Protester Psyop, Pedophile Country Provides Security for Epstein, Spook Dictators on the Rise in Ukraine, The Ukrainian Counteroffensive that Wasn't...

Duration:00:14:58

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Patreon Preview: Disaster Nationalism by Richard Seymour (Part III)

2/18/2026
Finally, the long awaited return of 'Disaster Nationalism' by Richard Seymour. The gang dives into chapters three and four. Catch up with us by joining the Discord. From the publisher: Liberal civilization is in crisis - now is a time of monsters. While the spotlight often shines on the actions of charismatic right-wing leaders such as Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro, defeating these people will not stem the tide behind them. They are the embodiment of profound forces that are rarely understood. With meticulous analysis and compelling storytelling, Richard Seymour delves into the ideologies fueling the contemporary right and distorting modern politics into something abhorrent and nihilistic. The battle against disaster nationalism is not just political; it is a struggle for our collective soul and the future of civilization. Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/cw/theregrettablecentury

Duration:00:19:02

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The Red Jacobins and the Thermidor of 1921: Revisited (UNLOCKED)

2/11/2026
This week, we returned to a discussion about a not very well-known article from an obscure Trotskyist journal written over a decade ago... It generated a little bit of a buzz, but was mostly ignored. We think that was a mistake, and we are going to tell you all about why you should care about the decisions of the 10th Party Congress of the Russian Communist Party. You won't want to miss this episode. The Article in Question: The Red Jacobins: Thermidor and the Russian Revolution in 1921

Duration:01:44:47

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Patreon Preview -- Regrettable Geopolitics 02/07/2026

2/10/2026
The Greenland Nothingburger, Regime Change in Iran Wouldn't be Quick or Easy, Epstein Was Mossad, Epstein in Ukraine, Ukraine's Internal and Military Collapse... Join the Regrettable Century Patreon

Duration:00:20:14

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Patreon Preview: Boundless and Bottomless Seas: Dugin's 4th Political Theory (Part XI)

2/6/2026
The boys are back and are nearing the end of the book. Chapters 11 and 12 are where Dugin's animating principle of "Dasein" comes into conflict with his understanding of global geopolitics and the project of "Fourth Political Praxis." Work Cited: Dugin, Alexander (2012). The Fourth Political Theory. Translated by Sleboda, Mark; Millerman, Michael. Arktos Media. Join the Regrettable Century Patreon

Duration:00:18:06

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Pessimism is an Optimism: A Return to Dialectical Pessimism (REDUX)

2/3/2026
This is a repost of an episode from 2003, but with an added leadoff that we recorded recently. This episode discusses a topic that bears constant revisiting: our pessimism (because of intellect) and our optimism (because of will). No, it's not just a doomer affectation that we can use to sound as cool as we look; it's a critical method of engaging with the bleak reality that faces us. The only way out is through, but getting through is possible. Revolutionary Pessimism: The Worst is Yet to Come https://www.christiansocialism.com/2020/05/12/covid-peter-fleming-revolutionary-pessimism-capitalism/ Pessimism of the Will https://viewpointmag.com/2020/05/28/pessimism-of-the-will/ CRITICAL PESSIMISM AND THE LIMITS OF TRADITIONAL MARXISM https://www.jstor.org/stable/657342 For A Refresher: The Proper Amount of Bumming People Out: Pessimisms and Optimisms of Intellect and Will https://regrettablecentury.buzzsprout.com/220523/1410229-the-proper-amount-of-bumming-people-out-pessimisms-and-optimisms-of-intellect-and-will Scattered Thoughts on Melancholia and the Organization of Pessimism https://regrettablecentury.buzzsprout.com/220523/1320682-scattered-thoughts-on-melancholia-and-the-organization-of-pessimism Pessimism of the Intellect, Pessimism of the Will https://regrettablecentury.buzzsprout.com/220523/889740-pessimism-of-the-intellect-pessimism-of-the-will Music- Англия - Сказочный мир

Duration:01:21:55

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Half a Revolution: The Pink Tide and Twenty First Century Socialism

1/27/2026
What Happened to the Pink Tide? https://jacobin.com/2016/07/pink-tide-latin-america-chavez-morales-capitalism-socialism/ The Rise and Fall of the Latin American Left https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/the-ebb-and-flow-of-latin-americas-pink-tide/ What Is Socialism for the Twenty-First Century? https://monthlyreview.org/2016/10/01/what-is-socialism-for-the-twenty-first-century/ 21st Century Socialism: What It Will Become and Why? https://ibw21.org/commentary/21st-century-socialism-what-it-will-become-and-why/ Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Duration:01:09:38

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Patron Preview: Patron Q&A IV

1/24/2026
Here it is comrades, the long-awaited fourth patron Q&A. We answer questions about America's humiliation, Chinese communism, AI in schools, and our favorite revolutionary books and/or pamphlets. This is only half the questions we received this time, the second half will be posted in Patron Q&A V next week... Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Duration:00:16:38

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PATREON PREVIEW -- Regrettable Geopolitics 01/20/2026

1/21/2026
The Iran Regime Change that Wasn't, Canada and China are Pals Now, Greenland Idiocy, Ukraine's Mass Desertion Crisis, Ukraine's Corruption Crisis, Ukraine's Fiscal Crisis, Ukraine's Fortification Crisis, Ukraine's Losing the War Crisis... Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Duration:00:16:13

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From Dawn to Decadence, REDUX: The Boys are Back in Town (Part V) With Varn Vlog

1/20/2026
Once again, the boys are back... again. We return to our long-neglected "Decadence Theory" project with Varn Vlog. This week, the boys try to get back in the swing of things with a reorientation episode. Varn Vlog https://www.patreon.com/c/varnvlog/posts Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Duration:01:32:31

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The Left Needs a Utopian Vision (Part II of II)

1/14/2026
This week, we finally finish off the a close reading of The Concept of Left by Leszek Kolakowski. Kolakowski was a dissident Polish Marxist who later turned against the project altogether. However, before he did, he wrote much that is worth reading. The Concept of the Left- Leszek Kolakowski Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Duration:01:39:14

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PATREON PREVIEW: Regrettable Geopolitics 01/06/2026

1/7/2026
The Venezuelan Regime Change that Wasn't, Oil Companies don't Want Venezuelan Oil, Machado Sidelined by Trump, Israeli False Flags, Israel Persecutes Christians, AIPAC Goes Underground, The CIA's Role in the Ukraine War, Ukraine War Summary 2025... Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Duration:00:16:25

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On Care For Our Common Home: Laudato Si and Christian Anti-Capitalism (Part IV)

12/30/2025
This week, the Regrettable Christian Caucus continues to discuss Chapter II of Laudato Si', by the late Pope Francis. You can follow along by grabbing the PDF from Verso or from the Vatican website. This Papal Encyclical calls for urgent action to address the global environmental crisis, critiques consumerism, blind developmentalism, inequality, and profit seeking. The document calls for global political solidarity to transition to a sustainable economy and for the protection of the world's most vulnerable populations. Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Duration:01:42:02

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PATREON PREVIEW: Regrettable Geopolitics 12/20/2025

12/22/2025
Well, here is a release that is back on our old schedule, but we won't be on this schedule for long. In fact, this is our last geopolitics episode of the year. We will resume in the New Year on a bi-weekly schedule. Trump's Acts of Piracy, Genocide in Darfur, Officer Exodus from the IDF, Europe Hopes to Prolong Ukraine War, More Russian Gains and Ukrainian Losses... Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Duration:00:16:18

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Patreon Preview -- Boundless & Bottomless Returns: Dugin's 4th Political Theory (Part IX)

12/19/2025
The boys are back, well... some of the boys. Picking up after a year long hiatus, Jason and Varn are ready to get down to finishing off Dugin. Dugin, Alexander (2012). The Fourth Political Theory. Translated by Sleboda, Mark; Millerman, Michael. Arktos Media. -------------------------------------- Varn Vlog https://varnvlog.buzzsprout.com/ ------------------------------------- Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Duration:00:15:39

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The Gang Resolves the Contradictions (Unlocked)

12/17/2025
This is a Patreon episode we liked so much that we unlocked it for everyone to hear. We hope you enjoy it. This week, Jason and Ben sat down to acknowledge and resolve all the contradictions that have manifested in our discussions on this podcast. Actually, we don't resolve anything, but we do acknowledge some things. Our listeners will know that we often disagree with the broader left, each other, and our earlier selves. While we don't manage to piece together a solid line for the podcast, we do manage to talk a lot about those contradictions. Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Duration:01:08:57

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Patreon Preview: La démocratie dans l'Amérique de Trump (Matthew from Unbreakable Union)

12/10/2025
This week we sat down with Matthew from the Unbreakable Union podcast and talked about the changing state of the world, what it's been like to be on the left throughout the years, the situation in France, and why maybe our pessimism makes a little bit more sense than it might first seem. https://unbreakableunion.buzzsprout.com/ Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Duration:00:20:57

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Toward a Materialist Conception of Music History: With Stephan Hammel (Part II of II)

12/3/2025
This week, Jason and Ben continued their conversation with Stephan Hammel of The Measures Taken Podcast about his new book Toward a Materialist Conception of Music History. From the publisher: "This book argues for the relevance, appropriateness, and usefulness of historical materialism to the musicological project. It interrogates the history of encounters between Marxism and music studies — both within and without the Soviet sphere — before staging the missed encounter between classical musicology and Second International Marxism. It concludes with a framework for understanding style history in terms of changes in the forces and relations of musical production." https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/2684-toward-a-materialist-conception-of-music-history https://www.themeasurestaken.org/ Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Duration:00:53:36

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PATREON PREVIEW -- Regrettable Geopolitics 11/27/2025

11/28/2025
Trump Wants to Talk to Maduro, Israel is Still Murdering Children, Zelensky Has Lost Touch With Reality, Ukraine Is Losing and Being Forced Into an Unfavorable Peace Deal... Send us a message (sorry we can't respond on here). Support the show Visit the Regrettable Century Merch Shop

Duration:00:21:47