Show Notes
Syria is entering a new and terrifying phase. In this episode Breht is joined by a panel of scholars and activists (Angie Bittar, Adam, Joma, Nur and Jalyssa) to take a clear-eyed look at what's unfolded over the last year and how it fits into the longer arc of the Syrian civil war, including the rapid collapse of the Assad-era order and the emergence of a new regime centered around HTS and Ahmad al-Sharaa (Jolani). Together, they break down the latest waves of mass violence and displacement across the coast, Suwayda, Aleppo, and Rojava, and ask what these events reveal about the new Syria. From there, they turn to the Kurdish question. They discuss the SDF, the long history of US imperial instrumentalization of Kurdish forces, the recurring pattern of abandonment, and the growing pressure now facing Rojava amid shifting regional and international priorities. They also examine ongoing kidnappings and sect-based killings, the breakdown of accountability, and what the allegations surrounding Syrian security institutions tell us about the direction of the new order. Finally, they zoom out to the information war. They map the propaganda narratives being pushed in Western and Zionist media, and offer practical "tells" for separating genuine reporting from information operations. Then, they close by asking what Syria teaches us about the current political moment: imperial strategy, proxy warfare, sectarian fragmentation, and what real solidarity demands. Access a full list of all the sources used for this episode HERE Donate to Jalyssa on Cash App: $JalyssaDugrot Or donate at: BuyMeACoffee/Jalyssa Check out Joma's great podcast: JDPOD Previous Episodes on Syria and Rojava: "The Situation in Syria" Episode w/ Angie last year "On Syria: Civil War and US Imperialism" with Rania Khalek from 2018 "The Kurds and Revolutionary Rojava" with Dr. Redcrow from 2017 Interview with Murray Bookchin's Daughter on his Life and Legacy ---------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/revleftradio Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio https://revleftradio.com/
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Gabriel Rockhill joins Breht to discuss his book Requiem for French Theory, coauthored with Aymeric Monville, and to challenge the radical reputation of thinkers such as Foucault, Derrida, and Deleuze. Situating their rise within the Cold War, Rockhill examines how intelligence agencies, capitalist foundations, universities, and publishers helped elevate intellectual (and broader cultural) currents that appeared radical or revolutionary while undermining the theoretical and political foundations of communism. Along the way, Breht and Gabriel explore French Theory's rejection of dialectics, its contested relationship to May '68, capitalism's ability to turn rebellion into a consumer product, and the difference between liberal representation and material liberation. They also discuss Western Marxism's retreat from anti-imperialism, the lessons of actually existing socialism, and the necessity of criticism and self-criticism within a living Marxist tradition. At the heart of the conversation is a practical question: how do we reclaim theory as a collective instrument of working-class liberation rather than another commodity in the capitalist marketplace?
October 22 is the National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality (O22), a day of coordinated action across the country demanding justice for those killed and brutalized by police and an end to the epidemic of police violence in the United States. In this episode, Breht is joined by Mia and Charlotta from Families Demanding Justice (FDJ), a national organization of families and loved ones of victims of police brutality, to discuss the upcoming O22 protests and the broader struggle to build a mass movement against police violence. Together, they explore the relationship between policing, racism, capitalism, and state repression, the lessons of the 2020 uprisings, Charlotta's heartbreaking and enraging personal experience losing a loved one to police violence, and the importance of centering impacted families in the struggle for justice. They also discuss FDJ's organizing efforts and strategies, the necessity of sustained mass resistance, and how ordinary people can get involved in building a movement capable of confronting police brutality at its roots. Finally, they discuss how listeners can participate in the October 22 National Day of Protest, connect with FDJ, and contribute to the ongoing fight for justice for all stolen lives.
In this episode Alyson and Breht enter the strange and unsettling world of Nick Land: Marx, Nietzsche, Delueze, cybernetics, accelerationism, and the possibility that capitalism is becoming something more than a human social system. For Land, techno-capital may be an inhuman process using humanity as a temporary vehicle - accelerating through markets, machines, computation, and artificial intelligence toward a future in which we are no longer necessary. We trace this vision from Land's anti-humanism and theory of deterritorialization to the Dark Enlightenment and neo-reaction, asking whether his philosophy is best understood as a kind of inverted Marxism: not humanity escaping capital, but capital escaping humanity. In the process, we discuss consciousness, artificial intelligence, historical and dialectical materialism, Land's influence on the techno-oligarchs, philosophy, and much more. After explaining and exploring Land's philosophy and politics, Alyson and Breht dismantle it via a Marxist Critique. Check out our episodes on: Julius Evola Louis Althusser Nietzsche ---------------------- Learn More about Rev Left and Red Menace HERE
Breht reads the speech he recently gave in-person at the 2026 Socialism Conference in Chicago. In the Speech, he analyzes the role of human subjectivity in revolutionary politics, explicates Che's argument in his famous essay "Socialism and Man in Cuba", articulates his notion of the Bodhisattva Revolutionary archetype, and argues in favor of Buddhist meditation as a potent and time-tested tool for the deliberate cultivation of a revolutionary and liberatory subjectivity.
Breht went on The Deprogram to discuss the philosophical strains and core arguments of his upcoming book from Iskra Books titled "A Letter to Young Revolutionaries" as well as his recent speech at the Socialism Conference (and the subsequent controversy around it). This is the first show Breht has gone on to discuss his upcoming book at length! Enjoy!