Best Proletariat Podcasts (2026)

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Lin Hongxuan, "Ummah Yet Proletariat: Islam, Marxism, and the Making of the Indonesian Republic" (Oxford UP, 2023) 46:44

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16d ago46:44

46:44

In contemporary Indonesia the idea that Islam and Marxism are inherently incompatible has become deeply entrenched. However, as Lin Hongxuan's work Ummah Yet Proletariat: Islam, Marxism, and the Making of the Indonesian Republic (Oxford University Press, 2023) shows, the relationship between them in Indonesian history is deeply intertwined. Based o…

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Are Service Workers and Public Sector Employees Part of the Proletariat? 1:25:07

20d ago1:25:07

1:25:07

Are service workers part of the "productive" part of the working class? And what does that mean? How about public sector employees--if they're not productive workers, does that mean that their interests don't align with productive workers and socialists shouldn't support the welfare state after all? Ben Burgis talks about what the Trotskyist leader…

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Nile Green, "Serendipitous Translations: A Sourcebook on Sri Lanka in the Islamic Indian Ocean" (U Texas Press, 2026) 1:02:24

3d ago1:02:24

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Sri Lanka has long sat astride the monsoon winds between the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea – a small island at the centre of a very big story. For over a thousand years, Muslim pilgrims, merchants, scholars, and soldiers have passed through “Lanka” or “Sarandib”, leaving traces in Arabic, Tamil, Persian, Malay, Ottoman Turkish, Urdu, Dhivehi, a…

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Youshaa Patel, "The Muslim Difference: Defining the Line Between Believers and Unbelievers from Early Islam to the Present" (Yale UP, 2023) 1:33:18

6d ago1:33:18

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According to a famous prophetic report, “Whoever imitates a people becomes one of them.” What does “imitation” here mean? Rather, what does this statement really mean at all, and how have Muslims historically understood it? How did this simple report become a doctrine in the Islamic tradition? What does this hadith mean for Muslims today, in an inc…

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EP 90: Predator Badlands Review - Past, Present & Future Of The Hunt & The Hunter 2:12:27

6d ago2:12:27

2:12:27

This is episode 90 of The Truth Tank We review Predator: Badlands and examine how the Predator franchise has evolved — and what that evolution means for the hunter and the hunt. We break down Badlands, explore Yautja Prime the Predator homeworld, and discuss one of the franchise’s most divisive changes: Predators speaking and gaining deeper charact…

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Amitav Acharya, "Tragic Nation: Burma--Why and How Democracy Failed" (Penguin Random House, 2023) 35:07

11d ago35:07

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What went wrong with Burma’s democratic experiment? How are we to understand the country’s turbulent politics in the wake of the 2021 coup? In this conversation with Duncan McCargo, Amitav Acharya talks about his new book on Burma, which draws extensively on communications with young activists he refers to as “thought warriors”. He also discusses t…

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Lin Hongxuan, "Ummah Yet Proletariat: Islam, Marxism, and the Making of the Indonesian Republic" (Oxford UP, 2023) 46:44

12d ago46:44

46:44

In contemporary Indonesia the idea that Islam and Marxism are inherently incompatible has become deeply entrenched. However, as Lin Hongxuan's work Ummah Yet Proletariat: Islam, Marxism, and the Making of the Indonesian Republic (Oxford University Press, 2023) shows, the relationship between them in Indonesian history is deeply intertwined. Based o…

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Why Everyone Should Read Vivek Chibber 2:00:29

14d ago2:00:29

2:00:29

Marxist Twitter has been fighting about Vivek Chibber lately. Ben Burgis takes the opportunity to address the immediate controversy but also the much broader value of Chibber's work. Read the Jacobin Chibber interview on the origins of capitalism that everyone is freaking out about: https://jacobin.com/2025/12/colonialism-transition-feudalism-capit…

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Deanna Ferree Womack, "Re-Inventing Islam: Gender and the Protestant Roots of American Islamophobia" (Oxford UP, 2025) 1:01:06

20d ago1:01:06

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From the end of the American Civil War to the start of World War II, the Protestant missionary movement unintentionally tilled the soil in which American Islamophobia would eventually take root. What ideas did missionaries in Islamic contexts pass on to later generations? How were these ideas connected to centuries-old Protestant discourses about M…

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Joanna Siekiera, "International Law and Security in Indo-Pacific: Strategic Design for the Region" (Routledge, 2025) 1:05:11

21d ago1:05:11

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International Law and Security in Indo-Pacific: Strategic Design for the Region (Routledge, 2025) edited by Dr. Joanna Siekiera uses an interdisciplinary approach to discuss international law and conflict in the Indo-Pacific region, covering topics such as maritime security, climate change and international relations. Detailing how international re…

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Is "Elite Capture" the Problem with Identity Politics? 1:13:41

19d ago1:13:41

1:13:41

Ben Burgis talks about why he doesn't buy Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò's defense of identity politics in Táíwò's book "Elite Capture: How the Powerful Took Over Identity Politics (And Everything Else)." Check out the book: https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/1867-elite-capture Read Ben's review: https://damagemag.com/2025/06/11/uncaptured-identity-politics-i…

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Radio ReOrient 13.10: Countering Islamophobia with the Runnymede Trust, with Shabna Begum, hosted by Claudia Radiven and Amina Easat Daas 42:51

22d ago42:51

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In this episode, Amina Easat Daas and Claudia Radiven were in conversation with Shabna Begum to discuss her work with the Runnymede Trust, a British race equality and civil rights think tank. Shabna has worked with Runnymede since 2021 as a Senior Researcher, before becoming Director of Research, and finally CEO in May 2024. She is also author of, …

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Ana Kasparian Tries to Teach Bill Maher Basic Things About Palestine 1:23:52

22d ago1:23:52

1:23:52

Many-time GTAA guest Ana Kasparian went on Bill Maher's podcast Club Random. Ben Burgis watches the part where they argue about Gaza and breaks it down. Read Ben's article "The “Human Shields” Defense of Bombing Gaza’s Civilians Is Morally Bankrupt": https://jacobin.com/2023/11/human-shields-bombing-gaza-palestine-israel-defense-forces-morally-bank…

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John Tolan, "Islam: A New History from Muhammad to the Present" (Princeton UP, 2025) 51:29

26d ago51:29

51:29

A concise new narrative history of Islam that draws on the transformative insights of recent research to emphasize the diversity and dynamism of the tradition. Today’s Muslim world has been experiencing upheaval: legalists and mystics engage in intense debates, radical groups invoke Sharia, Muslim immigrants in the West face prejudice and discrimin…

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Fuentes is a Symptom 53:38

25d ago53:38

53:38

Nick Fuentes is comically vile. So, why is it so hard to exile him to whatever dark corner of the discourse he deserves to go back to? One problem is that, when the whole landscape is soaking in ethnic essentialism, it's hard to draw the line at one particular version. Read Ben's essay: https://benburgis.substack.com/p/fuentes-is-a-symptom Link for…

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Kathryn Chelminski, "Governing Energy Transitions: A Study of Regime Complex Effectiveness on Geothermal Development in Indonesia and the Philippines" (Cambridge UP, 2025) 55:30

29d ago55:30

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As the world moves with increasing urgency to mitigate climate change and catalyze energy transitions to net zero, understanding the governance mechanisms that will unlock barriers to energy transitions is of critical importance. Governing Energy Transitions: A Study of Regime Complex Effectiveness on Geothermal Development in Indonesia and the Phi…

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Radio ReOrient 13.9: “Everyday Islamophobia,” with Peter Hopkins, hosted by Claudia Radiven and Amina Easat Daas 42:05

29d ago42:05

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In this episode, Amina Easat Daas and Claudia Radiven were in conversation with Peter Hopkins to discuss his work and most recent book, Everyday Islamophobia. The conversation ranged from UK counter-terror policy, to citizenship, the Far-Right, but largely on the mainstreaming of Islamophobia. Peter Hopkins is a Professor of Social Geography in the…

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The Penguin Edition of Marx's Capital is So Much Better Than the Princeton 1:19:39

27d ago1:19:39

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The new edition of "Capital" has been getting a lot of buzz. But...guys...it's really bad. Read Ben's essay: benburgis.substack.com/p/in-defense-of-the-fowkes-translation Read Matt Huber's thread: https://x.com/Matthuber78/status/1962512243343385070 Follow Ben on Twitter: @BenBurgis Follow GTAA on Twitter: @Gtaa_Show Become a GTAA Patron and receiv…

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Zohran is Right and the Online Left is Wrong 1:15:39

29d ago1:15:39

1:15:39

Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani's critics on the Left think he's a sell-out for not backing a primary challenge against Hakeem Jeffries or firing Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Some of them are about ready to denounce him as a fascist collaborator for sitting down with Donald Trump. Do any of these arguments add up? Follow Ben on Twitter: @BenBurgis…

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EP 89: The Hitler Options — Operation Sea Lion: What If Nazi Germany Invaded Britain? 1:28:53

1M ago1:28:53

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This is EP 89 of The Truth Tank Have you ever wondered what the world might look like if Nazi Germany had won World War II? What if a single battle — or a handful of desperate decisions — had tipped the balance? What if the Allies came second best? What if Operation Sea Lion actually happened? In this episode, we dive deep into The Hitler Options: …

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Shawkat M. Toorawa, "The Devotional Qur'an: Beloved Surahs and Verses" (Yale UP, 2025) 1:00:42

1M ago1:00:42

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The Devotional Qur'an: Beloved Surahs and Verses (Yale UP, 2025) is a beautifully curated and translated collection of the Qur'anic surahs and verses that are most cherished and memorized by Muslims the world over. Muslim devotional practices vary greatly over time and across regions, communities, and denominations, but they share core Qur'anic sur…

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Steve Tibble, "Assassins and Templars: A Battle in Myth and Blood" (Yale UP, 2025) 47:52

1M ago47:52

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The Assassins and the Templars. Two groups that are now part of popular legend–and not just because of Assassin’s Creed, the massive video game franchise starring the former as its heroes, and the latter as its villains. Steve Tibble takes on both these groups in his new book Assassins and Templars: A Battle in Myth and Blood (Yale UP, 2025). Steve…

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Stephen Murphy, "Buddhist Landscapes: Art and Archaeology of the Khorat Plateau, 7th to 11th Centuries (NUS Press, 2024) 55:48

1M ago55:48

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This important new work, Buddhist Landscapes: Art and Archaeology of the Khorat Plateau, 7th to 11th Centuries (NUS Press, 2023) by Stephen Murphy, build on extensive fieldwork and archaeological surveys to reveal the Khorat Plateau as having a distinctive Buddhist culture, including new forms of art and architecture, and a characteristic aesthetic…

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Charles Higham, "Early Southeast Asia: From First Humans to First Civilizations" (NUS Press, 2024) 1:03:15

1M ago1:03:15

1:03:15

In September 2025 the Dutch government announced that it would return to Indonesia the fossilized remains of the famous ‘Java Man’, the first known example of an early species of human, homo erectus. The remains had been uncovered by a Dutch archaeologist in 1891-2 during the colonial period and taken to the Netherlands. In fact, Southeast Asia has…

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Nayanjot Lahiri, "Searching for Ashoka: Questing for a Buddhist King from India to Thailand" (SUNY Press, 2023) 47:40

1M ago47:40

47:40

Blending travelogue, history, and archaeology, Searching for Ashoka: Questing for a Buddhist King from India to Thailand (SUNY Press, 2023) unravels the various avatars of India's most famous emperor, revealing how he came to be remembered—and forgotten—in distinctive ways at particular points in time and in specific locations. Through personal jou…

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Radio ReOrient 13.7: "Linguistics, Citizenship and Belonging,” with Kamran Khan, hosted by Claudia Radiven and Marchella Ward 45:18

1M ago45:18

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In this episode, Claudia Radiven and Chella Ward talked with Kamran Khan about linguistics, citizenship and belonging. The conversation travelled from the 2001 Northern riots in the UK, to the Prevent policy, all the way to more recent adjustments to the Nationalities and Borders Bill. Khan is currently the director of the MOSAIC research group on …

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Radio ReOrient 13.6: “Islamophobia and the ‘Great Replacement’ Conspiracy,” with Sarah Bracke and Luis Manuel Hernandez Aguilaran, hosted by Marchella Ward and Hizer Mir 1:11:06

1M ago1:11:06

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In this episode, Chella Ward and Hizer Mir sat down with Sarah Bracke and Luis Manuel Hernández Aguilar to talk about their recent book on a racist and Islamophobic conspiracy theory known as ‘the Great Replacement’. We talked about the long history of this idea, and how it might be resisted in the present. Sarah Bracke is Professor of the Sociolog…

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EP 121: Forbidden Love 1:20:29

1M ago1:20:29

1:20:29

Mamdani enters the love triangle between Trump and Bubba Bill, Mark sees the Hatman, and Nelson mansplains "female rage" to Ki which in hindsight was a horrible idea. patreon.com/wlotspod Link to the fan fiction we read: "Hey Incels, Just Have Sex (duh) https://share.google/6DwAXi3pVhI6aZciq

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EP 88: The Mirror Paradox: How AI Reflects Human Consciousness, Rhythm, The Evolution Of Human Creativity, And The Human Spark 2:26:41

2M ago2:26:41

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This is episode 88 of The Truth Tank. Step into The Mirror Paradox — where AI becomes a reflection of human consciousness, rhythm, creativity, and the ancient spark that has driven us from cave walls to code. In this episode, we explore how Seneca and the great philosophers still shape today’s debates about artificial intelligence, fear, hope, and …

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teaser "Bubba Smut" After Dark Episode 3:50

2M ago3:50

3:50

To access this full episode subscribe to our patreon! patreon.com/wlotspod

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Faisal Devji, "Waning Crescent: The Rise and Fall of Global Islam" (Yale UP, 2025) 1:04:48

2M ago1:04:48

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Faisal Devji's Waning Crescent: The Rise and Fall of Global Islam (Yale UP, 2025) is a compelling examination of the rise of Islam as a global historical actor. Until the nineteenth century, Islam was variously understood as a set of beliefs and practices. But after Muslims began to see their faith as an historical actor on the world stage, they ne…

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Jasbeer Musthafa Mamalipurath, "TEDified Islam: Postsecular Storytelling in New Media" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024) 1:14:15

2M ago1:14:15

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Jasbeer Mamalipurath’s TEDified Islam: Postsecular Storytelling in New Media (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024) is the first of its kind in-depth examination of the TedTalk phenomenon and in particular how Islam and Muslim experiences are represented in these talks. Mamalipurath argues that TED Talks on Islam are part of a larger postsecular (the secular's…

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Ivan Franceschini et al., "Scam: Inside Southeast Asia's Cybercrime Compounds" (Verso Books, 2025) 50:32

2M ago50:32

50:32

“If I had been enslaved for a year or two, I might not be able to believe in humanity any more.” “I am a victim of modern slavery.” These chilling words come from a Taiwanese female lured by a fake job offer, only to be sold into a scam compound in Cambodia. She is not alone. She is one of thousands deceived into this industry—people who left home …

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Sonia Faleiro, "The Robe and the Sword: How Buddhist Extremism Is Shaping Modern Asia" (Columbia UP, 2025) 41:40

2M ago41:40

41:40

When the robe becomes a weapon, who can stop the violence? We think of Buddhism as a faith of peace—rooted in compassion, patience, and nonviolence. But across South and Southeast Asia today, the robe is being turned into a weapon, as radical monks and nationalist movements unleash hatred and war. In The Robe and the Sword: How Buddhist Extremism i…

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Basit Kareem Iqbal, "The Dread Heights: Tribulation and Refuge after the Syrian Revolution" (Fordham UP, 2025) 1:16:50

2M ago1:16:50

1:16:50

Basit Kareem Iqbal's new book The Dread Heights: Tribulation and Refuge after the Syrian Revolution (Fordham UP, 2025) uses ethnographic scenes from Jordan and Canada to contextualize the role of Muslim charities and community organizations that support displaced refugees from the Syrian catastrophe. Through these encounters, however, we learn not …